The Social Network Scene Script and Sound Critique

 The Social Network Scene 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMeYdSYCC7A

Script:

In terms of sound this scene uses relatively simplistic sound editing. In the scene the viewer experiences both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. The diegetic being what's going on in the office, the actual dialogue, and the sounds of people moving around, or moving items. The non-diegetic sound is the sound of the ambient/industrial synthesizer in the background that raises and lowers in intensity throughout the scene, depending on the tension of the dialogue. To be more specific, the sound uses the proximity and similarity part of the Gestalt Principle to raise and lower tension between the character of Mark Zuckerberg, and the attorney questioning him. It also raises excitement for the viewer, because this is one of the driving forces of the story, "who really created Facebook?" The scene also mostly uses causal sounds. Specifically it uses literal sounds, things that actually exist in the real world, but are translated over into the diegetic world, such as dialogue between the characters, the sound of paper ripping, the tapping of a pen or pencil, or the sound of it raining outside. Some of these sounds could also be translated as semantic because they're not necessarily exactly what those sounds sound like, but are representational of what it would sound like. These sounds are mostly used for this specific scene to keep a sense of realism to what is going on in the frame. This is based on a true story, so I'm sure they wanted it to be dramatic, but still true to the story. If non-diegetic sound was too overbearing in this scene it would ruin the exchange of dialogue. The non-diegetic sound(the music) adds just enough touch to the scene using proximity and similarity to keep the tension lowering and rising, while not being too over done.

Finding Your Howl

The article Finding Your Howl by Jonathon Flaum in a lump sum can be described as a piece on what it really takes to "find your howl" or jump out of the box so to speak. The two stories he describes both focus on the same thing, finding your own voice, so you can get outside of the cell that one is stuck in. This prison could be either your fears, your past, society, your own problems with self-image, or anything that is inhibiting you from finding your one true voice. Flaum expresses that one cannot get out of this cage, but that "the only
antidote is to stay and examine every square inch of the cage, become aware of its construction
and our collaboration with its apparent solidity. We have to become aware that we created the cage
and, hence, the cage created us in its own image so that we identify with it and, though it has
become a prison, it is also a home(10)." By this he means, we need to accept our circumstances, and work around them to find a better form of life, or a "freedom" if you will. I interpret this in such a way that one must find their own creativity, or their own self, it won't find them. For instance, if you don't know how to write a script, but want to be a great writer, practice, and practice that craft, and look for it. Don't wait for it to magically appear in the night. Both the stories of Mumon and Nick's story about the tigers express this basic concept.

The quote that I have chosen to discuss, that speaks to me, and I think also relates well to this article is a quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The quote is : "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise." I think this quote relates specifically to the article because it dances around the idea that we are stuck in an infinite wormhole of uncertainty. For Fitzgerald " seeing things that are hopeless, yet determined to make them otherwise." For Flaum, "finding your howl, even though you're stuck in a cage that cannot be escaped from." The quotes specifically speak to me because it's relative to every single thing I will do in my life, even the simple things. I'm a liberal but I have some conservative view points,those are two opposing ideas. I want pepperoni pizza, but my girlfriends a vegetarian, what do I do? This is simple human problem solving. I don't believe in God, but I realize there is no certainty that I am one hundred percent correct on that viewpoint. Well what if I keep believing that I am right, then there is a God, and I go to Hell? Then what?  If one can think those things at the same time, and still be able to rationalize their thoughts, and sanely go on with their life, they have fulfilled the idea that Fitzgerald discusses. The quote speaks to me because everyone deals with that idea on a daily basis, yet some people can only handle thinking one idea, while drowning out the other. I think that is what creates such socially, and mentally divided people, especially in our country. That is, the inability to do what Fitzgerald discusses is the qualification for a first rate intelligence. The quote is especially important because it validates the fact that there is always an opposing side to everything, and that is something every conscious mind should be aware of.

Virga(Protagonist and Hero)

 

For my hero's color scheme I wanted to go with analogous bright colors(but different hue's) to match the villains colors, so it would be hard to separate them. The motivation for this would be playing with the triangle of knowledge by having the viewer know who's good, but the people in the world not knowing who's good. The color is also motivated by his powers. Virga(the name of my hero) literally means "A mass of streaks of rain appearing to hang under a cloud. The colors are based off of rain and storm clouds of lighting. His powers are the ability to fly, live and breathe off of water, and make torrential floods pour from the sky. These colors compliment his powers, and make clear for the viewer that this is a hero who likes and knows water. 

 For lighting I want to use hard lighting on my character. This creates heavy shadows and puts emphasis on certain parts of him. I would put the lighting in such a way that casts his face, and his arms, in the spotlight. Giving him the power in the picture, and showing the viewer this is a strong character who is greatly confident in his abilities. I would also use great value in the background to accentuate his features. The lighting scheme would be meant to make sure that the viewer is only paying attention to him. 

For his shape, the motivation is once again his super powers and his environment. If he can manipulate rain, and use this medium to his advantage, it would serve a metaphorical purpose to shape my character in the form of a raindrop. I also envision this shape being able to shift so he can take on various forms in and out of water. The shape is symbolic of his nature, and symbolic of who the character is, and what he represents.

Mr. Vivid

For the color scheme of Mr. Vivid I chose Green and Yellow. By using analogous colors and green and yellow, I can portray a cheery and happy visual for my character which is usually associated with a superhero. This helps create in the viewers mind that this character is a good guy. The irony of the situation is that in our story we have created, my character is actually the antagonist who is inherently evil. These colors help trick the viewer by making them initially think by the sight of him, that he is good. These colors also help in the change of the mood. When this character is in front of a bright background, he is accentuated by his environment to make him look especially bright and angelic. When he is in front of a dark background, such as a night sky the mood changes, and hopefully this will help to accentuate his evilness by using a bright on dark color arrangement.



   

For the light of this character we wanted the light to have high intensity, and match the color yellow because yellow is more associated with vivid than green is. We also wanted the character to have hard light coming from the bottom of him, which puts him above the light, and in turn inherently puts him in a position of power. We wanted the background to be dark but filled with little bolts of green lighting to light up the dark city and give a good amount of depth of field. We also wanted to utilize shadow to have half of his body covered in light and half of it darkened to almost give Mr. Vivid a feeling of being two faced. I mean this insofar as that in the story we have created, our character used to be good, but has turned evil. The light covers vertically and horizontally at the bottom to put an emphasis on the character above. There is green light in the background and yellow light in the foreground to try to convey that the character controls his world, by using those colors, and having them on his costume as well, we are trying to convey that he has control.







For the shape of the character we wanted to make him round, muscular, short, and have all of these features over-exaggerated to make him look more powerful than he really is. The roundness also comes from the fact that the special power that we've created for him is shooting balls of green lightning out of his hands. The roundness of his body exemplifies this.  I also wanted to give him a sense of Napoleon complex, by having him so small, he has to compensate for his little stature by being destructive and evil and jealous of his enemy, who is tall, slender, and more powerful.

Here is my sketch of what my partner and I plan on turning him into using Photoshop art.