End of Year Reflection

Independent Film Research
My Strength in the research aspect of the class is my interest in film. I love learning what goes behind in making a film because I believe that it allows me to further my knowledge of being a filmmaker. Knowing how established directers and film crews carry out their filming allows me to take those techniques to apply to my own filming. I think the area that I need to improve is going more in depth into my research because I feel that when I do research, I don't look for as much reviews. Instead I simply look at the development of the film and what it took to make the film such as economic and social climate during the time.

Oral Presentation Experience
I felt fully prepared for the oral presentation this year. This was thanks (and much excruciating pain) to the weeks of preparation leading up to the oral. I feel that all the research done prior to the oral not only helped to gather information to talk about, but it also familiarized us with the topics that would be needed to be discussed during the oral. I especially liked how Mr. Bigue prompted us to look at more differing responses in order to provide multiple perspectives on the film being looked at. If I could make a suggestion, I would assign less blog posts because it is really hard to balance all the research and writing alongside other classes. Instead, I would have more oral discussions in class in place of those assignments.

Production Experience
Having experienced producing a film has made me develop a new love for film. I particularly love the planning and shooting aspects of film. Actually, I love every aspect from coming up with a concept all the way to the export of the final cut. Is is for these reasons that I will continue to pursue a future enriched with photography and arts. I hope that one day I'll be able to afford my own camera that I could film side projects on instead of checking out school gear. One piece of production that I felt wasn't addressed in this class was scriptwriting. It seemed very forced upon the students. Scriptwriting is difficult and perhaps if that class were able to practice writing a script in their first year, they be more comfortable because for me, I had to learn on my own. Maybe students can collaboratively create a script together as a class.

From Silents to Studio Golden Ages

Part 1: Explore how the introduction of sound has affected the film industry.

The first sound films were introduced in around 1900 which would soon rise to commercial success in the ensuing years. With the introduction of sound, there were many setbacks as well. Technology, primarily was inadequate because of the newness of sound. Sound was underdeveloped and as seen with the SoD system, or "sound on disc", the recordings were inadequate because the voices were distorted and would not sound in real life, which some would say took away from the effect of film. Nonetheless, the introduction of sound captivated audiences and brought a new dimension to the film industry. During the development stage of sound, recorders were not as portable as today and so they needed to stay static, out of the audiences' eyes such as in a plant at the center of a table which people would lean into to deliver their lines. These early sound films are referred to as "talkies" which were exclusively shorts. The first full length feature film, The Jazz Singer, was a major hit and set a standard for what film would soon become.

Behind the scenes of the early film ages caused many problems for the crew. One example is the bands that would play music throughout films previously. With the introduction of sound recording, the bands only needed to play once and that was it. This affected their paychecks substantially. Also, the need for actors who could deliver lines were also being looked for. Previously, the actors only needed the filmic image. Now, they needed to voice too, which was problematic for foreign actors, who had accents. Many stars were unable to strive in the film business and had to leave. The pacing of film was also affected. Actors would walk for long times until they were in the proximity of a mic that could pick up their voices because recorders were static. Most important is the restrictions on the camera. Cameras needed to be enclosed in a "box" that was sound proof so the camera was not longer as free as before.


Part 2: Pros and Cons of Studio Years

studio set 

Hollywood

The studio system had three parts: production, distribution, and exhibition. Even today, there are reminiscence to the studio system including 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Warner Bros., and Universal. Movies would be produced once a month under the studio system and it was centered around Hollywood (1920-1960). In order to produce films at this rate, each person had a role from production to post production. The studio years are named after the location of which the films were filmed at this time period. There was no "on location" filming during the studio years. Instead, sets would be built in "studios" that would look like the location that was needed to be filmed. Additionally, another effect of the studio years was how it affected actors. Actors were bound to studios through contracts and were only able to act for that studio. The actors had restrictions and it prevented them from moving from studio to studio and looking for better paying roles. Also, as a result of this a "star system" was created, which allowed audiences to recognize actors associated to a studio. They became known for certain roles and built iconography. The Studio system was important for the development of the Golden Age which ultimately is a success.

Writing About Film

The first type of film analysis discussed in the "Writing About Film" article would be the most familiar, a formal analysis. Formal analysis of a film requires the viewers to break the film down into individual components and to separately in order to specify how the different aspects of a film contributes to a film as a whole. This forces the viewer to understand the various aspects and potentially techniques that the film implements in order to expand on a broader or more expansive theme.

The next type of writing towards film is film history. Film History analysis entails both the socio-cultural influences on a film as well as individual film's history. Most films are influenced by the historical context of the piece or the time period in which it is produced, therefore affecting the feel and genre of the film that is seen on screen. Additionally the analysis should include how the historical background of a film affects the feel of a film. History of a film can also expand onto the individual film's history such as planning dates, production, release and so forth. Ultimately, historical film analysis should demonstrate understanding of how the the historical context affects the film as a whole.

The third writing subject is an ideological paper. An ideological paper expresses ideals and morals or beliefs (political, social) of a society or culture and explores its effects. An ideological paper should reveal a set of beliefs and can promote certain beliefs; the paper should consider how the beliefs can affect a film.

