AICE Media Studies Blog: April 2020

For my extract, I watched a clip from Game of Thrones. This extract was about a man named Stannis who was trying to convince a court that he was a rightful ruler. He has with him a man named Davos who vouches for him and declares that he would be the most suitable ruler for various reasons. The extract is tense and seems to be going for a bit of a dramatic feel. The overall meaning I believe the extract was going for was that loyalty and honesty deserved to be rewarded. This theme was conveyed through the use of various techniques which built up the importance and seriousness of the message.
In the first scene, it starts with a zoom of the two characters and then an establishing shot of the boat they are sailing in on. The zoom displays the intensity of the two characters and sets the tone for the rest of the extract. The characters look as if they are about to face something either challenging or important, which enhances the feel of the drama. The establishing shot showing the large boat on the empty coast makes the scene feel all the more dramatic, as it shows the importance of the characters since they are riding in on a large boat. The characters themselves wear clothes that seem to fit the plot of the show, which makes it seem more fantasy-like, as no one today would typically wear what they are wearing. The lighting of this scene also sets the mood for the rest of the extract. The lighting is dim and dreary, which makes the scene have a feeling of dread and furthers the intensity of what is about to take place. Overall it doesn't make the scene feel like a happy one. The background music furthers this by playing a sad sounding instrumental tune. It makes the scene feel even more glum than it had before, which is most likely what the director was going for.
In the next scene, the background music that had previously been playing stopped, making the scene a lot more quiet. The scene went from non-diegetic sound to having completely diegetic. This built up the suspense for what was to come and the importance of the message that would be said. The theme itself was conveyed through dialogue in the extract. This was a great choice on the director's part because it really helped show their vision.
In the third scene, the characters try to convince the court that Stannis would be a good ruler. Davos explained that his loyalty to rules and honesty made him deserving of the rule. He further showed this through his hand, which was shown to have no fingers because Stannis himself got rid of them. The reason is revealed that he used to be a thief and was punished for it. This shows his loyalty to Stannis and further shows the point. The costume design and character design showing this, very much helped show his point.
Overall, these decisions evidently conveyed the meaning of the extract very well. The camera angles and shots showed mood, which made the following scenes feel important. The mis en scene made the extract feel like it was in the time period it was set and helped convey theme. The sound also conveyed importance of the message given. All of these came together to construct the meaning behind the extract.