Conduct research on the following question and formulate your own opinion. Then write an analysis using in-text citation when utilizing researched information.
Does the media reflect society OR does society reflect the media?
refer to the Google classroom for more information
The opening titles were often seen as throw away time for the audience; a time for one quick final bathroom break before the film began, grab snacks from concession, or even stroll into the theater a little after start times. However, as films have progressed in their complexity, so have the opening titles. We no longer have a dry list of the actors and big wigs of the film, but are presented with essential information and imagery about the film itself. The opening credits have become a mini-film unto themselves.
Using the website The Art of the Title, take a look at the following title sequences:
Assignment:
Pick a title sequence from the website and discuss the artistic process that went in its creation. How involved was the director of the film in the creation of the titles?
What was the visual appeal of the sequence? (think- why were you drawn to that one?)
What is the role of a film director? How do they influence the overall style and look of a film.
Think of your top 10 films list. Were there any directors that showed up more than once? What would be considered their signature style?
http://nofilmschool.com/2014/02/edgar-wright-discusses-the-art-of-the-close-up
Assignment: select a director to profile. Discuss the films they have directed, what consistent style can be seen across multiple films, and any other interesting information your research may turn up. Insert any video clips or images as appropriate.
Dialog gives voice to the character, but it can also be in the form of a voice over or internal monolog which provides subtext.
Sound Effects can be used to add mood or atmosphere to a film by creating a soundscape that accents or adds another layer of meaning to the images on the screen. Pitch, tempo, and volume may be altered to indicate how the filmmaker expects the audience to respond to a given noise. For instance, high-pitched sounds, including screams or squealing tires, help to create a sense of anxiety, while low-pitched sounds, including the sounds of waves or the swinging of a door, can be used to create a sense of calm or mystery.
Music can be used for a number of effects in a movie. The most obvious way music scores are used is to guide the emotional response of the audience. They provide clues, or, in most cases, huge signposts, that tell audiences how the filmmaker wants them to react to a given scene.
I am a self-professed movie junkie. I’ve watched some really terrible multi-million dollar films and some amazing low budget films, and they all have helped shape my personal perspective on what makes a good film. Here are my Top 10 picks (as of today- it will probably change tomorrow).
1. Fight Club– 1999, David Fincher director
OK- some may say this film receives too much hype, but when I saw it the year it was released I was flabbergasted. There hadn’t been any film like it. Tyler Durden’s anti-hero, filled with violence and spite towards consumerism really made me question what was important in my life. His statement about the “things we own wind up owning us” was a monumental wake-up call to those living on credit cards and overextending themselves in order to have random stuff.
2. The Usual Suspects– 1995, Bryan Singer director
Who is Keyser Söze? Obviously he is a powerful man who is revered and feared by criminals across the land. And these con-men have offended him and must make amends. This film is so full of twist and turns, the first time you watch it will leave you guessing all the way up until the last frame of the film. Then you’ll immediately want to watch it all over again to see how you missed the clues to the puzzle of Keyser Söze.
3. Seven– 1995, David Fincher director
With a serial killer basing his crimes off of the seven deadly sins, new cop Brad Pitt and retiring cop Morgan Freedman are partnered to solve the case. When the suspect turns himself in to the police, the real mystery begins and ends with the question “What’s in the box?”
4. Memento– 2000, Christopher Nolan
The premise seems simple enough: a man wants revenge for his wife’s murder. However nothing Christopher Nolan does is simple. Taking Tarantino’s style of jumbling up the timeline of events, Nolan completely blows traditional linear storytelling apart. There are two story paths, one going forward and one in reverse, revealing details each time until the two stories meet at a pivotal plot point.
5. Gravity– 2013, Alfonso Cuaron director
I don’t necessarily need 100% realistic events to be swept away by a film. Gravity was so visually stunning and so well acted that I can overlook the sheer impossibility of many of the events. This film does not need dialog to tell a story, and the powerful visuals keep the viewer on the edge of suspense. This is also a film where the musical score is essential to maintaining the emotion and thrill of the events.
6. Mad Max: Fury Road– 2015, George Miller director
This was one long action sequence. Another film where the sound and music were just as essential as the visual imagery. Luckily I saw the film in a theater with awesome speakers and they cranked it so loud it made the walls vibrate, which only enhanced the whole experience. The sped up film frames were a cool way to show the frenetic nature of some of the plot.
7. Trainspotting– 1996, Danny Boyle director
Who would have thought that heroin and humor would work so well together? This crew of junkie hooligans take viewers into a world many will never personally experience. Through their terrible choices and attempted redemption, it serves as a cautionary tale of friendship, betrayal, and a lust for life that can get you killed.
8. Amélie– 2001, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Fun, quirky, and visually stunning. I usually do not like subtitled films, but I was willing to overlook my aversion when the imagery is so vibrant and the story is so sweet and innocent.
