The Last Week
1. What has been the ongoing relationship between so-called mumblecore filmmakers and the South By Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin?
Matt Dentler, is the producer of the South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival and is one of the main shakers of the Mumblecore movement. Under 30 filmmakers Kentucker Audley, Andrew Bujalski, Joe Swanberg, Aaron Katz, Frank V. Ross, Mark and Jay Duplass, have contributed to each other's projects. They are the core elements of the festival in that they submit films to SXSW.
2. Broadly speaking, what characteristics define mumblecore?
Bad sound.
They are all associated with SXSW. Very non traditional filmmaking with non mainstream distribution concepts.
They are also very young filmmakers that know each other and shoot their movies with digital cameras. These are very cheap productions. They use whats available to make their movies, especially each other for whatever anyone can do, similar to film students in film school.
One quote is; “'These are films made cheaply about young white people talking to each other.' And of course it sounds excruciating.”
3. What have been the most common charges against mumblecore?
“The directors are all male middle-class Caucasians, and they make movies exclusively about young adults who are involved in heterosexual relationships and who have jobs (when they have them) in workplaces populated almost exclusively by SWMs and SWFs.”
They are very cheaply made with non-actors and are weird stories made on video.
"The media," Dentler said, "to a certain degree, couldn't help but say, 'What's going on here?' when some of the most unique American indies we're seeing right now on the festival circuit are coming from a bunch of friends, who A) none of them had received a conventional distribution deal, and B) they all live in separate parts of the country."
6. IFC Films picked up Hannah Takes the Stairs for “day-and-date” distribution. What does this mean?
Thru its First Take arm that’s the day-and-date of distribution; the film opens on IFC Center series and is available for download from IFC on Demand.
7. What is Ray Privett’s objection to Aaron Katz’s statement that the IFC Center is a “legitimizing force”? [See response posted at the bottom of the article.]
“I'm not convinced that is the best way to respond to art.”
“if legitimacy means disavowing works I love and in which I and others find value, I'd rather be a bastard. As I suppose I am.”
He's railing against the machine and elite snobs of the film world. Nothing can legitimize art. Art justifies itself.
10. Breakout talents according to Taubin:
“Bujalski and Katz, are breakout talents, and their differences are far more interesting than their similarities. Bujalski, whose Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciation (05) is a subtle writer and a fine director of actors who understands how to stage a scene so that body language speaks as strongly as words.”
“Katz’s sound design is as expressive as both his cityscape images and his ambient-light close-ups of characters lost in their own heads or engaged in tentative tête-à-têtes.”
Monday, December 1, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Week 15
Week 15
Answers taken from Lance Weiler's Article “Navigating the Digital Divide”
6. What are the current platforms and delivery systems for digital distribution?
"The market is currently divided into two types of platforms: PCs (personal computers) and living room devices (set-top boxes, gateways and gaming consoles). The main delivery methods for both are downloads and streaming. Downloads can be DRM (digital rights management) protected files or DRM-free. "
7. What were the advantages and disadvantages of releasing Ed Burns’s Purple Violets on i-Tunes?
"The point of purchase presentation on Apple and iTunes helped it stand out from the hundreds of films being released. While the headline-generating iTunes release provided awareness for Purple Violets, the reality is that download services like iTunes have limited marketplace penetration. So similar to the strategy behind a theatrical release, Lubin and Burns are hoping that a national promotion within Apple Stores and placement within iTunes will help drive DVD sales when the movie arrives in video stores in the first quarter of next year. This fall Purple Violets climbed to number three on the most downloaded list behind Ratatouille and Pirates of the Caribbean, giving the film a wider reach than it would have gained from a limited theatrical release."The biggest disadvantage is that there is very little buzz outside of the WWW net.
8. What is a digital media aggregator, and what is its equivalent in the traditional home video chain between the filmmaker and the consumer?
"The equivalent would be the distributor and/or sub-distributor.
Purple Violets could not go directly to iTunes. The filmmakers needed to first go through a digital aggregator/distributor (in their case, New Video).
For those looking to break into online distribution through iTunes, living room boxes like Vudu and TiVo or traditional VOD providers such as cable, satellite and telcos, deals with aggregators are common. Aggregators assist with the vetting of titles similar to the way in which retail and rental outlets require producers to deal with a distributor. In fact in many cases an aggregator is a distributor or sales agent. Much of the industry has become risk adverse to dealing with single titles from producers. They prefer to work with distributors, aggregators, or sales agents who have a volume of titles that are properly cleared and vetted for release." The media aggregator is an entity that collects product and has a track record that is known to a buyer. This is important in picking a film for specific genres and audiences. There is less of an unknown factor to deal with in the business model geared for profit.
9. What are the parallels between Radiohead’s In Rainbows experiment and the digital distribution of the documentary 10 MPH? Why did the 10 MPH filmmakers choose the .m4v format?
"The .m4v files can be played on Quicktime player, iTunes or on an iPod device.
pick-your-own-price model the cash, this has helped DVD sales, opened up opportunities and given us instant reach all over the world.”
Radiohead sell direct to its own audience, but it allowed them to set their own price.
When it came time for Hunter Weeks to sell his doc 10 MPH, he and co-director Josh Caldwell took a DIY approach with the goal of reaching as many people as possible. In addition to DVDs, the team decided to offer digital downloads of the film in the iTunes .m4v format directly from their site. In effect, they created the same exact model that Radiohead employed for their release. the concept of selling multiple versions directly to one‘s audience offers independent filmmakers some interesting possibilities of their own." In both cases they are trying to eliminate the big companies or middle men. They are exploring the artist to buyer direct path so as to maximize their own profits.
10. Why did “giving it away for free” end up working better than a traditional $15,000 distribution offer for the filmmakers of Four Eyed Monsters?
"The free versions of the film assisted with sales of not only the movie but also merchandise. To date Four Eyed Monsters has sold 1,479 DVDs, 85 iPod downloads, 146 DVD downloads and the collaboration with spout.com has yielded more than $50,000 in sponsorship monies." Giving it away made it famous. They parlayed this into other sales that were connected to the film. Any kind of PR is good PR in regards to film sales.
