Lighting and Mike and Will and El - Full Analysis (Pt. 17)
El is back! And that means that we’ve got so much more to work with. But also she blows shit up and she’s trying her best. She, Mike and Will just haven’t figured out how to function. Also Argyle.
But first, van scene aftermath, Will’s perspective, and Mike’s shirt pocket.
S4:E8 - Finding El
I want to look at this before we head into Mike, Will, Argyle and Jonathan in the van again. Owens here is dressed in blue. And I want to make note of that here because I’m going to dabble in colour theory with Hopper later on. Also, this is a pretty shot. And I missed El.
Moving on. We have the van, the establishing shot for this scene.
In the van we have a shot of Mike and Will, Mike’s pocket pointed away from Will, Will looking miserable, and “Boy” smack dab in the middle of them. The lighting in this scene doesn’t have the effect is usually does on Will. We got quite a bit of Will’s perspective in the Van Scene, so I think it’s possible that we may be transitioning into a split between Mike, Will and El.
Or this could be the aftereffects of Will’s speech to Mike. To consider another possibility here, it could be Mike slightly pulling away from Will because of how adamant he was about El. But I think it’s more likely that it’s Will’s perspective/ a joint narration, because it’s more abnormal to have Will out of the light than in it. And even when Mike was trying to repair things with El and when she got arrested, Will’s lighting didn’t falter.
That’s not to say there aren’t still some slight differences between will’s lighting and everyone else. He’s slightly differently lit, but it’s a lot different than it was during his and Mike’s talk about El.
Like here, after Jonathan slams on the breaks. There is a more obvious difference between Mike and Will’s lighting.
And “boy” still remains in between them. Surfer Boy Pizza, and the van being yellow and red, is as a whole, a very interesting symbol. It stands out and it is being used in ways that add meaning within the scene.
Now, checking Suzie’s co-ordinates, we can see Jonathan, Will and Mike in the back of the van. Mike’s pocket is still pointing away from Will, and they've got Jonathan as a sort of barrier of safety between them.
Adding this picture of Argyle here, to show that he’s outside and the lighting is normal.
And then to contrast that shot of Argyle with this one. Will is back to being lit a bit different than everyone else.
And here as well, although this could just be Will’s positioning. Will’s the first reaction we see here, he’s the main focus of this shot. Similarly to how shots have been framed around Mike, they’re starting to be the same with Will. But the lighting toning down might be telling us that it’s not just Mike looking at Will anymore. It’s Will narrating the story.
But Mike is also, still narrating the story. At Rink O’ Mania we bounced in between looking at Will and seeing El’s narration. I think that teh way this is set up is saying that Will’s now influencing what we see here. Which is why there are a few options for why Mike’s shirt pocket is pointing away from Will.
1. Mike got scared again, like when they went into Suzie’s house. Will told him to be with El, so that’s what he’s going to do, now.
2. Will’s influencing what we see. In his perspective, Mike doesn’t love him like that. So that shirt pocket is going to be driven away from him.
Also interesting is that Will and Mike aren’t looking to each other for assurance, Mike’s looking to Jonathan while Will isn’t really looking to anyone. They seem to both be putting a little distance between each other after their last scene.
Here, Jonathan is in-between Mike and Will again. And Mike’s shirt pocket is still pointing away from Will. Will and Argyle being in similar positions is possibly saying something about Will giving Mike advice. Argyle is a character who says things that may or may not look sense- but actual foreshadow a lot. Will the Wise, over here, is displaying a similar sort of character. But unlike Argyle, his advice isn’t entirely true.
The framing of this shot gives way to the possibility of Will’s perspective being more prominent. We’re seeing their reactions from Will’s side view, but it’s similar to shots of Mike looking behind at the others from the back of the van, and the camera obviously following a single character.
Even when they’re running to get to the van, Mike and Will have distance between them.
The aftermath of their talk about El, and their own feelings, and everything, is shown in the careful distance they've put between themselves. Will’s lighting has toned down quite a bit, and Mike and Will don’t really say a lot to each other compared to them talking to and about Jonathan and Argyle.
Mike’s shirt pocket is pointing away from Will in everyway this scene. Will is no longer glowing like a radiant being, like we know him to be. And Will has also moved his position within the frame. This means that we’re finally getting more of Will’s perspective. We aren’t just looking at him, longingly, through Mike’s eyes anymore. Will is influencing what we’re allowed to see now.
After the establishment of Will’s obvious biases, we can infer what exactly Will is changing. The shirt pocket is moved because Will doesn’t think that Mike feels that way, but Mike’s perspective gave that to us because he does. As with the lighting and POV shots, we saw Will glowing. Now? We don’t see that.
This is where we really start to see Will becoming one of the main characters.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 (To be edited- eventually. Whenever this is actually finished)
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I need help
I need advice. Or help. Or both?
Mirrin and I are um.. discussing getting me out of here, out of my house, out of the US. Thinking very seriously about the best plan of action to remove myself from this house and to a better place, to be with my partner, to get a better life.
This goes out to anyone who has experienced it: How do you escape an abusive family? How do you do it safely? What steps can I take if I decide to go through with this?
Truly, I do not know how to feel. I have so much doubt. Doubt that i would not be in this situation if i had just bothered to do as I’m told. But I’m disabled, both in body and in mind. I’ve been living with my parents my entire life. If i wasn't disabled, I might have had my own house by now, at 27 years old. But I cant fulfill their expectations. I wont be able to get an acceptable job. Even if I did, it would hurt me. It wouldn’t make me less autistic, less fearful, less in physical pain.
