We fade in to a shot of the serene lake, the surrounding trees. Then we hear some fast footsteps--two people running. We see two people running along a trail bordering the woods and a lake. Eventually they slow to a halt. The guy says, “You sure you can keep up, Taylor?” and chuckles. The girl gives him a smirk and slaps him on the arm. “I’m keeping up fine Nathen thank you”, she says the last part sarcastically. “Well, it’s only a couple more miles and then we’ll turn around. We’ve got to be ready for that marathon.” They begin running again and it fades out as happy music plays in the background.
There is a knock on the door and the girl opens to the guy, who says,”You ready?” The girl replies, “Yeah let’s go.” The girl, in a navy blue shirt and black shorts, heads outside. We see her shutting the door.
In the car, the guy says, “I was gonna wait until we got to the marathon, but I thought I’d just get it over with.” He pulls out a watch from his pocket and says, “Happy One Year Anniversary” and gives it to her. The girl accepts the gift and smiles with her eyes looking down and her face glowing. They start driving, and the girl has trouble putting on the watch. The guy reaches over and smiles. The camera pans away to the trail.
The trail empty, except for an OTS of the girl staring ahead. Shes wearing the same clothing as when she left for the marathon, watch and all. Then it cuts to an ECU of the girl, a small drip of water going down her cheek. She looks at her watch [9:45] She turns around all of a sudden and walks away.
We see the girl running by herself in the woods and by the guy’s house in different sets of clothes which each cut. Every time she passes by his house she glances over at the window, with its blinds/curtains shut. Then after one day outside of his house she finally pulls out her phone and tries to call him. She calls the guy and leaves a message. “Hi umm. Just another message. I must’ve sent a hundred by now. Look, I know you were a little freaked out about what happened but it’s fine now, so just...call me back...please.” The girl sighs and puts the phone down. She stares at her running shoes and continues to run.
She is in the spot where she remembered being with the guy (opening scene). She stops. There is a flash of that scene and when she returns to the present the guy is standing there in black running clothes. The girl smiles. “Get my messages?” “More or less...I’m sorry we didn’t get to do the marathon. Come on [he gestures]...if you can keep up” [he half-smiles] He gestures to her to run with him. She does and after a bit she spots a tree and says, “Last one to the tree is a rotten egg!” She runs as fast as she can laughing. We see her from the front and see that the guy is no longer there. She reaches the tree and says as she turns around, “See I told you I could kee-”. She sees him no longer there.
Then she sees him again turning to cross the bridge not far away. Then she starts running fast in that direction. She keeps running but can never seem to catch up to him. She is now in the neighborhood and she is running out of breath but she keeps going as we have a split screen of the guy putting on a shirt, a tie (white), combing his hair. We see her jumping over things--little obstacles.
As she knocks on his door frantically it finally opens. The guy opens the door, dressed in black. “I’ve been waiting for you,” he says half-smiling. “Let’s walk.” They walk a short distance and sit down on a bench. “You see. Nathan’s gone. He’s off living his life. You don’t belong here anymore Taylor.” The girl looks at him in confusion and looks at her watch again [9:45] and starts to speak but the guy cuts her off. “This isn’t your world. Nathan in white knocks on an unknown door. The door opens to a different girl. “You’ve been gone for months don’t you get it? Let him go. Let me go,” Nathan’s subconscious self explains to Emily as they sit on the bench. The girl stands up, unsure of what to do and who the man is. Looking around she finally decides to run back to his house.
She goes into his room and sees the photos of her on his dresser, below which rests a photo-shopped image of her that says Rest In Peace Taylor 1991-2011 with a small heart at the bottom. She sees the watch, no longer ticking, below the photo and grabs it and the photo. She puts on the watch and then drops to the floor quietly, staring at the photo. The man comes in.The girl says, “Is he okay?” “I told you. He’s moving on. He’s left this part of himself behind. Nathan puts his hands on his chest, indicating that this is the subconscious part of himself he left behind. Nathan’s subconscious self reaches his hand out. “He never forgave himself, you know.” We briefly see Nathan with the other girl and they’re walking. He stops and gives this stranger a watch identical to Taylor’s. Then we see Taylor with look of sudden realization on her face as we hear a car swerving and then crashing, and the Taylor takes his hand, the watch still on her wrist. As he says this, we see the girl’ bloody arm limply outside the car, with the watch still ticking away. They fade into nothing, leaving the photo on the empty floor.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Ideology in Film
1. What is ideology and how can it be implicit vs. explicit?
It means the values/viewpoints and meanings/messages that a media text such as film might be able to communicate to the viewer.
Explicit - What a character in a film or a director/producer/writer themselves declare to be the subject of the film.
Implicit - The more debatable meanings of a film, possibly beyond the conscious intentions of the filmmaker, that require analysis and a reasoned argument.
2. Ideology and Expectations;Give an example of an a actor that presents a predictable ideological package that studios are quick to use. List as many of their film roles as possible – noting the particular actions/dialogues associated with the character that they play. Make a list of the five adjectives that you think best capture their typical role. Produce a detailed description of what you think their next role will be like.