Answers taken from Lance Weiler's Article “Navigating the Digital Divide”
6. What are the current platforms and delivery systems for digital distribution?
"The market is currently divided into two types of platforms: PCs (personal computers) and living room devices (set-top boxes, gateways and gaming consoles). The main delivery methods for both are downloads and streaming. Downloads can be DRM (digital rights management) protected files or DRM-free. "
7. What were the advantages and disadvantages of releasing Ed Burns’s Purple Violets on i-Tunes?
"The point of purchase presentation on Apple and iTunes helped it stand out from the hundreds of films being released. While the headline-generating iTunes release provided awareness for Purple Violets, the reality is that download services like iTunes have limited marketplace penetration. So similar to the strategy behind a theatrical release, Lubin and Burns are hoping that a national promotion within Apple Stores and placement within iTunes will help drive DVD sales when the movie arrives in video stores in the first quarter of next year. This fall Purple Violets climbed to number three on the most downloaded list behind Ratatouille and Pirates of the Caribbean, giving the film a wider reach than it would have gained from a limited theatrical release."The biggest disadvantage is that there is very little buzz outside of the WWW net.
8. What is a digital media aggregator, and what is its equivalent in the traditional home video chain between the filmmaker and the consumer?
"The equivalent would be the distributor and/or sub-distributor.
Purple Violets could not go directly to iTunes. The filmmakers needed to first go through a digital aggregator/distributor (in their case, New Video).
For those looking to break into online distribution through iTunes, living room boxes like Vudu and TiVo or traditional VOD providers such as cable, satellite and telcos, deals with aggregators are common. Aggregators assist with the vetting of titles similar to the way in which retail and rental outlets require producers to deal with a distributor. In fact in many cases an aggregator is a distributor or sales agent. Much of the industry has become risk adverse to dealing with single titles from producers. They prefer to work with distributors, aggregators, or sales agents who have a volume of titles that are properly cleared and vetted for release." The media aggregator is an entity that collects product and has a track record that is known to a buyer. This is important in picking a film for specific genres and audiences. There is less of an unknown factor to deal with in the business model geared for profit.
9. What are the parallels between Radiohead’s In Rainbows experiment and the digital distribution of the documentary 10 MPH? Why did the 10 MPH filmmakers choose the .m4v format?
"The .m4v files can be played on Quicktime player, iTunes or on an iPod device.
pick-your-own-price model the cash, this has helped DVD sales, opened up opportunities and given us instant reach all over the world.”
Radiohead sell direct to its own audience, but it allowed them to set their own price.
When it came time for Hunter Weeks to sell his doc 10 MPH, he and co-director Josh Caldwell took a DIY approach with the goal of reaching as many people as possible. In addition to DVDs, the team decided to offer digital downloads of the film in the iTunes .m4v format directly from their site. In effect, they created the same exact model that Radiohead employed for their release. the concept of selling multiple versions directly to one‘s audience offers independent filmmakers some interesting possibilities of their own." In both cases they are trying to eliminate the big companies or middle men. They are exploring the artist to buyer direct path so as to maximize their own profits.
10. Why did “giving it away for free” end up working better than a traditional $15,000 distribution offer for the filmmakers of Four Eyed Monsters?
"The free versions of the film assisted with sales of not only the movie but also merchandise. To date Four Eyed Monsters has sold 1,479 DVDs, 85 iPod downloads, 146 DVD downloads and the collaboration with spout.com has yielded more than $50,000 in sponsorship monies." Giving it away made it famous. They parlayed this into other sales that were connected to the film. Any kind of PR is good PR in regards to film sales.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Week 14
1. What does Flo Liebowitz mean by “dialogue as behavior”?
It’s the behavior of the speaker that’s talking in a film, which acts as a basis for one’s inference or take/understanding of the characters speaking the dialog. This dialog colors the fictional characters with textures of temperament and behaviors that repeat which are identifiable to them. Each character speaks in a specific manner that is part of their behavior and this conveys who they are in regards to each other. It’s the how/why they speak in the tones they use that is integrated to the overall mood/meaning of the film.
2. What are some of the connections between Stranger than Paradise with the New American Cinema, including Shadows?
Cassavetes and the New American Cinema conceived of narrative not in terms of contrivances of plot, but as a character-centered process that closely resembles real life. Relationships keeps changing and there is a lot of ambivalence between characters. The protagonists don’t have an arc and aren’t goal oriented.
3. In what specific ways does Jarmusch’s script deviate from standard scriptwriting structure and format?
The script doesn’t fit the one page one-minute rule.
The script is only 55 pages, which is unusual for a full-length movie. The film functions/relies on a more visual/stylistic level than a plot driven narrative. It is “execution dependent.” The film uses mise-en-scene and the characters performances as emphasis to move the narrative along to an unpredictable conclusion. The script has 3 segments that are almost equal in length; the middle is not the biggest but smallest.
4. What is an "execution dependent" screenplay?
According to Christine Vacon, “There is no way to for the average Joe to tell what’s going to happen between script and screen-the financiers have to take a leap of faith.” It may mean when making the film you have to finish some of it to be able to show to investors who will then take the chance on you finishing the movie. You have to show what it’s about and what you have done stylistically and visually in order to complete financing. It’s very dependent on the director and his/her vision, of making the film in a very specific way to convey the meaning of the film.
5. What are the similarities and differences between Stranger than Paradise and punk films?
The characters in STP and punk films are the antithesis of characters that are goal motivated and action driven. There is no arc of improvement for the main protagonist, no happy ending. They suggest real life that has no meaning or purpose except that the characters are very engaging/interesting. They hold our interest thru out the film.
There’s no real violence/sex or anti-establishment aspect to STP as there would be in a punk film. They don’t have criminal vices and are not senseless punk rebels. We like these characters and can believe in them.
It’s the behavior of the speaker that’s talking in a film, which acts as a basis for one’s inference or take/understanding of the characters speaking the dialog. This dialog colors the fictional characters with textures of temperament and behaviors that repeat which are identifiable to them. Each character speaks in a specific manner that is part of their behavior and this conveys who they are in regards to each other. It’s the how/why they speak in the tones they use that is integrated to the overall mood/meaning of the film.
2. What are some of the connections between Stranger than Paradise with the New American Cinema, including Shadows?
Cassavetes and the New American Cinema conceived of narrative not in terms of contrivances of plot, but as a character-centered process that closely resembles real life. Relationships keeps changing and there is a lot of ambivalence between characters. The protagonists don’t have an arc and aren’t goal oriented.
3. In what specific ways does Jarmusch’s script deviate from standard scriptwriting structure and format?
The script doesn’t fit the one page one-minute rule.
The script is only 55 pages, which is unusual for a full-length movie. The film functions/relies on a more visual/stylistic level than a plot driven narrative. It is “execution dependent.” The film uses mise-en-scene and the characters performances as emphasis to move the narrative along to an unpredictable conclusion. The script has 3 segments that are almost equal in length; the middle is not the biggest but smallest.
4. What is an "execution dependent" screenplay?
According to Christine Vacon, “There is no way to for the average Joe to tell what’s going to happen between script and screen-the financiers have to take a leap of faith.” It may mean when making the film you have to finish some of it to be able to show to investors who will then take the chance on you finishing the movie. You have to show what it’s about and what you have done stylistically and visually in order to complete financing. It’s very dependent on the director and his/her vision, of making the film in a very specific way to convey the meaning of the film.
