Victorian England
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Before any forensic tools were discovered, police officers and detectives have to rely on simple clues, circumstantial evidence, and their past experience to solve crimes. However, there are a few scientific discoveries lead to technologies that were used for identification of criminals in the Victorian Era. Some scientific discoveries such as using mercury thermometer for blood tests, and fingerprints are used to help solve the crimes more efficiently and provide the victims their justices from the late 1800s to the beginning of 1900s. In The Sign of the Four and A Study in Scarlet, Doyle implicitly incorporate some Victorian detective technique in his writing as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve crimes.
Crime Scene Photography
In 1864, according to "History of Forensics," Odelbrecht “advocates the use of photography” to collect and record evidences in the crime scene in order to investigate the crime later on. Though the photographs does not contain high definition effects as the photographs produced today. Forensics scientists and detectives take pictures of not only the corpses, but also the surroundings, such as photographs hung in the room, of the crime scene that might help solve the crime. Furthermore, Doyle did not indicate whether Holmes or Watson takes pictures of the crime scene, and study the case later on, but in A Man With The Twisted Lip, one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories, people are able to recognize who the suspect is through a picture. When Inspector Bradstreet was able to recognize the missing man, Mr. Neville St. Clair, through a photograph after Holmes cleaned up his face (Doyle). |
Dactyloscopy and Podiatry (finger and foot prints):
Until now, Dactyloscopy “remains the most commonly gathered forensic evidence worldwide” when investigating a case. As suggested by Henry Faulds of Scotland in 1880, he published a paper about using “fingerprints at the scene of a crime could identify the offender,” as stated in “History of Forensics.” Handprints can determine “whether the criminal was left or right handed”, according to “Criminal Forensic Science in The Victorian Era”. In Chapter 6 of The Sign of Four, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mentions the use of detecting how the crime scene happened through “footmark” as one of the techniques that was developed later to determine who the criminal is. As Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson inspect the surrounding of what happened to Bartholomew Sholto, Holmes claims, “Here is the print of a foot in mould upon the sill” (796) and calls upon Dr. Watson to check the footmark. Holmes then concludes, “It is the impression of a wooden stump. You see here on the sill is the boot-mark, a heavy boot with the broad metal heel, and beside it is the mark of the timber-toe” (796-801), which gives a valuable clue of who the wooden-legged criminal is.
Until now, Dactyloscopy “remains the most commonly gathered forensic evidence worldwide” when investigating a case. As suggested by Henry Faulds of Scotland in 1880, he published a paper about using “fingerprints at the scene of a crime could identify the offender,” as stated in “History of Forensics.” Handprints can determine “whether the criminal was left or right handed”, according to “Criminal Forensic Science in The Victorian Era”. In Chapter 6 of The Sign of Four, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mentions the use of detecting how the crime scene happened through “footmark” as one of the techniques that was developed later to determine who the criminal is. As Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson inspect the surrounding of what happened to Bartholomew Sholto, Holmes claims, “Here is the print of a foot in mould upon the sill” (796) and calls upon Dr. Watson to check the footmark. Holmes then concludes, “It is the impression of a wooden stump. You see here on the sill is the boot-mark, a heavy boot with the broad metal heel, and beside it is the mark of the timber-toe” (796-801), which gives a valuable clue of who the wooden-legged criminal is.
reflection on this project...
After we finish final draft of each Victorian Science subpages, I feel more confident about designing and inputting a wiki page. I’ve never create a wiki page before, so this was a great experience. I’m glad that we have the chance to research on the history of Victorian Science for this class. If it wasn’t for this class, I wouldn’t know Darwinism was develop in the Victorian Era, nor would I know what forensics discoveries were made during the Victorian Era. Therefore, I’m glad I get to work with a group of wonderful people.
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cinematic elements
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DEFINITION
By utilizing a lens of different element that allow to change the focal length of a shot, filmmakers are able to create zoom shots throughout the shooting (Yale Film Analysis Guide) . Moreover, according to LA Video Filmmaker, zoom shots are “smooth and not too fast” in which allow the audiences to move closer or further from the subject. Thus, zoom shots are similar to crane or tracking shots, but the appearance and the size of zoom shot scenes are different from crane or tracking shots (Yale Film Analysis Guide). There are two types of zoom shots, one enables filmmakers to zoom-in on a certain character or scene; whereas the other enables the filmmakers to zoom out of a character or scene. Filmmakers use zoom shots to introduce a certain character or a scene (Yale Film Analysis Guide). Sometimes the zoom shots emphasize the character’s emotion when the filmmaker zoom in on the character’s face.
