lunes, 21 de marzo de 2011

(Film review) The Black Hole

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5_Msrdg3Hk

Pick your favourite of the three and write a review of 350/400 words (electronic copy).

-         Bonus marks available for use of critical film language.
-         Quotes from and use of secondary sources.
-         Use of still images from the film as evidence.

In terms of the film content The Black Hole is a short movie, where only one actor is present, the main character. The film takes setting at stationary scenery. As it seems, it’s supposed, or it’s deduced that this actor is an ordinary office worker who stays extra hours at his job (apparently, till all other workers went away and night comes). He’s alone taking photocopies without talking at all. The photocopier starts to work badly, so he hits it, and suddenly a page with a black circle covering great part of it gets out of the machine. The man looks at it, surprised and leaves it for a moment, and the photocopier begins to function well.
After a while, he realizes that objects can pass through the page, like into another dimension or for entering wherever you wish to. He proves it trying with his own hand. The protagonist goes to a candy-bar machine and takes sweets... Later he seriously stares at the door of the room where the strongbox is located.
He puts the sheet over the box, and he starts to take out one wad of dollars, two, three, ten... He wants to get more and more, but what happens? He gets inside to see how much money is left, but he slips and falls into the box, with all the money outside and no exit at all.
About the sound, every time the man enters something into the black hole, sound effect of a deep noise is made. The background, natural ambient sound it’s the noise of the photocopier that takes presence all the way through. Non-diagetic sound is also present. However, music is absent.
            Speaking about genre, as the movie has a mixture of more than one, it can be said that it must be called “generic hybrids”.
Referring to the camera, although a close up one takes quick shots continuously, its position doesn’t differs so much creating diverses angles in relation to the main subject. The lighting is black, grey, white, and dull all the time.
It’s a really very short but funny and interesting comic story that catches the audience attention (it must be reminded that it is not aimed to any particular or target people) by a mix of suspense, but a humour touch at the end.
Finally, concluding, with a few scenes, it also transmits a message against ambition and robbing.
Word count: 400.

jueves, 17 de marzo de 2011

State and Main spidergram- Wednesday, March 16, 2011 - PRODUCTION ROLES


Spiderdiagram

Director
-         Co-ordinates the other crew members
-         tells actors how to play their roles
-         in charge of taking control of the different and diverses situations
-         organizes scenes, shots and take important decisions

Assistant D.

-         voice of director in shots
-         recieves orders

Editor
Sound Designer
- responsibility for the appropiate and specific noises and sounds (music) at the particular moments

Cinematographer
-         needs shot idea accuracy
-         leads the shootings after the director (lights, etc.)

Scriptwriter
- provides the initial story
- is usually overruled by actors/director when filming begins
-         creates the structure of movie
-         needs to re-write in case the picture is not possible to be act
-         “You can’t portray with the picture what you’re saying with the words”; difficulty transferring script, conveying scene escence, emotions

Actors
-         must know their lines
-         personal conflicts envolved

Producer
-         sustains finances and economy
-         deals with businesses and contracts with conflicts which might arise (his products)

domingo, 13 de marzo de 2011

French Impressionist Cinema research (1918-1929) Friday, March 11, 2011

1) Find two images for French impressionist paintings.

Give brief caption with name, artist, date. Explain briefly the important characteristics of French Impressionism.

Characteristics of Impressionist paintings include visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, the inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience, and unusual visual angles.

- Van Gogh’s A Starry Night (1889, near the mental asylum at St. Remy, France.
- Van Gogh Still Life Vase with Zinnias 1888.

2) Three outside factors that influenced the rise of French Impressionist cinema?
Explain in your own words.

After WW1 there was an economic decrease in France (and all the rest of the world) which led cinema went down, so French Impressionist movies had to come up with new ideas to make this theme popular worldwide.

3) Describe three or more important technical aspects of French Impressionist Cinema (i.e. use of camera, editing, sets, lighting, narrative, etc.)

Camera use: different angles were used such as a close ups. High and low angles and movement.
Mise-en-scene: low lighting, use of shadow shots. Also arrangement of movement in a specific subject.
Optical Devices: such as the use of magic, mirrors. Enfficise significant details that gave the film key meanings and details to think about.

4) Find information on two important film directors in French Impressionist Cinema from 1918-1929: name, photo, major films, interests or concerns shown in films.

Name: Abel Gance.
Major Films: Victoire de Samothrace, La Digue (ou Pour sauver la Hollande).
Interest in sound films when came out, interested in telling stories, for example filming Vénus aveugle  after the invasion on France in 1940, to give hope to the French.


Name: Jean Renoir.
Major films: On purge bébé (Baby's Laxative, Le Crime de Monsieur Lange).
Grand Illusion (La Grande Illusion) one of his best known films. It was about series of escape attempts by French POWS. It was very successful, but became more successful because it was banned from Germany. He was very opened and filmed all over the world.
The following websites may help:

sábado, 12 de marzo de 2011

PowerPoint Presentation (12-shot film with explanatory captions)


In this shot, it's showned a happy couple and by this, the camera is only focused on them.
Here, a medium close up shot is present, to the far angle shot (of the bench) which is pointed by the girl, demonstrating a sign of interest.
A low shot. They are really in a happy love. It's strong.
Only her face explains her interest.
High angle shot.
Dutch angle shot.