Set-Ups, Punchlines, and No Country For Old Men
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ค. 2024
- Bad movies are easy to spot. Mediocre movies are a bit harder. To me, the difference between a good movie and a mediocre one is how well it uses the language of cinema to tell its story. Like any language, movies have vocabulary and grammar-consisting of shots, cuts, sound, action, and dialogue-and how well a filmmaker wields those tools makes a big difference in the quality of the movie.
In Movie Practice-my DIY approach to film school-I'm exploring how to improve my visual storytelling through the use of Set-Ups and Punchlines. An offshoot of the idea behind Checkov's Gun, set-ups and punchlines are used to plant information early on that may seem inconsequential, but then later there's a payoff that brings that information full circle.
However, the principle of set-ups and punchlines can be applied to the entire visual storytelling process. Setting up a character's backstory, giving the audience spatial awareness of a room, planting an emotional flag that you'll come back to later-set-ups and punchlines are happening all the time in every movie. And treating every shot as a new opportunity to convey meaning is exactly the kind of approach that makes the difference between a good movie and a mediocre one.
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Movies Referenced:
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
The Blob (1958)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Sniper Special Ops (2016)
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
Night of the Lepus (1972)
The Graduate (1967)
Hitchcock on Editing and the Kuleshov Effect (1964)
The Godfather (1972)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Casablanca (1942)
Suicide Squad (2016)
Lady Snowblood (1973)
Day for Night (1973)
The Fabelmans (2022)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Get Out (2017)
Jaws (1975)
Aliens (1986)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
The Room (2003)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Sense (my short film)
Chapters:
00:00 What Makes a Movie Mediocre?
01:17 Setups & Punchlines
02:55 No Country for Old Men
04:43 Chekhov's Gun
07:09 Testing It Out
08:23 Conclusions
#videoessay #cinema #movies #filmmaking
In as oversaturated genre as filmbro video essays is, and with a film as done-to-death as No Country, you still manage to say something novel, helpful, and entertaining while also pitching your other work as worthwhile- all with the conciseness of a 9 minute video. Good job.
Seriously. High quality video, glad I clicked.
I dislike No Country for Old Men (both the book and the movie) but agreed this is well done
Noticing that Anton's hair is messed up and his skin is sweaty upon opening the door to the motel the first time really got me because you automatically assess that he had just murdered the old woman at the counter beforehand. We can believe this due to Anton's negative reaction to "small talk" and when the people in his way ask "too many questions". The old woman at the counter being talkative to Llewelyn as well as slightly stubborn doesn't really strike us at first, but as soon as we see Anton look up to her and her hand shaking on the counter, at that moment we know she's doomed. Idk, just something I thought was cool😁
Algorithm did well today 🫡 great video !
Ayy thank you!
Ew
@@FucklifedeadshitUr ew
We’re back again on that side of Film Tube let’s go💯💯💯
Yes indeed! Because they love throwing random stuff in my recommendation list😂
I always thought Anton took his boots off at the motel so he could walk silently…
Yes!!! exactly, similar to when he cut the lights while outside Moss's hotel room, deceptive.
Wonderful observation on No Country. And very effectively explained. Another thing is Anton's obssessiveness to keep his shoes clean is also a way of developing character without saying much. It shows his alienating nature, his tendancy of contradicting his own action (as shown in the final scene of the movie). He doesn't think twice about killing others but he is obsessessed with tidiness, orderliness. He is methodical to a point it is unsettling.
Also, this deserves more views! Great video!
He didn't want to keep his shoes clean, he wanted to be silent and leave no bootmarks.
@@BenDover-kt8wmhe’s still tidy and orderly regardless of the reasons why. And why not both simultaneously?They’re not mutually exclusive.
Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul in particular, are master classes in setups like these. Many of the episodes will start with what appears to be inconsequential details and by the end is revealed to be the key aspect of whatever shenanigans the characters were doing.
It’s cool you bring that up, breaking bad in particular does something that’s called “in media res” which means “in the middle of things.” Like you said, basically they give you an Easter egg of something that will be interesting later and then back up the story so you’re waiting for it to come up again. It’s almost like giving a piece of the punchline first then going back to set up the joke!
Thinking about the stuffed bear in the pool while reading this.
The box cutter.
Hey, nice use of the term. It also reminds me of the first episode of the 1997 anime adaptation of Berserk. Without spoiling much, the first episode shows us Guts in what is Conviction arc and then the explanation to why the man we see in the first episode is the way he is for the rest of the show.
Whatever chicanery the characters were doing*
I like how you chose the most minute detail from No Country. The little things like that, the textural details, make the film savory in the long run.
