EX MACHINATEXTUAL ANALYSISJAKE FOULKES

EX MACHINA PLOT SUMMARY

A young and gifted programmer is selected by the leading developer in a prodigious international company to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breath-taking humanoid A.I. However difficulties occur when the programmer realizes that the A.I. is dangerously more intelligent than he expected which could end up putting both of the programmers in jeopardy.

GENRE OF EX MACHINA

• Ex Machina has several different genres therefore creating a tri-hybrid genre the main genres that is explores are Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fy and Thriller.• The genres that it uses are very specific to the narrative. For

example the thriller aspect of the genre is shown through the lead protagonist as throughout the film you are constantly in fear for the protagonist. This contrasts with the Horror genre because in the horror genre you are scared / in fear for yourself where as in a thriller you are in fear for the lead characters.

DRAMA GENRE

• The drama genre consists of an exciting, emotional, or unexpected event or circumstance in which the protagonists or antagonists face throughout the plot.• The movie Ex-Machina explores this genre through the main

protagonist as he tests an unpredictable A.I. and coming to an unexpected end that will shock the audience.

MYSTERY GENRE

• A mystery is a novel, play, or film dealing with a puzzling crime, especially a murder. A mystery explores something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.• Ex Machina shows the genre exceptionally well as throughout the film

the audience is constantly trying to piece together ideas and evidence as to how the end will conclude therefore solving the mystery, however due to the drama genre that traverses in the film, there are twists and turns in the narrative that will shock and confuse the audience.

SCI-FI GENRE

• The Sci-Fi genre is fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets. • This is shown through the character of the A.I. and how the film

looks e.g. the Cinematography. The Thriller Sci-Fi genre is something that we are seriously considering to look into for our piece because it is different to other pieces of AS level media that we have observed and we want to make something different.

COMMON CONTENTIONS IN A THRILLER

• Protagonist in mercy of the antagonist• Montages• Diegetic sound• Quick cuts• Low key lighting

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

• For the analysis I will be looking at the genre, codes / conventions, the narrative and theory's and representation of characters and themes in the opening scene of “Ex-Machina”• I will start off by analysing the camera work, iconography and

Narrative• Then I will move into the repertoire of elements• Then to finish I will look at the conventions and themes of the

opening scene

CAMERAWORK AND EDITING

• In the opening scene there are lots of great examples of camera work and editing. There are lots of different shots exhibited throughout the scene ranging from Extreme close ups to Establishing shots. I am going to be picking out some of the most key shots that I think are really effective on the audience and have a lot of connotation.

SHOT 1: EXTREME CLOSE UP

ANALYSIS OF SHOT 1

• In the shot we see that the protagonist has won “First prize” in the work lottery. • The shot of the words “First Prize” has a shallow around it. This is because

the director wants the audience to focus on the fact that the protagonist has won something most likely important and will have an effect on the storyline later in the film.• The words “First Prize” connotes that this is something good however later on

in the film you soon realise that what seems good might turn into bod there is also some other proleptic irony (foreshadowing) later on in the scene.

SHOT 2: MEDIUM SHOT

SHOT 2 ANALYSIS• In the Medium shot we see the protagonist on his phone whilst being scanned by what seems to be

a face scan.• We see the face scan form the perspective of the web cam on the desk and he looks straight at the

camera.• This could connote that the protagonist knows that he is being watched which gives the audience

the feeling of paranoia almost like somebody is stalking you.• Cameras are a key prop / feature throughout the film appearing in most of the shots. This is almost

like an invasion of privacy, as if you are always being watched which makes the audience feel uncomfortable. The idea of being watched by cameras also shows the time period that the film could be set in because it is suggesting that the cameras are used fro mass surveillance over the public.

• The face scan technology also gives us a sort of indication into when the film is set. Personally I think that the film is set in the near future which is where we want our media piece to take place.

SHOT 3:

SHOT 3 ANALYSIS• At the start this is a Medium shot as his waist is visible on the screen however as the

shot moves on it becomes more of a medium-Long shot.• we see the protagonist hesitantly walk into the house. This connotes that he is

probably afraid about what he is going to find or he is just nervous.• In the shot, when the protagonist moves out of the frame the door closes

automatically behind him this shows that the time period my be in the future due to the technology shown. However when the door closes behind the protagonist the light on the door turns from bright blue to a dark blood orange which could be foreshadowing events later on the in the film and the dark orange colour could connote danger, as if the protagonist is locked in this isolated house.

NARRATIVE

• From the opening of the film we have a clear indication as to what is going to happen throughout the film. We can tell that the protagonist has been chosen to go and do some sort of research for the company that he works for as this secret estate in the woods of Alaska, USA. The use of foreshadowing / proleptic irony shows that this “Prize” that he has won might back fire on him later on in the film.• In a thriller the use of foreshadowing is key because when you watch the

film back you can see little pieces of evidence which you then realise that was ironic to the story at the end.

TODOROV’S THEORY

•  suggests that all narratives follow a three part structure where they begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored.• In Ex Machina however this theory is missing the resolution step. For example, the

equilibrium is where the protagonist is doing some research for his company, the disequilibrium is where the robot becomes more and more intelligent which causes a disruption in the narrative. However in Ex Machina there is no resolution because the end is very unexpected because the protagonist gets locked in the house by the A.I. and the A.I. escapes into the open world. • What we can take from this is that the film does follow the theory however it takes a bit of a

turn in the end.

CHARACTERS AND CONVENTIONS

• In the film there are only three main characters they are Caleb, a young programing genius, Nathan, a billionaire who is working on artificial intelligence and there is Eva, the artificially intelligent robot woman who is imprisoned underground in Nathans house.• Conventionally in a thriller you would have a clear protagonist and antagonist

however in this film the protagonist is clear but the antagonist fluctuates between the A.I and Nathan. This is unconventional because the antagonist is not made clear throughout the film which is effective on the audience because it leaves them wondering the is the antagonist at the end of the film.

CHARACTER PROFILE OF CALEB

• He is a young man who works for Nathans large company and is one of the best young upcoming programmers in the company. He dresses like an ordinary man which is conventional because normally in a thriller you would have a normal protagonist because the audience can relate to them which makes them fear for the character.

CHARACTER PROFILE OF NATHAN

• Nathan is a scientific billionaire making his riches off his worldwide programming company that he owns. He is a Caucasian male who likes to keep in shape by working out most of the time. This is conventional to the antagonising persona about him because he is stronger than the protagonist.

CHARACTER PROFILE OF EVA

• Eva is the Artificial intelligent robot designed and programmed by Nathan. She is a scientific breakthrough that may change the direction of science however she thinks the same as Nathan which could be dangerous because he is the antagonist and he thinks dangerous things. She is almost the damsel in distress which is a common convention of the genre.

SETTING

• The setting in the opening scene is set in the woods of Nathans estate and the main setting in the film is the claustrophobic area in Nathans home. The fact that it is in the woods gives the film a feeling of isolation and freedom• However the house in which they live s very crammed and

claustrophobic which could make some of the audience feel uncomfortable.

THEMES

• Some of the themes in the film are:• Science vs Ethics • Good vs Evil• Right vs Wrong• The themes in the film really show in the characters good being Caleb because

he has done nothing wrong and bad being Nathan because he is obsessed with creating the most convincing robot known to man which ends up being dangerous because he becomes a bit of a taxidermist almost as if he is playing the role of God.

EDITING IN THE OPENING SCENE

• There are Jump cuts to show him working his way through the forest.• There is a montage of texts on his phone almost like a time

lapse.• There is continuity editing.• 180 degree rule.• Match on action .• And there are many reaction shots.