Setting: Toy Story 3 - "Meet Ken & Barbie" film clip
Monday, September 28, 2015A task was set to analyse the setting of a film clip of your choice and how it affects the mood and genre of the film. I decided to choose the ironic moment of Barbie meeting Ken for the first time in one of my favourite films, 'Toy Story 3'.
From the beginning of the clip, the setting is featured inside a playroom which is quickly suggested through the drawings, posters, furniture and stationary located in the background and through their bold, playful colours. The colours and details of the setting automatically suggest the target audience of the film to be aimed at young individuals. These prospects also suggest the mood of what is currently happening in the clip, as everything appears to be content. The selection of happy colours may also symbolise the soon-expecting ironic 'love at first sight' moment between Barbie and Ken as well as their thoughts and emotions, which is the highlight of the clip.
The crowd of toys behind the main characters in the background also suggests the level of importance these characters have in the film due to aiming their attention towards them.
At 0:15 when the camera is aimed at Lotso, the background beholds dark tones and shades of green with only the main characters behind him. This may of been intentional to foreshadow Lotso's inner reputation and persona he does not express in the clip until later events.
Because of this, the camera angles of individual characters can also view their lifestyle and personality through the setting. This implication is further addressed to when the camera turns towards Ken and his 3 story dreamhouse. This implies that Ken is inferior in comparison to the other characters who do not live in a nice looking building. The colours and structure of the dreamhouse also demonstrate how Ken is a girl's toy.
As soon as Ken notices Barbie's presence, the mood of the setting dramatically transforms. The camera zooms into Barbie's face and the lighting is abruptly brighter. At 0:39, The camera also slowly zooms in as they begin to walk towards each other as the sunlight shines brightly from the centre of the screen. The characters' surroundings are blurry and soft - attempting to recreate a generic 'love at first sight' scenario and so the viewers focus on their visually strong connection. The colours in the backgrounds are bold yet light in order to match the mood of the characters and to highlight this special moment.
Additionally, the setting of this clip appears to be more occupied and populated by numerous variations of toys from 1:10. The rows of shelves on the left and right hand side include baskets of toys, books and folders, as well as a rug with illustrated images on it in the centre of the high-angled shot. The characters walking though this lively neighbourhood relates to a generic image of someone walking through a city - their faces expressing their consciousness towards their surroundings.
Towards the end of the clip, the setting of the hidden room includes an image of palm trees and a beach. This was intentional to create a mood of relaxation and purity for beauty therapy performances on the toys in the playroom. Finally, at 1:23, Barbie and Ken stand next to Ken's dream house - presenting the size of the fancy building in comparison to the dolls. The limitless of beaming light regularly appearing throughout the clip possibly implies Ken's inner emotions of loneliness he beholds - this is further addressed when he confesses "Everything... except someone to share it with".
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