Cultural Studies / National Cinema. Films can reflect the cultures of nations in which the film is produced. Papers can be branched off the the observations of differences created through different cultures.

Papers can also consider the Discussion of the Auteur. Auteur discussion and criticism of film can reveal in depth background or intent of the film and can be crucial to how a film is portrayed. In the analysis, the writer should be able to link the director's criticism to universal themes of the same genre or other films of the same director as well as synthesize these ideas with the previously stated film analysis.

Annotating a Film Sequence means to take notes while creating the analysis of a piece. Annotating a film is specific and different from other forms of annotations, such as for literature. By taking note of the shots in a sequence, it can help writers understand the style in which the director brought together the film as well as understanding how the shots are able or unable to have an effect on the audience. These annotations should be abbreviated for efficiency. ex) Long Shot - LS, Close Up - CU

Thinking Beyond the Frame includes research into the mind and creations of the film. This can entail the director's background, the history of the film, other analysis or reviews of the film, genre conventions along with cultural and other outside influences. Knowing these aspects can help the viewer to construct a broader understanding of the film's background and contribute to the understanding of the film.

"The Man With a Movie Camera" x "The Bicycle Thief"

It seems that the film, The Man With a Movie Camera, doesn't exactly follow a narrative (the only relating aspect of the film is that each shot depicts the lifestyle of a photographer), Pudovkin's concept of constructive editing is not being used in this film. Constructive editing is the idea that each shots should be related to each other through having purpose within the narrative. Therefore, if there is no story, there is nothing to relate to. In contrast, the decidedly less experimentalThe Bicycle Thief does indeed follow a story. Constructive editing occurs in the above clip from 0:21 to 2:37; each shot can be related and arranged in a sequence so as reveal an important part of the story through consecutive cuts - he ultimately makes decision to send Bruno home on the streetcar and to steal the seemingly-abandoned bicycle, and we can figure this out through the use of constructive editing.

An example of the Kuleshov effect in The Man With a Movie Camera is from 3:13 to 3:29. The two paintings, one of an old man and the other of a man and a woman, are cut to between shots of a woman in bed. These in a sense exemplify how Vertov wished for the audience to react to the woman; the first expresses curiosity, while the second displays concern and even hate. In The Bicycle Thief, the film uses the Kuleshov effect at 4:58: The owner of the bicycle that Antonio attempted to steal, glances to his side and notices Antonio's son Bruno. The reaction that follows suggests that the owner feels pity towards Antonio and lets him loose.

Eisensteinian montage occurs in both of these films. The Man With a Movie Camera's theater sequence, from 0:40 to 2:57, uses incomplete shots more significant to the sequence as a whole than to themselves. They include shots of everything from musicians to people on the streets doing every-day tasks(even walking). The usage of the montage in this film creates a sense of setting in the film. It makes the audience feels as if they are following around the "Man" as he films his movie. Eisensteinian montage is used very frequently in The Bicycle Thief  as well when Antonio ponders stealing the bike. There are cuts between the bike and Antonio as he ponders his decision. In this way, it expresses his confusion through the editing style.

The Man With a Movie Camera does not use realist editing techniques; it contains frequent cuts, meaning that there is lots of cutting and editing, veering it away from the realist conventions. Therefore, the film does not utilize realist editing. One use of realist editing in The Bicycle Thief  is when Antonio has stolen the bicycle and is being pursued (2:39 to 4:41). There is very little editing done, and it is clear that the only cuts come with insertion of shorter takes inside of long takes.

Django Unchained: Trailer

Tarantino's new film is about a freed slave who becomes a bounty hunter to retrieve his wife.

Characters Django and King

Narrative: The Trailer reveals what seems to be the general plot line for the film. From the trailer, audiences learn that Django, a slave, has lost his wife to a wealthy slave owner. A bounty hunter who knows who Django is frees him to help him hunt down two brothers because the bounty hunter does not know how they look, but Django does. Because of Django's knowledge, the bounty hunter asks for his assistance - He will help Django retrieve his wife if Django provides his services in return.

antebellum society shown by KKK members

Mis en Scene: The trailer reveals a very antebellum setting. For the most part, the trailer is very dark which creates an ominous and mysterious mood. There is a lot of detail put into the production of the film down to even the font on the papers posted on walls containing bounty information. We see slaves dressed scantly and wealthy white plantation owners living luxuriously as seen through DiCaprio's character drinking wine and shooting billiards. In one scene in the trailer that is set in an old outskirt town, we see Django talking with the bounty hunter while activity is happening outside through the dusty, cracked window. The mis en scene in the trailer helps emphasize the setting by making it more realistic as well as reveal minor things within the narrative.

various scenic shots in trailer

Cinematography: The cinematography in the trailer remains pretty simple consisting of close ups for key players in the plot. When conversations are being heard in the trailer, there is the usage of shot/reverse shots as well as master shots (but these are kept at a minimal). There are multiple shots of scenery that are very appealing to the eye such as the snowy mountain shot and the dark showdown shot at the end of the trailer. Also, there are three instances in the trailer where whip zooms are included so show the intensity of the situation and the focus in each person's eyes.

