Understanding Film - Recently Updated Pages

5. Open & Closed Forms

dbigue — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:41:24 CST

Key Terms and Concepts: (This should be detailed notes for your assigned section. This should also include reference images or diagrams for visual concepts. Links can be embedded as well for terms that may require further explanation.)

Closed form confines all the relevant information of a painting, or in our case a film, inside the frame. In opposition to this is open form, which instead allows the world of the painting, or film, to extend beyond the frame and occupy space that we, as the audience, cannot actually see.
http://monoursblanc.com/2008/11/29/seeing-mise-en-scene-defining-the-form-open-or-closed/

Open forms: usually used by realist filmmakers, tend to be stylistically recessive; emphasizes informal and unobtrusive compositions which seem to have no discernible structure and suggest a random form of organization; stresses simple techniques to be able to emphasize the immediate, the familiar, the intimate aspects of reality; images photographed in aleatory conditions; formal beauty is sacrificed for truth; frame tends to be deemphasized.
Closed forms: usually used by formalist filmmakers, tend to generally be self-conscious and conspicuous; emphasizes a more stylized design which can suggest a superficial realism discovered look that typifies open forms; emphasizes the unfamiliar which are rich in textural contrasts and compelling visual effects; tend to be more densely saturated with visual information; literal truth is sacrificed for beauty; the shot represents a miniature proscenium arch, with all the necessary information carefully structured within the confines of the frame.
Aleatory conditions: produce a sense of spontaneity and directness that would be difficult to capture in a rigidly controlled context.
Closed forms generally show all that is necessary within the frame, all mystery of setting, character, context are resolved with in the frame.

Bowling For Columbine, 2002

Dramatic action leads the camera in open form
In closed form, the camera anticipates the action
Anticipatory setups – camera is setup to anticipate movement of an action before it occurs; suggests predestination
Most films use both open and closed forms depending on specific dramatic context
Disadvantages of open form – sometimes seem sloppy, naïve, home-made, boring, ugly even
Disadvantages of closed form – can seem arty, pretentious, looks computer-programmed
An editor can portray violence by using diagonal and zigzagging lines, aggressinve colors, close-ups, extreme angle, harsh lihting contrasts, unbalanced compositions, movement of camera and/of subject and large shapes.
Filmmakers can vary emphasis sometimes stressing an image, movement, and sometimes sounds. Sometimes all three are used at one time.
Movies can seem uniteresting because the dominant is found elsewhere such as the music or editing.
Photography and mise en scene are merely two language systems of many. So an image must sometimes be restrained or less saturated with meaning than a painting or a still photo.

Iconographical-
1. a. pictorial illustration of a subject
b. the collected representations illustrating a subject
2. a set of specified or traditional symbolic forms associated with the subject or theme of stylized work of art.

Editing-
1. to assemble the components of (a film or soundtrack) as by cutting and splicing.
2. to eliminate; delete;
3. the joining of one shot (strip of film) with another. The shots can picture events and objects in different places at different times.

An example of analysis for the movie M:

Dominant: The balloon, the brightest object in the frame. When the photo is turned upside down and converted to a pattern of abstract shapes, its dominance is more readily discernible.
Lighting Key: Murky low key, with high-key spotlights on the balloon and the four main figures.
Shot and Camera Proxemics: The shot is slightly more distant than a full shot. The camera proxemic range is social, perhaps about ten feet from the dominant.
Angle: slightly high, suggesting an air of fatality.
Color values: The movie is in black and white.
Lens/filter/stock: A standard lens is used, with no apparent filter. Standard slow stock.
Subsidiary contrasts: The figures of the killer, the witness, and the two criminals in the upper left.
Density: The shot has a high degree of density, especially considering the shadowy lighting. Such details as the texture of the brick walls, the creases in the clothing, and the expressive faces of the actors are highlighted.
Composition: The image is divided into three general areas- left, center and right- suggesting instability and tension.
Form: Definitely closed: The frame suggests a constricting cell, with no exit for the prisoner.
Framing: Tight: the killer is trapped in the same territory with his threatening accusors.
Depth: The image is composed on three depth planes: the two figures in the foreground, the two figures on the stairs in the midground, and the brick wall of the background.
Character placement: The accusers and balloon tower above the killer, sealing off any avenue of escape, while he cowers below at the extreme right edge, almost falling into the symbolic blackness outside the frame.
Stagging positions: The accusers stand in a quarter-turn position, implying a greater imtimacy with us than the main character, who is in the profile postions, totally unaware of anything but his own terror.
Character Proxemics: Proxemics are personal between the foreground characters, the killer's immediate problem, and intimate between the men on the stairs, who function as a double threat. The range between the two pairs is social.

Review Questions: (Minimum of 5 critical thinking questions. Group should be able to respond to their own questions during their presentation)

What is the difference between the sacrifices of open and closed forms?
Why are aleatory conditions more suitable in open forms?
Would most documentaries be considered as open or closed forms? In what ways?
What are the 15 elements used to analyze systematic mise en scene in any given shot?
What creates dominace?

Reference Films: (Include title, year of production and reason for reference.

