There were a number of films used to create inspiration for this project however the main ones used were: Fighting and Ali for advice on how to film with Rocky and Million Dollar Baby helping with story development.
Cinematography
Fighting was used as major influence here because the 1st scene is somewhat different from the average boxing film. It starts with the main character walking through a subway with the titles appearing on the screen, it heavily uses medium shots with no close up until he reaches the ground where he sets up shop, there were examples of dolly shots following main characters progress through the subway and eventually the streets which could be imitated. However there are other people in the scene running and the use of lower angle shots where these people run past the camera gave us idea to film a running scene whereby the main character is running either from something or to something. Also the fight scene uses very quick changing shots to emphasise the fast movement but also reaction shots of bystanders as to how they feel about the fight, it also uses establishing shots to display the fight and the area surrounding it.
Boxing has to make an appearance whereby Ali was used as influence, unlike Fighting, Ali makes use of more close ups of both the face and the gloves so as to capture the protagonists exertion and capture images of iconography of boxing gloves, punching bag and a gym background symbolising this as a boxing genre film however the changing jump shot of him going from running to being in the gym also indicate to the audience that this film is a little more than just a boxing film and that there could be something as important than the actual boxing itself. Also the close up shot of the police car could be emphasising the future involvement of the police in acts a racist actions against the black community.
Editing
The editing for fighting is very fluid and continuous without ever leaving the viewer in doubt as to about whom the protagonist is, the only point where continuity could be questioned is a scene where he leaves through a door but it then cuts to him being half way up the stairs which could be evaluated as going to far ahead by establishing his heading to or climbing of the stairs. The jump cut to a man being mugged does help establish this film as one related to violence however it could be misinterpreted as a crime or gangster film since it links over into the muggers escaping through a door held open by protagonist. As it progresses several street-wise characters are established by the camera giving them longer screen time and even though it can’t be understood why these characters are being highlighted its clear that they will makes appearances in the film later. The use of shot reverse shots is established between characters that will most likely become more apparent as film progresses and this is proven when they appear to be taking interest in protagonist by using the shot reverse shot to signal to each other and then indicating in protagonist’s direction. The chase scene which precedes the fight also makes use of quick shots and the protagonist running past or into the camera which signals the important nature of the scene as he has to get away from where he’s just been.
The editing for the 1st part of Ali is completely dominated by jump shots between a music concert and Ali himself jogging, personally I think that if not for the title this could have confused people since both get as much attention as each other therefore this film could have been about music as opposed to one mans struggle. There are also uses of non-direct filming whereby the camera films characters but through another medium i.e. a mirror or reflective surface which is an interesting affect which makes it seem in a sense that everything is centred on Ali. Slow motion is also used to emphasise the boxing motions of how Ali trains and performs physically the way he does. Finally the constant close up effects keep getting closer to Ali’s face as it progresses creating an form of Dolly effect and when its so close the punching bag creates a strobe effect to again emphasise the quickness of what Ali’s training can be like.
Sound
Fighting makes use of a traditional style of music very similar to most gangster films mostly rap music with jazz / soul elements as a background music so as to entertain the audience while the protagonist perform in a relatively boring scene. As the film progresses into scenes with dialogue the music quickly dies out along with any forms of action which seems to be an essential in most films as the music always stands a chance to drown out what the characters are saying. It’s still a very vibrant music which may distract the audience from what’s actually happening on the screen since there isn’t much action happening, even in the scenes where people are running the music still continues at a relatively slow pace.
The sounds used in Ali consist of the one song that lasts for the whole 1st 5 minutes of the film and isn’t changed or altered in anyway. It makes the viewer realise very early on that this film is about a lot more than just boxing however the song never makes it hard to hear any dialogue or sounds which consist mainly of Will Smith hitting a punching bag and a police siren.
Mise En Scene
The clothing in Fighting is mostly casual with the occasional suit and tie, which are usually being victimised; the props consist mainly of the protagonists backpack along with the items inside it, however the man wearing white matching clothes immediately singles himself out at a major character because of his unusual clothing by contrast to everyone else in the scene. Nothing seems to single this film out as a boxing film since there are no conventional memorabilia related to that subject which in the end could confuse the viewer but could make the revelation all the more surprising. The lighting seems mostly natural since the scene occurs outside and even in the subway the electronic lights help clear the scene and make it easily watchable by anyone. If not for the fighting scene this could almost have been taken for a crime or drama film.
As far as the representation of; Age, Gender and Social Class is concerned and based on the way the people dress it’s clearly a working class background not just from the main character but from all the extra featured also sport the same clothes and attitude, gender is conventionally male dominated but with a woman making an appearance who displays as much authority as the male extras she interacts with.
Ali offers a lot more in this department by making it obvious from beginning that this film is related to boxing and or music since Ali is wearing traditional boxers’ urban training clothes. The music side comes in through the performer clearly standing on a stage with the bright light beams shining down, the trimmed suit and use of microphone with everyone crying out. However the next few scenes show Ali in training which displays all the usual boxing memorabilia; hand wraps, punching bag, the gym sign reflected in the mirror and Will Smith’s dress is clearly that of an athlete with it being very casual with damp patches on the upper body. The lighting is good throughout even during the night scene where the lights are slightly dimmer to create that effect but it clear the street lamps are not the only thing eliminating the screen since when he passes them the light doesn’t fade. Also the light on the police cars siren is very prominent when they appear in the scene, which could indicate a possible future appearance of, if not this particular police car then the police in general.
Age, gender and social class are interpreted from a similar background as Fighting whereby most people appear to be working class but with a lot more female appearance that seem to follow a convention of women screaming when a famous performer starts his set. Ethnic groups takes priority since the film is about overcoming social injustice as much as boxing and so the African actors are to be seen as socially lesser people when compared to Caucasians by the way they move and act. However this does conflict when jumping to the concert scene where clearly an African man is seen as the centre of attention and influence but this could be viewed as being acceptable since the audience is composed of people of a similar ethnicity.
Conclusion
In conclusion throughout the course of my analysis I have managed to find inspiration and directions in how to conduct the filming side of the project and how to manage and direct the other crew members in how to use the cinematography, editing, sound and mise en scene effectively in creating a boxing film that transgresses the usual boxing boundaries and becomes more about a man discovering his own potential, not just in the ring but in life at a point when it seemed there was no escape from past mistakes.
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