Tom Cruise:
A)a multi-million dollar budget with high production values, state-of-the-art special effects, a driving narrative, attractiveness
Mission Impossible: secret agent who is obligated to save the world, uses his skills and intelligence to fight the morally corrupt/ evil
B)Collateral (2004): Tom Cruise takes a rare turn as the bad guy, playing a contract killer.
Minority Report (2002): he plays a cop in the near future who works with psychic "pre-cogs" to prevent crimes before they happen.
War Of The Worlds (2005): In this second teaming with director Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise plays a divorced father who must fight to save his children from alien invaders
A Few Good Men (1992): In Rob Reiner's "A Few Good Men", Tom Cruise plays a Navy lawyer charged with defending a pair of Marines accused of murder at Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba.
The Firm (1993): In this film, based on the John Grisham novel of the same name, Tom Cruise plays a young lawyer who goes to work for an exclusive Memphis law firm.
physically active, intelligent, attractive, manipulative, brave
Personal Ideologies and the Enjoyment of Film: Think of a film that you enjoy and know well. Consider which characters you like. Analyze your favorite character using these useful questions to bear in mind when considering ideology are: Inception - Dominic Cobb
3. What is it that you like about them and what has the filmmaker done to encourage you to feel this way?
I like Dominic because he is a family man who tries his hardest to return to his children by helping a CEO defeat his competition. He is highly intelligent and is willing to take chances. The filmmakers have created an interesting and driving narrative and have chosen a popular actor for this role.
A)What values am I being asked to share or reject?
The value hat I am being asked to share is that escaping or creating one reality is not the best way to solve one’s problems. Also, the film reveals that letting go of the past is important so that one can move on and enjoy life.
How are my feelings being manipulated to prefer one viewpoint over another? (Camera placement/movement and editing are particularly important here.)
During the scene (Dom’s flashback) of his wife standing on the ledge of the hotel building, the camera is placed in between them over the city high up above the ground. Before Mal kills herself, there are cuts between Dom and Mal in which Dom is trying to convince his wife to stop the madness. Then, she jumps off the building and as she is falling it slows down. We sympathize with Dom because we see the pain he is enduring and we understand that he blames himself for his wife’s death.
B)Why might a filmmaker want me to prefer one viewpoint to another?
So that we support his decision to perform ‘inception’ in order to clear his name and return to his family and his life. The filmmaker wants me to prefer one viewpoint over another because he is the driving force of the plot and he provides the emotional aspect of the film.
4. What are the artistic/financial consequences of filmmakers trying to predict what an audience might approve/disapprove of?
Many films’ ideologies (implicit) are debatable, so they can cause different reactions for audiences. Films can be released to specific audiences before their official release, and if there is a majority negative reaction then the filmmakers can re-film or re-edit. This is costly and may destroy or alter the auteur’s initial vision of the film. However, if the film is released officially and there is a negative reaction this can lead to bad reviews which then lead to its unpopularity in the box office. Filmmakers can lose money as well.
5. What are the artistic/financial consequences of filmmakers trying to predict what a film's financier might approve/disapprove of?
If the producer disapproves of the film, there might not be investments for it, thus costing a waste in valuable money and ruining the artistic vision of the auteur. It can also have a long-term impact because that investor may not want to work with the filmmakers in the future. The investor also may have wanted the film to go in a different direction that perhaps the filmmakers initially considered, thus delaying the release of the film.
6. Changing Ideologies: Why would the ideologies of a given era or time period change the way a narrative is presented to its audience? Can you give an example of a film narrative that has changed over generations?
Films are a reflection of society even if they are from a completely unrealistic genre. Films can reflect political views, religious views, educational views, and media’s views. An example of a film narrative that has changed over the generations would be that of fairy tale movies such as Red Riding Hood. In the film, The Company of Wolves, Granny tells her granddaughter Rosaleen strange, disturbing tales about innocent maidens falling in love with handsome, heavily eyebrowed strangers with a smoldering look in their eyes; about sudden disappearances of spouses when the moon is round & the wolves are howling in the woods. In the 2011 film, Red Riding Hood, a medieval village is haunted by a werewolf, and a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.
7. Ideology and the "Effects" Debate: Do you feel that films can affect you and your behavior without being conscience of it?
Films can affect you and your behavior without being conscious of it because in order to enjoy a film you have to accept what you are watching. Once you accept it, the content subconsciously becomes a part of your ideology so that it influences what you believe is right or wrong.
8. Ideology and Realism: Define Suspension of disbelief and give an example from a recent film you have watched.
Sometimes we can accept what we see on the screen as true because we haven’t had any personal experience with the subject and therefore cannot prove that it isn’t true. An example in which the suspension of disbelief applies is the film recently saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011). Ethan Hunt’s fight scene with the villain lasts for several minutes and wakes up after being knocked out and beaten up multiple times quite quickly.
9. Ideology & ownership: Does the financial support of a film or the ownership of a production company influence the ideology represented in a film? Explain with an example.
