My Chemical Romance fandom assignment

Here's a copy of my MSVC 202 Fandom assignment, for which I wrote a case study on the banc My Chemical Romance and their fans.
I'm putting this here mainly so that all the fans who helped me out can read what quotes of theirs I used and in what context etc.

MSVC 205

ASSIGNMENT 1

Fandom case study: My Chemical Romance

Over the course of this essay I intend to examine certain aspects of fandom and fan behaviour through the creation of a case study on the fans of American rock band My Chemical Romance (MCR for short).

The aim of doing this is to gain an understanding of the meanings the fans take from the band and their songs, and how these meanings change from person to person, as well as how they express their fandom and whether or not they feel that being a fan of My Chemical Romance gives them a sense of belonging.

It may be useful to briefly introduce who My Chemical Romance are in order to gain a broader understanding of their fans and the way the band and fans interact. They are a rock band from New Jersey, USA, who attracted a cult, underground audience with the release of their debut album “I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love” in 2002 and went on to gain more mainstream success after the release of their second album “Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge” in 2004, and again in 2006 with the release of their third album “The Black Parade” which spawned the bands first UK number one single in the form of “Welcome To The Black Parade”. (WEB 1)

My Chemical Romance have also been the subject of some controversy, mostly due to their association with the ‘emo’ genre. I will go on to explore the issues surrounding My Chemical Romance and their involvement with ‘emo’ later in the essay, with focus on the way in which they are targeted by mainstream media and how the fans react to this.

I chose to study My Chemical Romance as I already have a basic knowledge of their fan base and the personal needs fans derive from the band, as well as having an interest in many of the controversies surrounding them.

To conduct my research I joined the most popular My Chemical Romance fan forum online, ImNotOkay.net and posted a topic asking if anyone would be willing to help me by answering a questionnaire. I had been expecting some hostility from the fans who may have viewed me as an outsider uninterested in the band but this was not the case, as I had many offers of help from the fans and found them to be very welcoming towards me, and always glad to talk about their My Chemical Romance fandom.

I also joined a number of My Chemical Romance related groups on social networking site Facebook, conducted textual analyses on same of the band’s songs and videos as well as looking at some fan created media, such as Youtube tribute videos.

Through looking at the answers to the questionnaires I posted on ImNotOkay.net it is possible to see some of the many ways in which My Chemical Romance fans express their feelings for the band, from something as simple as wearing official merchandise such as T-shirts to creating their own My Chemical Romance related Fan-Fiction.

For the fans using ImNotOkay.net the internet plays a large part in the way they express their fandom as the forums provide a place for them to interact with other people who share their love of My Chemical Romance, people they may not have had the chance to know without this medium.

In his book ‘David Bowie: Fame, Sound and Vision’ Nick Stevenson finds that many fans of David Bowie use the internet message boards as a way of simply communicating with other fans and that through doing so many found a sense of belonging they may not have found in their everyday lives. He suggests that what these forums offer is “intense experience of communal belonging” and that talking, or even meeting up with, other fans met through message boards can “take the edge off the suspicion that there is something peculiar about your own fandom” (p174, 2006). This was certainly evident amongst many of the My Chemical Romance fans I spoke to through ImNotOkay.net, including Julie, who uses the ImNotOkay message boards under the username ‘Chemical Addiction’. She described to me what she feels she has gained from using these boards: “I’ve met some of my best friends here on INO [ImNotOkay.net] and wouldn’t change it for the world.” She then went on to say “Before I found MCR I felt alone and secluded, but now I’ve met people that will be in my life for a long time through MCR.”

Official fan forums are not the only places on the internet where fans can express their feelings; social networking sites like Facebook provide the opportunity for a wide range of people to come together in groups dedicated to talking about all kinds of subjects, and there are many dedicated to My Chemical Romance.

One such group, called “FOR TRUE MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE FANS ONLY!” showcases much of the hostility I was expecting to find, but didn’t, on the official fan forum. Fans on this discussion board are keen to make clear the difference between what they call “Teenies” - the young fans who have only recently discovered the band, and the ‘real’ My Chemical Romance fans. Fiske suggests that there are “boundaries between the community of fans and the rest of the world” (p34, 2001) and that “fans may argue about what characteristics allow someone to cross it and become a true fan” (p35, 2001).

