Game of Thrones Extract Essay

The Game of Thrones extract constructs meaning through camera shots, angles, movement, editing, sound, and mise-en-scène in many ways. The different types of CAMS, editing, sounds, and mise-en-scene makes this extract stand out. While conducting this, the director developed an amazing theme. The theme that I felt was conveyed through this extract was the struggle to keep loyalty, while getting your superiors to agree with you at the same time.

The first scene is short, but it still builds on the theme of the extract. At the beginning of the first scene, there is an aerial shot showing a ship moving on the sea, with ambient sound in the background of seagulls and birds chirping. The people on the ship are wearing old fashioned clothes showing that this takes place long ago. This adds to the theme by showing the conditions that they’re in and shows the watcher what the people on the ship must go through to get to their destination. The lighting is gloomy but it’s bright enough to show the surroundings. Then, there is a jump cut to two men staring off into the distance to where they're headed. This helps construct the theme by showing the people getting ready to face what’s to come, building suspense. The score adds even more suspense. Then the camera zooms out to show the conditions they’re in and then transitions into an establishing shot of where they’re going. The establishing shot shows a large city, where the men are headed. When showing the city in an aerial shot the lighting quickly brightens. This builds on the theme of the extract in many ways. At the beginning the gloomy feel builds suspense and the quick transition to the bright lighting and the city heightens that suspense to show there is something to come.

Right when the second scene starts, the score cuts away. The two men are now in a room waiting for people to come. In a two-shot transitioning to a wide shot shows the two men start to talk about how far they came only to be waiting for hours in. This gives a background on what’s happening and adds to the theme at the same time. This builds suspense because they are angry. After all, this meeting was important to them. They came this long way to make a negotiation with their superiors and they haven’t shown up yet. The lighting is somewhat dark, but you can see the men pacing and talking. This creates a gloomy feel adding to the suspense and theme. The doors in the room open loudly and three men dressed elegantly walkout. They seem like they have authority over the men, telling them to sit down after they do on three giant chairs. The setting and the dialogue adds to the theme showing that this meeting is important. The two men sit down, but they’re hesitant because they were upset, they had to wait. This builds to the theme because it shows the struggle to build loyalty. The meeting starts and the dialogue between the men is hostile because they’re angry. This further adds to the theme. As the dialogue continues, we find out that one of the two men is related to the king and they’re trying to come to an agreement with the superiors. The CAMS change consistently showing different angles of this meeting. At one point the angle is a low-wide angle behind the two men showing the power difference. Another thing to note the man in the middle of the three superior men is talking calmly but condescending while the two men are starting to get angry. That furthers the buildup of the theme. While the two men are trying to negotiate the superiors decide that they don’t want to work with the two men. The two men get up and one of them starts to talk back to the superior trying to negotiate one more and build loyalty and trust. While this is happening there is a shot/reverse shot showing the conversation as it gets faster. This builds suspense by the rate they’re talking at. This also adds to the theme as the last struggle to build loyalty and getting the superiors to listen. In the end, the man talking to the superior is getting points in and the superior tries to stop the conversation, but it does not work. The man points at his partner saying they need to pick him and demanding change. The camera cuts back to the man surprised. This shapes the theme, furthering the struggle to build loyalty while trying to make superiors listen to them.

I feel like I am right on this theme because everything adds up together. The CAMS, sound, mise-en-scene, and editing combine to shape my theme perfectly.