The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Italy, 1970):
This film was used as a reference to how open films have no discernible structure and suggest a random form of organization where objects and figures seem to have been found rather than deliberately arranged.
Space Cowboys (U.S.A., 2000):
This film was used as a reference to show how in open forms, aleatory conditions can produce a sense of spontaneity and directness that would be difficult to captured in a rigidly controlled context.. This shows that it is an open form because it is so tightly framed.

·Traffic (U.S.A., 2000), is an example of an open form film in which dramatic action leads the camera. The camera follows the actors making it seem that it’s what is happening on screen that is important not on the set.

· The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Italy, 1970) An example of open form films, certain stills from this film suggests a frozen instant of truth that are found not created.

· Space Cowboys (U.S.A., 2000) The photo in the book is in open form, it doesn’t give the whole picture and seems be shot arbitrarily.

· Training Day (U.S.A., 2001) An example of closed form. This shot is composed in how the clutter, the tattooed arms, the foreground enclose the main character, evoking a feeling of confinement.

· Full Metal Jacket (Britain/U.S.A., 1987) This film is used as an example of films that use both open and closed forms. The first shot (as shown) is an open shot that is not fully in frame, seems cut off, arbitrarily shot. The second shot of the same film (not shown) is considered closed form, it is formed in a way that shows an injured soldier around which 4 other soldiers gather around to help – provides a sense of camaraderie.

Links: (Minimum of 5 links with a brief description that relate to key terms, films, concepts, artisits, films, etc...)

4. Proxemic Patterns

dbigue — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:13:48 CST

Key Terms and Concepts: (This should be detailed notes for your assigned section. This should also include reference images or diagrams for visual concepts. Links can be embedded as well for terms that may require further explanation.)

Key Terms:

Proxemic Patterns-
Anthropologists Edward Hall’s discovered that Proxemic patterns (the relationships between objects) can be influenced by external considerations. People use space in 4 major Proxemic patterns:

1. The Intimate: (skin contact to about 18 inches)- love comfort and tenderness(ECU, CU)
2. The Personal- (18 inches to 4 ft.)- arm’s length away, reserved for friends rather than lovers (MCU-WS)
3. The Social-(4ft.-12ft.)-, impersonal business and casual relationships displays of emotion are bad taste. FS
4. The public- (12-25ft.) formal and rather detached- ELS

Filmmakers choice of shots is determined by the emotional impact of each proxemic patterns.
Greater the distance between the camera and the character, the more neutral we remain.

Intimate distance (extreme close shots): ranges from skin contact to about eighteen inches away. This is the distance of physical involvement- of love, comfort, and tenderness between individuals.

Personal Distance (medium close shot): Ranges roughly from eighteen inches to about four feet away. These distance tends to be reserved for friends and acquaintances rather than lovers or members of a family.

Social distance (medium and full shot): Ranges from four feet to about twelve feet. These are the distances usually reserved for impersonal bussiness and casual social gatherings.

Public distance (extreme long shot): Extend from twelve feet to twenty five feet and more. This range tends to be formal and rather detached. Displays of emotion are considered bad form at these distances.

the more distance between the camera and the subject the less emotionally attached

comedic scenes are generally more comical for a long shot, for if we are up close we tends to fear more for their safety

one of chaplin's most poweful close-ups its is an instance of vulnerablity
the direct chooses the shots which most accurtely conveys the emotional feeling of that scene
shot choices are not all ways determined by functional considerations

*** Long shots for Comedies, close-ups for Tragedies ***

Review Questions: (Minimum of 5 critical thinking questions. Group should be able to respond to their own questions during their presentation)

1. What is a personal distance shot and how is it used?

2. What the difference between a social distance shot and a public distance shot?

3. Why are long shot preferable for comedies?

4. How do proxemic patterns enhance a film?

5. How does distance affect the emotional involvement between the audience and the characters?

Reference Films: (Include title, year of production and reason for reference.

Like Water for Chocolate,(Mexico,1992)- this was chosen because it has many examples of intimate proxemic range. it shows the intimacy betweent the characters.

2. Return to Paradise (USA,1998)- this film was chosen because it has good examples of personal proxemic range. the characters are attracted to each other, but they respect each others personal space.

3.Your Friends&Neighbors (USA,1998)- this shows a good example of social proxemic range also, like on dates for example. it shows the social interaction between characters.

4. Zabriskie Point (U.S.A, 1970)- this film was used because it shows the social proxemic range. it shows the tension between the characters.

2. Compostion and Design

dbigue — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:09:34 CST

Key Terms and Concepts: (This should be detailed notes for your assigned section. This should also include reference images or diagrams for visual concepts. Links can be embedded as well for terms that may require further explanation.)

1.Dramatic context is usually the determining factor in composition ( The setting for dramatic work that includes the who, where, and when of an activity)

2. Film maker might throw off the visual balance to present an image that is more psychologically more appropriate.

3. The eye can detect as many as seven or eight major elements of a composition simultaneously.

4. The eye is guided to a certain area through use of a dominant contrast – the dominant.

5. After the dominant is taken in the eye scans thesubsidiary contrasts that the artist has placed there to act as
counterbalancing devices.

6. The dominant is usually movement or intrinsic interest.

7. Upper part of composition is heavier (see 2-17)
Landscape is seldom divided horizontally at the midpoint of a composition, or the sky would appear to opress the earth.