It's bonkers that amazing movies can have hundreds of videos essays made about them with a focus on different things in each essay. It makes you realize how much great movies focus on specific tiny details and the amount of work that goes into every second on film. Movies like No Country, Spiderverse, EEAaO, or Sicario clearly have every minute detail planned and it separates them from good movies into perfect movies.
i really love the juxtaposition between chigurhs aversion to getting his boots bloodied and the repeating imagery of bloody tracks left behind throughout the movie. the first ones we see are of the animal lwelyn shot hunting, eventually leading him to the shootout scene, the second were those of lwelyns himself in the confrontation between him and chigurh. his bloodied footprints gave away a trail for anton to locate him. a really cool foreboding image of his mortality and eventual fate, that as long as hes living, as long as he has a trail to leave anton will follow him and hunt him down, whereas with chigurh he leaves no trace behind. a complete ghost where in every scene he exits leaves not the slightest impression behind. hes smoke
The trail literally needs with chigurh. He’s the final judgment
what about the milk?
Nice catch. I had not noticed. But now that you mention it, there's another one I can think of. When he strangles the cop at the beginning of the movie, you can see lots of marks on the floor from the cop's struggle. Shoes do leave a mark. It does feel like Anton knows this and purposely leaves them clean, not like an obsessive psychopath, but more like a professional killer, a predator who knows how not to get hunted, or the way you put it... A ghost.
@@Matthiaslipknot I think both. Actions that started with practical reasons, repeated so many times that the original meaning has been lost and only the habit remains. In many ways, I'd say this is like Anton himself: He's clearly human and does human things, but his *humanity* is gone, leaving behind only a shell.
Look at that subtle movie analysis, the tasteful editing of it. Oh my god, it even has insert shots.
Honestly though it feels so good to see a video essay that feels like a video.
Now let's see Paul Allen's video essay
@@adityabhaledar831 Anton... Anton, you're sweating...
@@davidmsirois I'm sorry. I have to return some videotapes.
For more video essays that actually benefit from watching, *Jacob Geller.*
@@adityabhaledar831very nice
The shot of the wrapper on the counter unveiling itself was genius.
That last joke got me nodding my head proud. This is so well-structured and concise. Excellent job.
And it was set up by the other bar jokes. Makes sense
I think no writer/director mastered this technique better than Billy Wilder. The pocket-mirror in The Apartment is devastating, but his whole filmography is full of little moments like this.
I agree, and upon reading thought of Hitchcock too.
Terrific video. Such a succinct presentation on how powerful setups/payoffs can be. No Country For Old Men takes it one step further in my opinion with its use of the ellipsis as well. We get that sledgehammer of a payoff but we the viewer are left having to create the imagery of Chigurh's action against Carla Jean for ourself in order to even get to the payoff. No matter how many times I watch the movie, part of me will always be in denial of Carla Jean's fate, that somehow she made it. Anyways, I really enjoyed this particular take on its analysis. Looking forward to more of your work to come.
Thank you! I agree, I love a movie that trusts the audience to fill in the blanks, that doesn’t feel the need to spoon feed the story to us and leave some things up to imagination or even up for debate.
That's what a real subversion of expectations looks like to me. That phrase gets used a lot but almost never like this when it's most impactful. The film spends a long time setting up who the characters are, what they're like, how they act. Then it has the complete enormous balls not to show the climactic moment here at all, just to imply it and allowing the watcher, with all their various interpretations of everything that happened so far, to come to their own conclusion. It takes serious craft to see that the audience is desperately going to want to know the answer and to say "haha, nope, you're going to be thinking about then ten years from now in the shower and you'll still be hoping".
@@fang_xianfulike the ending of The Sopranos
Keep it up man. You actually understand what this medium is as opposed to 90% of filmmakers out there.
This was refreshing, interesting, personal and an extremely fun ride. Such a breath of fresh air when TH-cam video essays these days have become either lengthy rants about someone’s favourite franchise or an excuse to rewatch some cool scenes from your favourite movie with nice music and a calming voice in the background. Keep doing what ur doing, channel is gonna blow up soon!
Earned a new subscriber halfway through the video. I love your style, your appreciation for the craft of filmmaking, and the fact that you use your own work to be critiqued as an example in an overarching narrative thread speaks volumes of your authenticity and your commitment to quality content creation. Can't wait to see what you've done and where you're headed.
Wow thank you so much! Im definitely excited to keep making stuff!
I'm so glad I found this video! Love that you showed your short as an example, it really drives home the point you were making.
Thanks! Yeah for me the whole point is trying to put this stuff into practice myself. I’ve learned about filmmaking in theory but actually going out and making stuff has really changed how I see movies entirely!