The financial support of a film or ownership of a film company influences the ideology of its films because they have the advantage of controlling the subject of the film. If the financial supporter doesn’t agree whatever they are doing, they can back out of a project. This is a set back for the filmmakers, so they must allow financiers to give some input. However, the loss of initial vision of the auteur can be prevented with contracts and such. An example of this is the Walt Disney Company who typically creates family friendly animated films. The common theme that revolve around its films is a heroic character who faces a challenge, but ultimately overcomes it and lives happily ever after. Because their target audience is children, Walt Disney wants to have a happy ending that leaves them satisfied. In the film, Finding Nemo, Marlin (main character) attempts to rescue his son Nemo after being captured by humans. Nemo is his only son and he is extremely overprotective of him. At the end the two are reunited (as expected) and they both learn life lessons. Disney tries to show that despite obstacle, strong family bonds are worth fighting for.
It means the values/viewpoints and meanings/messages that a media text such as film might be able to communicate to the viewer.
Explicit - What a character in a film or a director/producer/writer themselves declare to be the subject of the film.
Implicit - The more debatable meanings of a film, possibly beyond the conscious intentions of the filmmaker, that require analysis and a reasoned argument.
2. Ideology and Expectations;Give an example of an a actor that presents a predictable ideological package that studios are quick to use. List as many of their film roles as possible – noting the particular actions/dialogues associated with the character that they play. Make a list of the five adjectives that you think best capture their typical role. Produce a detailed description of what you think their next role will be like.
Tom Cruise:
A)a multi-million dollar budget with high production values, state-of-the-art special effects, a driving narrative, attractiveness
Mission Impossible: secret agent who is obligated to save the world, uses his skills and intelligence to fight the morally corrupt/ evil
B)Collateral (2004): Tom Cruise takes a rare turn as the bad guy, playing a contract killer.
Minority Report (2002): he plays a cop in the near future who works with psychic "pre-cogs" to prevent crimes before they happen.
War Of The Worlds (2005): In this second teaming with director Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise plays a divorced father who must fight to save his children from alien invaders
A Few Good Men (1992): In Rob Reiner's "A Few Good Men", Tom Cruise plays a Navy lawyer charged with defending a pair of Marines accused of murder at Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba.
The Firm (1993): In this film, based on the John Grisham novel of the same name, Tom Cruise plays a young lawyer who goes to work for an exclusive Memphis law firm.
physically active, intelligent, attractive, manipulative, brave
Personal Ideologies and the Enjoyment of Film: Think of a film that you enjoy and know well. Consider which characters you like. Analyze your favorite character using these useful questions to bear in mind when considering ideology are: Inception - Dominic Cobb
3. What is it that you like about them and what has the filmmaker done to encourage you to feel this way?
I like Dominic because he is a family man who tries his hardest to return to his children by helping a CEO defeat his competition. He is highly intelligent and is willing to take chances. The filmmakers have created an interesting and driving narrative and have chosen a popular actor for this role.
A)What values am I being asked to share or reject?
The value hat I am being asked to share is that escaping or creating one reality is not the best way to solve one’s problems. Also, the film reveals that letting go of the past is important so that one can move on and enjoy life.
How are my feelings being manipulated to prefer one viewpoint over another? (Camera placement/movement and editing are particularly important here.)
During the scene (Dom’s flashback) of his wife standing on the ledge of the hotel building, the camera is placed in between them over the city high up above the ground. Before Mal kills herself, there are cuts between Dom and Mal in which Dom is trying to convince his wife to stop the madness. Then, she jumps off the building and as she is falling it slows down. We sympathize with Dom because we see the pain he is enduring and we understand that he blames himself for his wife’s death.
B)Why might a filmmaker want me to prefer one viewpoint to another?
So that we support his decision to perform ‘inception’ in order to clear his name and return to his family and his life. The filmmaker wants me to prefer one viewpoint over another because he is the driving force of the plot and he provides the emotional aspect of the film.
4. What are the artistic/financial consequences of filmmakers trying to predict what an audience might approve/disapprove of?
Many films’ ideologies (implicit) are debatable, so they can cause different reactions for audiences. Films can be released to specific audiences before their official release, and if there is a majority negative reaction then the filmmakers can re-film or re-edit. This is costly and may destroy or alter the auteur’s initial vision of the film. However, if the film is released officially and there is a negative reaction this can lead to bad reviews which then lead to its unpopularity in the box office. Filmmakers can lose money as well.
5. What are the artistic/financial consequences of filmmakers trying to predict what a film's financier might approve/disapprove of?
If the producer disapproves of the film, there might not be investments for it, thus costing a waste in valuable money and ruining the artistic vision of the auteur. It can also have a long-term impact because that investor may not want to work with the filmmakers in the future. The investor also may have wanted the film to go in a different direction that perhaps the filmmakers initially considered, thus delaying the release of the film.
6. Changing Ideologies: Why would the ideologies of a given era or time period change the way a narrative is presented to its audience? Can you give an example of a film narrative that has changed over generations?
