the social network opening scene analysis
I find this to be powerful as this has no dialogue, it is all explained through the visuals. Reading scripts. Image 7 – Right after Erica leaves him, Mark runs home and in rage writes angry blog posts about Erica and then creates ‘FaceMash’. The Social Network Script Takeaway #1 The Social Network Dialogue and Quotes. In his mind i’m guessing he thinks if he is able to show that he is better than these guys, he’ll be able to show Erica what she is missing out or even just catch her attention. Did Mark take the idea from the Winklevoss twins and Divya? This is to emphasise how she feel about the guy, she has a surprised look on her face constantly. The Social Network effectively illustrates the immense power a social networking site can have, as Facebook ultimately became a force much larger than Mark Zuckerberg had expected. Official Screenwriting Blog of The Black List. Why is he so rude? Image 11 – Mark says the exact same words to Eduardo that the Winklevii said to him when pitching the idea of Facebook. There is a lengthening when Mark says ‘I’ve’ almost sounding like he has a plan and has seen a opportunity. Watch later. The chaotic light in the club scene made Sean Parker’s words seem sinister. Copy link. Image 19 – It was brought up that someone planted a story of Eduardo committing force cannibalism and that it could be seen as legitimate grounds for termination. Image 18 – Later when Mark moves to California, you realise it’s because he admires Sean and sees him as a friend. The Social Network. However this is then balanced when Dustin has a conversation with Mark asking about a girl which then gives Mark the idea about adding a dating aspect to Facebook. Film Opening Analysis I have watched the opening of the film ‘The Social Network’ the clip begins with showing the logo of the production company which is Columbia. Erica says she likes people who row crew sarcastically but Mark doesn’t seem to catch the sarcasm and takes it seriously. I think what is cool is that whatever conspiracy route the viewer decides to go down, it all makes logical sense as the writers have balanced both sides. The scene is stark and simple. The social network The social network is a film about the creator of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg. The male character keeps on speaking over the girl which shows he’s more important. Green is a colour that can be associated with money or wealth, which is arguably what Mark is in pursuit of. Image 5 – Whats more substantial than creating the leading social media site? The audience then thinks back through the movie, questioning who it could possibly be. A crucial scene from David Fincher’s acclaimed 2010 film The Social Network, written by Aaron Sorkin and starring Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The Social Network is as taut a drama as any murder mystery. Image 15- This gives a feeling of Mark trying to impress Erica. It also seems that they try to keep evidence for the conspiracies even leaving it to the audience to decide. Info. Image 16 – Turns out I was right. The budget to this film was 40 million and it made… He is running through streets and the camera follows him. I have watched the opening of the film ‘The Social Network’ the clip begins with showing the logo of the production company which is Columbia. This may be because the film is based on corruption, envy and money. I wasn’t talking about China anymore, I was talking about me. There is a pan when it shows the movement 180 degrees across. Image 22 – Not much to say right now but I will talk on this later. Go Into The Story. The litigation scene helps to separate the difference between what is an act and the truth. Comment Archive. From the first scene to the last, “The Social Network” hints at a psychological shift produced by the Information Age, a new impersonality that affects almost everyone. This means that it is the only thing on his mind. Comment Archive. Image 24 – Mark answers ‘no’ to the idea of Eduardo being behind this. He did the thing that Sean wanted him to do, just like when he moved out to California. Image 21 – If the audience didnt realise one of that Erica may be one of the main reasons before then they realise now. The opening to the film starts with just a black screen but you can hear the noises of a bar and a male and female character talking; this is very effective because it gets the audience guessing where these characters are and what they are doing. Lighting enhanced the film in certain spots. Interestingly enough there isn’t really much more development in the Winklevii conspiracy side. However the ending gives you a bigger hint into what the real reason was. This then relates to separating himself from people, it also relates to if Mark is really Eduardo Saverin’s friend. Image 9 – Mark becomes interested in what they have to say because they ‘row crew’, once again relating to Erica Albright. Since they are showing how it happened the audience needs to be able to distinguish between what was just an act at that time and what was Mark’s genuine thoughts and feelings. Other than that there is not that much editing in the opening scene of the film. Only person that comes to mind is Mark. Calendar. I could sing in an a Capella group, but I can’t sing. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. But once again it creates confusion in their head because of the mystery surrounding who planted the story about the chicken. A Billion Dollar Evaluation There is also a theme of using yellows and greens. For editing to begin with there is a fading technique used to show the scene, it fades in from a black screen. Image 25 (and revisiting 22) – Right when the scales tip in favour of Mark lying about who he is genuinely friends with, the writers balance it again. The clip has used a few over the shoulder shots to show the conversation. This relates to being accepted into the Phoenix but later it seems that what motivates him is being better than everyone at that club (I’ll elaborate on this topic later). The interesting part is that he asks his friend to get an article written in the BU newspaper ‘The Bridge’. The guy’s speech is monotone whereas the girls tone changes throughout. This could then relate to Erica Albright being the root reason for the creation of Facebook. The conspiracy surrounding Sean Parker was if Mark set him up and if Mark was his friend. Comments. Read Matt's The Social Network review, which is part of his David Fincher retrospective in the lead up to the director's new film, Gone Girl. Image 26 – I have no idea why this was placed here. The facial expressions of the girl change throughout, first she has a surprised look and seems to be enjoying the conversant then after a bit she starts to get annoyed and irritated. Go Into The Story. The movie has a very exciting and innovative plot that explores the virtual world where people can become friends or … ... A sequence is simply a collection of scenes in a screenplay that have their own narrative arc and they have been around since the earliest days of cinema. The Social Network is told/shown in essentially two parts: How it happened and then the litigation scene, essentially showing the past and the present. Change ). It's a long, long walk, even though Mark takes it at a clip that's closer to running. At the end we are left with a few questions such as, why is the guy so obsessed with clubs? He hoped that with the traction the site has built she would have heard about it and I guess feel that she has missed out or want him back. The male character seems to be the main character as he’s the one leading the conversation and also he is shown to be very different than normal people. The Social Network is a 2010 American biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. He likes to feel that he is better than people. This is the introduction of the idea that he built Facebook for to increase his social status. It is the story of Facebook’s founding and of the he-said, she-said murkiness over who should get credit for the most important innovation since the Internet. It’s a pretty basic conversation between Zuckerberg and his girlfriend that takes place in a crowded bar. But Sorkin does an incredible job of showing us who these people are, in simple and subtle ways. Then there is a wide shot angle when the girl gets and up and goes. He is very blunt and straightforward. This scenes helps to discourage the audience for looking further into it. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Since Erica leaves him, maybe his way of showing that he is superior is by doing something more substantial than the kind of people she likes. Unit 1: Pre-production techinques for the Creative Media Industries, Unit 2: Communication Skills for Creative Media Production, Unit 3: Research Techniques for the Creative Media Industries, Unit 4: Creative Media Production Management Project, Unit 5: Working to a Brief in the Creative Media Industries, Unit 6: Critical Approaches to Creative Media Products, Unit 7: Understanding the Creative Media Sector, Unit 30: Advertisement Production for Television, Unit 62: Digital Video Production for Interactive Media, Steve Woodhall – Local Radio Music Manager. The scene that sticks out the most to me is the very first scene; “the breakup scene”. The sound tells us a lot. Then the whole conversation is shown using the over the shoulder shot and shot reverse shot. But you are left with the question of, if he wanted money why didn’t he except the offer from Microsoft for his app? The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Contents > Essay. This is then emphasized later on when Marks says the exact same words that Divya said in an interview he had in the Crimson. Comment. For mise-en-scene the lighting at the restaurant is low-key which links with the male characters situation as the girl dumps him so it’s reflecting his feelings. January 23, 2015 January 23, 2015 ~ halla392. Then there is a voiceover, we can hear it is a busy place and it sounds like a pub or a bar. The low light combined with fire in the bedroom scene with Eduardo and Christy was dramatic. A 1600 in an SAT is a perfect score only a small percentage of people are able to achieve in. The conspiracy involving Eduardo may not have been apparent to most people unless this was said, so the writers added this so the audience will understand later in the movie. Script Analysis: “The Social Network” — Part 3: Sequences. After the restaurant the scene is shot at night time and its pitch black, the only light is from the cars headlights and lampposts. I chose ‘The Social Network’ for my first breakdown as it is my favourite film and I am very familiar with the script and how everything links together. VERDICT: 8.5/10 An eye-opening story of one man’s struggle for success, regardless of the cost. There is also a high angle shot to show the town and then an aerial tracking shot which is following the guy. We can also hear his footsteps as he runs and we can hear them get louder as he gets closer to the camera. