English: Tower Annotations 2023

Question 1

Symbolism of the music:

Answer 1

1966 one of the post best years in pop music (non-diegetic sound). Representation of the zeitgest peaceful and innocent.

Question 2

Human experience:

Answer 2

The impact of small choices our lives-evident through the little details shared by interviews e.g. choosing to put money in the parking meter

Question 3

Monday,Monday By the Mamas & the Papas

Answer 3

Cheerful and bright songs juxtaposed against the violence of visual culture at the time
“Oh Monday mornin’, Monday mornin’ couldn’t guaranteeThat Monday evenin’ you would still be here with me” (foreshadowing)
‘Monday, Monday’ popular song in 1966. Cheerful melody and innocuous lyrics adopt a darker meaning in the context of the shooting (comment on the changing landscape of America)

Question 4

Stylistic features: Rotoscopic animation combined with archival footage.

Answer 4

Rotoscope animation: technique used to trace over motion picture footage to produce realistic action (use of cinematic avatars)
Why is rotoscope animation used?

Question 5

Why Amination was used ?

Answer 5

The animation helps fill in the gaps of missing footage, as news coverage could report only from a distance and none of the primary subjects’ actions were caught on film that day.

As a result, this immersive audiences in the events for a deeper emotional connection to the primary subjects.

Additionally, allows subject to transcend time and geography-subjects to be presented during the events-captures their youth and makes them relatable to young audiences

Question 6

Archival footage and montage of intersecting perspectives

Answer 6

-> help detail the chaos of the day from as close as possible with victims that were shot, from 911 call (non-diegetic audio) to the teritiary with outside reporters detailing the scene (interviews).

Without the selection of detail of the multiple perspectives we would not be able to fully grasp the traumatic events and far-reaching catastrophe. Emphasises the magnitude of the rippling effect of mass shootings (collective trauma)

Question 7

The motif of the non-diegetic gunshots overlayed

Answer 7

throughout the documentary heightens the tension and creates a sense of inevitability and inescapability.

Serves as a commentary for the prevailing issue of gun violence in America.

Question 8

Structure: Time loops rather than chronological.

Answer 8

-Focuses on the survivors and victims’ the morning of the shootings
-Time loops create a sense of inevitability in viewers which magniifies their sympathy for the victims.
-Make the audience more aware of the fragility of life and the beauty in everyday (emphasises the small decisions each victim makes)

Question 9

Aesthetic of rotoscopic animation:

Answer 9

Animated body turns white (innocence, loss, death) and the scree turns red. Juxtaposition captures the terror of the day but also stylizes violence in order to confront audiences with the start reality of murder.

Doesn’t fetishize the violence but rather approaches it artistically and therefore humanely

Question 10

Juxtaposition between animation and archival footage

Answer 10

-> also enables the aesthetic of shock (blurring between reality and fiction)

Contrast between archival footage and animation challenges contemporary and mainstream representations of violence by the media (de-desentisises)

Montage of archival footage of people being shot coupled with cacophony of gunshots (non-diegetic) to heighten the chaos of the event.

Question 11

Dialogue

Answer 11

“That was the moment that separated the scared people from the brave people”…“That was the moment I realised i was a coward” (Survivor’s guilt)

-representation of the impact of fear resulting in inaction and allows Maitland to question our notions of bravery and courage.

Question 12

Symbolism of orange juxtaposing the b/w: A sense of hope.

Answer 12

Rita is a representation of the goodness in humanity and a testament to the bravery of those who risked their lives to help others.

Links to purpose of documentary: How people cope with adversity

Emphasis on human experience. Maitland conveys the horrific results of a mass shooting, but is still able to pull hope from a bleak situation

Question 13

Juxtaposition through symbolic use of colour.

Answer 13

Fantasy scenes in bright colours with 60s aesthetic and idyllic music to depict the innocence and human experiece.

The anecdote of Claire and Tom’s love story highlights the youth af innocence of people in the 60s and human story. Allows viewers to contemplate the loss of ordinary people, their hopes, dreams and future.

Tower argues that the story of mass murderers should never overshadow the victims that were affected by their violence.

Question 14

Juxtaposition between crosscut between animation to actuality interview of Claire.

Answer 14

The moments of sympathy and situation of sadness is turned into hope making it emotionally inspiring to an audience not to reinforce dourness but hope to create a sense of much needed betterment in the harsh real-world people live in.

-positions the audience to feel shock and hope

Question 15

Selection of detail of including John Artly Fox’s interview:

Answer 15

“I was scared but something needed to be done.” Repetition of “I was scared”

Evokes sadening/sympathetic response from audience as the justified fear to risk personal life to save a stranger, instead is seen from perspective of selfish fear.

