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.

Play For Keeps: Treatment

Log line: A young man wants to reclaim his dominance in Galaga.

Grant and a group of friends own the arcade. They are kings. All the little children worship their pro-ness. Whenever Grant or whoever enters the vicinity, all the other children part like the red sea, bowing down to the kings.

One day, they enter the arcade like usual. "Wassup Joe", Grant says to the store owner. "What's poppin' king, someone done beat your high score, bruh". "Oh hell naw." Grant rushes to his dominant machine. No one is acknowledging his presence. The kids have lost interest in the king. Some 'ACE' has beat his high score.

Grant decides to try and find this 'ACE'. He plays the detective one day. Other days, he empties out his pockets on the machine trying to beat the highscore. He cannot. Broke, Grant has only one option. Find the 'ACE' and compete with them.

One day he enters the arcade, sleep deprived, deranged. He sees a girl, who has a keychain - 'ACE' down the lanyard. It leads to one conclusion - ACE IS A GIRL!

He stands, puzzled. Is it right to confront a girl? Can he beat her? What if he loses? Beads of sweat wash down his face. Worst of all, this girl was HOT! Like smoking hot. Sizzle sssszzzzz.

(There's only one thing he can do. HE BUSTS OUT A KAMEHAMEHA and blasts her away.)

(He challenges her. An intense game is spawned. While Grant is sweating profusely, the girl is calm and in control. Losing the game, he drops to his knees and screams is disappointment.)

Instead of the thoughts that he has imagined. He decides that it is useless to try and compete. How often will you ever find a hot gamer gal? This is the only chance he will ever get. He approaches her and asks if the high score is hers. Turns out it is not. He questions about the keychain. She pulls it out, revealing TR(ACE). Ha, her name is Tracey. They hit it off and walk out the shop.

As they leave, a fat boy walks in glasses and everything. He walks into the room and film ends with kids in arcade beginning to bow down...


ALT.
(Come back to his standing stunned. He challenges her. Epic game goes on. As the game is about to conclude, power shuts off. GAME OVER. Grant slams the machine and slaps the screen. The two look at each other. What do they do now? They shrug, make up and walk out together.)

Advanced Editing Concepts

I Erased You
The Departed — MOVIECLIPS.com

This scene in The Departed illustrates the use of classicist editing. Like most of the modern day films, this film is very quick paced as dictated by the short shot length. The longest shot is only about one and a half seconds long. Along with this, the film varies in shots in order to expand the amount of coverage in the scene; it also utilizes a multitude of angles. Aspects are even used from D.W. Griffith's arsenal of film techniques including close ups to highlight intimacy and psychological reasons. In this particular scene, close ups are used to emphasize the fact that both characters are in a rough predicament. One is held at gunpoint, where as the other is an undercover cop who is not even recognized. In this case, close ups intensify this part of the film.

Officer Down
The Departed at MOVIECLIPS.com

At the end of this scene from The Departed, realist filming techniques are used. When the police commander discovers that his men are shooting at the group of gangsters, he stays static for the rest of the scene. He does not say anything, he does not move anywhere, he doesn't even put down the phone. In this example, realist editing is used for dramatic intent. The Matt Damon character is to be analyzed by the audience. He stays static in a wide shot in order for the audience to take in the different aspects of the shot. We see him at a desk where he calls orders. He is in an office - probably in the police station. He has a shelf behind him with government documents and folders. All these pieces of the production design are available for the audience to pick up. Through the use of realism in this film, it not only build up emotion, but also provides context.


Lastly, Formalism is also used in this film in the beginning to establish a setting. Because the city that this film is so large (which also makes the plot so large), a lot of coverage must be used to fully depict the city. The editing cuts from one part of the city to another, from riots to peaceful parts. Formalism is mostly used in this film to build context. By revealing all these different aspects that relate to each other, the audience gets an idea of the setting of the film. Furthermore, not depicted here, the film also uses formalist cutting to reveal backstory about characters. The Leonardo DiCaprio character is shown a lot of times in this way. Because he is an undercover cop, people do not oftentimes know a lot about him. The use of formalism therefore provides information that isn't provided otherwise.