Many My Chemical Romance fans articulate feelings of alienation and loneliness felt before becoming a fan, and Chuck Eddy suggests that once someone finds a clique, or a fan group, that accepts them for who they are “defending their clique against outsiders is the next natural step” (Eddy, p139).

This is certainly evidenced in this group. One discussion topic is titled “What I think qualifies as a poser” and features a list, written by the fans, of differences that they feel mark ‘posers’ from ‘true’ My Chemical Romance fans. Many of the criteria that exclude ‘Posers’ from ‘true fans’ relate to the amount of knowledge about the band that the person possesses, knowledge that Fiske describes as “popular cultural capital” (p34, 2001). For example, the list features such distinctions “6. people who think Helena is about a girlfriend”. This is a reference to the song ‘Helena’, which was released as a single from My Chemical Romance’s second album “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge”, which the ‘Song Meanings’ section on ImNotOkay.net reveals to be “a tribute to [band members] Gerard and Mikey's late grandmother. Her name was really Elena but they always thought of her as a Helena.” (WEB 3)

Fiske argues that whilst this knowledge is of little economic worth “Its dividends lie in the pleasures and esteem of one’s peers in a community of taste rather than those of one’s social betters” (p34, 2001).

It is through these methods of discrimination and distinction along with the accumulation of knowledge that hierarchies are created within the fan communities. Fiske suggests that “such fan knowledge helps to distinguish a particular fan community (those who possess it) from others (those who do not)... The experts – those who have accumulated the most knowledge – gain prestige within the group and act as opinion leaders” (p43, 2001).

Hunt (2003, p197) suggests that “liking texts for the wrong reasons such as the adoration of stars or the enjoyment of aspects tainted with the mainstream is unacceptable and the expression of these opinions are put down and ridiculed.” This is evidenced clearly in the Facebook discussion group ‘MCR fans vs MCR fans’ in which Hallie Raylene G asks “does it annoy the sh*t out of you when girls are all like "Gerards is SOOOOOO cute!!!!!" I used to be like that then I realised thats not why I loved him so much, I love him as a person because their music and Gerards quotes give me so much inspiration. I totaly flipped out at this person online because she was complaining about how Gerard changed his hair!”. Conduct correcting episodes, like that just mentioned, are often used as a way for those who have been fans longer, and are therefore seen as further up in the hierarchy, to assert their dominance over new fans who are not yet classed as ‘real’ fans.

Another topic from this group discusses the concept of ‘selling-out’, which Chuck Eddy describes as “changing your music, usually by opening it up to previously unpermitted sounds, to reach a new, larger audience and perhaps challenge the cult that used to love you” (p141, 1999).

Facebook user Yolandie Munnik posted a topic entitled ‘MCR Fans VS MCR Fans’ to discuss the issue of whether or not My Chemical Romance are ‘selling-out’, though she does not use those words directly. Instead she states “they don’t come out as much as they use to and they dont talk to their fans as much as they use to” [sic]. Hallie Raylene G responded to this with “I bought Life on the Murder scene, I watched the DVD and I thought, "I dont think its still like this, what happened?"
They dont seem to be the same people anymore, I dnt want them to change!” (WEB 4).

This kind of distaste for a beloved band becoming more popular and therefore less accessible is very common in the music industry, particularly when formerly underground rock bands become more popular. This can again be linked back to Eddy’s theory that once a person finds a clique that is welcoming and accepting of them for who they are “defending their clique against outsiders is the next natural step” (p139, 1999)

Whilst those using Facebook were scathing towards the new fans when asked, fans on the ImNotOkay forums showed very understanding and welcoming attitudes towards new fans. Megan Murphy explained:

“I obviously don’t hate them... If a person is gonna be a fan, a REAL fan, then so be it. Who cares if they were at the first show or their first show was in May ’08, you know? As long as they care about the band and the music mostly, it shouldn’t matter.” One thing which fans universally had a problem with, however, were people who they believed were only fans of the band due to the looks of certain members.

Another way in which people often express their fandom is through the creation of fanfiction. There are a number of different types of fanfiction, including stories made up or written by fans, fan-made Youtube videos, artworks, songs and many more.