8. Space that exists in the diegesis but that is not visible in the frame. Offscreen space becomes significant when the viewer's attention is called to an event or presence in the diegesis that is not visible in the frame. Offscreen space is commonly exploited for suspense in horror and thriller films
Video for Off-screen space

9. Isolated figures and objects tend to be heavier than those in a cluster. (see 3-13)

10. Certain lines suggest directional movement.
Horizontal lines - left to right
Vertical lines - bottom to top
Diagonal or Oblique lines - tend to sweep upward.

11. Artists have favored skeletal structures such as S and X shapes, triangular designs, and circles because they are thought to be inherently beautiful.

Binary structures emphasize parallelism

Review Questions: (Minimum of 5 critical thinking questions. Group should be able to respond to their own questions during their presentation)

1. What can a director use to influence the audience to look at a certain point?

2. What are weights to visual artist?

3. Why are most weights located in the lower portions of the screen?

4. How would a director create visual confusion in an image?

5. What do lights and camera serve in a scene's mise en scene?

6. Why are certain objects in a scene emphasized and what do they do for the mood?

7. How do certain films create a certain mise en scene using lights, camera angles, and object placement?

8. How do mise en scenes help develop the character in the scene or movie?

Reference Films: (Include title, year of production and reason for reference.
Macbeth (USA/Britiain, 1971) The eye is first attracted to a dominant contrast that compels our most immediate attention. The eye is initially attracted to the face of the lady, which is lit in high contrast and is surrounded by darkness.

BIG(USA, 1988) Director overloads the compostion to produce a sense of visual chaos.

Okaeri(Japan, 1995) THe setting dominates most extreme long shots. Humans are dwarfed into visual unsignificance, making them appear unimportant and invulnerable.

Yojimbo(Japan, 1961) Isolated figures and objects ten to be heavier than those in a cluster.

The 400 Blows(France, 1959) An image composed of tense diagonals can suggest the character's inner turmoil.

Igby Goes Down(USA, 2002) Triadic compositions stress the dynamic interplay among three main elements.

The Decline of the American Empire(Canada, 1986) Circular compositions can suggest security, enclosure, the female principle.

Superman(USA/Britain, 1978) Director keeps hirozon above middle of the compositions because the top of the frame is so heavy.

Links: (Minimum of 5 links with a brief description that relate to key terms, films, concepts, artisits, films, etc...)
1. Balance in Composition
2. Fine Arts K-7: Glossary and Approaches to Instruction

Bigue's Additions
Composition and Design

Filmmakers are concerned with arrangement of shapes, colors, lines and textures on a flat rectangular surface.
Although balance is the norm in most human enterprise, in order to create a feeling of disequilibrium, many standard conventions of “Classical” composition are deliberately violated.
Variety of techniques can be used to convey ideas and emotions…visual methods, dialogue, editing, or acting. Whatever works is best.
The eye automatically attempts to harmonize the formal elements of a composition into a unified whole.
The dominant is that area of an image that automatically draws our attention because of a compelling contrast. The part of the image that stands out. Light or color can be used to create this emphasis. Visual interest corresponds with the dramatic interest of the story.
Subsidiary contrasts- visual artists knowingly structure their images so that the viewer will follow a specific sequence. The subsidiary contrasts are the objects your eyes scan to after the dominant.
Intrinsic Interest- implies that the audience through the context of the story, knows that an object is more important dramatically than it appears to be visually. Motion can also develop this.
Visual Confusion can come from having more than 8 or 9 compositional elements.
Weight- is a term used to describe balance of compositional elements.
We tend to scan images from the right to the left especially in Classical compostions and the top of the frame is “heavier” than the bottom.
Compositional forms can be used to emphasize symbolic concepts- 2 shots for couples, doubles, or shared space. Triadic comps stress dynamic interplay among 3 elements…Circular compositions = security, enclosure…
Design is fused with thematic idea or intent…form is symbolic

2. Mis En Scene

dbigue — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:05:32 CST

The objective of this chapter from Understanding Movies is to familiarize students with the terms and concepts of mise en scène and with the influence of style on compositional strategies, as well as to help students with analysis of the visual image.

Chapter 2 describes how two-dimensional framing, composition, and design affect the moving image. It also examines three-dimensional issues of territorial space, proxemic patterns, and open and closed forms. A filmmaker can manipulate the viewer’s attention by using contrasts, movement, narrative emphasis, and visual patterns. Using the illusion of three dimensional space, a director can position figures to suggest relative strength or weakness. The screen may be viewed as a window (open form) or as a framing proscenium arch (closed form).

While mise en scène is just as important to realism as it is to classicism and formalism, it is generally easier for students to perceive and discuss the self-consciously artistic visual designs of more formalistic films.

Mis En Scene- literally “placing on stage” refers to arrangemnt of all the visual elements of a theatrical production within a given playing area- the stage. And has 4 formal elements:
1. The physical setting and décor,
2. The staging of the action,
3. The manner in which these elements are framed.
4. The manner in which they are photographed

Team 1	Team 2	Team 3	Team 4	Team 5
The Frame	Composition & Design	Territorial Space	Proxemic Patterns	Open and Closed Forms

3. Territorial Design

dbigue — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:00:39 CDT

Territorial Space

Psychologists and anthropologists have studied how we are affected by space and therefore how it affects film… animals are territorial, we want our personal space, and when to crowded we feel stress, tension, and anxiety … can provoke aggression, violence and a battleRefers to the director’s use of volume and depth…spatial considerations
Directors want to avoid abstract, flat look in their compositions.
One crucial decision a director must make is to decide how much detail should be included in the frame or shot (how close should we get)
Territories have a spatial hierarchy of power- the amount of space an organizism occupies relates to the amount of control it has over its territory
Space is a principal medium of communication in film
Space = dramatic importance
A master of mis en scene can express shifting psychological and social nuances by with a single shot—by exploiting space between characters, the depth planes within images, the intrinsically weighted areas of the frame, and the directions the actors are facing.

