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1. Real Steel,
By James and Sara
The start of the opening scene fades out from DreamWorks logo to fade into an establishing shot with
natural low key lighting. soft country and western plays softly in the background to heighten a
melancholic feeling to an otherwise dreary scene Signified by the low key lighting.
A tracking shot of a truck being driven across a long straight road connoting a one way path to the
destination searched with could connote Charlie Kenton path through life, and in addition with the
natural low key lighting and the non-diegetic country and western song to signify this sad part of his
journey through life.
Windmills are blowing steadily through the long take signifying a slow dreary boring journey or job he is
progressing through. The setting is a rural location which is normally connoting a slow-paced life in
opposition to the big city rush.
Hugh Jackman’s posture/appearance suggest he is bored with his job doesn't enjoy his life which would
provide the enigma of why doesn't he like his job or life?
The scene presents the titles and behind a grassy naturalistic hill there is what looks to be an industrial
factory that is opposing the idea of a quiet simple life, this could be there to foreshadow any action or
rush for later in the film.
There are slight colours in the sky of an orangey colour this could also signify hope in an otherwise
cloudy sky, or this could foreshadow a silver lining effect for later in the film proposing a linear story
status quo.
Throughout the opening scene titles, film names and producer’s names come into the scene in a fade-in
fade-out way connoting a slow progression through his journey, or his journey through life.
A tracking shot of the truck driving up a long narrow path towards a carnival or a place featuring bright
lights, this signifies that maybe his long dreary melancholic life style is behind Charlie Kenton and he is
approaching a new faster paced more energetic lifestyle this could also be another foreshadow effect.
A panning shot is used for when the truck drives past and the panning shot highlights the truck going
past the carnival this could signified the job of truck driver has cost Charlie Kenton countless fast paced
life opportunities
Reflections of the carnival lights are shown in the truck windows this may connote a fast paced colourful
lifestyle that has been left behind Charlie Kenton, he shows remorse for leaving it behind.
The start of this film is in binary opposition to the catharsis later in the film, this could signify that Charlie
Kenton has a change of heart later in the film.

2. The truck drives past a Ferris wheel which is one main signifier for a fun life and his truck is facing the
opposite way, another reminder of the previously signified idea that his job is restricting his fun filled life
or that he is deliberately avoiding that life as a means of escape from it, which presents the question
what is he avoiding and why is he avoiding it? Or he may not be avoiding it he may just have to be
somewhere else which asks a question of where else must he be? And where is he going, why is he
going there, and why does it have to restrict a fun filled life.
MISE-EN-SCENE
C- Costume.
The costume the protagonist is wearing is very limited in terms of what we can see this could signify that
there is this around this man that we cannot see and things that this man is hiding. The only thing we
see Charlie Kenton wearing is a grey t-shirt, this again signifies the idea he is either an archetype or that
he is hiding something.
L- Lighting.
Natural low key lighting this is to connote the dreary melancholic existence this man pushes through
every day, this is shown by the truck he drives driving on a long straight road surrounded by the low key
lighting. There is also artificial high key lighting coming from what seems to be a carnival. This connotes
a faster paced life that Charlie Kenton is not involved in.
A- Actors.
The actors name is Hugh Jackman, who is known for his appearance in the action/fantasy film X-Men,
this may indicate some form of action or fantasy foreshadow for later on in the film. his appearance in
this film is a saddened man driving a truck, short hair and no extra jewelry is to signify he is a regular
common man, or that he is trying to blend in, which creates more enigma as it raises the question why is
he trying to blend in and is, and if so, what is he hiding from. The Actor Hugh Jackman waves out the
window whilst driving. this may connote that he is a once popular man, or may foreshadow a rising star.
M- Make-Up.
Charlie Kenton appears to be wearing no make-up, besides the studio make-up to make Charlie Kenton
look more presentable to the audience or to make Charlie Kenton a more attractive person for a
targeted or sub targeted female audience. He is wearing no make-up to amplify that he is just a common
man or that he doesn't stand out at all, he fades into a crowd, this would amplify the blending in idea.
P- Props
The truck is a prop which connotes long hours, travelling and sometimes loneliness as a trucker’s job
may involve staying out in the cabin for days. this would relate to Charlie Kenton as he appears dreary
and alone.
S- Setting