My Chemical Romance fans often like to create fanfiction based on the perceived homo-erotic relationship between singer Gerard Way and guitarist Frank Iero, a pairing affectionately referred to as Frerard. There are many fictional stories written by fans on sites such as Live Journal in which a relationship is played about between the two, as well as videos on Youtube made up of pictures of them together accompanied by a romantic song. One such video on Youtube features a succession of pictures of Gerard and Frank together on stage, with the Cure song ‘Trust’ playing over the images (WEB 5).

The creation of this kind of fanfiction is an example of what Fiske referred to as textual productivity, when texts created by fans are circulated among fans. (p39, 2001).

From the questionnaire responses I received and from lurking around the ImNotOkay.net forums I have discovered My Chemical Romance fans are largely easy to generalise, the majority of the forum users were white, middle-class and in their teens. A theme I discovered that ran through a lot of the answers I received from fans were feelings of loneliness, depression and alienation from peers. Many people said they used My Chemical Romance as an escape, but the majority said they were drawn to My Chemical Romance because they felt that they could relate to the band members and it gave them hope for themselves.

Adriana, who goes by the username Hollow Vessel on the forums, told me “Through their songs they let you know that you aren’t the only one going through sh*t, the band have been through it too, and the band have made it through, so you can as well.”

When asked the question ‘who is your favourite band member and why?’ a large majority of those taking part said singer Gerard Way. When asked why she chose Way as her favourite band member seventeen year old Haley from New York said:

“I can relate to the struggles he went through and I can relate to the suicidal impulses he claims to have experienced.”

Whilst Adriana chose Way because:

“the things he says onstage and during interviews. It’s very inspirational and personally, some of the things he’s said has given me hope.”

In her article ‘Leper cult disciples of a stillborn Christ: Richard Edwards as Meaningful in His Fans’ Constructions of Their Identities’ Francesca Skirvin explores the issue of the way in which fans often feel they can relate to struggles experienced by the object of their fandom in relation to former Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards.

It is possible to apply Skirvin’s work on Edwards to Gerard Way and My Chemical Romance, as fans of both Edwards and Way seem to be attracted to their idols for similar reasons.

Gerard Way, like Richey Edwards before him, has been very open in the press and with his fans about his personal struggles with depression, alcoholism and drug abuse and, whilst not necessarily positive qualities in an idol, his willingness to discuss these issues and make them less taboo has drawn many fans to him for his openness and the strength of character they believe it must have taken for him to overcome these problems.

Fourteen year old Lauren, who uses the forums under the username Gee.Doll.xD, said she feels a personal connection to Gerard Way because:

“like him, I was and still am the loner art kid. It amazed me that someone like me could do something so awesome. I think the fact that he was very close to and lost his Grandmother is significant to me because I am going through the same thing. At one point I didn’t think I would be able to, but knowing one of my inspirations did it made me realise that I could and would get through it.”

Similarly, Julie feels that “just hearing about his past and how he conquered his problems gives me hope that I can one day do the same”.

Quoting Geoffrey Himes, Deena Weinstein suggests that record companies prefer to “get listeners to fall in love with the person rather than the song” (Weinstein, p65, 1999) and I think this case can be argued for a lot of My Chemical Romance fans. Whilst the fans do undoubtedly love the music the band make, it is the band members themselves and what the fans feel they represent that is the most important to them.

During the course of my research in to personal needs that the fans take from My Chemical Romance I discovered how eager many people were to talk about their fandom and they way the band makes them feel. After answering all questions she was asked in great detail, fourteen year old Megan from Ohio, USA, stated that:

“I truly answered. I’m glad you sent this to me, I’ve been waiting forever for someone to ask.”

Lauren, another user, described what being a fan of My Chemical Romance means to her: “... being an MCR fan means I am never alone. It gives me a voice. It gives me a want to change the world. It gives me courage... means I don’t judge a book by it’s cover. It means when I can, I help people out... It means I try my hardest to be a better person. It means I know I’ll always have somewhere to fit in. It means I’ve gained a lot of friends, but also enemies. It makes me a happier person. It means I know I’m not being lied to. It gives me something to think about.”

It is interesting that Lauren states “It means I know I am not being lied to”, as I found this sentiment to be true of a lot of My Chemical Romance fans. One of the most interesting things about the fans is not only how much they love and believe in the band, but how they feel the band loves and believes in them back. In describing her feelings towards My Chemical Romance, Megan states that “I needed someone who believed in me and wasn’t just my best friend. I love... (my best friend) but sometimes, I felt like she was forced to love me... having MCR and all the beautiful fans as a “family” makes up.”