Films are a reflection of society even if they are from a completely unrealistic genre. Films can reflect political views, religious views, educational views, and media’s views. An example of a film narrative that has changed over the generations would be that of fairy tale movies such as Red Riding Hood. In the film, The Company of Wolves, Granny tells her granddaughter Rosaleen strange, disturbing tales about innocent maidens falling in love with handsome, heavily eyebrowed strangers with a smoldering look in their eyes; about sudden disappearances of spouses when the moon is round & the wolves are howling in the woods. In the 2011 film, Red Riding Hood, a medieval village is haunted by a werewolf, and a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.
7. Ideology and the "Effects" Debate: Do you feel that films can affect you and your behavior without being conscience of it?
Films can affect you and your behavior without being conscious of it because in order to enjoy a film you have to accept what you are watching. Once you accept it, the content subconsciously becomes a part of your ideology so that it influences what you believe is right or wrong.
8. Ideology and Realism: Define Suspension of disbelief and give an example from a recent film you have watched.
Sometimes we can accept what we see on the screen as true because we haven’t had any personal experience with the subject and therefore cannot prove that it isn’t true. An example in which the suspension of disbelief applies is the film recently saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011). Ethan Hunt’s fight scene with the villain lasts for several minutes and wakes up after being knocked out and beaten up multiple times quite quickly.
9. Ideology & ownership: Does the financial support of a film or the ownership of a production company influence the ideology represented in a film? Explain with an example.
The financial support of a film or ownership of a film company influences the ideology of its films because they have the advantage of controlling the subject of the film. If the financial supporter doesn’t agree whatever they are doing, they can back out of a project. This is a set back for the filmmakers, so they must allow financiers to give some input. However, the loss of initial vision of the auteur can be prevented with contracts and such. An example of this is the Walt Disney Company who typically creates family friendly animated films. The common theme that revolve around its films is a heroic character who faces a challenge, but ultimately overcomes it and lives happily ever after. Because their target audience is children, Walt Disney wants to have a happy ending that leaves them satisfied. In the film, Finding Nemo, Marlin (main character) attempts to rescue his son Nemo after being captured by humans. Nemo is his only son and he is extremely overprotective of him. At the end the two are reunited (as expected) and they both learn life lessons. Disney tries to show that despite obstacle, strong family bonds are worth fighting for.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Writing About Film
What are the 5 kinds of film writing described in the article and what are the key details of each.
Formal Analysis: The viewer breaks the film down into individual parts and analyzes how those parts contribute to the whole.
Film History: They are involved in history, reflect history, influence history, and have history. It also reflects the values and ideas of the culture that produced it.
Ideological Papers: Analyzing films' values regarding things like politics or family.
Cultural Studies / National Cinemas: Films reflect the cultures and nations in which they were produced. Each country's film style is different.
Discussion of the Auteur: Auteur criticism understands a film as the product of a single person and his vision. Auteur criticism draws on other sources, like film history or formal analysis, in order to insure that the paper is not simply an examination of the private life or the psychology of the auteur.
What does “Annotating a Film Sequence” involve and what are it’s benefits?
Annotating a scene involves labeling each shot in a sequence. This enables you to keep track of the complex sequence of shots. Thus a pattern of camera movement and editing decisions helps you to understand 1) how the director crafted his film, and 2) why the film has a certain effect on the audience.
What does the author imply when she says to “Think Beyond the Frame?
It means to consider questions such as how the film was made or it's historical context.
Who made the film?
What is the production history of the film?
What do the critics and scholars say?
What can you learn from the film's genre?
Does the film reflect an interesting cultural phenomenon?
Monday, December 19, 2011
Taxi Driver
a) I chose the five minute extract (6:50-12:10)when Travis Bickle is preparing for the presidential candidate, Palentine’s, assassination. I chose the five minutes section of the film because it showed Bickle’s breaking point; he cannot take living in a “filthy” New York City anymore, so he takes matters into his own hands. It also reflects some genre influences and explores Bickle’s character as an awkward, lonely, yet hysterical, violent, and obsessive man. He descends into madness after the rejection from Betsy. He loses all self-awareness and convinces himself that shooting a presidential candidate and then suicide is a heroic act.
b)The director, Martin Scorsese's body of work includes themes as Italian American identity, Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption, machismo, modern crime and violence”. Taxi Driver delves more deeply into modern crime and violence. The streets of New York are mean and tough while Bickle drives in his taxi at night, which is enhanced by the grittiness from the steam and sewers. His practice with the guns is unique, like most of Scorsese’s Film Noir films. The robbery and shooting in the store is also typical of Scorsese as well. He tends to have the same style: New York settings and loners struggling with inner turmoil.
c) The narrative is linear in the film. Before the extract, Bickle gradually loses his mind after losing Betsy. He feels more isolated and miserable in the city. He absentmindedly runs his cab into a young prostitute, the same one who jumped into his cab earlier in the film. After buying guns from a salesman, he begins training his body for what it seems like combat. His speech begins to become repetitive and disjointed and he even shoots a black robber in a convenience store. Bickle’s voice over (him explaining why he hates New York and his new mission in life) dominates the extract, and basically the entire film. This allows the audience to delve deeper into his mind.
