The Four Elements of Cinematic Style in Atlanta Series

The following analysis of Atlanta season will address the question “how do the four elements of cinematic style communicate the theme of the television program and influence the spectators response to the characters and the story” I will discuss how mainly the setting of the scene and other elements of the mise en scene add to the theme of the series. And how it relates to the cinematographic intentions of the series to push the narrative forward. Lastly, the pace and matching action shots of the scenes relates to the theme of the series which is the exposure to the harsh reality of living in Atlanta.

The series Atlanta is based on the realistic background and perspective of living as a black man in Atlanta the lead character Ernest is a dad who is struggling economically has a low paying job and is one of the everyday typical black man trying to get by ,living in Atlanta. The series portrays the racial demographics and economic Realities that people face living in Atlanta. The second main character is Alfred Miles “AKA “Paperboy he is Ernest’s cousin he is a rapper that is on the come up and has released a new mixtape that has is gaining popularity Miles represents the black culture and Hip Hop culture of Atlanta. Atlanta series is dramedy it uses comedy to get down to series points like police brutality, what is it to be black, poverty and Atlanta as a city and magical realism(Opam:2016).The opening scene begins with a matching action shot where Alfred miles is in his car someone walks by and hits his rear view mirror off. This is a matching action shot as one can hear miles voice as he exclaims” (what the … !). It then moves into a long shot to see the setting which is a convenience store it then moves to a medium close up of Miles and Ernest in the car. This is all moving at a fast pace this abruptly throws the audience to the harsh reality of living in Atlanta. It gives us a sense that you have to be on your eye and vigilant in this city. The fact that Miles keeps a gun in a car makes aware that one needs to protect themselves. It brings to question as to where the police or how is the police system in Atlanta?

The setting of the scene is at a convenience store” for many a black man's incarceration tales” the setting is not just a specific setting, however, Atlanta as a city as a whole is setting of the series as it has a great impact in terms of the cinematographic intentions of the series. Atlanta the setting is supposed to be its own character as a setting “Can come to the forefront it need not be only a container for human events but can dynamically enter the narrative action” of its own. However, the cinematics is not overbearing that it becomes choose you to the elements but the setting aids and pushing the narrative forward. therefore the cinematography is simplistic as the setting on its own naturally adds texture to the story.

A part of the mise en scene is the framing and composition of the scene. In the opening scene, there is a point where Alfred miles is facing the man who hit his rear view mirror off. Ernest is standing in between both of the characters and it creates a triadic position this tell us the characteristics of Ernest he is not into between this fight and is being a mediator in the situation by trying to calm things down. The steady camera which creates a seamless continuity move and creates a realistic feel moves to a medium close up of Alfred miles to a close-up eye level shot of Earn “which implies that the attitude of the camera toward the subject is neutral. It then moves to a medium close of man that hit his rear view mirror off. The costumes of the characters give more richness to the narrative Earnest is dressed in simple clothing (shorts, red tee shirt) while miles and the man that hit the rearview mirror are dressed in gold chains baggy pants which are a rapper type of signature style, on the other hand, Ernest does not fit in and stand out it seems like the people that only surrounds himself with are different to Ernest himself this can be a questionable identity crisis which relates to the theme of the perspective of this black man living in Atlanta which a heavily dominated hip-hop culture . A prop in the scene are 3 guns again this adds to the narrative of a harsh reality as these people carry guns on them which exposes the audience to the harsh realities of living in Atlanta. Another prop in the scene is the dog that a character Darius points out as he says that he is having déjà-vu and ask “where is the dogs with Texas on him”. The same god is shown in another scene representing a deeper meaning to the narrative and it relates to the magical realism theme.

The source of lighting in the scene cut on the convenience store the straight lines around which gives us very natural and super stick feel which is the goal of the cinematography. The Lighting is very underexposed therefore there are imperfections which adds to the realistic and simple cinematic intentions of the series. Even though the characters of a black race and they would need more lighting on their face because of the cinematic intentions there is no need to add any lighting as the shadows add to the realistic feel that's the program is aiming to portray which ties into the theme of the series which is to give the perspective of the everyday black man in Atlanta. The Lighting used are LED lights to give a specific style which is the productive style of the series they create a unique distinct style.

There is a diegetic sound of hip-hop music playing in the background which already tells us, viewers, that hip-hop/rap is going to be a theme in the series. Secondly, a man shouts out “world star” an asynchronous sound which is humorous. The dialogue between the characters is unique as they have a specific lingo which is due to the environment and community they live in and they come from the same type of communities as they understand one another. Another scene portrays the magical realism theme of the series. Earn is on the bus with his daughter in his arm at a medical close up. It then it jump cuts to a medium a shot with a man on a bus dressed in a suit and bowtie sitting on the opposite side of the bus who magically appears in the scene and does not seem like he belongs on the bus he then says “ your mind is racing” to Earn and it is true Earns mind is racing. It then cuts to a close up where the man on the bus sits next to Earn. Earn face is focused whilst the background is unfocused this a rack focus which keeps the subject in focus and the background can be blurred. The focus points The man ask Earn to tell him his troubles and Earn opens up and says that “ I just keep losing. I mean some people just supposed to lose just off balance on earth” whilst Earn is within in his inner thoughts the man in the suit blurred out in the background butter his Nutella sandwich and gives Earn some philosophical advice like “actually victory gives belongs to things that simply do not see failure. it moves into an over the shoulder shot where the man on the suits tells Earn to eat the sandwich in which Earn refuses. The man becomes aggressive as Earn refuses to bite the sandwich. The Nutella sandwich essentially in the mise en scene becomes a prop. This prop is a metaphor of opportunity to success which the man on the bus is trying to reiterate to Earn. Then a diegetic sound with a matching in action where the police sirens are in the background and blue flashing lights are coming towards the bus the pace of the scene changes as the camera quickly moves with the way Earn moves his head towards the police cars. It then cuts and Earn looks back and finds that the man has left and the Nutella remains. The cutting in the scene adds to this mystical and surrealism theme. Earn watches the man disappear with a dog which randomly appears into the dark woods. This makes the audience question if this is a real moment or a dream. The man in the bus costume is “similar to the outfit to the one lake Stanfield wears on Get out” which portrays the “magical negro stereotype”.

The cuts in the scene are intentionally “motivated”. The editor has a reason for making it (Chandler 2003:2) and this instance the purpose of the editing was to create a magical realism as it did not give the feel that this was reality or that the man in the suit was real or a dream. The series Atlanta takes comedy on to a new level as this comedy addresses the issues of what it is to Black through racial demographics, class, culture, economics. Using Atlanta as the setting for the series and make it its own character pushed the narrative of the story as Atlanta is the biggest economically thriving city in America. Hence naturally the city tells its own story and through the cinematic techniques such as the lighting that is simple and natural and allow the city to essentially speak for itself. The mise en scene gave more richness to the theme by the clothing such Alfred Miles who represents the hip hop/ rap culture of Atalanta and secondly props were used as symbolism (dog and Nutella sandwich) to add to the narrative. The editing in the scenes were strategic intentions as the second scene specifically cut and had discontinuity to give the effect of a mystical realism theme. There were interlinks in sound and shots with the matching action shot as this relate to the harsh reality theme. The music was hip-hop which gave identification to the music in Atlanta which is hip-hop culture. The dialogue of the characters mainly Earn and Alfred Miles gave into the lingo of Atlanta and the struggles of being black and in poverty. Overall the four elements of the film techniques contributed to the theme and pushed the narrative of the storyline of Atlanta and the specific scenes.