The lighting in Chicken Run is very important as it brings out the best of the films actions that take place. It is used for a variety of reasons; brings out the characters personality and it can also change the mood of the film. When we first see Ginger she is shown lit by warm tones of lighting; the connotation of this is that Ginger is innocent and good character, on the other hand, we first see Mrs Tweedie in backlighting with the camera at low angle shot, which immediately gives a sense of a dark and mysterious character in a silhouette. Also during the same shot Mrs Tweedie is wearing a bright pink dressing gown with fluffy pink slippers and hat, however her body language is stern and evil, as her hands are on her hips standing above Mr Tweedie and dogs making her a powerful and authoritative character. The chickens are always well lit by the light and are always wearing bright colourful clothing, which adds to the emphasis of good characters with warm personalities, conversely Mrs Tweedie is always shown in dim and grey lighting which reflects her personality; a evil and sinister character. The lighting used in the chickens coops are always bright and warm, giving a sense of good in all the chickens, but in Mrs Tweedie Office it’s very much the opposite; the rooms very dull and grey and nothing in the office is warm and cosy, therefore the connotation is that Mrs Tweedie is a cold and spiteful character. When Ginger is panning or attempting an escape, there are more shadows, which makes it very secretive and cautious, however when Ginger stares up at the sky, the lighting is bright and the made look clear and free, so the connotation of this is that there is a brighter and better future beyond the barbed fences which imprison the chickens. During the chicken inspections, Mrs Tweedie is shown under the lighting, which emphasizes that she’s an evil and dangerous character. Also when Mrs Tweedie is about to murder Edwina with an axe, the lighting is shadowy which makes scene eerie, and then when Edwina is murdered a shadow is cast over the farm, implicating grief and despair.
At he very beginning we see the moon light, and the camera panes down to revile barbed wire on high metal fences. This immediately gives the audience an impression the settings some kind of a prison or dangerous place. The setting of Mrs Tweedie’s office is very different to that of the chicken coop. The chicken coops are bright and well lit in warm, soft colours to bring out the good and innocence in the chickens, whereas Mrs Tweedie’s office is gloomy and depressing, the colours used are grey murky and cold, which emphasizes she’s a cold heart mean person. The farm it self is covered in fences lined with barbed wire and sharp gates, the connotation for this is that it’s very dangerous to attempt an escape, in other words there’s no escaping the Tweedie’s Farm.
The costume in a film is very important as from that you can use determine the personality of a character. The chickens in chicken run all wear human clothing and have human features or characteristics, such as talking or dancing, this adds to the chickens being the good. When Ginger attempts to escape we see her use all sorts of objects such as spoons and whisks, which emphasizes she is a quick-witted, resourceful and determined character, who will do just about anything to get her freedom. Mrs Tweedie is mostly shown wearing smart and formal clothing with her hair tied back into a tight bun, this adds to her stern and domineering image, that is always in charge and in control, however at the very end of the film Mrs Tweedie looses control is in a mess, and so it her image as her hair is all a mess rather than in a tight bun. At one point we see Mrs Tweedie in a pink frilly dress, with her hands crossed and a firm look, this adds to irony to see her in such feminine coloured clothing.
Sound is an important part of chicken run and is used very often, as it builds up tension and atmosphere, but can also bring in different feelings into the film. In Chicken Run, sound plays a major role, for example When Mrs Tweedie is about to murder Edwina, the music is very sinister and it gets quieter, which builds up fear in the atmosphere. However when Edwina is murdered, there is no sound or music there is a very intense silence, then all that is heard is the sound of the axe hitting the wood, confirming that Edwina has been executed. When ever Mrs Tweedie is coming to inspect, were hear the clanging of her boots which is heard clearly for everyone to realise that she’s on her way. Conversely when we see Ginger plotting an escape, the sound is resembles this by military music, the connotation of this is that Ginger is on another mission to escape. Gingers voice is very tender and somewhat motivating during her escape plans, but Mrs Tweedie’s voice is very much the opposite; it’s more threatening, aggressive and sharp toned, which once again highlights she’s an evil character and ginger is the good character.
Mrs Tweedie is hardly ever seen dealing with the chickens, she acts on a much higher status and lets her husband go the labour work for the chickens. Mr Tweedie is always shown below Mrs Tweedie as he has little authority and power in comparison to Mrs Tweedie, and the fact he’s shorter than his wife is the obvious evidence to show who’s got more power and importance. Whenever we see Mr Tweedie, he’s always looking up to his wife, and she’s always towering over him making him feel inferior and inept. However when we see Ginger, she always congregates with the chickens and never leaves anyone out as she’s willing to hear everyone’s ideas and views on plotting a plan of escape. It shows she’s a determined character and is always willing to try out a plan; it goes to show that she’s a good character and leader. Although when we see Mr Tweedie giving suggestions to his wife, she always roles her eyes and scowls at him, making him feel small. She takes little interest in what her husband has to say and feels he’s silly and her importance is far greater than her husband. She always does things her way and bosses Mr Tweedie around like a slave to do things as she wishes. Once again this brings out how Mrs Tweedie is the mean and bossy character who thinks highly of herself and her importance. This causes the audience to have a very negative feeling towards Mr Tweedie as he’s always following his wife’s orders and therefore tells us that he too is on the evil side with is wife, but possibly is scared of his wife and fears her, hence he does as he’s told.
A film is not just about characters and action, instead it’s about how the filmmaker’s use a variety of presentational devices to influence the way in which the audience thinks. The presentational devices help add emphasis to the characters and highlight certain features that the audience can easily pick up on and then direct their thinking. The main presentational devices such as lighting, setting, sound, camera movement/angles, character interaction, effects, and props all are what help to understand the obvious and lead the audience’s thinking.
Overall we know that Mrs Tweedie is an evil character and Ginger is the good. The main presentational devises all show and back up the characters personalities. For example, at the very beginning we see the moon, and then the camera panes down and reviles the barbed wire, which makes the viewer think of a prison or a type dangerous setting. We then are introduced to Ginger who we see attempting an escape in the dead of night. The lighting is very minimal and is only on Ginger who we see wearing bright coloured human clothing when the camera is in a close up shot. The lighting also helps the audience see her expression and body language, as she runs around the place hiding behind assorted obstacles in the farm. The sound used is eerie and mischievous, which get the audience thinking that Ginger is now on the run or on a mission. This all helps the viewer realise that Ginger is a good and innocent character. When we first see Mrs Tweedie we see her lit from the back at a low angle shot, the camera starts at the bottom zoomed into her feet, and so we first she her wearing pink fluffy slipper, this gets the audience thanking that is a good character, however it’s not long before that impression switches sides and becomes the opposite. The music, although is not positive, it’s more mysterious tense. As the camera panes its way up, we get to see more of Mrs Tweedie and now see she’s wearing a pink dressing gown. This makes the audience think that she’s a good character. However, her posture is far sterner with her hands on her hips and standing tall, lit in back lighting creating a dark silhouette. Until we her speak, the audience a on the impression she’s a good person. Her tone of voice is of a sharp and authorising; the way in which she speaks makes a clear impression that she’s not so nice after all and that the pink soft fluffy clothing is used ironically. So from the very beginning we get an insight to the characters and from that the audience can determine who’s good and evil, just by the way in which the presentational devises are used on each character.
By
Sonia Makvana