d) The director attempts to explore the theme of lonliness in crowds or isolation. In the large population New York City, forming intimate relationships can be rare. With Bickle’s traumatized mind due to the Vietnam War and inability to fit in to society, he reflects the typical urban isolation. Travis resents that the people in his taxi who pretend he doesn't exist, and in a way, New York itself is an extension of the taxi. Bickle is shown as isolated from society or separated from reality when he is watching television alone. It seems as though the only exposure to culture is through television. Due to his failed relationship with Betsy and his strained relationship with his parents, Bickle chooses to isolate himself where he can reflect on life in his journal and mope.
e) Taxi Driver is a gritty, disturbing, nightmarish modern film classic, that explores alienation in urban society. Scorsese combines elements of Film Noir, the western, horror and urban melodrama film genres. The film appeared after the Vietnam War, and after President Nixon's resignation. Travis’ attempt to assassinate the presidential candidate, Palantine, was inspired by current events of that time period. In 1972, Arthur Bremer tried and failed to assassinate presidential candidate and Governor George C. Wallace. He was a young loner who lived in a rented room and stalked Wallace for weeks. His attempted assassination is almost identical to Travis Bickle’s attempt.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Rise the American Anti-Hero
What historical factors influenced the rise of the American Anti-Hero in cinema and how does this hero contradict the Classic Hollywood Ideology.
Throughout film history, audiences have rooted for the protagonists who were the true “heroes” of the story. However, as the world faced challenges and innocence soon diminished, audiences yearned for characters who showed human weakness and venerability-- someone who was more human. This character rose in cinema and became known as the anti-hero. “What is it?”, you may ask. An anti-hero is "a protagonist of a drama or narrative who is notably lacking in heroic qualities" (1).
World War II played a major role in influencing the rise of the American anti-hero in cinema. The first reason was that America wanted new kinds of heroes because America was seriously traumatized after the war. The second reason was that citizens wanted the protagonists “to rebel against the status quo” (1). Thirdly, people wanted heroes with human qualities, “who were true representations of life, who were faulty and vulnerable” (1). Lastly, America wanted its heroes to reflect the true American spirit, no matter they were good , bad or ugly.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the anti-hero became popular due to the cynicism during and following World War II. People were relating to the anti-hero “who was not involved in world problems but devoting his time to overcoming hisown personal problems" (2). Duel in the Sun and The Best Years of Our Lives demonstrated that America after the war was not always a happy go lucky place, and happy endings were rare.
John Garfield could be argued as the creator of the anti-hero. His characters were more relatable to real life. "The anti-hero was daring the audience to relate to doing wrong or being wrong even for the wrong reasons" (2). Watching a character commit wrongdoings makes us reflect on our own failures to encourage us to do the “right thing”.
The Cold War created a sense of fear and hate in the people the 1950s. People were paranoid in this atmosphere of hostility with Russia. Filmmakers thus had characters “embrace the duality in the nature of man” (3). Character could then show good and bad characteristics. In the second half of the 20th Century, America was rebelling against Communism and aggressors in Vietnam and Korea, which influenced the anti-hero to be rebellious as well. “The rebel anti-hero was rebelling against the American standard, and America itself was born through rebellion and revolution” (4). Rebellion became a new standard in cinema.
The Anti-hero contradicts the Classic Hollywood Ideology because the anti-hero is more realistic and shows human flaws. The traditional hero is supposedly ‘perfect and good’. However, as America experienced WWII, the Cold War, and domestic revolutions, audiences wanted a type of hero that depicted their time period. They desired a character that made mistakes and reflected true human nature. People wanted to see the darker and cynical side of human nature after experiencing the horrors of war. An anti-hero creates a sense of realism through their character. Classic heroes intentional attempt to do good deeds whereas the anti-hero performs good deeds, but may do them in illegal/ immoral ways. “Anti-heroes became these altruistic characters that were supposed to be representations of real people...”(6). I personally prefer anti-heroes to classic heroes because they have more depth and are more compelling to watch on screen.
Throughout film history, audiences have rooted for the protagonists who were the true “heroes” of the story. However, as the world faced challenges and innocence soon diminished, audiences yearned for characters who showed human weakness and venerability-- someone who was more human. This character rose in cinema and became known as the anti-hero. “What is it?”, you may ask. An anti-hero is "a protagonist of a drama or narrative who is notably lacking in heroic qualities" (1).
World War II played a major role in influencing the rise of the American anti-hero in cinema. The first reason was that America wanted new kinds of heroes because America was seriously traumatized after the war. The second reason was that citizens wanted the protagonists “to rebel against the status quo” (1). Thirdly, people wanted heroes with human qualities, “who were true representations of life, who were faulty and vulnerable” (1). Lastly, America wanted its heroes to reflect the true American spirit, no matter they were good , bad or ugly.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the anti-hero became popular due to the cynicism during and following World War II. People were relating to the anti-hero “who was not involved in world problems but devoting his time to overcoming hisown personal problems" (2). Duel in the Sun and The Best Years of Our Lives demonstrated that America after the war was not always a happy go lucky place, and happy endings were rare.
