Semester Exam - Film Analyses of Black Mirror (Season 3, Episode 4, San Junipero)

The season 3 Black Mirror episode titled San Junipero demonstrates how effective and impactful technical elements can be in film. San Junipero shows off excellent usage of sound, mise-en-scene, editing and camera shots, angles, movement and composition. 

As aforementioned, sound in this episode is used in way that conveys emotion and plot details in a fun and interesting way. The Black Mirror intro gives a dark vibrating frequency noise cut off by the sound of glass shattering then silence. Next, we get the slow waves moving around. The waves are drowned out by the slow synch non-diegetic music. This synth is perfect for the episode. Youthful and groovy, undercut with a foreboding undertone that's warning. When the camera cuts to the first look of the city street, the song, "Heaven Is A Place on Earth" is played. This song exemplifies the tone of the episode. Encapsulating the party elements masterfully. This song is also a nod to the plot of the episode. Heaven being this party town where everyone seems happy and care-free. Viewers forget the creepy feeling from the intro and become sucked into this 70s beach town. The genre of Black Mirror is horror, thriller, and science fiction. This is shown through the dark nuances the synth soundtrack carries with it. As the camera follow our main character, Yorkie down the street, the upbeat song dies down and we are left with that same synth music. Yorkie and the viewer hear a conversation pick up as two other characters, Kelly and West, walk across the street offscreen. They walk into the club and Yorkie picks interest on the two we began to hear the diegetic club anthem. When Yorkie enters the club, we get more of the synth music but with more party vibes. In the club, Yorkie and viewers hear the people talking and drinks clattering together. These loud sounds surround and almost suffocate Yorkie. We the viewers also feel surrounded by the noise of the club. As Yorkie is walking around, she hears small chirps offscreen from the video game consoles that become more prominent and she floats over to them. When Yorkie gets away from the main party area and is in the arcade portion of the club, the loud party sounds die down and the softer synth plays. The video game noises take over as Yorkie become lost in the game which shows the audience a key detail in her character, she is more introverted than extraverted.

Speaking of character, this episode also has great Mise-en-scene. The entire clip showcases neon purple and pink lighting, casting over all the characters and objects in the scenes. The lighting is lowkey, keeping a balance of dim but vibrant. This fits well with the 80s retro city setting. Characters, main and background, are seen wearing piece accurate clothing and hair styles that makes viewers feel wrapped in. Style choices lend to the personality of the character. Yorkie wears soft pastels, baby pinks and blues, with plain short straight hair. To contrast what she’s wearing, Kelly wears a lively purple with gold accent jacket with wild and untamed curly hair. Yorkie speaks very hastily and nervously, while Kelly is eccentric and bold, widening her eyes with lots of energy when she speaks. West is wearing blacks with combed back hair which implies he may be more boring like Yorkie; however, Yorkie’s color choice implies she has potential to be more energetic. Many of the first shots in the club are deep with many elevated and lower dancefloors with a multitude of characters within. More shallow space shots come towards the end of the clip where its just Yorkie and Kelly in the booths.

The editing in the San Junipero clip is minimal. You can argue that the color purple is a leitmotif, in that, the color is used many times in the scenes. It symbolizes and captures the funky and joyful qualities. Characters washed in the color are shown having fun and characters, like Kelly, seen wearing the color are also exuberant. Another leitmotif is the constant mention of time. Characters repeatedly refer to running out of time or only having until next week. This foreshadowing is subtle enough to simply intrigues viewers watching without giving away the big twist of the episode. The editing technique, contrast, is used towards the beginning of the clip. Yorkie is walking down the street in her soft color palette, with a softer backdrop of the closed stores behind her. The music is the calm synth played throughout most of the clip. When Yorkie enters the club, the entire feel changes. The loud crowed feel of the club with its bright neon lights contrast what Yorkie just came from on the street. This lets readers determine that Yorkie is a fish out of water, she’s out of her element. We understand that she’s nervous to enter the club.

Lastly, camera shots, angles, movement and composition complete Black Mirror’s San Junipero episode. Opening with a series of establishing shots, encompassing the setting and tone of the episode. The camera pans down from a billboard to the street from a top angle. It follows a car down the road before finally settling on Yorkie as she walks down the street. The camera is dynamic, focusing on my things before taking interest in the main character. Yorkie is the only character moving to the right and other character in the shots are walking past her in the opposite direction. We don’t get and close ups only close shots as the viewer and the camera are just meeting Yorkie for the first time. When Yorkie enters the club, we get an over-the-shoulder shot as if we are with Yorkie. This camera angle can make the viewer feel uneasy as well since we are on the same field as her. We cut to again, more establishing shots to give us a better idea of the vibe and layout of the club. When the camera settles back on Yorkie and follows her around in a close shot, she hears the sound effects of the arcade games. As her attention flows to them, the camera pans over to the games as her gaze does. All these pan shots that follow Yorkie’s gaze give the viewer a closeness towards her, reinforcing the feeling that we are in the club alongside her. While West stands over the table Yorkie and Kelly sit at, we get a low angle shot of him. This shows that he isn’t as important compared to the other introduced character, Kelly who get a couple close ups. It’s at this point there are more close ups in general on the two girls while they sit at the booth. This shows that we are getting to know these characters more and should pay attention. The rest of the clip is a slow in two shot at eye-level, as we listen to the characters introduce themselves to each other.

After analyzing this clip, it is clear how important these elements are to film and how they create a more entertaining and story. Without these, viewers wouldn’t feel as engaged as we do. The sound and mise-en-scene do great at establishing tone and setting. The editing shows the contrast between Yorkie and the world around her. Ultimately, the camera lets you easily get to know the main character and really puts the viewer right there with her.