By utilizing a lens of different element that allow to change the focal length of a shot, filmmakers are able to create zoom shots throughout the shooting (Yale Film Analysis Guide) . Moreover, according to LA Video Filmmaker, zoom shots are “smooth and not too fast” in which allow the audiences to move closer or further from the subject. Thus, zoom shots are similar to crane or tracking shots, but the appearance and the size of zoom shot scenes are different from crane or tracking shots (Yale Film Analysis Guide). There are two types of zoom shots, one enables filmmakers to zoom-in on a certain character or scene; whereas the other enables the filmmakers to zoom out of a character or scene. Filmmakers use zoom shots to introduce a certain character or a scene (Yale Film Analysis Guide). Sometimes the zoom shots emphasize the character’s emotion when the filmmaker zoom in on the character’s face.
EXAMPLE OF ZOOM SHOT FROM SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009) FILM
When Sherlock Holmes was alone in an empty room deducting all the events that are related to Lord Blackwood’s words to him and his return, the filmmaker first zoom out from Sherlock Holmes’s closed-up face to his upper body. This zoom shot illustrates Holmes’s focused, concerned, facial expression when he reflects segments of key phrases that relates to Lord Blackwood’s return. The zoom shot then stops at a frame where the audiences can perceive Holmes’s background, which has all the important key people or key words scribbled on the wall of the vacant room. The filmmaker stays on the frame with Holmes in the center for about 15 seconds, then starts zooming out from Holmes’s whole body to only his face. The zoom shot from zooming out, pause, to zooming in, back to the same frame where the filmmaker captures in the beginning of this scene reinforces how Holmes processes his mind when deducing a case.
EXAMPLE OF ZOOM SHOT FROM SHERLOCK: THE STUDY OF PINK
In the first episode of Sherlock, A Study in Pink, when Sherlock Holmes introduces himself to John Watson as his new flatmate, the filmmaker zoom-in from Sherlock’s upper body to his whole face. This quick and sharp zoom shot officially introduces Sherlock in a few seconds as he dashes out his laboratory, leaving John and their mutual acquaintance in the room alone. Thus, the filmmaker emphasizes Sherlock’s antisocial personality that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle creates in his development of Sherlock Holmes.
EXAMPLE OF ZOOM SHOT FORM ELEMENTARY: RISK MANAGEMENT
In Risk Management of Elementary Sherlock Holmes received a mysterious call from Moriarty, who asks Holmes to solve Wallace Rourke’s case in which involves with Soutter Risk Management. However, Moriarty calls Holmes again after Mr. Daren Soutter confessed he killed Rourke, and tells Holmes that he had not solve the case yet because Mr. Soutter is not the killer. As Moriarty gives information about Rourke, the filmmaker gradually zoom-in from a frame of Holmes and Watson’s upper body to a frame of their faces. Thus this slow zoom shot indicates Holmes’s realization of something he had missed and Moriarty might be right about Rourke’s case in which Holmes needs to find evidences of who the real suspect is.
Whip pan is a quick, moving, horizontal scan that blurs the viewers’ screens (Yale Film Analysis Guide). By rotating the camera from either left to right or right to left horizontally, the filmmakers are able to create the impression of a fast pace transition from scene to scene. According to Yale Film Analysis Guide, whip pans “always stand out” from a film because those fast moving transitions create unexpected and “brisk nature.” Thus, filmmakers often utilize whip pan in action genres movies.
EXAMPLE OF WHIP PAN FROM SHERLOCK: THE GREAT GAME
In the third episode of Sherlock, The Great Game, Sherlock receives mysterious calls from an anonymous criminal with voices of innocent victims. As Sherlock speaks to the second victim on the phone, the filmmaker utilizes whip pan shot in between Sherlock and the male victim. With the fast shifts of scene, the filmmaker is able to stress the intensity and urgency of sparing innocent lives.