ME and EARL

and the DYING GIRL

Film trailer analysis
Used: close up shot,
change of focus
This early shot proceeds the announcement
of Rachel having cancer. There is diegetic
sound in this clip as well as quiet non diegetic
music as the focus changes from the
background to the foreground with the
sound of the cat purring. This adds to the
comedic value of the trailer and allows to
viewer to understand that although there
will be tragedy, there will also be moments
on comedic relief- thus making it more
realistic and natural.
Used: close up, high
angle shot
This close up at a slightly high angle shows
the main character walking up and looking
toward to the house of Rachel. The use of a
close up means that the viewers can more
easily see his facial expression- one that
shows his uncomfortableness and confusion
at what to do. Here we can understand him
more as a character as he is unsure of how to
react to the news of Rachel having caner. The
soft music continues with strings
instruments, showing the situation is an
extremely emotional one.
Used, long shots, high
and low angle shots
These two shots could be seen as way of
understanding the social hierarchy as Rachel
is positioned above Greg and looking down
on him. It also shows how Greg is new to this
location as well as not being too familiar with
Rachel yet. The music cuts off as the dialogue
between the two characters end- with Greg
saying that he didnt come because he pities
Rachel but because his mom is making
[him]. This shows a difference in the
character of Greg as he is not attempting to
lie and this introduces the two characters
friendship.
Used: extreme close
up shots, detail shots
These two shots are brief, but contain a lot of
meaning. The large quantity of cards show
that there are a lot of people that
supposedly care about the character, which
juxtaposes with the scene prior to it where
Rachel clearly decides she does not want
people to pity her. This shows that the
character of Greg will likely play a big role in
her life as he goes against this. The simple
cuts between these could show how it was
very easy for the cards to be sent but not
many other characters are seen supporting
Rachel in person.
Used: pan/dolly shot,
hidden wipe transition,
flashback, long shot,
over the shoulder shot
The music picks up here with an acoustic
guitar, bass guitar, snare drum and the use of
hand clapping. This happens as the character
of Earl is introduced, and seems to insinuate
that he is quite happy, funny and close to
Greg, as well as showing this through a
flashback to Earl and Gregs youth. There is
then a wipe transition somewhat hidden
through the use of mise en scene in a
wooden pole. This shows that the transition
of the pairs friendship over time was easy
and shows how close both boys are.
Used: split screen,
midshot, close up shot
These quick cuts of split screen shots remind
the viewer of the young age of the
characters. The drawings shown on the left
hand side of the screen show parody names
of Midnight Cowboy, A Clockwork Orange
and Dont Look Now. This shows how the
pair have the ability to turn somewhat
serious and dark films into ones that seem a
little ridiculous or humorous to the viewer.
They are also all well-known films so it is
unlikely that many viewers would be
confused over the original title. The shots on
the right hand side of the screen also show a
quickly made film that is comical in nature,
mostly with simple props or costume and
dim or natural lighting.
Used: Aerial shot/birds
eye view
This shot shows the main character from
above, isolated as he walks through the
school hallway. This, along with the building
tension supplied by the loud music creates
the idea that the character is alone and this
will somehow change following the duration
of the film. The aerial view also separates
him from the viewers as they are unable to
understand how he is really feeling as they
cannot see information given by his facial
expression or body posture.
Used: establishing
shot, mid shot, jump
cuts
As the music picks up in intensity, the shot of
the main character frantically running down
a flight of steps is shown in bright, natural
lighting to show how the character is in an
immense rush to get somewhere- this is
assumed to be the girl- Rachel. The change in
lighting gives the impression that his life has
improved throughout the duration of the
film. The use of a jump cut here shows the
passing of time without the audience having
to watch him take every step.
Used: close up shot
This close up shot is taken from a side angle
in order to show both of the characters
faces and reveal their emotions while the
viewer listens to the diegetic sound of Earl
beginning to get angry at Greg. This reveals
how much tension there will be as Greg is
very clearly upset because somebody cares
about him and he doesnt know how to react
properly- this is obviously going to be about
Rachel. The dim lighting represents how this
is a dark moment between the two and how
the pair will need to overcome it.
Used: establishing
shot, long shot, close
up shot, jump cuts
This establishing shot shows the entirety of a
school cafeteria. There is bright lighting and a
vibrant colour scheme that shows the
excitement and bustling nature of the school.
The jump cuts are used to get closer to the
main characters in a short amount of time.
This ends in a close up shot that shows
Rachel smiling. This shows that despite the
hardships of the film, she is mostly calm and
happy amongst the chaos surrounding her-
which is represented here through the mass
of students.
Used: editing- on
screen sans serif text
The sans-serif text is used to show how the
film is not overly fanciful and the main three
characters are put in bold as they are the
most important part of the title. This shows
that the main character does not think it
important to mention his own name, but he
does believe it is necessary for Earl. As for
Rachel it would appear that there is some
dark humour in the rhyming of how she is
dying from cancer- something that is bound
to be further explored in the film. The
background is dimly lit but shows bright
flowers, perhaps insinuating how, although
the story is quite dark, the characters will
still be living full lives.
 To Conclude
ME and EARL and the DYING GIRL is a drama film produced in 2015.
The trailer was very successful as it introduced all main characters,
presented a very unique storyline and intrigued viewers by leaving
much of the story unknown. It made especially good use of camera
techniques such as jump cuts and close ups shots, as well as many
other elements such as the choice of music to produce a very
emotional piece of media.