The Final: Response to Avengers 2

Hi everyone. Here's the assignment for the final - your response to Avengers 2. You have till midnight, this Friday (5/15) to submit it to me by email.

Answer each of the following questions, with an answer of one or two paragraphs.

1. What did you think of the movie overall? What were some of its good points and some of its bad points?

2. Pick one of the characters, and explain how costuming/design and special effects were used to enhance or explain that character's personality traits. For an example – there are several choices that were made to make the Vision look not-quite human, from the texture of his skin, which looked like a corrugated plastic, to the camera-lens-like irises in his eyes. The fact that he has red skin also puts him, to some degree, outside of human racial types. The fact that he wears a cape, like Thor, gives him a sort of regal bearing – as if Thor and the Vision are kings, a step above the status of mortals. The fact that the gem from the scepter is placed on his forehead like a Third Eye also implies a sense of enlightenment, as if he is above the day-to-day concerns of ordinary humans.

3. Pick a shot or sequence that used special effects that stood out for you – in particular, one where the special effects really supported the story or the development/understanding of the characters. First, describe the shot/effect, and explain how it served a storytelling purpose. Then, to the best of your ability, explain how you think the shot/effect was put together. As an example – a shot that stood out to me was the shot, towards the end, where the Hulk is jumping to one of the flying "life boats," carrying Black Widow in his arms. The shot is fixed on Scarlett Johansen's face, as if attached to her, and it's cropped to that her face fills the screen, with only an edge of the Hulk's shoulder showing, while the background races by behind her. The static nature of the shot makes it seem calm, despite the fact that they're zooming through the sky - an effect that's enhanced by muffling the audio. The relative quietness of the shot (visually and aurally) provides a sort of grace note, or a breather, from all the preceding action – and it gives the atmosphere of a "calm after the storm." Also, in terms of character, this is a moment of rest – since she and Mark Ruffalo have been dancing around the edges of a romance during the film, this is a moment when she can just be held by him, in his arms. Before the deck of the "life boat" comes up behind her, and there are only clouds streaming past, you can imagine (and you suspect that she herself is imagining) what it might feel like for the two of them to run away from it all – having finished their job, just flying away from their responsibilities, and leaping off the grid together. I'm assuming most of this shot, down to the Hulk's shoulder, is CGI – perhaps the deck of the "life boat," with the extras on it, was shot in real space, and then composited and motion-blurred for the background. Johansen would have been shot against a green screen, with someone off-camera blowing wind at her hair, to help give the feeling of motion.

Or - if you're Ben, you can explain in detail why the movie is everything that's wrong with America. And write about one of the shots/effects.

Final Time/Location

For our final, we'll be meeting at the Galaxy Fandango in Carson to see the new Avengers flick. I'll post instructions for a written response to the movie, which you'll submit as your final.

Ian is going to caravan with Kevin, Max, Payton, and Dylan. Meet up at the art building at 11am and you should get there in time.

Keifer and Melissa will drive themselves.

Ben and Jacob are going to be lame-os and miss out (but are still going to watch the movie and do the write-up).

See you there.