9. Pulp Fiction– 1994, Quentin Tarantino director
Non-linear story telling and multiple, intersecting plots make this one of Tarantino’s best films. The casting helped revive some waning stars back to super celebrity status (Travolta, Willis) and cemented Tarantino as a director to pay attention to as the new face of cinema.
10. Shaun of the Dead– 2004, Edgar Wright director / 28 Days Later– 2002, Danny Boyle director
A good zombie movie is essential to this list, but how to pick between these two. Shawn of the Dead is hilarious in how it portrays Shawn’s obliviousness to the zombie surrounding him. 28 Days Later begins much like the TV show, The Walking Dead. Guy wakes up alone in a hospital to find that the world is in chaos and he is left to figure out just what exactly has happened and how to survive the aftermath.
Honorable Mention:
Logan’s Run– 1976, Michael Anderson director
Good Morning Vietnam– 1987, Barry Levinson director
The Commitments– 1991, Alan Parker director
The World According to Garp– 1982, George Roy Hill director
Guardians of the Galaxy– 2014, James Gunn director
Bull Durham– 1988, Ron Shelton director
Shawshank Redemption– 1994, Frank Darabont director
To understand the language of film, you must understand how to deconstruct its meaning. By studying the elements of mise-en-scene, you should be able to decode filmmakers’ techniques and stylistic choices.
Presentation: Mise-en-scene
Shot Analysis: American Beauty
Article: 7 Standard Filmmaking Shots Every Cinematographer Should Know
Article: Meet the design genius behind Stranger Things title font
Montage: a technique in film editing in which a series of short shots are edited into a sequence to condense space, time, or information.
Moscow Film School: (1919) world’s first film school- primary function was to create films in support of political part (agitation of the people and propaganda for the Bolshevik political regime = agitprop)
Lev Kuleshov: (one of the school’s co-founders) focused on the psychological working of film; Kuleshov Effect dealt with using various clips to create different audience emotional interpretations. His belief is that the film is born in the edit
Sergei Eisenstein: pioneering use of editing montage to create “dialetics” of a force (thesis) colliding with another force (anti-thesis) to create a synthesis
5 Methods of Montage: (by Eisenstein) listed from simplest to most complex
The 1925 film Battleship Potemkin by Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein is considered to be the foundation of montage in film. His use of camera shots and angles coupled with a compelling score moved filmmaking into a much more complex, visual experience.
Summary from IMDB.com: When they are fed rancid meat, the sailors on the Potemkin revolt against their harsh conditions. Led by Vakulinchuk (Aleksandr Antonov), the sailors kill the officers of the ship to gain their freedom. Vakulinchuk is also killed, and the people of Odessa honor him as a symbol of revolution. Tsarist soldiers arrive and massacre the civilians to quell the uprising. A squadron of ships is sent to overthrow the Potemkin, but the ship sides with the revolt and refuse to attack.
Review the following video clip and analyze the camera shots and angels used to achieve the montage. Also note how the score changes from the beginning of the scene to the middle and end.
From the article How “Battleship Potemkin” reshaped Hollywood by Salon.com: “According to film historian Bruce Bennett, “Battleship Potemkin” was personally imported to the United States by silent star Douglas Fairbanks and screened privately for film-industry luminaries on both coasts during the summer and fall of 1926, beginning with a bedsheet projection at Gloria Swanson’s house in New York.”
This film, and specifically this scene, has been analyzed specifically for Eisenstein’s use of long, medium, and close up shots to convey different emotions.
Montage editing has become a foundation of cinematic style and is evident in films today.
– editing theory
– juxtapose images
– structural editing vs relational editing
– visual metaphors
contrast
parallelism
symbolism
simultaneity
leit motif
The beginning:
2002 “Get Over It” –Traditional, angsty band video
2005: “A Million Ways” –Beginning to experiment with the single take and synchronized movements
2006: “Here it Goes” –The real start of mechanized integration
2010 the band breaks with EMI and joins independent label to have more control over their music
(end at 2:49)
OK Go Ted Talk (video below)
2010: “This Too Shall Pass”
2010: “White Knuckles”
Article: OK Go’s new music video for ‘White Knuckles’ features talented dogs (and raises money for homeless animals)
Article: New OK Go Awesome Video Is Full of Awesome Dogs
2010: “End Love”
Article: OK Go “End Love” – Masters of the One Take Music Video
2012: “Needing/Getting”
2014: “The Writing’s on the Wall”
Website: The Writing’s On the Wall interactive website
2014:”I Won’t Let You Down”
Article: OK Go Deconstruct Their Drone-Filmed ‘I Won’t Let You Down’ Video
2016: “Upside Down & Inside Out”
Video: Creative Obsession
2016:”The One Moment”
Article: Background Notes for The One Moment video
2017: “Obsession”