Ex Machina – Alex Garland (2014)
Opening Scene: https://youtu.be/pSesH2hUY0o
Title Sequence: https://youtu.be/vXrt19yBjds
Shot by Shot Analysis
Plot: The movie Ex Machina by Alex Garland is about a young man named Caleb, who works as a programmer for the world’s largest internet company. His company had a competition, in which he won, he was able to go to see the CEO Nathan. When he arrives, he is in a remote location, the mountains, and is going to be involved in a experiment where he must interact with the world’s first true artificial intelligence, which is housed in a woman’s body.
In this first shot of the film, we see the setting of the company. It is modern, you have the reflections off of the computers on the glass doors. It shows the atmosphere of being apart of a company, individualism is prevalent, since people are doing their own thing. The cinematography of this film helps to reflect the type of environment of a science fiction film, modern, revovles around tecnhology.
This shot shows the main character, Caleb, we have almost a perspective shot, we see him as someone working across from him would see him on the job. Here we see that he is on the job and involved. In the background, you have people walking and working on the job.
Here, we see the beginning of the action. This shot shows the computer in focus while the people working are blurred out, which is shallow focus. Few figures in the frame are in focus. Also, the framing is off in this shot, the shot is almost canted and to the side, so the computer is dominant in the frame, which means it is important.
In this scene, we see a ariel shot/master shot of the helicopter flying over the rural terrain and to establish the setting Caleb is going to be in for the next few months. This shot is kind of significant because it shows he has no connection to his work place, he is alone. It helps to build the tension, since their is now action in this opening scene of the film.
In this next shot, perspective shot of Caleb looking back at the helicopter realizing he went from an urbanized area to a rural area, nobody is aware of. This kind of leaves the audience suspicious, the helicopter vanishes and protagonist Caleb is left behind, not knowing where they have taken him or what he is getting himself into. It helps to develop the plot and really build the intensity. It shows that a science fiction film, can involve advanced technology but it can be inside of our modern world and not seem so futuristic, like in Terminator.
Finally, we see that Caleb has found CEO Nathan’s lab. Here, the house/laboratory calls him out as he approaches the door. We see his curiosity and hesitation in this shot, as he is unsure of this area and why this robotic door system knows his presence. The framing here is slightly off centered, the rule of thirds show that Caleb is off of the center frame. This is significant because again it show that he is hesitant and does not want to go near the door and he is keeping distance.
Sound
Some sounds that could be heard were on screen diegetic sounds such as those in the office, while Caleb was working on the computer. You could here dialogue and people associating, also the typing of keyboards. These were inside the world of the film and they were diegetic since they could be heard by people in the film and the audience. The helicopter flying would be a added sound effect. Ambient sounds can be heard from when Caleb is searching for his destination once in the woods, have the sound of birding chirping, the water fall. These are sounds that could be heard in the environment of the protagonists.
Mise- En- Scene
The computers are props and decor to show the modernization of the film. Caleb relies on his phone to inform everyone of his first place winning. Costuming, everyone in the office is wearing nicer attire, showing the typical office job life.
Editing
The opening cuts frequently between Caleb and his computer in the beginning. This is to show who he is as a character, he is a productive person and works on his computer a lot. The film jump cuts from Caleb in the office to him in the helicopter flying to his destination, I think this is to accomplish a good flow of the film not to drag it out, wants to get into the action.
Susan Hammond’s Media Studies Project Blog 