John Garfield could be argued as the creator of the anti-hero. His characters were more relatable to real life. "The anti-hero was daring the audience to relate to doing wrong or being wrong even for the wrong reasons" (2). Watching a character commit wrongdoings makes us reflect on our own failures to encourage us to do the “right thing”.
The Cold War created a sense of fear and hate in the people the 1950s. People were paranoid in this atmosphere of hostility with Russia. Filmmakers thus had characters “embrace the duality in the nature of man” (3). Character could then show good and bad characteristics. In the second half of the 20th Century, America was rebelling against Communism and aggressors in Vietnam and Korea, which influenced the anti-hero to be rebellious as well. “The rebel anti-hero was rebelling against the American standard, and America itself was born through rebellion and revolution” (4). Rebellion became a new standard in cinema.
The Anti-hero contradicts the Classic Hollywood Ideology because the anti-hero is more realistic and shows human flaws. The traditional hero is supposedly ‘perfect and good’. However, as America experienced WWII, the Cold War, and domestic revolutions, audiences wanted a type of hero that depicted their time period. They desired a character that made mistakes and reflected true human nature. People wanted to see the darker and cynical side of human nature after experiencing the horrors of war. An anti-hero creates a sense of realism through their character. Classic heroes intentional attempt to do good deeds whereas the anti-hero performs good deeds, but may do them in illegal/ immoral ways. “Anti-heroes became these altruistic characters that were supposed to be representations of real people...”(6). I personally prefer anti-heroes to classic heroes because they have more depth and are more compelling to watch on screen.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Article- Intensified Continuity
According to David Bordwell, explain how and why continuity has intensified in Hollywood cinema. Also consider whether anything has been lost with this change.
Please include a minimum of 3 quotes from the article in your response
According to David Bordell, the author of the article “Visual Style in Contemporary American Film”, Hollywood cinema continuity has intensified throughout the course of film history. The predominant stylistic tactics of intensified continuity includes: increased use of rapid editing, extremes of lens length, close framing during dialogue scenes, and a free-ranging camera.
Rapid editing is the first stylistic technique of intensified continuity. Between 1930 and 1960, the average shot length was between 300-700 shots. In the 1980s, the ASL was about 1500. Fast editing continued to grow in popularity throughout the ages. Bordwell states, "Today, most films are cut more rapidly than any other time in U.S. studio filmmaking.” (2). Bordwell explains that there are few films today that are “long action sequence[s]”. As time passed, artist strayed away from realism and eventually with quick cutting, a more “post classical” style was more predominant. Bordwell explains that “classical cutting contains built in redundancies: shot/reverse shots reiterate the information about character position given in the establishing shot”(2). He believed that Kuleshov and Pudovking agreed that many artists started to distance themselves from realism since the repetition of shots/ techniques began to bore audiences. Rapid editing has intensified in Hollywood because filmmakers wanted to try something that was never attempted before. They wanted to create new techniques/ concepts that they could call their own. Classicism became too unoriginal and to become authentic, filmmakers gradually developed this type of ramped up continuity. Also, to match the face paced life of Americans, quick cuts would force the audiences to pay close attention and make the film more dynamic.
Bipolar extremes of lens lengths was yet another stylistic choice. From 1910 to 1940, the average focal length for normal lens was about 50mm (or 2 inches). Longer lenses ranging from 100mm to 500mm were used mostly for soft-focus close ups and for “following swift action at a distance” (2). The shorter lenses (25-50mm) were used to create a good focus in several different planes or cramped settings in one shot. Bordwell states that “filmmakers used wide-angle lenses to provide expansive establishing shots, medium shots with strong foregrounds/background interplay, and grotesque close ups,"(2). Wide-angle lenses enabled filmmakers to get a variety of unique shots. Wide angles were able to skew images by creating bulging edges that exaggerated distances (foreground/ background interplay) in a frame. Long lens grew in popularity as well because of its advantages. Bordwell explains, “The long-focus lens became and has remained an all purpose tool, available to frame close-ups, medium close-ups, over the shoulder shots, and even establishing shots”. The longer lenses also allowed cameras to stay out of other cameras’ way during the shooting of an interior scene. The longer lenses was useful with rack-focusing and the "wipe-by" cut as well. I think the use of longer lenses became popular in film industries because as the technology became more advanced, the more inclined the filmmakers are to experiment with the interplays between the actors and their environment. The effects of long lenses can contributed to the film’s content (the characterization, plot) and is a way to show and not tell the story.