Many fans I spoke to said that they felt a personal connection to the band members and believed that should they ever meet, they would be friends. Adriana, however, seems to have a slightly more media aware attitude to her relationship with the band as people: “I’m very familiar with their onstage and offstage personalities (when I say offstage personalities, I mean when cameras are around, or when they’re doing interviews. I don’t know how they are when they’re around their families, friends etc).”

In contrast to the numerous responses in which people expressed feelings of love and belonging in the My Chemical Romance fan community, it should be noted that not all fans have the same needs and take the same pleasures from the band. In response to being asked whether they feel a sense of belonging from their My Chemical Romance fandom, the user ‘BeastxInxRepose’ said simply “Not really. I’m not one of those people who can say “they saved my life” and described them as “just another band I listen to”.

My Chemical Romance often address issues of alienation and depression in their songs, which it could be argued is part of what attracts many young people who are feeling these same things to their songs. In order to fully understand what it is about the band which draws in their fan base it is necessary to conduct a textual analysis of the source material; their songs and videos.

In ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead and I Don’t Feel So Great Either: Goth and the Glorification of Suffering in Rock Music’ James Hannaham suggests that “The pop-culture legend that finds his way in to the Hall of Fame is an eloquent, unpretentious, and genuinely tortured soul who can represent the pain of his listeners in the mass media” (p84, 1999).

The idea of representing “the pain of his listeners in the mass media” is clearly evident in many My Chemical Romance songs, in particular the song ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ and the accompanying music video. (WEB 6)

The video is set in an American high-school and features the band members as students at the school. The fact that all of the band members were in their late 20’s, and therefore way past high-school age, at the time the video was shot suggests that they are not representing themselves in the video but have instead taken on the roles of lonely, alienated teenagers for the sake of the video in order to better represent the feelings of their target fan base.

Throughout the video in between shots of action there are black screens with writing on them, and the writing reads “If you ever felt...” followed by an adjective which fits the action. For example, at one point in the video singer Gerard Way is left standing by the side of the swimming pool, fully dressed, by himself whilst the rest of his class mates compete in a swimming race. The caption which then comes up reads “If you ever felt... alone”. This continues throughout the video until the last 30 seconds, when the caption which comes up changes to “Prepare to feel... revenge”, accompanied by scenes featuring the band members beating up the school mascot and urinating in the helmet of one of the sports captains, before building up to an ending featuring the band members and the sports team confronting each other, running at each other with weapons, before a caption comes up which reads “Feel the romance... My Chemical Romance”. Here the captions quite overtly suggest My Chemical Romance as a solution to many of the problems shown in the video.

‘Famous Last Words’ was the third single to be released from the bands 2006 album ‘The Black Parade’. When certain media publications began associating My Chemical Romance with the glamorisation of death and suicide, this seemed to be the song most fans quoted in the bands defence, as the song features the lyrics:

“A life that’s so demanding, I get so weak,

A love that’s so demanding, I can’t speak,

But I am not afraid to keep on living”

For the fans there is a clear ideology at work throughout My Chemical Romance’s lyrics, music videos and band persona and it is one which attempts to promote tolerance, understanding and a sense of community amongst the fans.

In contrast with the messages fans take from My Chemical Romance’s songs, the band found themselves the centre of controversy in May 2008 after a 13 year old fan committed suicide and the Daily Mail newspaper published a story suggesting she had done so after “she became an ‘emo’” (WEB 7) and started listening to My Chemical Romance. They cite the lyric “Although you’re dead and gone, believe me your memory will go on” from the My Chemical Romance song ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’ as linking death with glamour, despite the song being not about suicide, but a man dying of cancer.

Parallels can be drawn once again here to Francesca Skirvin’s article on Richey Edwards, in which she discusses how it was suggested that a young man who committed suicide by jumping from the Severn Bridge did so to copy his favourite pop star (Skirvin, WEB 8).

After the story branding My Chemical Romance “one of the foremost of these “suicide cult” bands” (WEB 9) was published, a group of fans decided to stage a protest outside the offices of the Daily Mail to defend the band who many claim had saved their lives.

When asked how she felt about My Chemical Romance being labelled a ‘suicide cult’, Hayley from New York, USA quotes the band and their lyrics:

“It’s BS: on Life on the Murder Scene, Gerard says “This band saves lives” and, on the Black Parade, Famous Last Words states “I am not afraid to keep on living”. They’re a +life+ cult.”