5. What are the similarities and differences between Stranger than Paradise and punk films?
The characters in STP and punk films are the antithesis of characters that are goal motivated and action driven. There is no arc of improvement for the main protagonist, no happy ending. They suggest real life that has no meaning or purpose except that the characters are very engaging/interesting. They hold our interest thru out the film.
There’s no real violence/sex or anti-establishment aspect to STP as there would be in a punk film. They don’t have criminal vices and are not senseless punk rebels. We like these characters and can believe in them.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Murphy
1. According to Murphy, what are the two major faults of the traditional screenwriting manuals in their treatment of independent cinema?
They emphasize the 3 act structure but ignore the alternative storytelling pattern.They favor plot over dialog. And the dialog has to be concise and serve a purpose. The manuel writers discourage the use of dialog.
They are formulaic and too inflexible for most indie scripts.
They don’t appreciate the innovations in indie films.
Many independent films are shorter than 120 mins. and don’t have an antagonist which the manuels stress. The behavior of characters are expected to be motivated and the endings have to be unambiguous. They also suggest that the protagonist undergo a transformation but many Independents don’t rely on the strong goal driven protagonist.
2. How are Murphy's claims about act structures in independent films different than McKee's model or Thompson's model?
Murphy’s – 3 acts for most independent films.
Thompson - four acts or 4 large scale parts of 20-30 mins. for feature length Hollywood films but for some 100 mins. features it may break down to 3 acts.
Mckee - 3 major reversals are necessary to reach the end of the line in a full script.
Five steps : inciting incident, progressive complication, crisis, climax, and resolution.
There can be more than 3-4 acts but his most basic structure involves 3 acts and the inciting incident.
5. Why did the filmmakers of the "LA Rebellion / Los Angeles School" (including Charles Burnett) reject traditional Hollywood production values?
They could be completely independent from the white establishment control. To politicize the question of technical competence. They opposed Hollywood
6. What are the two distinct notions of "guerrilla cinema" exemplified by Spike Lee and Bill Gunn?
Gunn made socially subversive films with Hollywood money.
Lee uses Guerilla tactics to finance & to get deals in Hollywood.
They emphasize the 3 act structure but ignore the alternative storytelling pattern.They favor plot over dialog. And the dialog has to be concise and serve a purpose. The manuel writers discourage the use of dialog.
They are formulaic and too inflexible for most indie scripts.
They don’t appreciate the innovations in indie films.
Many independent films are shorter than 120 mins. and don’t have an antagonist which the manuels stress. The behavior of characters are expected to be motivated and the endings have to be unambiguous. They also suggest that the protagonist undergo a transformation but many Independents don’t rely on the strong goal driven protagonist.
2. How are Murphy's claims about act structures in independent films different than McKee's model or Thompson's model?
Murphy’s – 3 acts for most independent films.
Thompson - four acts or 4 large scale parts of 20-30 mins. for feature length Hollywood films but for some 100 mins. features it may break down to 3 acts.
Mckee - 3 major reversals are necessary to reach the end of the line in a full script.
Five steps : inciting incident, progressive complication, crisis, climax, and resolution.
There can be more than 3-4 acts but his most basic structure involves 3 acts and the inciting incident.
5. Why did the filmmakers of the "LA Rebellion / Los Angeles School" (including Charles Burnett) reject traditional Hollywood production values?
They could be completely independent from the white establishment control. To politicize the question of technical competence. They opposed Hollywood
6. What are the two distinct notions of "guerrilla cinema" exemplified by Spike Lee and Bill Gunn?
Gunn made socially subversive films with Hollywood money.
Lee uses Guerilla tactics to finance & to get deals in Hollywood.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Week 12
Week 12
The Way Hollywood Tells It, 117-157
Picking Up the Pace
What were the average shot lengths (ASLs) for the following periods?
1920s – 4-6 seconds
1930-1960 - 8-11 seconds
Mid-1960s - 6-8 seconds
1980’s – 8-7 seconds
2000 (“by century’s end”) - 3-6 seconds
How has faster editing in Hollywood affected the other elements of film style?
Certain techniques are no longer taboo Such as: Cutting on movement, Rack focusing,
Cutting on flashes of light, whiplash pans and jerky reframing. Editors can cut at every line in the dialog, sometimes even in the middle. They also include a lot more reaction shots. The acting is no longer what is most important to a films success.
Going to Extremes
How were wide angle (short) lenses used after 1970?
Could be used in tight CU, with packed compositions & tight camera movements. They used wide-angle lens also to distort/exaggerate distances between background and foreground as well as to create expansive establishing shots.
How were telephoto (long) lenses used after 1970?
Could be used in tight CU or as an establishing shot as in “Jerry Macquire.”
The loss of resolution with the many defocused planes created a look that was associated with lyrical romance. It was used for Westerns, Musicals
The longer lens were used to provide the squared off planimetric image.
P. 139-151 What does Bordwell mean when he says “Our movies are sixties movies, only more so”?
It means that directors like Sidney Lumet and Tony Richardson set the tone for the next generation of directors by using fresh techniques and styles of filmmaking in the 60’s that broke the ground for modern filmmaking. Such as intensified continuity and choices of lens for emotion and style. We have movies today that are built on these masters’ styles and others like them and now filmmakers have taken everything beyond anything that was done in the past.
The Way Hollywood Tells It, 117-157
Picking Up the Pace
What were the average shot lengths (ASLs) for the following periods?
1920s – 4-6 seconds
1930-1960 - 8-11 seconds
Mid-1960s - 6-8 seconds
1980’s – 8-7 seconds
2000 (“by century’s end”) - 3-6 seconds
How has faster editing in Hollywood affected the other elements of film style?
Certain techniques are no longer taboo Such as: Cutting on movement, Rack focusing,
Cutting on flashes of light, whiplash pans and jerky reframing. Editors can cut at every line in the dialog, sometimes even in the middle. They also include a lot more reaction shots. The acting is no longer what is most important to a films success.
Going to Extremes
How were wide angle (short) lenses used after 1970?
Could be used in tight CU, with packed compositions & tight camera movements. They used wide-angle lens also to distort/exaggerate distances between background and foreground as well as to create expansive establishing shots.
How were telephoto (long) lenses used after 1970?
Could be used in tight CU or as an establishing shot as in “Jerry Macquire.”
The loss of resolution with the many defocused planes created a look that was associated with lyrical romance. It was used for Westerns, Musicals
The longer lens were used to provide the squared off planimetric image.
