Positioning vs Alignment

• aligned and positioned with Hushpuppy. We see and hear things from her point of view, like the heart beat (subjective positioning), and reinforced with the low level camera work. We are also aligned with her because she’s caring (bird), and a child leading us to believe that she is a good person.
• The Levee is de-saturated, dim, grey and at a distance, literally walled off – not positioned or aligned with them. Contrasting to the bathtub which is colourful and presented as precious (e.g. the sense of community)
• Positioned with Wink (close up) but then there’s a perspective change to Hushpuppy
• See the Levee, action reaction shot, Wink speaks negatively about the Levee, then the focus shifts to Hushpuppy, and we hear her voice over

Film form/Dynamic Interaction with Spectator

• subjective positioning of the heart beat sound  – hear it in her head
• voice over
• high key lighting
• music – positive and uplifting – sometimes made diegetic by seeing people playing instruments
• hand held camera work – authenticity, domestic, homemade
• close ups of the protagonists face
• close up of animals
• low level camera work
• documentary feel
• sound bridge of rain and thunder – foreboding of flood/storm
• holding chick to ear – tuned in with nature
• factory thudding echos animal heartbeats
• children’s view of the world – interesting, intriguing
• montage- little continuity editing in the opening – shows the best of the bathtub
• Hushpuppy is playing
• hand on pig, we can hear the heartbeat
• music – fairytale like, inncoent sounding – music box (child’s toy) – innocence – we are seeing the world from her point of view
• She says what she thinks the animals think (food, poop. sometimes codes) – a bit spiritual and everything is connected.
• hole in the wall leading to the bin – DIY, chaotic but has logic, clustered
• hole in the wall is for drinks – likes to drink
• she lives in her own house connected by a rope – tough love, grows up quick
• she eats with her hands with the animals who are also eating
• music – string/orchestral, her voice becomes more assertive and forceful
• performance – irresponsible or free spirited/excited – screaming with wine bottle, being happy with who they are – strong/powerful act and political message
• Drinking – dysfunction
• over-exposure, fogged – blue – technically bad, imperfect, authentic and real, beautiful, reflects chaos of the world
• folk music – non-diegetic and diegetic
• ‘up in the dry world …’
• alcohol and racing baby’s – irresponsible
• she’s drinking – probably water
• montage – baby crying, looking down on Hushpuppy drinking (?)
• Hushpuppy is learning lessons she shouldn’t like the imitation of drinking
• mention of flood and no more bathtub – impending doom
• colour and light
• children with fireworks – points it at the dad’s face who’s drunk and laughing
• a moment where they share a world view
• disregard for the stereotypes of gender e.g. man wearing a dress
• carnival – defying structures in place

Binary Oppositions

• animals and human – ‘everything is part of the buffet of the universes’, sharing food with the animals, bathtub and animals exist as one and Hushpuppy treats them as equals, and is at ease with them and nature
• Levee and the Bathtub – walled off, two little people and the factories, visual difference (e.g. colour and lack of colour)

Passive/Active Viewing

• passive – taking in the information
• Active – comparing different lifestyles, beautiful or not appropriate treatment of children etc

Range of Readings/Responses (Hal)

• opinions of the protagonists upbringing

Ideology/Values

• environmentalism – calls factories and buildings ‘ugly’ – reaction shot (disgust, lack of comprehension). Mention of fish in plastic wrappers contrasting to bathtub which has a low carbon footprint (ethical upbringing view). Hushpuppy is tuned in to nature.
• Self- reliance e.g. ‘like a bunch of babies’
• community