Foreground/Midground/Background-

A technique directors use is to think of space in terms of Foreground, midground and background; this alters the dominant contrast of an image, serving as a qualifier that is subtle or conspicuous.
Whatever is placed in the foreground comments on the figure in the background…see image

5 Angles of View used in Filming Actors

1. Full Front-facing – the most intimate, addressing the camera is ultimate in intimacy
2. The quarter turn- gives emotional intimacy yet with less involvement. The quarter turn is the most favored position of filmmakers. It provides a high degree of intimacy but with less emotional involvement.
3. The Profile- more remote, character is unaware of being observed, lost in thought
4. The 3/4 Turn- more anonymous, unfriendly, antisocial, rejecting our interest.
5. Back to camera- suggests character’s alienation, concealment, mystery, we want to see more.\

Framing-

Tightly Framed- confined- close-ups-– spatial tension- exploit lines, the figures appear to be confined.
Loosely framed-They tend to suggest freedom/ wider shot

Review Questions

1. Why do some directors emphasize volume in images?

2. How much visual space are dominant characters given?
3. Which position is the most intimate
4. What can the amount of open space within the territory of the frame be used for?

Reference Films:

- The 400 Blows(France, 1959) View of character impeded by objects in foreground. EX: Anxiety and tenseness expressed through diagonal lines of a chain link fence in front of the protagonist.

- Big (USA, 1988) Overload of composition in a large amount of space to convey chaos.

- Igby Goes Down (USA, 2002) Protagonist is isolated on the left of the frame to show alienation away from family, seated on the right.

-The Blue Angel (Germany, 1930)- Chaotic and packed, swirling in smoke and clutters with tawdry ornaments. It is very full.

-THX 1138 (USA ,1971- Sterile and empty. A lot of space.

-Armageddon (USA, 1999)- Full front position can be confronting. Characters face the camera straight on.

-Leaving Las Vegas (USA, 1999)- The full frontal position used in this movie provides an intimate feeling, the faces can be viewed as visual landscapes.

-All or Nothing (Britain, 2002)- Three quarter shots were used in this movie and it tends to make us feel like voyeurs prying into the private lives of the characters.

Links:

Summary of Mise en Scene
Wikipedia: Mise en Scene
How to set up your camera
Whats love got to do with it movie

Film Analysis

dbigue — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:54:12 CDT

These are the are the films we have been discussing in class. All activites associated with a film should have a sub page organized under the tiltle of the film with its own title page and content.

1. Historical Background

dbigue — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:39:17 CDT

Lourenz Marie Balayan: PG. 218-219

In 1927, numerous of critics despised the sound for movies when the Jazz Singer happened in the "talkie era" because they believed it would ruin the "art of movies."

The Jazz Singer (USA, 1927):
directed by Alan Crosland shows the many experimentations in synchronous sound (image and sound were recorded simultaneously). Although it didn't stir with the public, Warner Brothers were able to break the sound barrier with the genre of musical. Nevertheless the movie was mostly silent, only due to Jolson's musical numbers and changes of dialogue that were in synch sound.

However, there never was a silent period for they had always been some kind of sound accompanying images of a movie.

Examples of movies accompanied by sound:

- In urban theaters, there would be a full orchestra playing in the background for general feeling

and spirit to the visuals.

- In small towns, a piano would be used

for the same intention.

- In common theaters, the "Mighty Wurlitzer" organ

was the standard musical background of sound.

At the time, the early "100% talkies" were visually boring.
Equipment then required (synchronous) recording of sound and image.
The camera stayed put in one place, so actors cannot go far from the microphone, and editing was restricted to the least possible function.
Therefore, the major source of meaning was the dialogue.

Nathaniel Epting: Pg. 220-221
Directors began to experiment with techniques. (Camera's were housed in soundproof blimp allowing the camera to move in and out of the scene quitetly; microphones with separate channels were placed on the set; overhead sound booms were devised to follow an actor on a set to allow the actor freedom to move around and still be heard).

Formalistic directors remained set to realistic sound recording. An example of such was Eisenstein who thought that synchronous sound "would destroy the flexibility of editing and thus kill the very soul of film art." (220). The problem was that using synchronous sound required more "literal continuity" and Eisenstein's technique (a lot of leaps in space and time) wouldn't fit well with synchronous sound.

Most directors of this sound era prefered nonsynchronous sound--alowing it to be used selectively as Rene Clair believed. Per Rene Clair, "The ear, is just as selective as the eye, and sound can be edited in the same way images can." (221) This allowed for the camera to explore "contrasting information" to the dialogue being heard--a technique the was used a lot by Hitchcock and Ernst Lubitsch. To prove his point, Clair made many musicals where songs replaced dailogue. Many of the scenes from his musicals, such as Le Million, were photographed without sound and the later dubbed when the montage sequences were completed. This technique the Clair used for his musicals became a major approach in sound film production because the musical wasn't trapped by the confinement that the stage provided.

