Week 1: Film Genre Research
Donnie Darko (2001)
Camera Shots, Angles, and Movement:
We start the scene off with a long, establishing shot, slowing panning towards our main character, who appears to be laying on the ground. This opening shot creates an ominous feel, leaving the audience questioning where we are, who this guy is, and if he's okay. As we're slowly getting closer to him, we get to see his bicycle on the ground with him, implying that he might've fallen off of it. As he starts to get up, we now know that he's not dead or severely injured, and the camera starts to move around him. The camera moves closer and closer until we're able to see around half of his face in a mid shot. We cut to an establishing shot of the sky as it slowly pans across the screen. The back of Donnie's head quickly pops up, and we're left with an over-the-shoulder shot with the background still in focus. As he turns around, the background begins to blur, allowing us to focus on Donnie's face. He walks off, and the title card appears, reading "Donnie Darko" in a white, creepy-ish font. The sun turns into a bright, white flash as we fade into our next scene. A trucking shot following Donnie on his bicycle allows the audience feel like they're travelling with our main character. A few cuts into different angles of the bike allow for shot variety within the scene, engaging the audience without losing their interest. Eventually, we find ourselves in a point-of-view shot, from the eyes of our main character. We're travelling on a path, seemingly located on a mountain or hill. It cuts to a shaky establishing shot featuring a sign with the words "Middlesex Halloween Carnival," seemingly advertising some type of school fair. This simple piece of information provides context of what time of year our story takes place, and implies that that school might be important later on. In the background, we see Donnie, still on his bike, slightly blurred to allow the audience's focus to be on the sign. We pan, still shakily, over to the right to focus on our main character again, and he speeds on by as the camera turns to follow him. More bike riding as the camera continues to follow him, eventually panning towards a set of new characters moving in slow motion. The camera loops around them as the guy points his leaf blower towards the girl. It cuts back to Donnie, a long shot of him biking to his house and walking inside. We cut and slowly pan down to a shot of a little girl jumping on a trampoline. It pans over to another woman and eventually back to Donnie
Editing Techniques:
We fade into the scene from a black screen, revealing the dark pink-ish blue-ish landscape around us. Minimal effects throughout the scene to provide an authentic and realistic feel. Nothing supernatural is happening just yet, so less effects would be ideal for this scene. The title fades in, reading "Donnie Darko" in white text with a slightly creepy and almost rigid font. The letters grow bigger, before getting overshone by the sun in the background, eventually turning the entire screen bright white. The white fades to reveal Donnie riding his bike along the road. Minimal editing throughout the scene yet again, until we're met with two new characters, who seem to be moving in slow motion. You can see the woman's hair and sweater blow slowly as the leaf blower gets aimed towards her face, and she runs away. The slow motion ends when we cut back to our main character. When we cut to a little girl jumping on the trampoline, the slow motion starts back up again, speeding back up shortly after.
Sound Techniques:
The scene starts off with a sudden deep, grating noise, similar to thunder or maybe rocks. As it continues, we hear birds chirping in the distance, setting the forest/nature atmosphere. The loud noise fades into more of a low hum as we pan towards our main character. The bird chirps continue. Calming piano chorus music begins as Donnie starts to wake up, giving the scene a serene and peaceful mood. The birds chirp yet again, and we hear Donnie let out a quiet laugh. As we fade to white, a loud noise is utilized to indicate a shift in scene. As we change the scene, The Killing Moon by Echo & The Bunnymen starts to play. This song touches on spiritual and existential themes of fate and human will, which ties perfectly into the movie itself. Dealing with life, death, and eternity, the movie and this song work perfectly together. I've also thought the band name might've been a nod to the character Frank, a literal bunny man, but that could very well be a coincidence. The song continues, and we occasionally hear little noises from his bike or other vehicles. When we get to the leaf blower scene, we can hear the loud whirring of the leaf blower fade in as the man aims it towards the woman. More bike noises, then we get to hear the sound of the trampoline being bounced on by the little girl. As the scene comes to a close, we hear the music slowly fade out.
Mise-En-Scene Elements:
The lighting at first is very dark in contrast to the blue and pink sky before us. It appears to be sunrise since the sun isn't fully out yet. This sets the scene for a calm and serene atmosphere, if the lighting were brighter it would be hard to convey that mood. Our main character is in what seems to be his pajamas, implying that he might've gotten lost or snuck out at night. These simple factor leaves the audience wondering how exactly this boy got out here and why he's laying on the ground to begin with. As the sun comes up, the sky becomes more blue and overall brighter, maybe symbolizing how he's waking up mentally. As we travel to his neighborhood from the mountain, the atmosphere is brighter and more lively. There seems to be people walking and driving around, and the sun is shining bight.
Production and Distribution Information:
Donnie Darko was produced on a budget of around $4.5 million dollars. At first, it was a box office failure, only earning roughly $7.5 million world wide. Despite this, the film found success on home video, with DVD sales earning over $10 million. This movie was written and directed by Richard Kelly in his directorial debut. The film was produced by Flower Films and distributed in the United States by Newmarket films.
Opening Credits Description:
No names or descriptions are listed, simply the movies title; Donnie Darko in a white, rigid font in the middle of the screen. The letters grow bigger, before getting overshone by the sun in the background, eventually turning the entire screen bright white. The rigid font mirrors the horror genre well, without being too over-the-top horrifying.
Awards/Nominations:
Donnie Darko accumulated a total of 12 wins and 17 nominations for its screenplay, directorial debut, Jake Gyllenhaal's exceptional acting, and more. Including but certainly not limited to; the 2003 winner for Best Foreign Film at the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, the 2001 winner for Best Original Screenplay at the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards, and the 2003 Best Actor at the Chlotrudis Awards.
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