The third technique of intensified continuity is close framing in dialogue scenes. "Singles allowed the director to vary the scene's pace in editing and to pick the best bits of each actor's performance" (3). Medium shots and close ups were used to highlight the actors’ performances during important scenes critical to the film. A variety in shot scales was utilized to avoid reemphasizing lines or facial expressions in shots. This would decrease the boredom of the audience when watching the repeating switching two shot dialogue. This introduced the over-the-shoulder and medium shots for dialogue scenes. However, filmmakers had a narrower scale to work with in the process. When wide-screens were introduced into the film industry, “filmmakers felt obligated to use long-shots and medium shots” (4). Fortunately, Panavision's sharper, less distorting lenses allowed directors to film closer wide-screen framings. Filmmakers felt more inclined to use closer framing during dialogue scenes because it was important to observe the actors’ facial expressions. A tighter shot meant the audience would greatly connect or sympathize with the character(s) during that scene and throughout the film.
Last, but not least the fourth technique of intensified continuity is using a free-ranging camera. Bordwell comments, "Today's camera movements are ostentatious extensions of the camera mobility generalized during the 1930's" (4). The prolonged following shot, developed in the 1920, is when the camera tracks “a character moving along a lengthy path” (4). Improved technology (Steadicam) throughout film history was a benefit as well. In today's films, crane shots are “casual embellishments” and help "enliven montage sequences and expository moments"(4). They now are used during the exposition or montages. The technique of "push-ins" is used during a moment of realization for a character. The circling shot is a method of introducing all the present characters in a scene. The free-ranging camera was first used around the 1970's when it was popularized in horror films. It gave a “hovering, slightly shaky camera that represented the monster's point of view”. With the advancement of sound came the common use of camera movement, which shows the progression of film. To capture the audience’s attention and maintain their interest, camera movement would be crucial. It indicates the presence of the camera and adds production quality to the film as a whole.
Such stylistic changes occurred because of the changes in culture. With movies, video games, and television already having short ASLs and variations of shots, filmmakers had to match and even go above and beyond the typical media art form to really shine.
Please include a minimum of 3 quotes from the article in your response
According to David Bordell, the author of the article “Visual Style in Contemporary American Film”, Hollywood cinema continuity has intensified throughout the course of film history. The predominant stylistic tactics of intensified continuity includes: increased use of rapid editing, extremes of lens length, close framing during dialogue scenes, and a free-ranging camera.
Rapid editing is the first stylistic technique of intensified continuity. Between 1930 and 1960, the average shot length was between 300-700 shots. In the 1980s, the ASL was about 1500. Fast editing continued to grow in popularity throughout the ages. Bordwell states, "Today, most films are cut more rapidly than any other time in U.S. studio filmmaking.” (2). Bordwell explains that there are few films today that are “long action sequence[s]”. As time passed, artist strayed away from realism and eventually with quick cutting, a more “post classical” style was more predominant. Bordwell explains that “classical cutting contains built in redundancies: shot/reverse shots reiterate the information about character position given in the establishing shot”(2). He believed that Kuleshov and Pudovking agreed that many artists started to distance themselves from realism since the repetition of shots/ techniques began to bore audiences. Rapid editing has intensified in Hollywood because filmmakers wanted to try something that was never attempted before. They wanted to create new techniques/ concepts that they could call their own. Classicism became too unoriginal and to become authentic, filmmakers gradually developed this type of ramped up continuity. Also, to match the face paced life of Americans, quick cuts would force the audiences to pay close attention and make the film more dynamic.
Bipolar extremes of lens lengths was yet another stylistic choice. From 1910 to 1940, the average focal length for normal lens was about 50mm (or 2 inches). Longer lenses ranging from 100mm to 500mm were used mostly for soft-focus close ups and for “following swift action at a distance” (2). The shorter lenses (25-50mm) were used to create a good focus in several different planes or cramped settings in one shot. Bordwell states that “filmmakers used wide-angle lenses to provide expansive establishing shots, medium shots with strong foregrounds/background interplay, and grotesque close ups,"(2). Wide-angle lenses enabled filmmakers to get a variety of unique shots. Wide angles were able to skew images by creating bulging edges that exaggerated distances (foreground/ background interplay) in a frame. Long lens grew in popularity as well because of its advantages. Bordwell explains, “The long-focus lens became and has remained an all purpose tool, available to frame close-ups, medium close-ups, over the shoulder shots, and even establishing shots”. The longer lenses also allowed cameras to stay out of other cameras’ way during the shooting of an interior scene. The longer lenses was useful with rack-focusing and the "wipe-by" cut as well. I think the use of longer lenses became popular in film industries because as the technology became more advanced, the more inclined the filmmakers are to experiment with the interplays between the actors and their environment. The effects of long lenses can contributed to the film’s content (the characterization, plot) and is a way to show and not tell the story.
The third technique of intensified continuity is close framing in dialogue scenes. "Singles allowed the director to vary the scene's pace in editing and to pick the best bits of each actor's performance" (3). Medium shots and close ups were used to highlight the actors’ performances during important scenes critical to the film. A variety in shot scales was utilized to avoid reemphasizing lines or facial expressions in shots. This would decrease the boredom of the audience when watching the repeating switching two shot dialogue. This introduced the over-the-shoulder and medium shots for dialogue scenes. However, filmmakers had a narrower scale to work with in the process. When wide-screens were introduced into the film industry, “filmmakers felt obligated to use long-shots and medium shots” (4). Fortunately, Panavision's sharper, less distorting lenses allowed directors to film closer wide-screen framings. Filmmakers felt more inclined to use closer framing during dialogue scenes because it was important to observe the actors’ facial expressions. A tighter shot meant the audience would greatly connect or sympathize with the character(s) during that scene and throughout the film.