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Scene 1: Opening. The Social Network — Sorkin, Structure, and Collaboration - YouTube. I’m guessing they want the audience to leave with the idea that it was Mark who indeed called the police on Sean. Even if they didn’t realise the writers have made sure that once they reach the end the audience will be able to piece together everything. Image 12 – This is an example of the use of the court scene to show the creation of conspiracies. Share. It seems that what the writers want is to create an element of confusion and for the audience, and for them to create their own decision on what the reason for all of this is, quite similar to the whole inception thing of ‘Did he get out or is it still inside of a dream’, there is a balanced argument for each side. Its dark campus shots and broody soundtrack with nary a short-short co-ed or frisbee in sight announce a break from the college movies the old era. Although Mark is one of the few people who have been able to do this, he still wants more, he wants to be able to be better than the rest. ERICA You got 1600? At the very least, you’ll be thinking about it the next time you check your Facebook. MARK How do you distinguish yourself in a population of people who all got 1600 on their SAT’s? MARK They don’t. This creates conflict in the audience’s mind later in the story, as Mark finds out Facebook is worth a billion dollars and then you see a change in the way he treats his friends making the audience believe it is to do with money. The dialogue technique used is essentially planting a seed. This is what makes it so good to analyse. The Social Network (2010) - Opening Scene - 4K HD - Open Matte - YouTube. Directed by David Fincher, and written by Aaron Sorkin, the duo adapted a book by Ben Mezrich to dramatize the founding of Facebook as well as the surrounding lawsuits. Was this all done so that Mark can seperate himself from the rest of his peers? The Social Network. What you tend to notice throughout the movie is the use of symmetry. Here, Mark and his girlfriend are found conversing in a bar. Now what makes me feel that she is the cause for all of this is, when Mark is returning, he says nothing but ‘We have to expand’. Shopping. He hurts the girl without even realising. IMDb plot summary: Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, but is later sued by two brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business. In my opinion the writers ended the show on this to show that it was the real reason behind everything. The first scene of The Social Network really sets the stage for the rest of the film. The Social Network – review David Fincher captures the spiteful personalities and hyperactive spirit of the age with the story of Facebook's creation, writes … Later when Eduardo is accepted, envy is created as Mark thinks he is better than Eduardo and isn’t happy that Eduardo was accepted and he wasn’t. 7. This means that Mark didn’t take the idea from the Harvard Connection which was going to be a dating site. Image 13,14 – This builds on the idea of Mark stealing their idea. Follow. Although it could be argued that Image 28 was in fact the real reason. This scene is held in high regard due to the fact that it sets the tone for the rest of the film. “The Social Network” is a well-acted, well-directed warning against obsession and greed that will likely prove thought-provoking for many members of our society. Or is he faking it? What does the guy want to be/do? She is a relatable character because she is as confused as the audience about his knowledge. Image 23 – Mark being unable to answer the question makes you think what Eduardo is saying is right. Script Analysis: “The Social Network” — Part 4: Psychological Journey. Image 20 – ‘Thats not what friends do’, since Mark didn’t want to tell and also defended him, its changes the audiences perception of him, making them think that Mark was his friend. The intimate light in the opening scene between Zuckerberg and his girlfriend implied a closeness between characters. Is the reason behind the creation and development of Facebook because of Erica Albright? Towards the end of the movie, Zuckerberg seems exhausted, entangled in many legal disputes and relationships complicated by money. As an adapted screenplay based on real people, every quote in The Social Network is subject to heightened scrutiny. It’s a guitar and drum playing. And also what is he going to do now? The costume is casual and they look like students, it’s not formal. Which once again leaves the audience to make a conclusion on the conspiracy. Image 10 – Relates to the money conspiracy however shows that Mark doesn’t really care about money. 