PG.222-223

American Director, Lubitsch used sound and image nonsychronously to produce a number of witty cnical juxtopsitions.
- Example: "Beyond the Blue Horizon" sequence in musical Monte Carlo
- As the heroine sings cheerfully of her optimistic expectations there is a visual symphone of music and natural sounds in the background to create a brilliant example of montage in sound
Increased realism brought by sound forced acting styles to become more natural
- no need to compensate visually for lack of dialogue
- nuances through voice
- close ups added another advantage
  - could actually mutter something under their breath
In silent cinema titles used for dialogue would interupt flow of film
- some directors chose to dramatize visually as much as possible
  - villian showed by kicking a dog
  - heroine showed by halo over head

PG. 224
-In the movie The Magnificent Ambersons, Orson Welles uses sound Montage.
-In one scene at the ball, each dialogue of a certain group of characters over laps the next group and the cycle continues.
-The certain group is characterized by their sound texture. Each age group speaks in a different way .
-The actors do not take a cue, but instead shout at each other simultaneously, mimicking the fashion in which many people do fight.

some of the sound bites-Here are some of the audio from the movie in which you can see the people's arguments overlapping each other.

5_Sound Editing

dbigue — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:09:11 CDT

The Wonderful World of Sound!

In the opening scene there is a piano playing very long and causes the audience to get the feeling of a "gloomy" scenario that will soon take place
Also in the beining there is a series of sound effects- now you may be wondering what is the significance of the sound effects, and i will tell you.
Through sound effects amthcing the action on the screen, the action is emphasised and the sound makes the audience pay attention more closely to what is hapening. An example of this is in Requiem for a Dream. Everytime a character shoots up or become high, the process of how the character does so is shown through a series of fast cuts and sound effects. This symbolizes that the character is getting high and will be affected by drugs the next time we see them.
Also, the entire begining scene and establishing shots are told in voice over and this happens throughout the movie- why this is so i am not sure- maybe the characters couldnt speak french good or sumthing.
Also, one specific scene that cought my attention is the scne where they ar eint he doctos office and he is putting the little metal circle thing to her back and when he does so we can hear the heart beat. i think this is creative and unique.
Specific sound effects that caught my attention were:

The most noticable use of sound is in the diner when Amelie successfully hooks up Joseph and Georgette in the bathroom, and as they are in the bathroom together, Amelie is outside in the diner and she hears a persisent thud, and the sound is emphasized increasingly until the audience is fully aware of what the sound is coming from. So, the thuds are intially quiet and more mysterious, and eventually they become louder and more sexual, and gross.
The use of the classical music and specifically the accordian are extremely French, especially to a foregnier who is watching the film. The accordian sounds is a very typical French instrument that creates a French mood, it is a little romantic and facilitates the audiences feeling that they are in Paris. This use of music is used heavily in the begining to employ the establishing parameters.
sounds effects are used throughout the film as well and they are very formalistic. A specific scene i remember is when Amelie is very young and her father uses a stethascope to check her heart beat, and as soon as he puts it on her heart, we hear the fast heart beat and once he takes it off, the heartbeat is gone. This use of sound effects makes the audience become like the doctor/father because we hear directly the fast heart beat, which is a result of his taciturn personality and he doenst touch his daughter much so her heart races everytime he checks her heart beat.

Amelie- Film Analysis

dbigue — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:08:24 CDT

Here are the following sections to be researched on the film- in Class- Use the questions from the section in film analysis here:

http://chs.smuhsd.org/bigue/art_of_video/index/filmtextualanalysis.html

Each Pair should focus on 2-3 examples from the movie that are significant in terms of your area of focus.

1. Camera- Motion and Blocking
2. Mis En Scene-

3. Editing-
4. Visual Effects-
5. Sound Analysis-
6. Costume- set design-
7. Story- Writing
8. Ideology-
9. Director and Genre References
10. Historical and Social Context
11. Industry/Economic Impact.

9. Director And Genre References

dee027 — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:43:52 CDT

Johnny Ott
There are many Genre references throughout the film emphasize the type of film that is portrayed. THere are many scenes that show romance and humor making the film a romantic humor genre. For example, while at the Cafe, Amelie gets the couple to make love in the bathroom, which creates a romantic scene, while the use of sound and objects moving throughout the restaurants depicts what is really goin on the the bathroom, creating that humorous effect. Therefore making the film a romance mixed in with some humor. The Gnome traveling all over the world, is another example of humor throughout the piece, because of the use of personification that the director use s to create comedy in the film. There are many instances throughout the movie, in which personification is used to create humor and to help the character's with their situations. For example, when the photo was talking to the man that Amelie loves, it told him how pretty she was and her personality. This scene creates humor, because a picture will never talk to about a woman you love. Therefore, the film is a comedy with romance built into it.
Some references to the director, I think, is when the the characters were introduced in the beginning, showing that the director is trying to inform the audience the situation of each character and how they are involved in the film. As the narrator gives a description about each character, the character is looking towards the audience, showing that the emphasis is on them and they are not involved in the storyline of the movie yet.