All fans I questioned felt the same, and many, like Brittnie M had a quote from an interview or a live performance to back up their claims that My Chemical Romance can prevent people from committing suicide, rather than cause them to:

“It’s not right. Nothing about them even comes close to being a “suicide cult”. They’re great men out there trying to STOP people from doing things like that. At a concert I went to, “during 2005”, Gerard talked about suicide being the bullsh*t way out.”

James Hannaham argues that “Goth rock continues to be blamed for suicides among fans, but it remains an open question whether the music can actually cause mayhem or simply supports existing instability” (p84, 1999). Expanding on this point, it is important to note that to the fans My Chemical Romance are not the cause of depressive or suicidal feelings, but are often a symptom. Fans often talk of feeling alone and alienated and turning to My Chemical Romance as they feel they are engaging with a band that knows how the feel and have been in the same position themselves. Often fans will talk of how this gives them a sense of empowerment, to know that someone successful and in the public eye has the same problems that they do and has the same struggles to overcome them.

The description for the Facebook group “Did My Chemical Romance Save Your Life!” (WEB 11) suggests that “if you have depression, or if u are going through troubled times then this band is for you. remember dont just look at Gerard but listen, listen and he could save your life.” Every fan I spoke to believes that My Chemical Romance are more likely to be responsible for saving lives than costing them.

Through my research I discovered many examples of Fiske’s enunciatvie productivity in the way in which My Chemical Romance fans enjoy talking about their fandom and often wish they had more chances to do so.

I found that there are many different ways in which My Chemical Romance fans express their fandom ranging from using fan forums, wearing official merchandise, writing stories about band members, creating Youtube videos and even pieces of art.

The main conclusion I have drawn from my research is that many people are attracted to My Chemical Romance as a band because they feel alienated from society and see MCR as a way to find a sense of belonging. The band have a very close relationship with their fans and as such the fans experience a sense of self esteem that comes from believing that the band members care about and believe in every one of their fans. The majority of fans I spoke to do not believe My Chemical Romance would ever lie to or manipulate them.

It should also be noted that whilst the My Chemical Romance fan base is made up largely of very devoted fans who feel a personal connection or friendship with the band, this is not the case of everyone within the fan base. Some I discovered just like the music, though the lack of person connection to any one band member or ideology did not make casual fans any less protective when they felt that the band were coming under unfair and unnecessary attack.

Due to their appearance and willingness to talk about taboo subjects My Chemical Romance themselves have easily become the target of moral panics, but their fans are fiercely loyal and will always defend them. One the rules listed by Angie Perry in the Facebook group ‘What I think qualifies as a poser’ includes: “people who stand around while someone else is dissing them and don’t do anything”.

My Chemical Romance fans in general are very protective of the band and will not stand by and do nothing if they feel that the band are coming under attack.

MSVC 103 Close Textual Analysis

Here's the finished copy of my first assignment for MSVC 103, an analysis of Lost in Translation.

MSVC 103

Assignment 1

Close textual analysis

The prevailing themes of Sofia Coppola’s 2003 film “Lost in Translation” are of being lost and alienated in an unfamiliar culture and finding friendship, however unlikely, with someone who shares this feeling. It is important to note that, whilst the main theme of the film would seem to be loneliness and alienation, the relationship between the two protagonists is in direct opposition to this, as they portray a sense of feeling complete when around each other. It is only when we see the characters separate from each other that the more negative themes are apparent.

The above image is of the characters Bob Harris (played by Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) in the midst of a discussion about the direction their lives are taking. They are lying on the bed in Bob’s hotel room in Tokyo, with Charlotte dressed in her pyjamas as it is the middle of the night.

It is a long shot from a third person point of view, in deep focus. Using a long shot like this, showing their whole bodies, presents them to the viewer as whole people, complete in this intimate moment together. Therefore, this shot is in binary opposition to parts of the film when the characters are not together, as we see them as lost and fragmented individuals. The third person point of view could serve to exclude the viewer, not from the scene or film as a whole, but from the world the characters create together, as we are merely looking in on the characters, rather than being part of the action. This is clearest in the final scene of the film, when Bob and Charlotte are saying goodbye before Bob leaves Japan. The only dialogue in this scene is inaudible to the viewer, when Bob whispers something to Charlotte. The characters are therefore privileged, as they know what was said and the audience do not.