The longer I’m here, the more I’m reminded I am not welcome- I am everything (in secret) my parents don't want me to be (queer, atheist). I’m a disgrace compared to my brothers who have found success.
But that doubt has always been their authoritarian voices in my head. If escaping feels like the only way i can truly be free, then so be it.
So far, our plan is to just... well, I buy a plane ticket straight to my destination. I pack up my things, what I need, and leave everything else behind... I call a taxi to get me to the airport. And never look back. Mirrin would tell their family about my situation to make my arrival there apparent. I may even call the bank to separate mine from my parents’, since they technically control it and monitor it (they never took or kept money from me.. but it would for sure be best if I made it purely my own). Ideally, a friend helping me with all that would be great. But who knows... We are just. Talking.. hoping.
Again, any advice and any, ANY kind of help would mean so much to me. I want both Mirrin and I to get the life we deserve. I don’t wanna be here anymore.
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Belisa Delphia Maldonado
Bruno's Bride (an OC)
A mysterious woman that began living in Encanto with her Tío (The burro man). She comes from a village outside of Encanto and was subjected to a lot of unsavory things in her old village due to her misfortunate birth.
During a Guerilla raid in her village, her mother and father were in hiding when her mother -from stress- went into an early labor. Due to this, the Guerilla found where they were and slaughtered her parents just as she was born. Left to be raised by her Abuelo.
Because of this, and her pale misfortunately colored eyes, the village superstitiously blamed all mishaps and misfortunes on Belisa. Resulting in her being punished by beatings, stoning, etc. Her entire back is covered in varying sizes of scars, around her neck, wrists and ankles, one on her chest and some scattered on her arms legs and knees.
Her quiet nature, and sweet considerate disposition is conditioning from her time in her old village. Only 37 years old, she often subjects herself to things she doesn't enjoy just to appease those around her. As a child, in her old village, she learned the roads and pathways so that she could walk the town with her eyes closed. Believing if her 'cursed eyes' weren't there- that bad things would stop happening. The superstitious villagers also would pay her no mind so long as her eyes were closed. When her Abuelo passed away in her arms- the villagers became like wild beasts, blaming her for his passing as well. To which she fled- not allowed to mourn his death, or even see to it he was properly buried. Knowing that... after her parent's deaths... her Tío had sought a new village away from the darkness the one they lived in had to raise his burro in peace. So she too, sought the same sanctuary.
Belisa isn't too fond of burro, though. They tend to attempt to lay on her, push her with their heads, sit on her- essentially bully her. But she does have ONE thing she loves the most in the entire world... well... several thousand things... BATS! She is friends with several thousand different species of bats, and will often be found with some under her shawl- sleeping the day away. Much to her Tío's dismay... but this was the conversation piece that helped the suddenly visiting older male Madrigal in her Tío's store front one day come out of his shell. After all... he said-
"Bats are just Rats with the blessing of flight!"
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I dont think I'll ever be able to get over the "I work in Soho, I hear things," line Aziraphale says in 1967. Cuz like if you exam the scene background for more than a couple of seconds you realize how fucking ridiculous Crowley and Aziraphale are being.
Because, Crowley KNOWS where the bookshop is. Crowley was probably there when Aziraphale came up with the idea and when he chose the property and for sure was there for opening day. Crowley KNOWS it's still there in 1941, they go back at the end of the magic show for wine.
The fucking Dirty Donkey is established as being across the street from the bookshop with a perfect view to the inside during s2e4.
See how the crossed out windows the zombies are looking through are visible through the window over Crowley's shoulder. If Aziraphale were heating up the tea kettle on his little parlor stove, he might even be able to see the pub's entrance or any cars coming up the street.
And I doubt that the pub moved locations in or around 1967 only to be moved back by 2023 so we can safely assume that what's visible in 1941 is visible in 1967 during Crowley's meeting.
I went back to the 1967 bit in s1e3 to figure out where the fuck Crowley is parked and I'm pretty sure the ramp he speaks alone to Shadwell in front of is the same ramp that Marguerite's restaurant has.
And in s2e5, as Aziraphale leaves to invite all the shopkeepers to the 'meeting' we see Marguerite's sign through the windows to the right of the front door.
Which means Crowley's conversation with Shadwell is fucking visible from the front door of the bookshop.
And it also means those fucking strip tease signs that Crowley has parked the Bentley in front of are covering up the record shop and the window over Aziraphale's desk (Which I'll admit, unfortunately means that the ramp isn't visible through the window and might only be seen via the windows of the front door of the shop). Why are these windows covered up? Maybe the set designers wanted to give the illusion that they are on some different part of the street. UNFORTUNATELY I CAN FUCKING SEE THE BOOKSHOP PILLARS IN THE CORNER OF THE SCREEN YOU CANT FOOL ME.
Let's put it all together now: Crowley drives the Bentley, his ICONIC Bentley(no doubt who's fucking Bentley that is if you see it come down the street through the window), just past the bookshop, and parks. He has to get out on the bookshop side of the street and backtrack, PAST THE FUCKING BOOKSHOP DOOR, and to the pub that is in perfect view of one of the (only unblocked) bookshop windows, and has a conversation with a strange man in view of the bookshop's front door.
"I hear things" Aziraphale, baby girl, you didn't have to hear anything you can literally see Crowley at every moment.
And also Aziraphale, you're not off the hook for ridiculousness either. Why the fuck did you teleport into the Bentley. THE BOOKSHOP IS RIGHT THERE. You fucking depraved me of a full cravat outfit shot because you wanted to spookily and mysteriously appear to your beloved demon. YOU'RE KILLING ME AZIRAPHALE.
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