P. 139-151 What does Bordwell mean when he says “Our movies are sixties movies, only more so”?
It means that directors like Sidney Lumet and Tony Richardson set the tone for the next generation of directors by using fresh techniques and styles of filmmaking in the 60’s that broke the ground for modern filmmaking. Such as intensified continuity and choices of lens for emotion and style. We have movies today that are built on these masters’ styles and others like them and now filmmakers have taken everything beyond anything that was done in the past.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Question
Is David Gordon Green moving into mainstream Hollywood Film making?
Annotated Bibliography:
Pinkerton , Nick “David Gordon Green Moves to the Mainstream? And is that a bad thing? “ The Village Voice Tuesday, July 15th 2008
http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-07-16/film/david-gordon-green-moves-to-the-mainstream
The article examines David Gordon Green’s motives for making Pineapple Express and ask the question, “Has David Gordon Green gone pop?”
JONES, KIMBERLEY “Fighting Words“ The Austin Chronicle FEBRUARY 23, 2001: SCREENS David Gordon Green Slams Indie Filmmakers and Snubs Cannes. Who Is This Kid, Anyway?
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A80645
This article discusses David Gordon Green’s influences, Terrence Malick and Robert Altman.
Wood, Jennifer M. MovieMaker | Published February 3, 2007
Cinematography, Analyzing the Human Condition
All the Real Girls DP Tim Orr seeks emotional connection in his work
http://www.moviemaker.com/cinematography/article/analyzing_the_human_condition_2698/
This article has Jennifer Wood from MovieMaker interviewing Tim Orr.
Thompson, David “David Gordon Green “ The Guardian Sept. 5, 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/sep/05/comedy1
David Gordon Green made stylish, searching films in defiance of Hollywood methods. Then he teamed up with Seth Rogen - and had a hit
David Thompson talks about David Gordon Green and why he may have made Pineapple Express, the opposite kind of movie from George Washington.
ROONEY , DAVID “Green's 'Undertow' catches pact with UA” Variety, May 15, 2003
Thriller stars Mulroney, Lucas, Bell
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117886302.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1&query=David+Gordon+Green
This article covers how United Artists teamed with ContentFilm for distribution rights in North America for "The Undertow." helmed by David Gordon Green.
Fernandez , Jay A. Hollywood Reporter, David Gordon Green to helm 'Freaks'
Oct 21, 2008, 12:00 AM ET
Overture nabbed rights to the Dark Horse graphic novel
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i9e2284979c0b8c782f723c65d816185e The article talks about how Overture Films has tapped David Gordon Green to direct the horror thriller "Freaks of the Heartland,"
Annotated Bibliography:
Pinkerton , Nick “David Gordon Green Moves to the Mainstream? And is that a bad thing? “ The Village Voice Tuesday, July 15th 2008
http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-07-16/film/david-gordon-green-moves-to-the-mainstream
The article examines David Gordon Green’s motives for making Pineapple Express and ask the question, “Has David Gordon Green gone pop?”
JONES, KIMBERLEY “Fighting Words“ The Austin Chronicle FEBRUARY 23, 2001: SCREENS David Gordon Green Slams Indie Filmmakers and Snubs Cannes. Who Is This Kid, Anyway?
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A80645
This article discusses David Gordon Green’s influences, Terrence Malick and Robert Altman.
Wood, Jennifer M. MovieMaker | Published February 3, 2007
Cinematography, Analyzing the Human Condition
All the Real Girls DP Tim Orr seeks emotional connection in his work
http://www.moviemaker.com/cinematography/article/analyzing_the_human_condition_2698/
This article has Jennifer Wood from MovieMaker interviewing Tim Orr.
Thompson, David “David Gordon Green “ The Guardian Sept. 5, 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/sep/05/comedy1
David Gordon Green made stylish, searching films in defiance of Hollywood methods. Then he teamed up with Seth Rogen - and had a hit
David Thompson talks about David Gordon Green and why he may have made Pineapple Express, the opposite kind of movie from George Washington.
ROONEY , DAVID “Green's 'Undertow' catches pact with UA” Variety, May 15, 2003
Thriller stars Mulroney, Lucas, Bell
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117886302.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1&query=David+Gordon+Green
This article covers how United Artists teamed with ContentFilm for distribution rights in North America for "The Undertow." helmed by David Gordon Green.
Fernandez , Jay A. Hollywood Reporter, David Gordon Green to helm 'Freaks'
Oct 21, 2008, 12:00 AM ET
Overture nabbed rights to the Dark Horse graphic novel
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i9e2284979c0b8c782f723c65d816185e The article talks about how Overture Films has tapped David Gordon Green to direct the horror thriller "Freaks of the Heartland,"
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Week 11
Bordwell, TWHTI
“Why do filmmakers bother with classical construction if ardent viewers consider it dispensable, even distracting?”
Actually the plot can sink to a level of minimal awareness and leads them to concentrate on other things. The audience isn’t homogeneous. The best way to reach a wide audience is thru an interesting story, which blends stars and physical action. Also, films are made for personal satisfaction and other filmmakers. Making smart pictures pays off in better jobs and the next film. One thing that Bordwell might not have mentioned is the fact that the crew on a set needs to have faith in the director’s vision. Not many top-flight crew people want to work on a set that doesn’t tell a good story.
What does Bordwell mean when he says, “Ironically, the genre considered most
Scattershot turns out to have the most widely recognized formulas of organization.”?
He refers to the action film which is far from being a noisy free for all but instead is as formally strict as a minuet. According to Martell’s manual many principals of unity have been laid out with great precision. Such as the villain having a master plan, which is well motivated or the hero being reactive in the first half and then takes charge in the second half of the film.
What does Bordwell mean by “genre ecology,” and how does he characterize the current range of genres in Hollywood.
I think he’s talking about the filmic environment of Hollywood and the relationship of directors to their audience that exist in that space and time for a particular film genre. Their attitudes and taste for one genre might have been /pushed developed due to the fact that there was very little left for them to explore/add so they went for the sparsely populated niches that have been ignored.
What does Bordwell mean by “worldmaking,” and how does it affect the narrative design of individual films?
Films can offer a rich fully furnished ambience for the action. The filmmaker creates the film world that is the backdrop and interactional space that the characters live in. 2001: A Space Odyssey was one such film where the trappings are as overwhelming as is the Star Gate optics. This is a world that is layered with props/textures no had ever seen before and is completely the filmmaker’s invention for this particular film. This enviroment was an element/character that enabled the audience to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the movie even more.
What specific reasons does Bordwell propose for the rise/fall of contemporary genres?