Dee Yambao

Director
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a self-taught director who was very quickly interested by cinema. He started from directing TV commercials, to short movies, which later on won a Cesar for the best short movie. He would spend years by making every detail (scenario, costumes, production design) for his next films. In 1991, Jeunet took his first steps in a feature movie: Delicatessen (1991). It was such a success that it won 4 Césars including the awards for the best new director and the best scenario. In 2000, Jeunet came back to France in order to make a more personal movie. Thus he used a lot of different details he wrote everywhere during his life (and also recycled things he'd already done, e.g. in Foutaises (1989)) and shot his story mostly in the Parisian suburb of Montmartre where he lives. Then the result was Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) starring Audrey Tautou and Mathieu Kassovitz. With this movie Jeunet made the biggest worldwide success of French cinema history. A real magical potion, which won innumerable awards in the whole world including 4 Césars (therefore Jeunet won his fifth and sixth Césars!).

2_Mis En Scene

kdiaz1120 — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:34:04 CDT

By Karina Diaz and Jason Gomez
The sepia color saturation brings connotations of the past. The sepia also brings warm colors and these colors suggest a nostalgic, safer world.
The constant use of close ups add a sort of personal effect
Close ups also show that it is her story, like when you go throw the various shots of orgasms, but then you end with a close-up on her f ace, showing how it is notthe orgasms that are important, but her fondness of pondering on random questions which she somehow manages to answer.

The shots also vary in length – there are many quick shots that show randomness and rushing of the story and how her own life is rushed and hurried.
The quickness also represents scenes as part of her memory
There are a variety of shots, some looking down, like when she leads the blind man and describes as much as she can until she gets to the subway
Then there are upward shots, like when the woman is falling from the building and is eventually going to land on and kill Amelie’s mother.
There are also many neutral shots, like when the camera is looking at the shrine that Amelie’s father built forher mother as it passes through the seasons, showing the significant differences. For example, snow for the winter, dead leaves for the fall, flowers for the winter, and brightness for the summer.
The framing is definitely loose, giving Amelie much room to move around.
This is most evident when she helps the blind man through a crowded street, being his eyes by explaining as much as she can to him.

7_Writing/Story

mustafaburny — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:06:10 CDT

Narration

Amelie is partly told by an omniscient voice-over narrator and partly tells itself. The voice-over narrator introduces a character or summarizes a length of time in the character's life that the film skips over. For example, the voice-over narrator introduces Amelie, her parents, and other characters at the beginning of the film by relating a oddly humorous character trait. The voice-over narrator is also arranging the parts of the narrative in the order he sees fit. In essence, he is telling the story and letting Amelie’s voice come directly through--the film is told from Amelie's perspective.

Most of the film, however, is told through the dialogue between characters and the story therefore tells itself.

I think that other factors, such as camera motion and visual effects, helped reveal to us the conflicts that the characters were eperiencing and their responses to their problems. The fluid, active camera motion throughout the film added the energy/vibrant mood to the film, and visual effects such as showing Amelie's fiery orange beating heart when she sees her love, are much more engaging methods of informing the views of what's going on (instead of just Amelie saying, "I love him!"...)

Time

Time is manipulated in the film. The film begins with Amelie’s birth, summarizes briefly her childhood, than skips to her as a young adult, where the majority of the plot takes place. While it is presented chronologically, the pace of the movie and the lengths of the jumps in time change. For instance, the film briefly summarizes Amelie's early childhood, describing her supposedly "weak" heart and her mother's death. Then, the story arrives at Amelie's early adulthood and becomes more detailed.

The film is clearly formalistic.

8_Idealogy

CashMoney474 — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 19:35:57 CDT

Monica Fontaine

In Amelie its pretty easy to tell whos the good or bad guy. The good guys were:Amelie, The Glass Man, the crazy guy who was with Gina and georgette.

Amelie- She was the main character who mainly helped people, like the blind man and Georgette.
The Glass Man- He pretty much influenced everything Amelie did by his painting.

The crazy guy- He kind of showed what would happen if she didn't totally go for it.

The bad guys were: Well there weren't exactly any bad guys, but there weren't all good guys either.
For me to know whether or not Amelie and the director were connected I would've had to know something about the director.
Some cultural values that are shown are: helping those in need when you see it
Religion has its turn in the begining of the film where Amelie's mom dies after they light some candles for her unborn brother.
Sexual politics...sex in general is shown pretty often. But there isn't anything politicial about it. I think.
I'm pretty sure that there weren't any gay characters.

10_Historical and Social Context

Nathaniel — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:20:17 CDT

By: Lourenz Balayan and Nathaniel Epting

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

In the production of the film, filmmaker Jeunet explains that he originally wanted to write the role of Amelie for the British actress Emily Watson as he states in his commentary on the DVD edition.
In the original draft, Amelie's father was supposedly an Englishman living in London, but Watson's French was not strong, and when she become unavailable toshoot the film, owing to a conflict with another film called the Gosford Park, Jeunet rewrote the screenplay for a French actress -- Audrey Tautou who was the first actress to auditioned for the part.
The film had racism accusations such as from a critic named Serge Kaganski of les Inrockuptibles for its depiction and illustrations of an enormous unrealistic and picturesque vision of modern French society, which was something he considered a postcard universe of a bygone Franch with few people from ethnic minorities -- a type of lepénisme.
The critics argued that if the director was trying to form an idyllic vision of a perfect Paris then Kaganski thought that it was necessary to remove nearly all black people from the scene in order to do so.
- Jeunut dismissed such criticism by pointing out both that the photo collection contains pictures of various people from numerous ethnic backgrounds and that Jamel Debbouze who plays Lucien is of North African descent.
  