Fantastic video, man! The best films are the ones that respect the viewer's intelligence. They show and don't tell but only tell when they have to and do it in a way that's still compelling and necessary. They give the audience 2+2 instead of just giving them the number 4. They meticulously show enough to the point that, if you're paying attention to the details they provide, eventually they reward you in ways that more simple films never could. In short, great analysis!
Wow. Incredible analysis and explanation, pointing out details even the most dedicated cinephiles wouldn’t notice. Videos of this quality deserve so much more attention
Nothing beats learning from an experiment 👍
I just love how you show that payoff could trigger stronger emotions when setup 7:31 is done properly 👍
Thank you! I agree, learning by doing is the best way to go
I loved seeing the thought process behind your short film. The problem solving mindset of "how do I take this shot and make it something rather than the other way around?" was really intriguing.
Finding this account before 1k dubs feels unreal. The editing the structure and pacing of the video. It’s all something I’d expect in the 500k and up area. Keep it up man I’m glad I found you channel can’t wait to see what else you put out in the future.
Love your use of Old Country. It’s one of the best examples.
But more thanks for clarifying Chekhov’s gun. A lot of video essays using every set-up & payoff as Chekhov’s gun when it’s really not the case.
Great work showing the difference.
this is seriously one of the best video essays about film I have seen here on youtube!
honestly one of the best youtube videos i’ve watched for such a small channel. kept me engaged from beginning to end. subscribing feels like i’m betting on gold dust! can’t wait to see you at a 100k! well done.
Only after I’ve watched the video I realised it’s only your 4th video on the channel, but despite that this video had a cinemastix feel to it, and something very calming about it. I really appreciate your opinion on what makes a good movie, I love what you said about language. Can’t wait for more from you
Absolutely fantastic video. You deserve to be one of the biggest video essay creators on this platform.
This was a wonderful watch, an easily digestible lesson on storytelling which doesn't just have to apply to movies. Really well done and I hope to see more from you.
Looking forward to watching this channel grow! Keep ‘em coming
Man, this is great. Great points, but whats better is showing how YOU approach it, and having humility to analyse and see your own strength and weakness. Talking is great, doing is better. Wish you success my friend!
absolutlely excellent video. one of the rare youtube videos that really teaches you something about filmmaking
You should have more subscribers. The way this video was done was so creative and entertaining, and I love how you make a short film with the topic you discuss in the video. Brilliant stuff.
"Dialogue is a language itself."
That was the punchline.
Every few days I come back to this video and it’s even better than I remember. I demand more content from this channel… respectfully
WOW this video!!! I absolutely love love love the combination of education with implementation, you really nailed this and made it feel like an actual lesson finally.
loved the unique approach to breaking down a film that has been over-analyzed to death, super good stuff.
Nicely done. Didn’t realize how much I missed film school until this.
I'm so glad TH-cam put this video on my feed. I'm a huge fan of this kind of content especially on one of my favourite films. I shall watch your career with great interest.
This was a great vid, and congrats on making your first short! Keep going!!
Cant believe you only have 3k followers, your editing is fantastic
This video was phenomenal. Can't wait until the next upload
Thank you! More coming soon 🫡
No country for old men has long been one of my favorites and Anton checking his boots after meeting with carla jean never fully clicked with me! I feel like a fool for missing it all these times! Will definitely be going home and really critically watching this movie again tonight. Instant sub after all of this and i look forward to you future work!
Excellent video, Grant. Creative, educational and executed to a high level.
Great video brother! Well written and edited, love it
It's really clever little cinematic story, even when we saw nothing but the beats. Really good video.
Great video man! Excited to see more of your work.
im so glad this came across my feed, this video and idea behind it is just superb. really looking forward to seeing what else your channel has in store🙂
Beautifully structured mate, keep it up🙌🏽
I swear I've seen this movie tons of times and there's always something new I figure out about this movie.
Authentic, sincere, intelligent, funny, polished, with something to say. The sky's the limit. Keep going, good luck!
I appreciate that!
Great video! Definitely earned a subscriber and happy it’s gaining so much traction. 🙌🏼
Okay WOW if you didn’t already earn a subscriber with the first half explaining the No Country for Old Men setups and payoffs. You definitely deserve it for the insanely perfect movie examples you use. All the best iconic but not too obvious scenes from movies to explain your point, Aliens, Good Will Hunting, Get Out, Godfather, Mad Max Fury Road (and Suicide Squad lol thats infamously bad).
you hit it out of the park man and thank god the algorithm blessed you
This is such a well made video! You are on your way! Just keep going
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you!