Whip pan into Leo's face

Edit: The edit stay pretty textbook style. Much like the trailers of its genre, the Django trailer begins very mellow to introduce the characters. There are a lot of dip to blacks to introduce new settings and new characters. Once the conflict is introduced in the trailer, the pace quickens dramatically to emulate the action packed movie through just a trailer. The shot duration drops dramatically and there is much more close ups and even explosions in the shot to reflect its action genre.

Explosions match soundtrack

Sound Design: The sound design in the beginning is very crisp and upbeat. While the starting soundtrack is very slow and glorious (little like Gladiator's soundtrack), the sound effects contrasts with it. There are lots of clicks of guns, gunshots, as well as thumps. After the conflict is introduced, the soundtrack get more uptempo and mocking. Much like other Tarantino films, the sound doesn't exactly fit its genre. It is neither all epic, not all melancholy. Instead, it sounds much more comedic consisting of low strings like with a string bass mostly. Then in the end of the trailer, all the aspects of sound comes together. The trailer is cut to the beat of the music and sound bridges are used to weave together shots and ideas. Also the thumps and gunshots that were used earlier in the film now add to the rhythm of the soundtrack, united all aspects of the sound design.

Dream League: Pre-Pro

Purpose: To inform the public (Bay area) about the organization Dream League. It is a non-profit organization that brings together students to unite a community and promote healthy learning. They do this by organizing professional basketball games for students to play in.

Contacts: Dream League founders, some players (can decide while at a game), some organizers

Interview Questions: What is your name? For Founder/organizers: What motivated you to create this organization? What is the goal of the organization? How do you think this organization has helped the lives of the students? of the community? What is your favorite part of the organization? What do you like to see? For players: How does this organization help you (academically, communally)? How often do you participate in Dream League? What do you plan to get by participating? What do you think that the goal of this organization is? Do you think it works?

Shot List- Quick shots for games, Close up/medium shots/extremem close ups for interviews, maybe some profile shots for interviews. Shots of what goes on "behind the scenes" - maybe on the phone, on clipboards, players playing the game/warming up. close ups of basketball going into basket

General Flow: There will be two sections of the documentary. The first section will be quick to emulate the pace of basketball games. It will be aimed at being the most intense to grab audience's attention. This will be achieved through quick cuts, jump cuts. The second section will be the effects of the organization. How it affects students. What it aims to achieve. This will be much slower to maybe trigger an emotional response from the audience to make it 'hit hard'.

Production Schedule:  December 5 - pre-pro done (contacts, scheduling, shot decisions) December 10 - shooting finished December 13 - editing done December 14 - documentary done and ready to screen.

Inside the McDonald's Empire

The purpose of this film to take a look inside the McDonald's empire. It gives background on the biggest, most successful, most powerful fast food chain ever. It begins by visiting the most busiest McDonald's in the country to see how the store is run. The documentary reveals how the store is run, the background of the store, and the realities of running and working at a McDonald's not only in stores, but behind the scenes. This means that the documentary also shows the backbone of the franchise and how new recipes are made and tested to ensure livability.

Unlike other McDonald's documentaries, Inside the McDonald's Empire does not look down on the franchise, but rather it explores all aspects of the company. It depicts everything from the hard work needed to run a store to the tedious task of creating delicious new recipes that will last. It also explores the problems that the company has faces in the past few years and how it has affected the company.

The principle audience of the documentary is anyone interested in learning more about the company. It explores the company from an economic standpoint as well as a social standpoint (view that is explored by the man on the right), broadening the possible audience.

This documentary aims to raise awareness about the McDonald's company. It goes back to the origins of McDonald's and how the company first became successful. The revolutionary fast food chain that was to become the largest chain in the world went through stages to become what it is today. This is what the film focuses on. Although most of the focus is on how recent changes have been used to manufacture food in bulk, it also provides information about the foundations of the company. What is interesting about this particular documentary is that it not only explores what happens on the front lines (in stores), but also the technicalities (corporate, management) of keeping the company running.

The documentary is basically a super-news story. Because it is this way, the footage is not artistic at all. This is because it does not need to. This documentary aims to inform, not to convey an artistic stand. The film effectively communicates its informational points through not only useful voiceover and interviews, but also through matching B-roll. This allows the audience not to only hear what happens within the company, but to also see how it is run. By doing so, the audience gathers much more information about the management and running of the company. It is interesting because most people are consumers of the product, so they are not able to see what happens within the company, so the footage that is used in this documentary effectively allows the audience to experience the realities of McDonald's.

There is generally no effect of the film other than leaving with more knowledge about the company. It also raises awareness.

The documentary's interviews are useful and provides a better perspective about the company. Because the narrator is only limited to what he can research and know about the company, must of the information that is communicated comes from the experts. There is an abundance of interviews in this documentary(as shown in picture on right) which reflects the size of the company. By provided interviews from each section of the McDonald's company, less vital information about the company is left out and the audience can feel that every aspects of the company was covered.

This documentary is very effective is communicated its points. The narration and abundance of interviews, along with many other filmic aspects are what makes this film successful in achieving its goal which is to inform the public about the McDonald's Empire.