Joseph Simile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIWvRCSjWM
For this assignment I will be analyzing the opening scene to 2006’s Cars. What makes
Cars work so well is how familiar it is to the audience despite being a movie about
automobiles. It is constantly making references to media and contemporary life to keep
the audience immersed in the world. This is especially true in the opening scene, with
constant references to NASCAR and other stock racing promotions. When Lightning
McQueen exits his trailer, he is met by a packed crowd that is filled with quick flashes
coming from headlights, meant to mimic the flashes of cameras. We are shown a
camera crew atop of the raceway, similar to how NASCAR’s media partners set up for
their broadcasts. At 1:57 in the above link, we are shown the “Piston Cup Racing Cam”, a
rearview camera that is shown on the big screen at the racing venue, another feature
that NASCAR races deploy. We then see light following the crowd due to cars in certain
sections turning on and off their headlights, which simulates “The Wave”, which is a very
common crowd reaction at sporting events. We are also shown vendors in the crowd
and tailgaters in the grass in the middle of the racetrack, both of which are staples in
NASCAR. All of these elements create a scene that is very familiar to an audience of
humans, despite being a movie about cars.
The framing of Cars also brings the familiarity to the audience. At the 1:05 mark we see
a tilted angle of the pennant for the Piston Cup followed by a wide aerial shot of the
raceway. These are both incredibly common pre-race shots for NASCAR cup
broadcasts. Any NASCAR fan immediately understands the stake of the race without a
word being said. The shot at the 1:30 mark is really effective, towards the bottom of the
frame we see the cars in the race, moving so fast it is hard to make them out. On the
wall at the top of the track, we see the name of the raceway, the Motor Speedway of the
South, (the banner also mimics ones usually reserved for advertising at speedways),
and above that we see an energetic crowd enjoying the race. This shot provides so
much information to the audience while also setting the tone of the scene. 1:44 also
presents a very interesting shot. It is a low angle pulling shot, with Lightning McQueen
starting in the background, while still being in focus, before passing the #52 car and
coming into the foreground before driving directly into the frame, setting up a rear side
shot. This framing reinforces that Lightning is our main character, as from the beginning
he was the focus of the shot despite coming from the background, but also
demonstrates his talent as he passes #52 with ease.
Lastly, the motion and animation qualities truly bring this scene to life. The first glimpse
we get of Lightning in the movie at :17 we get a close up of his wheel, and the audience
is wholly consumed with the motion of his wheels. This shows the audience that
Lightning is an incredibly quick racer, as he is able to close the gap with ease between
him and the cars in front of him. At the :37 second mark is our next best look at
Lightning, and what truly pops about him is his reflective qualities. He looks new and
shiny, which is indicative of his character as well, a highly touted rookie with all the
talent in the world but little experience. The choice to make him shiny and reflective is
great foreshadowing to the character we get to know, and also makes him stand out
compared to the other race cars we would get to see. As previously mentioned, part of
what makes cars work so well is how familiar it is to the audience. This is in large part
due to the animation and art style, everything looks real. The cars look like real cars, the
Motor Speedway of the South looks like it could be Talladega or Daytona, the crowd is
energetic and exciting like a real race crowd. The 3D style of this animation makes it feel
very familiar to the audience, there is no suspension of disbelief required, the world of
Cars immediately feels real and lived in.