The slow push from the outside into the bathroom window is a nice touch
Excellent video! You've highlighted how the subtle can be so powerful! Ironically this video is also like that, SUBSCRIBED!
Awesome video, thank you for including captions!
Great video man, I learned a lot from it; keep up the great work!
Thanks! I’ll do my best🫡
subscribed my man. this was incredible. can't wait for more
Wow. So glad I found your channel! Excellent analysis. You've gained a sub this day!
This was really good dude, I’m seriously impressed.
This is a really well made vid, had my attention from beginning to end!
Watched no country for the first time recently and didn’t notice that about his boots… epic detail, and great video!
"Show them with the camera" sums it up so well.
looking forward to see more of your stuff, man!
Really enjoyed the analysis on set ups.
You picked excellent examples.
👍👍
Unbelievable talent! I can't wait to see your movies. You understand the essence of film. It's storytelling. So much time, money and energy is wasted yelling fire in an empty theater.
Immediately subscribed to your channel. Absolutely underrated!! Excellent job my friend
Man, I need to check that gun in my story more. Great video by the way!
So interesting so hear about things I don’t consider. Great content! Excited for ya. Keep it up.
Holy moly that's such a great detail to pick up - Anton checking his boots at the front door. Ashamed to admit that I never picked that up!
To be fair it took me until watch number three or four to put it together, but I think it works as an ambiguous moment if you didn’t pick up on the breadcrumbs. I just love that they gave us the answer but made us work for it!
Never noticed the pay off of Anton's boots towards the end. You made me see the movie in a new light.
an example of what should be a youtube video, so informative, so interesting, really awesome job, I love it🔥🥀 new subscriber for ya :)
I dig the style here, man. Subbed.
This was great man, instant subscriber
This is simply amazing. So glad I stumbled upon your channel.
Great video man, im excited for your next stuff!
This was lovely :3 great work
Thank you for this video, when I am watching films and TV series I will try to look more at the finer details.
Excellent analysis. Thank you!
Love your analysis style. If I may have my input on the subject of suspense: because so many bad movies were made, we forget about Michael Myers. The reason he’s the scariest sociopathic killer is they show him to us in the background. We know he’s there, the antagonist doesn’t. Somebody popping up in the background then disappearing is terrifying. They hid the monster from the character, not us, creating that opened ended tension other movies try to achieve and usually fail at.
There’s also that scene where Michael pins a woman against the wall then tilts his heads to the side. It’s like he doesn’t fully understand death. Much like Chigurh and his boots, that scene subtly showed us Michael has quirks and there’s a human inside the sociopath. In this case, a homicidal child that spent his life in solitary confinement fascinated by death. The smallest scenes can leave a big impact.
I enjoy your take on analysis. Subscribed
Edit: if you’re going to take the path of a film writer, I recommend you read “On Writing” from Stephen King. He doesn’t analyze the plot. There’s a premise then he creates characters. The rest happens organically. Hayao Miyazaki is another good example. He doesn’t plan the plot. He draws pictures then lets it unfold
Thank you for articulating something I haven't been able to put into words.
This was a really good breakdown on what makes scenes work, great job! It comes down to effort and purpose. Mediocre movies copy a great movie‘s homework and the good-bad ones solve an equation by writing a short story on a wet towel.
Dude, your video is so great! Keep it up! 🔥
This was delightful, Grant. I'll be following closely. Subbed
Your short is good, you understood the assignment.
Great video! Loved the stand up comedy motif
My favourite of these punchlines is asides from no country, jo jo rabbits with the constant images of the mother’s shoes. Great video
Loved it. Great work mate. Keep it tight, every frame a painting energy. Xo
Awesome video. I appreciate your taste. I love no country for old men and feel like a fool for never noticing Anton checking his boots.
Great video, sir. Very insightful. Good luck to your channel!
This was an awesome video!
It reminded me how amazing No Country for Old Men was!
It’s a modern classic
On the topic of the Coen brothers, this element is so present on the Fargo series too. They really nail the Coen bros style of storytelling.
You can thank the genius Noah Harley for the tv show Fargo. He does some great work
Terrific video, great explanations!
this shit was beautiful, i'm shocked you're only at 3.6k. that algorithm bout to HIT
Great video for a channel whih this much subscribers hope you get more audience good luck in the future
Thanks! Haha that would be nice, I hope so too 🤞
Absolutely well done, congratulations.
Dude fantastic work. Just subbed keep growing!
What a great fucking video, I was honestly flabbergasted that you have so little subs, you’re gonna be crazy keep it up! And that last bar joke cracked me up lmaooo
I dunno about your short, but this video is pretty damn good.