The point of view of the shot is a bird’s eye view, taken looking straight down at the characters. Looking down on them like this makes the characters appear small and vulnerable, suggesting to the viewer that, although they appear complete in this moment of being together, they are still lost in all other aspects of their lives.

The lighting in the shot is very soft and naturalistic, appearing to come from a lamp just out of shot. This soft interior lighting helps to highlight the calmness of the scene, singling this shot out from the exterior scenes around Tokyo. In those exterior scenes the lighting is very harsh with many neon signs and flashing lights, emphasising the vibrant and often overwhelming Tokyo landscape.

There is nothing in this shot besides the characters and the bed they are laying on, focusing the viewer’s attention firmly on the characters. This not only puts all of the viewer’s attention on them, but also suggests that to the characters there is nothing more in their lives than this moment with each other.

There is an obvious age gap between the characters of Bob and Charlotte; Bob is an actor in his fifties with a wife and children back home, Charlotte is a young wife in her twenties whose husband is away elsewhere in Japan working. It seems unusual to the viewer that two people with such different lives and interests would form a friendship as strong as theirs, and in this way the film itself challenges hegemony. However, the way the characters are placed in this scene could serve to reinforce hegemony in some ways. Charlotte is lying curled up in the foetal position, which connotes vulnerability and makes her seem almost childlike, which would seem fitting when considering her age, whereas Bob is lying outstretched so he seems fully grown and adult. These are conventions the viewer would expect from the difference in age between the characters.

In the shot the characters are lying on a bed, which signifies the potential of sex, but the characters are both fully clothed and appear to be almost asleep, therefore removing this likelihood.

The most revealing action in this scene is Bob’s hand resting on Charlotte’s foot. It suggests that there is a certain amount of intimacy between the characters as the foot is not a part of the body which is often exposed or close to the touch for people we are not close to. As feet are not a highly sexualised body part we do not get a sense of any sexual motive for the touch. It is most likely a comforting gesture, amplified by the position in which Charlotte is laying as the foetal position connotes vulnerability.

The colour in the scene is very muted, with the only colour in the shot that isn’t part of the characters clothing being the white bed-sheets. This minimalist approach, with the clean white bed sheets, connotes cleanliness, suggesting to the viewer that the hotel they are staying in is an expensive one, something which is made clear during the rest of the film. The clean white bed sheets also have cultural links, as they are often used to symbolise purity, thus suggesting to the viewer that no sexual activity has taken place between the characters, that their relationship is still ‘pure’.

The clothes worn by the characters are quite different; Bob is still dressed, wearing a dark v-neck jumper over a white t-shirt and plain trousers, whilst Charlotte appears much more casual, wearing her pyjamas; a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and a red hooded top. This serves as a symbol of the age difference between the two; Bob is older and therefore dressed more formally, whilst Charlotte is comfortable in more casual clothing.

The scene beginning at 8 minutes and 11 seconds in to the film features Bob on the set of an advert he is starring in promoting a brand of whiskey. Filming of the advert proves difficult, as the director is Japanese and does not speak English, whilst Bob is American and does not speak Japanese. Bob has a translator with him, but becomes confused when she does not seem to be translating the director’s full instructions.

The scene begins with a tracking long-shot, establishing the studio in which the advert is being filmed. The shot pans around to the right, revealing Bob sat in a chair on the set for the advert. The camera stops and focuses on Bob for a moment. He is wearing a tuxedo and make-up ready for filming, but looks slightly bewildered. Characters speaking in Japanese can be heard from out of shot and Bob appears to be trying to listen to what they are saying. This is an action code, setting up the confusion over the language barrier that is shortly to follow.

There is then a cut to a long shot of the director stood behind the camera talking to another man who then leaves the shot. The camera pans around to follow the director, as he walks out from behind the camera to give Bob instructions, in Japanese, on what he wants him to do for the advert. The way the camera moves with the director as he walks around, added to the fact that there are no subtitles for what he is saying, helps the audience to empathise with Bob, as we are no more aware of what the director is trying to say than he is.

