Research Activity 1: Snow White (Disney Studios,1937)
Settings & Props
The scene set in a dark room that is dominated by black tones colours, it makes the vivid red poisoned apple stand out and symbolic.
Costume, Hair & Make Up
The Snow White princess wears a beautiful dress and is properly made up, while the witch wears a black robe and no makeup. Their hairstyles are also contrasting: the princess’s hair is neatly arranged, whereas the witch’s hair is unkempt and appears as if it hasn’t been washed. Thus, their outward appearances allow the audience to infer each character’s personality, situation, and condition.
Facial Expressions & Body Language
The witch is constantly laughing throughout the entire scene. In contrast, the princess appears calm and enjoys cooking with various animals at the beginning. However, after the witch appears, the princess’s eyebrows show signs of anxiety that continue until the end of the scene. From these elements, it can be interpreted that the witch feels pleased or satisfied, whereas the princess feels uncomfortable.
In terms of body language, the witch’s movements are slow and deliberate, while the princess’s body movements are fast and detailed. Based on these observations, I assume that the witch appears relaxed and confident because of the poisoned apple, whereas the princess expresses tension and anxiety due to the sudden appearance of the unknown witch.
Lighting and Colour
In this scene, the witch appears at the window as if to block the light from coming in. Meanwhile, the princess is inside a dark room. I think this helps emphasize the feeling of anxiety. Also, in the scene where she makes the solitary apple, the apple’s color and brightness are depicted very vividly, which further emphasizes it.
Positioning of characters/objects within the frame
Most of scenes are effectively composed the use of symmetrical composition allows viewers to clearly understand who is speaking to whom in each scene.
Especially, this scene is behind each character inside the apple which has poison. It can be obviously clear to understand who is giving what to whom in this scene.
What role does the shot choice (Cinematography) play in the scene.
In this scene, the apple is placed at the center of the frame, as a symmetry. The light take on the witch, while Snow White remains in the shadows, it seems to imply the how they are going the future.