differences in the way IRAQ and the USA are filmed

Question 1

how does the LIGHTING differ between iraq and america?

Answer 1

IRAQ: natural lighting with orange and yellow tones

USA: brighter, unnatural white lighting

Question 2

how does the ENVIRONMENT look/feel different?

Answer 2

IRAQ:
- broken things, dirty walls and no pavements.

• environment where people are struggling

USA:
- white, clean, neat and symmetrical.

• safer environment.
• based around capitalism

Question 3

how does the SOUND differ in iraq and america?

Answer 3

IRAQ:
- string continuo

• rumble of vehicles
• children shouting and throwing rocks

USA:
- trolley wheels

• muzak music (elevator music designed to make you comfortable and buy things - economic form of music)
• sound bridge to the helicopter to show that james’s mind is somewhere else

Question 4

how do the CINEMATIC SHOTS differ in iraq and america?

Answer 4

IRAQ:
- shallow depth of field while james and sanborn talk

• close ups of james dismantling a bomb

USA:
- low angle cereal shot to show america has too much and james is small/lost as he has no function in america

• pov shots from james
• extreme long shot of james with a deep depth of field in the cereal isle to emphasise how lost he is
• james further away from camera than if he was in iraq

Question 5

what are the CINEMATIC SHOTS like when james returns to iraq?

Answer 5

• match cut (james in his uniform to his suit) to move the story foraward
• extreme long shot full of messy and broken buildings