  Lucien (Jamel Debbouze)

There was a Cannes rejection of the film because selector named Gilles Jacob of the Cannes Film Festival characterizes the movie as "uninteresting" and therefore it wasn't screened in the festival even though the one he primarily viewed was an early cut without the music.
- Without the Amelie at the festival, it caused a sort of a controversy becuase of the warm welcome of the French media and audience in contrast with the reaction and opinions of the selecor.
This movie's plot also has a similarity to another short film made by the British in 1999 called The Photoman due to the central love sotry in which Amelie would meet her love interest who collects the discarded photographs from a photobooth.
This film was nominated for many awards due to its critical and commercial successes:
The awards it has won were:
- 2001- several European awards inlcuding the Best Film Award
- People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival
- Crystal Globe Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
- 2002- In France it won the Cesar Award for:
This film shows its difference from American films where the charactesr think only of themselves since Amelie's character is far more because of the way she evolved throughout the film because her good actions are timid at the beginning and through time her course of life changes and becomes more important.

Through Amelie's generosity she gains self-confidence and begings to think more about herself.
Her character is far too complex because it's through her actions to bring pleasure to others that she thinks more about herself for the conlusion of the film.

Amelie’s behaviour could be taken to be generous and charitable through actions she carries out. When she finds the box and returns it to his owner her charitable action moves her into wanting to do more charitable actions, thinking more about others than herself opening a way for critics to comment about it’s socialist nature at moments, working for the greater good of a community.
At other moments such as in the street when she helps the blind man by accompanying him along and recounts what is around him this act of charity could be seized upon as an act of kindness and charity, something which Christianity would look kindly onto.
It's evident through Amelie Poulain's streight to notice how it seems fascist because of the lack of any other ethnicity within the film, never do we see anyone other than white people in the film’s Paris. There is no mention of homo-sexuality therefore some critics may feel that it is a sign of fascist tendencies.

Social Context
Racism
-Amelie was criticized by critics such as Serge Kaganski for its unrealistic and picturesque idea of contemporary French society. He says that if the director was trying to create an idyllic vision of Paris it would be required to get rid of all the black people from the film.

4_Visual Effects

migue — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:10:22 CDT

Carlos Medrano

In the movie, we have lots of visual effects. the movie uses many visual effects that are credible and many others that are not. For example, we see many lighting and combination of colors in the movie that set up a desired mood in the audience.

we also see many effects that don't seem to be possible in real life. for example, when Amelie feels the lack of contact and love with her parents, she decides to play with her imaginary friends and we see a monster interacting with her. when we see this happen, we immediately know that this movie plays with reality.

another time we see the director play with visual effects is when Amelie uses her camera and looks up at the sky at the clouds and she sees animals forming in the clouds.

one of the most creative visual effects we see in the movie is when amelie's heart turns yellowish-orange as if it was on fire when she ees the guy at the train station. this visual effect lets us know of Amelie's emotions without her even saying a word of it.

Another creative visual effect on the movie is when Amelie helps the blind man and leaves him at the bus station, then his whole body lights up as if he has been saved by her because of her helping him "see" again.

11: Economic/Industry Impact

ikiely — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:07:27 CDT

Isabelle Kiely

Economic:
Production Budget: $10 million Domestic: $33,225,499 + Foreign: $140,696,455
= Worldwide: $173,921,954

Industry:
Special Effects:
Les Versaillais: “Un long dimanche de fiançailles” à “A Very Long Engagement”
Duboi: “Alexander”, “Kiss of the Dragon”, “Hannibal Rising”

Production Companies:
Claudie Ossard Productions

Bruno Delbonnel: “Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince”, “Across the Universe”, “A Very Long Engagement” (CINEMATOGRAPHER)
Aline Bonetto: “A Very Long Engagement” (PRODUCTION DESIGNER)

After Amelie, many of the major cast & crew went on to be involved in “A Very Long Engagement” (2004) (Tatou, Bonetto, Delbonnel).
Amelie was nominated for 5 Academy Awards: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