One reason is that it’s hard to improve on the past/present masters of any given genre. Sometimes a genre went thru a debunking, where as it was demeaned and parodied which took off its shine/credibility. A genre such as the Western was exposed as racist, like in the “Little Big Man.” Another big reason is that young directors just can’t find anything new to add to a genre that would be original so they look for unused genres, which are out of general use.
“Why do filmmakers bother with classical construction if ardent viewers consider it dispensable, even distracting?”
Actually the plot can sink to a level of minimal awareness and leads them to concentrate on other things. The audience isn’t homogeneous. The best way to reach a wide audience is thru an interesting story, which blends stars and physical action. Also, films are made for personal satisfaction and other filmmakers. Making smart pictures pays off in better jobs and the next film. One thing that Bordwell might not have mentioned is the fact that the crew on a set needs to have faith in the director’s vision. Not many top-flight crew people want to work on a set that doesn’t tell a good story.
What does Bordwell mean when he says, “Ironically, the genre considered most
Scattershot turns out to have the most widely recognized formulas of organization.”?
He refers to the action film which is far from being a noisy free for all but instead is as formally strict as a minuet. According to Martell’s manual many principals of unity have been laid out with great precision. Such as the villain having a master plan, which is well motivated or the hero being reactive in the first half and then takes charge in the second half of the film.
What does Bordwell mean by “genre ecology,” and how does he characterize the current range of genres in Hollywood.
I think he’s talking about the filmic environment of Hollywood and the relationship of directors to their audience that exist in that space and time for a particular film genre. Their attitudes and taste for one genre might have been /pushed developed due to the fact that there was very little left for them to explore/add so they went for the sparsely populated niches that have been ignored.
What does Bordwell mean by “worldmaking,” and how does it affect the narrative design of individual films?
Films can offer a rich fully furnished ambience for the action. The filmmaker creates the film world that is the backdrop and interactional space that the characters live in. 2001: A Space Odyssey was one such film where the trappings are as overwhelming as is the Star Gate optics. This is a world that is layered with props/textures no had ever seen before and is completely the filmmaker’s invention for this particular film. This enviroment was an element/character that enabled the audience to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the movie even more.
What specific reasons does Bordwell propose for the rise/fall of contemporary genres?
One reason is that it’s hard to improve on the past/present masters of any given genre. Sometimes a genre went thru a debunking, where as it was demeaned and parodied which took off its shine/credibility. A genre such as the Western was exposed as racist, like in the “Little Big Man.” Another big reason is that young directors just can’t find anything new to add to a genre that would be original so they look for unused genres, which are out of general use.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Week 10
Week Ten Blog
1. New Hollywood, the five conditions:
The Movie Brats
High Concept-The Blockbuster as marketing stratety.
New ownership/management styles of the major studios
New technology of image and sound
New delivery systems
#2: What does Elsaesser mean by New Hollywood being defined either as “the different as same” or “the same as different.” (p. 193)
I think he’s referring to the fact that most filmmakers are influenced by other older filmmakers and who in turn influence filmmakers from new different generations not yet born.
#4: How is the sound/image relationship in horror films fundamentally different than other classical genres?
They don’t maintain a coherent diegetic world in regards to sound or image. This genre tries to keep the monster off screen as long as possible.
#5. How do allusions in Bram Stoker’s Dracula function like a mise-en-abyme?
They function as a time bridge to the present or to a future. As when Dracula and Mina are in the Nickleloden theater. We are in an audience watching a film about characters that are at a theater where film got it’s start but this motif gives us the idea that Dracula himself is timeless and lives forever. The theme of Dracula will be invented anew and filmed by some other filmmaker in the future countless times.
#6: Elsaesser suggests that the film is a palimpsest for 100 years of film history. Why does he also conclude that the vampire film “qualifies as at once prototypical for movie history and for postmodernity.”? [Hint: see my recap of metaphors above.]
It will be made again by another filmmaker in the future in a different style and with a different audience wanting something unknown.
1. New Hollywood, the five conditions:
The Movie Brats
High Concept-The Blockbuster as marketing stratety.
New ownership/management styles of the major studios
New technology of image and sound
New delivery systems
#2: What does Elsaesser mean by New Hollywood being defined either as “the different as same” or “the same as different.” (p. 193)
I think he’s referring to the fact that most filmmakers are influenced by other older filmmakers and who in turn influence filmmakers from new different generations not yet born.
#4: How is the sound/image relationship in horror films fundamentally different than other classical genres?
They don’t maintain a coherent diegetic world in regards to sound or image. This genre tries to keep the monster off screen as long as possible.
#5. How do allusions in Bram Stoker’s Dracula function like a mise-en-abyme?
They function as a time bridge to the present or to a future. As when Dracula and Mina are in the Nickleloden theater. We are in an audience watching a film about characters that are at a theater where film got it’s start but this motif gives us the idea that Dracula himself is timeless and lives forever. The theme of Dracula will be invented anew and filmed by some other filmmaker in the future countless times.
#6: Elsaesser suggests that the film is a palimpsest for 100 years of film history. Why does he also conclude that the vampire film “qualifies as at once prototypical for movie history and for postmodernity.”? [Hint: see my recap of metaphors above.]
It will be made again by another filmmaker in the future in a different style and with a different audience wanting something unknown.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
week 8
How do films with multiple protagonist work?
Their progress toward a goal follows the same 4 part template. In some cases the protagonist have the exact same goal while in others the plot lines don't influence each other. The multiple plot lines may fit the 4 part mold but there is usually one or 2 main characters that are prominent in the film.
Tightening the Plot:
Thompson derives plot from the "ups and downs of character goals."
Fields uses, "spin the action in a new direction" or turning points.
The "dangling cause" leaves a scene with unresolved issues.
The "dialog hook", a line that connects to the next scene in an action heard or seen.
Appointments and deadlines like the ticking clock makes things seem urgent or impossible and helps the plot line.
A repeated object or line of dialog foreshadowing the plot in a film adds to the overall cohesiveness of a film.
Motifs are woven into the plot at different times to add tightness of texture to the film or they can become a signal for something to happen.
Classical narration can address the viewer in a very self conscious manner. It can be used to sharpen the suspence. The overtness can be obvious such as when someone winks at you in the film to share a secret. Or less self conscious as when the credits roll. Credits can be overt also appealing in their own right.
Their progress toward a goal follows the same 4 part template. In some cases the protagonist have the exact same goal while in others the plot lines don't influence each other. The multiple plot lines may fit the 4 part mold but there is usually one or 2 main characters that are prominent in the film.
Tightening the Plot:
Thompson derives plot from the "ups and downs of character goals."
Fields uses, "spin the action in a new direction" or turning points.
The "dangling cause" leaves a scene with unresolved issues.
