Amelies destiny started right from when she was born.

Sadly, it wasnt a happy

childhood. Amelie was home-schooled. She had no friends, and her mother
passed away when she needed her most. Amelie was isolated from the world.
Film speed manipulation or ramping is used throughout the film to speed up the
pace as you the audience watch Amelies past unfold. Its a time-compression
device that I linked with another technique: an editing technique called montage
sequences or flashbacks. This editing device is used to connect series of images
to create a singular effect. In this case, the initial montages jump cuts you
through conceptions of Amelies childhood so that you can experience her
childhood as well and feel sympathetic to her lonely upbringing and isolation.
Amelies isolation didnt stop at her childhood though. It continued into her adult
years. There are many overhead shots at the beginning of my film to enhance
the impression of isolation. Here in this shot, Amelie is represented as small, shy,
vulnerable, timid. You the audience looks down on her, highlighting her
introverted personality. In fact, I also used crane shots or track shots, involving
intricate camera movements and heavy equipment. Crane shots were used to
compose and re-compose long takes with the camera swooping over characters
or objects, chasing or circumnavigating figures. Like in this scene, where Amelie
is skipping stones. You look down on her as she tries to entertain herself in a shot
with a lot of space, further demonstrating her isolation and loneliness.
Amelies destiny started with her isolation. But shes tired of being alone. So
takes a few risks to break out of her cycle of isolation. This, is a painting of
Renoirs Luncheon of the Boating Party a painting attempted numerous times
by Ramond Dufayel. I used it as symbolism in my film. Amelie goes through life
isolated and a safe distance from true human connection. It isnt until Amelie
breaks away from her comfort zone and takes a few risks, when Dufayel finally
alters the painting of the girl with the glass. He changes the girls surroundings in
the picture instead of changing the girl herself. I wanted you to see that instead
of the girl with the glass or Amelie, needing to be changed, her world needed to
be changed. Amelie was brave enough to take the risk and create connections
with other human beings that she became fully a part of the painting. Without
taking that risk, the painting would have never been fixed.
I have also demonstrated the theme of risk through CGI computer generated
images or visual effects. The effect of Amelie melting into a splash of water is
used to show how Amelie feels deflated by the fact that she cannot face her
fears of rejection and take risks. Amelie was extremely devastated and literally
dissolve into a pool. This special effect allows you to empathise with her because
she missed her chance of pursuing Nino. And, I am sure that you have also been
in Amelies situation; when you want to literally melt and disappear because of
disappointment. In order for Amelie to be truly happy, she must learn to face
reality and take risks in her life for positive change.
So what exactly was Amelie breaking out of her isolation for? Why take a risk?
Why for happiness of course. Without taking the risk, she would be stuck in her
lonely bubble. Overall, I decided to work with golden and monochrome tones to

make it look a part of Amelies surreal, dreamy world. This added an important
aspect of Paris through the colours and almost personifies the city, which is
mostly known as the city of love, and helps to develop this theme of
happiness. The clichd and imagined Paris provides the audience with setting
that makes them believe that the quirky quest for love could be achieved. If the
setting had been shown exactly as it is in reality and not imagined to be more
suited to the situation, Amelies happiness would not have been as believable
and she could have remained a lonely, introverted and isolated individual.
The soundtrack composed by Yann Tiersen also plays an important role in
fulfilling Amelies happiness. The music alternates between the melancholic
piano and the whimsical giddy accordion strains that add buoyancy and zest to
the fluidity of action that moves effortlessly from scene to scene. Tiersens music
with its accordions and harpsichords is unavoidably French, but connecting with
my setting of Paris, its a few fanciful degrees removed from reality, more a
depiction of the unreachably romantic idea of France than of France as it is. The
repeated musical themes take on a metaphorical value and sets to mood of the
scene for the audience. For example, L'autre Valse d'Amelie is a typical French
laid-back accordion waltz which was played at the end of the love scene between
Amelie and Nino allowing the audience to connect with the successful mood of
the scene.