Last, but not least the fourth technique of intensified continuity is using a free-ranging camera. Bordwell comments, "Today's camera movements are ostentatious extensions of the camera mobility generalized during the 1930's" (4). The prolonged following shot, developed in the 1920, is when the camera tracks “a character moving along a lengthy path” (4). Improved technology (Steadicam) throughout film history was a benefit as well. In today's films, crane shots are “casual embellishments” and help "enliven montage sequences and expository moments"(4). They now are used during the exposition or montages. The technique of "push-ins" is used during a moment of realization for a character. The circling shot is a method of introducing all the present characters in a scene. The free-ranging camera was first used around the 1970's when it was popularized in horror films. It gave a “hovering, slightly shaky camera that represented the monster's point of view”. With the advancement of sound came the common use of camera movement, which shows the progression of film. To capture the audience’s attention and maintain their interest, camera movement would be crucial. It indicates the presence of the camera and adds production quality to the film as a whole.
Such stylistic changes occurred because of the changes in culture. With movies, video games, and television already having short ASLs and variations of shots, filmmakers had to match and even go above and beyond the typical media art form to really shine.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Advanced Editing Notes- Overview/Classical Paradigm
a. Compare the following two short films: the "Arrival of a Train" and "Damsel in Distress"- as they relate to Realism, Classicism and Formalism
1. How would describe the difference in camera work: composition, angle, movement
For the “Arrival of a Train” clip, the camera work was in my opinion very static and boring. This short film is relates to Realism the most. There was a long shot of the train arriving and people walking to the train to board. The take was extremely lengthy and their wasn’t any camera movements because it was just a recording of time.
“Damsel in Distress” is quite different from “Arrival of a Train” in that it is a Classical film. The cinematographer used a variety of different shots, such as LS, MS, ELS, etc). This makes the film seem more interesting compared to the other film. The camera followed the man while he rode this bicycle to the “damsel”, which incorporates some camera movement to the film.
2. How would describe the differences in the edit?
For the “Arrival of a Train” had no editing whatsoever, a goal realists attempt to strive for.
There were more cuts in the other film, which emphasizes speed as the man tries to save the woman on the railroad tracks before the train runs her over. I noticed that the edges of the film was softened and sometimes black encircled a character to create focus.
3. How would describe the characteristics of the story being told/narrative?
There isn’t a “story” being told in the train short film because the directors wanted an objective recording of what actually exists. It depicts the ordinary, everyday lives of people in their routines.
The storyline was a little cliche for my taste, but it was typical for the Classical style. The story for “Damsel in Distress” is basically about a villain chaining a woman to railroad tracks. She whistles for her dog who fetches a man to help the poor damsel in distress. Together they rescue the woman. In the end everyone is happy and the villain is arrested. Parallel action dominated the film. The woman is in desperate need of saving as the train was approaching in another shot. At the same time, the man and dog tries to beat the train. The three event happening simultaneously at different locations create suspense for the audience. Ultimately, these come together in a climax.
1. How would describe the difference in camera work: composition, angle, movement
For the “Arrival of a Train” clip, the camera work was in my opinion very static and boring. This short film is relates to Realism the most. There was a long shot of the train arriving and people walking to the train to board. The take was extremely lengthy and their wasn’t any camera movements because it was just a recording of time.
“Damsel in Distress” is quite different from “Arrival of a Train” in that it is a Classical film. The cinematographer used a variety of different shots, such as LS, MS, ELS, etc). This makes the film seem more interesting compared to the other film. The camera followed the man while he rode this bicycle to the “damsel”, which incorporates some camera movement to the film.
2. How would describe the differences in the edit?
For the “Arrival of a Train” had no editing whatsoever, a goal realists attempt to strive for.
There were more cuts in the other film, which emphasizes speed as the man tries to save the woman on the railroad tracks before the train runs her over. I noticed that the edges of the film was softened and sometimes black encircled a character to create focus.
3. How would describe the characteristics of the story being told/narrative?
There isn’t a “story” being told in the train short film because the directors wanted an objective recording of what actually exists. It depicts the ordinary, everyday lives of people in their routines.
The storyline was a little cliche for my taste, but it was typical for the Classical style. The story for “Damsel in Distress” is basically about a villain chaining a woman to railroad tracks. She whistles for her dog who fetches a man to help the poor damsel in distress. Together they rescue the woman. In the end everyone is happy and the villain is arrested. Parallel action dominated the film. The woman is in desperate need of saving as the train was approaching in another shot. At the same time, the man and dog tries to beat the train. The three event happening simultaneously at different locations create suspense for the audience. Ultimately, these come together in a climax.
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