The "dialog hook", a line that connects to the next scene in an action heard or seen.
Appointments and deadlines like the ticking clock makes things seem urgent or impossible and helps the plot line.
A repeated object or line of dialog foreshadowing the plot in a film adds to the overall cohesiveness of a film.
Motifs are woven into the plot at different times to add tightness of texture to the film or they can become a signal for something to happen.
Classical narration can address the viewer in a very self conscious manner. It can be used to sharpen the suspence. The overtness can be obvious such as when someone winks at you in the film to share a secret. Or less self conscious as when the credits roll. Credits can be overt also appealing in their own right.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Week 8
What are the Hall marks for Fordism in the Movie Industry?
1. More movies for the buck.
The FCC’s resistance to pay TV caused what to happen?
1. The movie industry became more integrated with TV production.
The independent exhibitors wanted the Justice Dept. to prevent what?
1.The majors from broadcasting as an alternative to exhibition.
1. More movies for the buck.
The FCC’s resistance to pay TV caused what to happen?
1. The movie industry became more integrated with TV production.
The independent exhibitors wanted the Justice Dept. to prevent what?
1.The majors from broadcasting as an alternative to exhibition.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Week 7
Why is “allusionism” significant for both modernism and post-modernism? If modernist filmmakers alluded to film history, what do post-modernist filmmakers allude to?
This self-reflexivity makes films into a higher art form. Post-modernist a reaction to modernism alludes to a return to traditional/classical filmmaking.
Compare and contrast Kramer’s timelines using “a narrow Bazinian definition of Hollywood classicism” with the Monogram [journal] definition of classicism.
Bazin’s timeline starts in 1920 to 1939 and ends with Citizen Kane. It constitutes a unified period characterized where by the entire film world is using a common filmic vocabulary. Monograms are 1910 to the mid 1960’s where the film language was invented and perfected mostly in Hollywood.
What is “blind bidding”? Why did exhibitors object to the proposed blind bidding for Jaws? Why was the blind bidding for Jaws called off?
The Exhibitors have to bid on the movie when they have never seen it. The money being asked was extremely high. They let some Exhibitors see the film and that was an unfair advantage for them.
This self-reflexivity makes films into a higher art form. Post-modernist a reaction to modernism alludes to a return to traditional/classical filmmaking.
Compare and contrast Kramer’s timelines using “a narrow Bazinian definition of Hollywood classicism” with the Monogram [journal] definition of classicism.
Bazin’s timeline starts in 1920 to 1939 and ends with Citizen Kane. It constitutes a unified period characterized where by the entire film world is using a common filmic vocabulary. Monograms are 1910 to the mid 1960’s where the film language was invented and perfected mostly in Hollywood.
What is “blind bidding”? Why did exhibitors object to the proposed blind bidding for Jaws? Why was the blind bidding for Jaws called off?
The Exhibitors have to bid on the movie when they have never seen it. The money being asked was extremely high. They let some Exhibitors see the film and that was an unfair advantage for them.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Week Six
Which of Altman’s stylistic techniques does Sawhill associate with "inclusiveness"?
“One head, no matter how good -- well, it just can't be the same as everyone bringing something to it." (Altman)
He involved the entire crew in creating the movie. One of the techniques was in developing the sound system with the sound engineers and using it in new ways. He did the same thing with the cinematographers where he used multiple cameras and entire locations were lighted instead of just each individual shot. Altman let his actors have a great deal of artistic freedom of movement so they could not play to the camera. He also let some actors write their own dialog and play their own music. Keith Carradine won an Oscar for his song in Nashville. To me it seems that Altman included everyone’s specific talent in his movies and was capable of funneling everything into a well-made and meaningful movie. By being inclusive Altman can always be looking for the “surprise” in his movies.
What does Sawhill mean when he suggests that Altman “was making nonlinear multimedia before the form existed,” and that Nashville “doesn't suffer from the fragmenting effects of stop-and-start, at-home viewing”?
He’s referring to the fact and states that, “Altman is instinctively drawn to multiple points of view and unresolved resolutions.” Sawhill explains that when watching in a home environment it doesn’t cohere completely but is conducive to our channel surfing mentality of the loose relationship experience. Nashville’s fragmenting effects are more like a video installation that is being played all at the very same moment. The movie’s non linear aspect; it is like wallpaper in that you can turn it on and watch it at any point and it will be comprehensible, because there is no real destination for the protagonist they just are. There is a documentary feeling to the movie, it’s like a fictional space/place in time that had very accurate depictions of real life characters exhibiting human nature in a very real Nashville.
What does Sawhill suggest are the functions of the recurring “wires, phones, intercoms, cameras, mikes, speakers” throughout the film?
“Signals get crossed, unwanted frequencies come wafting in, reflections we'd rather avoid bounce back at us, ghosts from the past sweep us up and then drop us, and when one thing comes into focus another falls out.”
I believe that he’s referring to that fact that this movie is about communication. The movie is about a city that creates music that is grass roots and these singers sing songs that are about people for people. These are devices that connect to everyone in some way.
“One head, no matter how good -- well, it just can't be the same as everyone bringing something to it." (Altman)
He involved the entire crew in creating the movie. One of the techniques was in developing the sound system with the sound engineers and using it in new ways. He did the same thing with the cinematographers where he used multiple cameras and entire locations were lighted instead of just each individual shot. Altman let his actors have a great deal of artistic freedom of movement so they could not play to the camera. He also let some actors write their own dialog and play their own music. Keith Carradine won an Oscar for his song in Nashville. To me it seems that Altman included everyone’s specific talent in his movies and was capable of funneling everything into a well-made and meaningful movie. By being inclusive Altman can always be looking for the “surprise” in his movies.
What does Sawhill mean when he suggests that Altman “was making nonlinear multimedia before the form existed,” and that Nashville “doesn't suffer from the fragmenting effects of stop-and-start, at-home viewing”?
He’s referring to the fact and states that, “Altman is instinctively drawn to multiple points of view and unresolved resolutions.” Sawhill explains that when watching in a home environment it doesn’t cohere completely but is conducive to our channel surfing mentality of the loose relationship experience. Nashville’s fragmenting effects are more like a video installation that is being played all at the very same moment. The movie’s non linear aspect; it is like wallpaper in that you can turn it on and watch it at any point and it will be comprehensible, because there is no real destination for the protagonist they just are. There is a documentary feeling to the movie, it’s like a fictional space/place in time that had very accurate depictions of real life characters exhibiting human nature in a very real Nashville.
What does Sawhill suggest are the functions of the recurring “wires, phones, intercoms, cameras, mikes, speakers” throughout the film?