3. It appears to be a rural area at night on a small, narrow, straight road this connotes, lonelyness as he is
on a single road with no-one else, the place has no name or real description, this signifies that whats
behind Charlie Kenton as he drives, or his past, is of no real concern or that it is a sad thing that is not
talked about much signified by the dreary dark being behind Charlie Kenton whilst driving away from it,
so he may be avoiding it.
Editing - The Scene begins with a flash of an orangey colour with a rise-up of text of a company name
"touchstone Pictures" That Fades out slower than the fade into DreamWorks animation title. The actual
film scene begins with a fade in, this is used to create a slow easy work into the film whereby a shot (to
be covered in Camera) is used to show the truck driving forward.
Around this time titles and names appear in the lower corners of the film, these also fit the slow easy-
going pattern custom to the film so far as a slow fade-in then fade-out this helps connote the slow
repetitive pattern occurring in what may be signified as his past, or his regrets.
CGI appears to be used in order to get the flash effect on the metallic looking titles which is used to
connote a metallic interest in the film
Jump cuts are used through this scene to show a passage of time in Charlie Kenton’s driving, however
this could also signify gaps in his time, I.E. his past or future, that we do not know creating even more
enigma of what are the gaps of time in his life are we missing?
Long takes are used throughout as to connote a long dragged out existence without much action and
maybe seeming to the protagonist without meaning, which would foreshadow the challenge of this
existence into a new action packed meaningful life that we will journey with Charlie Kenton through as if
we are the truck and he brings us to the journeys end.
The scene finishes with a shot in deep focus, enduring a focus pull to shallow focus, then out of focus
completely to fade out the scene in concession with the other fade outs to continue the signified idea of
a slow dreary existence.
Lighting.
Natural low key lighting this is to connote the dreary melancholic existence this man pushes through
every day, this is shown by the truck he drives driving on a long straight road surrounded by the low key
lighting. There is also artificial high key lighting coming from what seems to be a carnival. This connotes
a faster paced life that Charlie Kenton is not involved in.
Camera - Shots/Angles
The scene fades into a tracking shot of a truck, this connotes importance, so straight away invokes a
sense that the person in the truck is the protagonist, the shot is also an establishing shot, this is used to
set the scene and in relation with the tracking shot, it is used to give a representation of the truck driver
and to connote the established protagonists relation to the typography surrounding Charlie Kenton.

4. The shot changes into a mid-shot of the truck driver from behind Charlie Kenton, however this is at too
much of an angle to be an over the shoulder shot, and so only signifies he is ahead or in front of
something, it may connote he is trying to run away from his past and move on from something, or it may
signify that there’s something he will soon face that we cannot see yet, that only he may reach when he
is ready, or both.
Throughout this scene a polymorph (combination) of a tracking shot and establishing shot are used in
long takes with each other, however the mix of a panning shot and long shot are used for the truck to
drive by. This presents a more in depth look at the truck, and in turn connotes that we will be having a
more in depth look upon this life, amplifying Charlie Kenton in the truck is in fact the protagonist.
Another two different mid shots are used in turn to show the character, in the first shot it is too dark to
see much more than we have however we are now closer to Charlie Kenton signifying that we are going
to be looking upon this man’s life and increasing the enigma of who is he? In the next mid shot used we
can now see his face and his shirt, this is used to slowly deliberately leek different clues of this man
demographics, as we now know the gender, we knew the occupation and more details will be released
about his mysterious man, no details besides what he's wearing has shown us about his psychographics.
A mid shot again of his reflective pose, looking toward the carnival signifying a deep thoughtful
reflective man before us, so now we have been given small clues to his psychographic, reinforced by the
long shot of what appears to be the entrance of the carnival and his reflective thoughtful pose upon
entrance, this signifies that there is some problem or event that we are not told or perhaps the
protagonist wishes not to have disclosed relates somewhat to a carnival or equally any other fun filled
supposedly joyous place.
S - Sound
The first sound heard is the motif of the opening scene being a country and western song being played
signifying a melancholic depressing feeling to an otherwise depressing scene which makes the audience
feel down and give the audience an ambiance of tristesse.
The lyrics "Many a night I find myself with no friend standing near" connotes that Charlie Kenton is alone
and melancholic. "I have been searching all of my days" connotes Charlie Kenton is looking for
something and given the atmosphere of sadness he is looking for something more metaphysical i.e.
someone to love and/or love him. This is also signified by the lyrics "I have been searching all of my days,
for what’s been in my mind". This connotes how Charlie Kenton is looking for something however
"what’s been in my mind" means he has already thought about this and already knows what he is
looking for, the enigma of this however is what is he looking for?
A small metallic whoosh sound is made when the titles are fading in or out, this is used to foreshadow a
metallic interest later on in the film.
Sound bridges are used to flow the sound smoothly into a decent transition to fixate on the signified
idea of a soft dreary rounded sound. an example of this sound bridge is the sound of the non-diegetic

5. music fading into or bridging into the sound of that interloping dialogue of the riddled hordes of
rambling masses.
A diegetic sound is the laughter of the people in the carnival having un, this is used as a daunting
reminder of the suspected tragedy of what happened in Charlie Kenton’s past signified by the use of
MELCS.