9 min read. But this means that he contradicted himself earlier when he said Eduardo was his friend. It also introduces Mark and shows the type of person he is. The male characters comes across to be very rude and selfish. By the time audiences sat down to take in The Social Network’s opening scene for the first time in 2010, the movie had already been through the entire rise and fall of a standard hype cycle. There are a few ambient sounds such as knives and forks, plates, conversations on other tables, laughter and glasses. The two main characters are introduced using a wide shot. The analysis of this movie is for me to learn: the techniques used to create a movie with conspiracies, how to leave it up to the audience to come to a conclusion and how to develop a character though speech. It then makes the audience think back to if there was any evidence of this. The other main character is maybe the girl he is having the conversation with. There is also a shot reverse shot to show the conversation. I find this to be a clever use of Erica’s character. Right away, the mise-en-scene sticks out- they are in what appears to … Since she acted in the opposite way in which he hoped for, he felt embarrassed and felt the need to expand Facebook. Because of the scene before this of Eduardo suspecting that Mark planted the chicken story, the audience begins to question whether it was Mark who was behind this also. ( Log Out / ( Log Out / Note that im still new to cinematography so my interpretations may be wrong but its just my opinion or what I can see. Analyzing ‘The Social Network’: A Scene-By-Scene Breakdown January 15, 2015 January 15, 2015 ~ Jordan Powell I am roughly following the approach Scott Myers outlined for how to read and analyze a screenplay. Eduardo,Mark, and Christy are about to meet up with Sean Parker for the first time in this single-shot. The opening scene takes place over beers at a darkened Boston-area bar. They will plant a seed of conspiracy which can only be planted in the dialogue, without little hints being placed in the dialogue there would be no conspiracies. Image 1 – This links in with the first conspiracy of wanting to separate himself from his peers. Then there is an ellipsis used, after the girl walks out of the restaurant and the guy is still there, it straightaway skips to show the guy run through different streets and he arrives to at his college. The chicken story then pops back into their head and now it all starts to make sense, they believe it was Mark. ( Log Out / You can see this coming across in his personality with his sarcasm and the insults of people’s intelligence. Evidence is provided that he was avoiding the Winklevii, it was a hard wall of evidence and the only explanation for hiding from them is that he stole their idea. I think that the reason for him wanting to expand is because he thinks that the size of Facebook right now is not big enough to impress Erica, so he thinks if its bigger it will. Was the reason behind what Mark did to Eduardo because Eduardo was accepted into the Phoenix club? The clip begins with a non-diegetic tune playing in the background. But then the audience is left with the mystery of who it could be. Looking back at the preliminary task, what do you think you have learnt from the progression from it to the full task? The Disney Bundle | WandaVision. Which is the reason why this was including in the opening scene as this is where you want to set the character’s characteristics. MARK Yes. Image 8 – This was essentially showing the success of the site which can be argued was due to Erica. Documents. What I love about this film is: the way they have based it around the story of Mark Zuckerberg’s experience during and after creating Facebook and the way in which they have told the story. This is the scene where ‘the seed is planted’. He is obsessed with his university and clubs and he doesn’t seem to think before he speaks. Mark said that his friend ‘Eduardo won’t come close to getting in’ even though he has done something which could be seen as ‘substantial’. In this scene Mark is updating everyone on his plans to expand to Yale and Columbia. In my opinion the way the story was written was in balance, they didn’t want the true meaning behind what Mark was doing to be obvious so they tried to balance it. The opening scene of The Social Network, which only lasts for five minutes, took three weeks to edit. I mean if he wasnt friends and didnt like Sean, would he have had these business cards printed? Image 17 – Im guessing that the writers dont want the audience to focus to much on the Winklevii. Not only was Erica, the angry blog posts and FaceMash real but it relates well to the story. Image 3 – When they are talking about what type of people row crew, Mark’s essentially describes the basic physical appearance of the Winklevii. This tells us the film is going to be serious and interesting and also that it’s not for kids it’s aimed at perhaps 15 and over. He hurts her to the extent that she breaks up with him and walks off. Creates a foundation for an even deeper analysis of the story. The location seems very real and the restaurant is set out like a normal restaurant would be. The social network film opening. The first thing that happens after Erica (Rooney Mara) breaks up with Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) in "The Social Network" is that he goes back to his residence hall. The short five minute opening scene does a lot to teach us about our main character, Mark Zuckerberg. The opening scene helps to set the foundation or primary conspiracies for the film. He thinks he’s the best and he insults the girl about her university and shows he’s superior because he’s at a better university. Then we find out that the sound is diegetic as its being played in the restaurant. The film opening I am studying is the opening to the film the social network. Then when the girl walks out we and we see the guy running we hear cars beeping and a non-diegetic slow sad background music. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The screen is black then it fades in and we see the two main characters sitting on a table in a restaurant. Director David Fincher is famous for creating startling opening credit sequences. What made him this way? ( Log Out / The ‘break-up’ scene has been recognised as a classic scene that fuses filmmaking expertise, character and narrative to memorable effect. This illustrates the usefulness of the showing the present. “The Social Network”- Scene Analysis. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The way the story is told is very important. The story is filled with conspiracies and to fully understand what is happening you have to listen to every word that is said and then try and find the meaning in them and how it relates to the story. Erica is the reason Mark created FaceMash and FaceMash later helps him to create Facebook, not only that but when he encounters Erica later it encourages him to expand Facebook more, showing Erica to be the fuel. The film shows us the rise of Facebook, from a small social networking site only available to Ivy League students to a multi selling worldwide social networking site. Image 27, 28 – Once again no dialogue but the picture says it all. This gives the illusion that he copied the idea from them. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The use of a rapid one word reply makes it seem that he is sure. Then there is a voiceover, we can hear it is a busy place and it sounds like a pub or a bar. The interesting thing was that he had just gotten into The Phoenix, so maybe it was Mark that planted the story and panted it because he was jealous. Image 6 – This could mean he was never friends with Eduardo from the beginning and this also applies for Sean Parker. Image 2,4 – The idea of getting into a final club is introduced. Here are the conspiracies that are used in The Social Network: The opening scene helps to set the foundation or primary conspiracies for the film. There are a lot of conversations going on, and then we hear a dialogue in a higher pitch which tells us this is the main character as we can hear him louder and clearer than the others. ... various camera angles and sound, lighting, colour and editing in mise en scene, the beginning and ending scenes in The Social Network, written by Aaron Sorkin, ... analyse how the techniques show us the ideas and analyse the ideas themselves. Storytelling The litigation scene, is where they explain what was just shown or introduce something new, whether that be a character or a new point in the story. Did Mark set up Sean Parker and was Mark really his friend. The colour palette is very dull and dark. The yellows could represent envy, this is related to Mark being envious of Eduardo getting into The Phoenix. His speech is very fast-paced and his vocabulary is wide and complicated, which is not used in everyday life. It also introduces Mark and shows the type of person he is. This can then be put in comparisons to Facebook. Today: The Social Network, screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, book by Ben Mezrich. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown. It relates back to image 21 of what Sean said about a girl being the core reason of successful creations. The Social Network is Citizen Kane for the contemporary era, using the margins of big business, greed, and betrayal as the touchstones of loneliness and isolation. Meanwhile the guy has no facial expressions he has a straight face all the way through. I understand they want the audience to see this angle if they havent already but it seems to be misplaced as there was nothing afterwards to back it up. This is an example of how planting the seed works, start with the idea and then expand. There are a lot… He seems very intelligent the way he speaks is different. The questioning of Mark drops while seeing this, the card shows his admiration for Sean and his legitimacy for his friendship towards people. The Social Network deals with a wide range of themes involving hubris, ambition, friendship, jealousy, class and cultural cache and success as status and revenge. ERICA I didn’t know they take SAT’s in China. Usually the use of symmetry is to show balance. Looking at the camerawork, there is a close up of to the girl’s facial expression. 4 Responses to “Analysis: The Social Network (2010) ... in the scene at the bar where sean tells mark about the founder of victoria’s secret and how he started napster, he tells sean he started it to get the attention of a girl. The titles displayed are in bold capitals, they are not in a fancy font. Tap to unmute. If you haven’t pieced this together yet, BU is the university Erica goes to, having it in the newspaper means that Erica will notice Facebook. The Social Network opens with an incredibly effective break-up scene followed by a relatively understated credit sequence. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The court scene also helps to develop conspiracies and characters. Zuck, played by Jesse Eisenberg, cracks a cold one when he invents Facemash, the predecessor to … But since this is the last thing that is said they are more likely to remember this ‘good deed’ making them lean in favour of Mark genuinely being Eduardo’s friend. This is the scene where ‘the seed is planted’. Homework. Ok so this is the scene where Sean Parker is introduced.