“Signals get crossed, unwanted frequencies come wafting in, reflections we'd rather avoid bounce back at us, ghosts from the past sweep us up and then drop us, and when one thing comes into focus another falls out.”
I believe that he’s referring to that fact that this movie is about communication. The movie is about a city that creates music that is grass roots and these singers sing songs that are about people for people. These are devices that connect to everyone in some way.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
week 5
Peter Kramer Post-Classical Hollywood pp 69-75
The bulk of Hollywood centered criticism:
They concentrated their efforts on the systematic critical re-evaluation and careful assessment of the films of an elite collection of directors from Hollywood. These men directed some of their most important films during the 1930s-1940s. This Studio era is where they got their start and training. These directors worked almost exclusively in well-established genres. Critics like Manny Farber wrote about ‘the male action film’ and Howard Hawks. The politique des auteurs of Cahiers du cinema also had an accent on directors from Hollywood like Hitchcock. These genre directors and their films attained a status of art by Anglo-American ‘auteurist’ criticism. These critics rejected the new directors who were trained in theater and television.
They dealt with contemporary films by judging them against the new films of old masters.
Timelines for Hollywood Classicism:
Bazin’s timeline states that in America/Hollywood from 1920 to 1939 there existed a unified period characterized by the world wide diffusion of a common form of cinematic language based on the continuity of editing. The period is the Classical Hollywood period where film reached a perfected stage. In 1939 it was also on the verge of a change in film language. This is the start of ‘regeneration of realism in story telling.’ He states that ‘Citizen Kane was the pivotal film that started the new era in a trend towards modernism.
Peter Lloyd and Thomas Elsaeser states this timeline of Classicism started from 1910 to mid-1960s. The filmic language evolved by Griffith, Stroheim and Murnua remained valid as the syntactical basis of movie making. Directors with long careers like John Ford and Raoul Walsh also helped create this essential classicism in films.
The bulk of Hollywood centered criticism:
They concentrated their efforts on the systematic critical re-evaluation and careful assessment of the films of an elite collection of directors from Hollywood. These men directed some of their most important films during the 1930s-1940s. This Studio era is where they got their start and training. These directors worked almost exclusively in well-established genres. Critics like Manny Farber wrote about ‘the male action film’ and Howard Hawks. The politique des auteurs of Cahiers du cinema also had an accent on directors from Hollywood like Hitchcock. These genre directors and their films attained a status of art by Anglo-American ‘auteurist’ criticism. These critics rejected the new directors who were trained in theater and television.
They dealt with contemporary films by judging them against the new films of old masters.
Timelines for Hollywood Classicism:
Bazin’s timeline states that in America/Hollywood from 1920 to 1939 there existed a unified period characterized by the world wide diffusion of a common form of cinematic language based on the continuity of editing. The period is the Classical Hollywood period where film reached a perfected stage. In 1939 it was also on the verge of a change in film language. This is the start of ‘regeneration of realism in story telling.’ He states that ‘Citizen Kane was the pivotal film that started the new era in a trend towards modernism.
Peter Lloyd and Thomas Elsaeser states this timeline of Classicism started from 1910 to mid-1960s. The filmic language evolved by Griffith, Stroheim and Murnua remained valid as the syntactical basis of movie making. Directors with long careers like John Ford and Raoul Walsh also helped create this essential classicism in films.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Week 4
Modernism.
The art historical term, "modern" is tied to around 1860 to the 1970s. It can be said that most art is modern at the time it is created. The modernist art movement began in the Renaissance. The modernist in film started with people like Man Ray, Bunuel, Dali and Marcel Duchamp where emotional impact is not tied to a narrative storyline. Kramer suggests that Bonnie and Clyde is the pivotal American modernist film. It is the beginning of the American new wave in films.
Which critics were on opposing sides of the debate over Bonnie and Clyde, and why?
There was some longing for (and contempt) old Hollywood filmmaking. Ben Hecht hated the new Hollywood of special effects. The over the top blood bath death scene drew controversy.
Andrew Sarris raises the profile of the director in postwar Hollywood, ‘auteur’ theory. The debate was over the fact that the killers Bonnie and Clyde were glamorized.
“Thus does the heroic individual collapse without moral and social objectives and with the irrational violence, films moved toward and ambiguous open-ended situation. (From Kramer)
What were some of the causes and consequences of the shift from the Production Code to the Ratings System?
The rating system was a form of censorship. Your film subject matter could be dictated and compromised. There was a great deal of topics including social subjects, which could not be made. Without the rating you could not show your film. This caused writers to write very generic films.
The art historical term, "modern" is tied to around 1860 to the 1970s. It can be said that most art is modern at the time it is created. The modernist art movement began in the Renaissance. The modernist in film started with people like Man Ray, Bunuel, Dali and Marcel Duchamp where emotional impact is not tied to a narrative storyline. Kramer suggests that Bonnie and Clyde is the pivotal American modernist film. It is the beginning of the American new wave in films.
Which critics were on opposing sides of the debate over Bonnie and Clyde, and why?
There was some longing for (and contempt) old Hollywood filmmaking. Ben Hecht hated the new Hollywood of special effects. The over the top blood bath death scene drew controversy.
Andrew Sarris raises the profile of the director in postwar Hollywood, ‘auteur’ theory. The debate was over the fact that the killers Bonnie and Clyde were glamorized.
“Thus does the heroic individual collapse without moral and social objectives and with the irrational violence, films moved toward and ambiguous open-ended situation. (From Kramer)
What were some of the causes and consequences of the shift from the Production Code to the Ratings System?
The rating system was a form of censorship. Your film subject matter could be dictated and compromised. There was a great deal of topics including social subjects, which could not be made. Without the rating you could not show your film. This caused writers to write very generic films.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Why was the Charles Theater important for the development of “underground film” in New York City?
Why was the Charles Theater important for the development of “underground film” in New York City?
This theater was the rare venue that didn’t allow censure of its art/films or of its film makers. The Charles (Baudelaire) Theater presented the film underground with the first, semi permanent exhibition space for truly Avant-garde film especially ones from America and Europe. The accent was on creativity and not on ticket sales. This was also one of the only places in the U.S. that a first time director such as Cassavetes, Brian De Palma, Warhol and Stanley Kubrick could get their films shown in a big city. The theater was fundamental in introducing film movements like Italian neo-realism and Baudelariean Cinema to America as well as being the location for the Filmmakers Festival.