Question 16

Purpose of the documentary:

Answer 16

Ties back to Maitland wanting to celebrate the resilience of the human spirit and bravery of those who risked their lives to help others.

Question 17

Symbolism Music: Clair de Lune by Debussy for the climatic shooting and closing scene.

Answer 17

Aim of the classical piece to evoke feelings of sentimentality and personal reflection (combined with sepia colour grading)
Suspenseful tension in the music is the source of the music’s feeling in the piece (has the effect of reflecting the suspense of the day in a reflective sense)
Title: meaning ‘moonlight’ original title ‘sentimental stroll’
Stillness and meditative calm of opening lines transforms to moment of exaltation
The inclusion of classical piece in juxtaposition with climatic scene of shooting forces audiences to consider abject violence (and common narratives of violence in the media) in a different way rather than sensationalist

Question 18

Removal of sound

Answer 18

to create a sense of uncomfortability and magnify the bleakness. Panning shots of crowds in Archival footage emphasises the mass trauma experienced by public.

Question 19

Interviews crosscuts

Answer 19

Crosscut between transcript of victim transcript to close up shot of emotional interview.

Affecting scene evokes a deep sense of sorrow.

Question 20

Juxtaposition of Houston McCoy’s rotoscopic youthful animated self vs aged present day interview.

Answer 20

Highlights the lingering effects of the violence and trauma that has weighed heavily.

Additionally McCoy’s interview voiceover: “Should’ve could’ve would’ve” illustrates the complex of survivor’s guilt.

Question 21

Introduction of their real faces and voices in interviews happens towards the end. (Structure)

Answer 21

Enables Maitland to sustain a sense of youth and innocence of people in the 60s
Enables Maitland to bring forward the events to contemporary times -highlighting the lingering effects of violence (continual trauma)
Emphasis the passing of time yet how little has changed in society

Question 22

john Fox and his voiceover shifts into the real-life version and he finally meets with Claire decades later (actuality footage).

Answer 22

The emotional storytelling of the film is realized as these two disparate people reunite.

The film ending on real-world footage is a strong emotional contrast to animated scenes see their youthful appearances undergo tragic event ending in a happier note.

-Emphasises the passing of time and yet how little has changed in American society.

Question 23

Deliberate stylistic choice of keeping shooter faceless and foregrounding perspectives of victims from looking at the tower

Answer 23

Challenges traditional documentary conventions by avoiding exploration of the motives and life of the perpetrator (aesthetics of refusal -refuses to focus on sniper)

Shooter is faceless aside the newspaper clipping
By focusing on the victims and the tower, Maitland suggests instead that the real perpetrator is the culture and attitudes of America
Challenges media’s tendency to prey on public fascination with the macabre and sensationalise murders (fame as an encouraging factor as a symptom of American exceptionalism)
Re-frames how we see mass shootings- in an act of political art

Question 24

Interview voiceover of John Artly Fox reading biblical inscription from side of the tower: “Ye shall hold the truth and the truth shall make you free”. (Symbolic)

Answer 24

This epigraph ties to the purpose of the documentary in uncovering the truth of the attrocities of the events and allowing victims to tell their stories (context of prodution). This event was in a vacuum, people seldom talked about it, nor was their a memorial. Maitland aimed to document this event to memoralise a piece of history. “Those who forget history are doomed to repeeat it”

Question 25

Purpose of documentary: Questions gun violence/culture in America

Answer 25

Archival footage: Closing moments with Walter Cronkite’s reaction (media’s most trusted personality at the time).
Comments on a culture committed to mass violence -compounded by montage of archival fooage of contemporary school shootings (e.g. Sandy hook, Columbine)
Encourages nation to reflect on conditions that allow gun violence to flourish (which is denied by NRA) –> No remediation
“The strange pandering of violence, a disrespect for life; fostered in part by Governments; which in pursuit of the doctrine of self-defence; teach their youth to kill and maim.” Comments on the hypocrisy of Gun-culture/violence through justification of second ammendment and casualisation/desensitisation of violence.

“A people who somehow can remain silent while their own civilisation seems to crumble under the force of the caveman’s philosophy: “That might makes right”. It seems Whitmans crime was society’s crime.” Forces the viewer to contemplate the issue of an amnesic culture and willful ignorance that perpetuates Gun violence/culture in America.

Question 26

Concluding panning shot with Rotoscopic animation of all the survivors and victims

Answer 26

humanises. Consolidates that the story of mass murderers should never overshadow the victims affected.

Side note of context:
In an article in 2007 by Colloff, it was noted there were no physical reminders of the shooting at the University of Texas, “No plaques, no list of names read, no memorial services held”

Maitland through his documentary commemorates victims and inherently raises questions about terror and the nature of heroism, and what it means to really survive. “He turns names on a plaque to people.”