We then have a medium shot of Bob sitting in the chair as his translator tells him what the director wants him to do. Her instructions seems much shorter in English than those the director was giving in Japanese, leading to some confusion on Bob’s part as to what it is he should be doing. Bob’s facial expressions in this part of the scene are an action code, as they give the audience a sense of what is about to happen next. The confusion shown on his face tells the audience that he does not fully understand what it is the director wants him to do, thus we understand that filming of the scene will probably not go smoothly.

There are then two medium shots in quick succession, one of the translator speaking to the director, and one of the director listening to her instructions. The confusion between the languages continues here, as the translator seems to be asking the director a lot more than Bob intended. The editing in this scene really helps the viewer to connect with the way Bob is feeling at this moment, as we understand just as little about what is going on as he does. The quick shots of the director looking perturbed about being asked questions and gesturing to his watch are an action code, showing us that he is in a rush to get filming finished. When the shot cuts back to Bob he is looking around the set, as if to find someone who understands what is being said. The way he looks around could also be understood by the viewer in cultural terms, as this action is something often seen when someone believes they are ‘missing something’, not in a literal sense, but that there is something going on around them that other people understand and they do not.

When the camera is following the director it often slips out of focus, so that neither the background nor the foreground is in focus and we cannot clearly see everything. This technique was likely used to emotionally implicate the viewer; us not being able to fully see the director makes us feel the way Bob does, that nothing is completely clear.

After Bob has agreed with the director that he understands what he should be doing, despite the fact that he does not, there is a long shot with deep focus of Bob on the set. The camera then pans across, with everything slipping out of focus once again, to the on-set monitor showing the director what the camera sees. This is known as intratextuality, when we see filming of a scene within a scene.

We then cut to a medium shot in very soft focus with hazy lighting of Bob in the advert. This style of lighting and focus connotes to the audience that the advert is intended to look expensive and seductive, as we have come to learn these conventions through cultural codes. He picks up the glass of whiskey on the table next to him and looks directly in to the camera. It then becomes clear to the viewer that we are looking through the lens of the camera filming within the scene. Bob delivers his lines, then turns to take a sip of the whiskey before the director shouts ‘cut!’ three times in Japanese. Bob seems surprised that the director is cutting here, suggesting to the viewer that he believed he had delivered well, that he saw nothing wrong with the way he had delivered.

The director briskly walks over to the set and kneels next to Bob, holding the whiskey bottle in front of him. We see a close up of the director, the first of the scene so far, as he once again tries to explain to Bob exactly what he wants him to do. His facial expression and tone of voice here signify impatience, suggesting to the viewer that the language barrier in this scene is slowly becoming a bigger problem.

Bob’s translator tells Bob what the director said, though once again Bob, as well as the viewer, does not know if her translation is accurate. Bob gives an exaggerated smile here, suggesting that he too has lost patience with the situation, but also that he sees the humour in the repetition of the director/translator confusion.

Before the filming begins again we see a medium close up in deep focus of Bob letting out a sigh, seeming exasperated by the whole situation. When the filming begins, Bob looks up at the ceiling as he delivers his lines, rather than in to the camera. Through cultural codes the viewer understands this to mean that Bob is not fully concentrating on successfully completing the scene and would perhaps rather abandon shooting rather than continue trying to fulfil the director’s wishes. As he finishes delivering his lines and takes a sip of the whiskey, he looks directly at the camera and raises his eyebrows knowingly, before the director once again shouts ‘cut!’. At this point Bob’s eyebrows droop back down; this signifies his annoyance, and as he looks over to the director his forehead furrows in a way that suggests he is not only exhausted but is also becoming angry.

The sets used in this scene work as important symbolic codes, as they are used to emphasise the differences between the characters. There are two distinctly different parts to the set; the first is the ‘studio’ in which the advert is being the filmed, the second is the set which is being filmed. The studio itself is very modern and full of equipment and technology, the set on which Bob is sitting is very traditional and old-fashioned. This difference in the sets is a clear sign of the differences between the characters. Bob is the oldest character in this scene and is sat on the old-fashioned style set, whilst the younger characters, such as the director, are all on the modern side of the set, on the high-tech studio side. This juxtaposition of the sets helps to emphasise the differences between Bob and everyone else in the room, not only in age, but also the languages they speak, as Bob is the only person in the room who doesn’t speak Japanese, and is sat on the set alone.

Reference:

Sofia Coppola “Lost in Translation” (Momentum Pictures, 2003)