Jonas Mekas one of the prime movers of the Charles Theater once commented on the Baudelariean Cinema style, “These artists are without inhibitions, sexual or any other kind." His statement was a reaction to the bland whitewashed American cinema of the day. In this time period American films and America was consistently conservative. The critics as well as the organized theater operators of the day systematically shunned any film that was considered, “Out of the Box,” and not up to the United States Motion Picture Production Code of 1930. The nascent counter culture of the early 1960’s was greatly influenced by these films. The theater was a hub of/for uncensored creativity for filmmakers and others (Jazz music, experimental live theater) which greatly influenced mainstream American film. The most important aspect/contribution of the Charles Theater /Mekas in my view is that the way was shown to independent filmmakers on how to make the truly independent film. That it was possible to by pass the big studio and achieve an audience. It made it possible for later movies like “Easy Rider” to be made without studio backing and control. These independent films were deeper in emotional content and were much more attuned to the social/political consciousness of the times. They dealt with real issues that confronted people on a gut level. We recognized ourselves with warts and blemishes in these lower budget films as being flawed but genuine. The Charles Theater showed audiences and future filmmakers that there is validity in films that have nothing to do with the formula/happy ending so prevelent in American film.
Mekas held open screenings at the theater looking for new talented directors/filmmakers. This was turned into a monthly social event with much success. By doing this he turned some audience members into critics and others into filmmakers. The theater transforms into a "Great Good Place" where the utopian ideology of the audience being a part of the energy of filmmaking itself is born. They are not the passive audience pawns of the films but are the parts and pieces that compose the film experience itself. The audience creates the film and owns it for it own sake. The Charles Theater manifested film making into an inclusive community of like-minded artist through freedom and equality. Films and filmmaking were drawn together as a single endeavor.
This equality also spelled the end for the Charles Theater. No one could tell who was the audience or the filmmaker so no one could sell the ticket to pay for the cost of business.
What were some of the characteristics of “Baudelariean Cinema”? Like the poets of the Symbolist Movement Charles Baudelaire inspired there was a desire to set free techniques of versification in film. Filmmakers wanted more artistic control with film style. That is they wanted a more free verse style of filmmaking. One that wasn’t tied down with restrictive production techniques. The director is the auteur. As in Charles Baudelaire’s poetry subject matter was open to each film maker’s interpretation. Like Charles Baudelaire’s life these taboo subjects were about drugs, sex, violence and decadence in the modern world. This cinema wants to evoke the audience rather than to simply entertain. It can be said that these films were the antithesis of the mainstream movies of the day. These films had very little inhibition and dealt with people on an almost primal level. These films attempted to be a truly free art form in which the point is to move the audience emotionally instead of simply profiting from them monetarily.
This theater was the rare venue that didn’t allow censure of its art/films or of its film makers. The Charles (Baudelaire) Theater presented the film underground with the first, semi permanent exhibition space for truly Avant-garde film especially ones from America and Europe. The accent was on creativity and not on ticket sales. This was also one of the only places in the U.S. that a first time director such as Cassavetes, Brian De Palma, Warhol and Stanley Kubrick could get their films shown in a big city. The theater was fundamental in introducing film movements like Italian neo-realism and Baudelariean Cinema to America as well as being the location for the Filmmakers Festival.
Jonas Mekas one of the prime movers of the Charles Theater once commented on the Baudelariean Cinema style, “These artists are without inhibitions, sexual or any other kind." His statement was a reaction to the bland whitewashed American cinema of the day. In this time period American films and America was consistently conservative. The critics as well as the organized theater operators of the day systematically shunned any film that was considered, “Out of the Box,” and not up to the United States Motion Picture Production Code of 1930. The nascent counter culture of the early 1960’s was greatly influenced by these films. The theater was a hub of/for uncensored creativity for filmmakers and others (Jazz music, experimental live theater) which greatly influenced mainstream American film. The most important aspect/contribution of the Charles Theater /Mekas in my view is that the way was shown to independent filmmakers on how to make the truly independent film. That it was possible to by pass the big studio and achieve an audience. It made it possible for later movies like “Easy Rider” to be made without studio backing and control. These independent films were deeper in emotional content and were much more attuned to the social/political consciousness of the times. They dealt with real issues that confronted people on a gut level. We recognized ourselves with warts and blemishes in these lower budget films as being flawed but genuine. The Charles Theater showed audiences and future filmmakers that there is validity in films that have nothing to do with the formula/happy ending so prevelent in American film.
Mekas held open screenings at the theater looking for new talented directors/filmmakers. This was turned into a monthly social event with much success. By doing this he turned some audience members into critics and others into filmmakers. The theater transforms into a "Great Good Place" where the utopian ideology of the audience being a part of the energy of filmmaking itself is born. They are not the passive audience pawns of the films but are the parts and pieces that compose the film experience itself. The audience creates the film and owns it for it own sake. The Charles Theater manifested film making into an inclusive community of like-minded artist through freedom and equality. Films and filmmaking were drawn together as a single endeavor.
This equality also spelled the end for the Charles Theater. No one could tell who was the audience or the filmmaker so no one could sell the ticket to pay for the cost of business.
What were some of the characteristics of “Baudelariean Cinema”? Like the poets of the Symbolist Movement Charles Baudelaire inspired there was a desire to set free techniques of versification in film. Filmmakers wanted more artistic control with film style. That is they wanted a more free verse style of filmmaking. One that wasn’t tied down with restrictive production techniques. The director is the auteur. As in Charles Baudelaire’s poetry subject matter was open to each film maker’s interpretation. Like Charles Baudelaire’s life these taboo subjects were about drugs, sex, violence and decadence in the modern world. This cinema wants to evoke the audience rather than to simply entertain. It can be said that these films were the antithesis of the mainstream movies of the day. These films had very little inhibition and dealt with people on an almost primal level. These films attempted to be a truly free art form in which the point is to move the audience emotionally instead of simply profiting from them monetarily.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
week 1
For Andre Bazin, why did the "classical" period in Hollywood end in 1939?
By 1939 Hollywood was on the verge of a revolution. Filmmakers such as Orson Wells and William Wyler were involved in the regeneration of realism in storytelling. The new aesthetic is called “post classical”.
Why was Richard Dyer McCann optimistic about the future of the American cinema in 1962?
Films made for theatrical release had been given a new position. They were liberated from the studio and assembly line production. It now became a high risk business with the only certainty being sudden change. It’s main aim is to create “The Special Event”. It also created technological innovation and opportunities for socially conscious film making.
By 1939 Hollywood was on the verge of a revolution. Filmmakers such as Orson Wells and William Wyler were involved in the regeneration of realism in storytelling. The new aesthetic is called “post classical”.
Why was Richard Dyer McCann optimistic about the future of the American cinema in 1962?
Films made for theatrical release had been given a new position. They were liberated from the studio and assembly line production. It now became a high risk business with the only certainty being sudden change. It’s main aim is to create “The Special Event”. It also created technological innovation and opportunities for socially conscious film making.
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