How They Get There Analysis

Theodora Boric
Tutorial Section 301: Thursdays at 2pm
Ben Johnstone


























Spike Jones short film How They Get There (1997) is the brief presentation of a young
man and woman who tease one another until it ends in disaster. Jones uses the stylistic elements
together to enhance the experience of the short film. Sound and mis-en-scene are used to
enhance atmosphere, the use of different techniques during different periods of the film create
stylized sequences and the use of cinematography and mis-en-scene connotes a relationship
between what viewers see on screen and the title of the film. These uses of the stylistic elements
do not begin to scratch the surface of how Jones combines elements to heighten the viewers
experience, but it is a start.

Sound works together with mis-en-scene to create appropriate atmospheres for the
images on screen or to deepen the impression of the images. The sequence of Man A and
Woman A mimicking each other from across the street takes on a playful atmosphere with the
increasing upbeat tempo of the non-diegetic background music. True enough, the various actions
initiated and mimicked between Man A and Woman B grow increasingly silly as the segment
wears on, and upon close inspection viewers can see the joyful faces of Man A and Woman B.
However, what lends this sequence its playful mood is the increasing use of bells and upbeat
humming on the non-diegetic background music that communicates the jolly energy of this
chain. Likewise, the use of both non-diegetic and diegetic sound express a sense of urgency
during the car crash sequence. During shot #26 the diegetic sound of Man A hitting and breaking
the windshield of The Brown Car initiates a change in the non-diegetic background music that
works with the content onscreen as well as the rapid editing that contributes to the compelling
essence of the sequence. Because of the nature of this sequence it is difficult to understand all the
information provided to the viewer. However, the combination of the harsh tones of Man A
hitting the windshield, the car breaks screeching and the car crashing against the street blended
with the loud, fast-paced non-diegetic background music conveys the urgency of the sequence,
while also taking enough of the viewers attention to distract from the enormous amount of
overlooked information lost during the rapid editing. The use of sound in combination with mis-
en-scene works to produce or heighten the atmosphere of the sidewalk-mimicking and car crash
sequences.

Various repeated techniques in How They Get There create segmentation. Two obvious
segments are the sidewalk-mimicking sequence and the car crash sequence. The sidewalk-
mimicking sequence can be described as a series of shots with similarities in cinematography,
sound and mis-en-scene. The segment features a series of shot-reverse-shots of Man A and
Woman B walking down parallel sidewalks. This sequence can be characterized as a chain of
long to medium point-of-view shots paired with upbeat cheery non-diegetic background music.
The non-diegetic soundtrack is a very important feature of this segmentation as the background
music is the same piece of music throughout the film, however, occasionally changes in volume
and rhythm are particular to various sequences in the film. In addition, this series features similar
shot composition across the segment as well as strong similarities in movement and performance
as both characters are mimicking the others actions. Another segmentation in this film is the car
crash sequence. This crash sequence uses similarities in editing, shot duration and sound. This
sequence can be characterized as a series of shots of very short duration, tied together with rapid
editing and loud, rhythmic non-diegetic background music. The features used in the segment
speak to the nature of the sequence as they express the action represented on screen through
rapid editing that provides viewers with a lot of information but at such a swift pace that much of
it is missed. This disorientation is paired with the diegetic sound of a car crash as well as the
loud, rhythmic non-diegetic background music that ties the edits together, and as a result the
product is a very distinctive series of shots. Different techniques that are repeated throughout
How They Get There create stylized sequences that may be part of one film but individually are
very unique.

The use of cinematography attaches additional importance to the mis-en-scene. At the
beginning and end of this short film mis-en-scene and cinematography work together to
emphasize certain props in various shots. The use of camera distance and relatively uncluttered
shots stresses objects such as Man As shoe, the Chips Ahoy snack wrapper, the milk carton and
an unidentified characters old beaten up shoe. Shot #2 reveals a low height close-up shot of the
blue Chips Ahoy wrapper falling to the ground. What signifies this shot is the composition,
which reveals only a grey sidewalk, Man As grey shoe and the blue wrapper that draws the
viewers attention because of its color. Shot #3 reveals an extreme close-up of a red and white
milk carton followed by a close-up shot of Man A drinking from the carton. Interestingly
enough, in both shots the milk carton takes up a majority of the frame, drawing the viewers
attention to the prop. About 3 seconds into shot #39 the camera tracks to the right to reveal a
close-up of an unidentified characters black beaten-up shoe. The black shoe remains the only
subject of the shot and remains the main focus for about 10 seconds before the shot fades to
black. The prolonged time that viewers are exposed to the static shot of the black shoes supplies
a sense of added significance to this prop. Finally, Man As grey shoe is displayed directly to
viewers in a close-up shot on 3 instances in shot #1, shot #2 and shot #39. The uncluttered
composition and relatively long length of these shots makes Man As shoe the focal point of each
shot. The repeated presentation of Man As shoe lends the prop additional meaning. Taking the
name of this short film, How They Get There, and that the disposal of these props is represented
onscreen into consideration, one can argue that the added emphasis on the Chips Ahoy wrapper,
the milk carton and both shoes connotes a relationship between the title of the film and the mis-
en-scene. This relationship however, could not have been noticed without the combined use of
mis-en-scene and cinematography.

In summation, the combination of the various stylistic elements create additional meaning
to what is seen onscreen, strong relationships between shots and a strong sense of atmosphere.
Jones manages to do all of these things by combining cinematography and mis-en-scene to
create a relationship between onscreen props and the title of the film. He also uses repetition of
different techniques to create stylized segmentations and finally, Jones uses the combination of
sound and mis-en-scene to enhance the feel of the film. Individually stylistic elements are
essential to film, but when integrated with one another these stylistic elements enhance the
quality of film as well as the viewers experience.