3_Editing

Jurassicdl3 — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:07:23 CDT

David Lewis and Craig Hartford

In the film Amelie there was lots of Jump cut were we cut right into a new shot after another without any other cuts like Cross dissolve to change shots. (Though the jump cuts in scenes like when Amelie takes the blind man across the street and tells him about each store they past created some great emotions in it.) Also within the quick jump cuts, a cut occurs mostly during dramatic sounds, such as the loud rumbling in the shop, and quickly jumping out to a quiet, calm scene.
Certain scenes that are a different color created a cretin feel to the film. During the flash backs the color of the video was black and white to give it a feel of like you are looking into his past through the persons mind. Also the opening sequence with Amelie as a kid, the color of it is sepia which gives it like something strange, and or altering the tone so that the audience can grasp a sence of difference from actual time in the shot.
Also in the film some other parts of the film that was edited was the speed of some of the scenes. In one of the scenes with Amelie the editor slowed down the speed of the clip and in the scene when Amelie walked the blind man around the editor speed up the clip to go along with what was happening. And also the clip where she was cutting out paper, they sped up the scene when she used the scissors to help boost the effect of time, and her rush to get the message out. The slowing down and speeding up the scenes chaged the mood of both scenes in the film.
One last thing in the editing that they did was the special effects with the things like the light coming of the key in Amelie pocket, the glow that came off of the old blind man, and the glow and the showing of the heart of Amelie. The special effect with the key gave some forshadowing that what Amelie is going to do. The special effect with the blind man gave kind of a feeling that the man is very happy. The special effect with the Heart could be that Amelie is kind of in love with the man she sees or he might love her. Also the special effects when Amelie turnes into water created some feeling that she is scared to talk to the person she likes. All of the special effects in the film created different feeling in the film.
Side note...the sound editing was pretty drastic in the film. The sound helped create the tone of the scene, like the rumble and bumps in the shop during the "bathroom" scene. And at times every little sound that could of possibly been heard in real life during that scene was heard. This helped enhance the reality of the film and bring the audience to be more into the film.

1_Camera-Motion and Blocking

caitlin24 — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:06:42 CDT

Like formalistic films, Amelie uses many different camera shots to hide or reveal details, create an effect, of make the shot personal.

The Film uses a wide variety of shots and motions make the movie more visually dynamic.Jeunet uses a wide variety of shots to keep the audience from getting bored and tired from a repetion, but also doesn't use too many to where the audience gets lost.

The common movement throughout the film is where the camera zooms in to represent a sense of acknowlegement. At the end of the clip shown it shows this movement as the character remains still, almost frozen, until it zooms then the shot continues and the character begins to move and continue her action.

The angles used give the audience a feel as if they are looking over the character. It makes it obvious that they aren't part of the scene, but more of over looking what is happening.

The use of camera motions assit in showing this effect by following the character. The camera constantly follows the character's motions, allowing the audience to see only what the character sees.Jeunet also uses many 360 pans, usually to show the point of view. The camera begins low and circles the character, while zooming in until it reaches the character's face. Once this happens it appears as if the character is looking into the camera, until it cuts to a shot of what she is seeing through her eyes.

There are so many creative shots in the movie, and almost all of these shots contain movement. This gives the camera a very active role in following her around. Example- when she is skipping stones, the camera startsbehind and above her, then moves all the way around her down to the edge of the water.
Another of the many creative things in this movie is the breaking of the vector line rule. The movie isn't necesarily created to make lots of sense, so when they jump across the vector line, it isn't particularly disruptive. Although they keep these to a minimun to keep the flow going. Example- when she is in the video store, the shots jump from side to side and front to back to show how confused she is in such a foreign place.
The camera work is sometimes purposely shaky- when showing time passing, or when the actors are looking at the camera (giving the impression it's like home-video). Example- The camera work is parts is shaky showing her grow up- it makes the video feel like it was a home video and it lets the time pass as she grows up more easily. The camera work is also shaky at the end, kind of a counterpart to the beginning, when they are riding his motorbike through the town. They both look at the camera and it again looks as if it is shot like an amatuer home video.
Another common thing in the movie was big scenery shots. For aesthetic content as well as for helping along the characterization of amelie or the knowledge of her surroundings. Example- when she is little and sits on the roof. we notice how alone she is, and when we look at the scenery around her, we know there are so many people that she could easily make more friends.

The creative examples go on forever, but the camera work is always very detail oriented, helping out the effect on the viewer and the plot in every way possible.

-By Mark C. and Caitlin C.

7. Genre and Myth

dee027 — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 23:02:55 CDT

Rachel Ajisaka Pages 381-382
Genres in their classical phase tend to portray a world where right and wrong are fairly clear-cut.
The contemporary cinema tends to favor genres that are revisionist that are less idealistic, more ambiguous morally, and far from reassuring in their presentation of the human condidtion.

Unforgiven (U.S.A., 1992) is a revisionist western whose grim protagonist, William Munny (Eastwood), is a hired killer, so lost in violence that he has doomed his soul.

The People VS. Larry Flynt(U.S.A.,1996)is a biography film, not of an admirable role model or moral exampler, but of a notorioius pornography and his zonked_out junkie wife.

Fargo (U.S.A., 1996) is a revisionist detective film that's loosely based on an actual police case.

Michael Corzonkoff: Pages 383-384
Revisionist - The genre is generally more symbolic, ambiguous, less certain in its values. This phase tends to be stylistically complex, appealing more to the intellect than to emotions. Often, the genre's preestablished conventions are exploited as ironic foils to question or undermine popular beliefs.
Parodic - This phase of a genre's development is an outright mockery of its conventions, reducing them to howling cliches and presenting them in a comic manner.

The best example for these key terms
The Great Train Robbery (1903) - The first western ever made, and an enormously popular movie with the public. It was imitated and embellished on for decades.
Stagecoach (1939) - One of the few westerns of that era to win wide critical approval as well as box-office success.
High Noon (1952) - One of the first revolutionist westerns, ironicly questioning many of the populist values of the genre's classic phase.
Wild Bunch (1969) - an aging group of outlaws hope to have one final score while the West is turning into a modern society
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) - One of Altman's typically naturalist films, the director has called McCabe an "anti-western film" because the film ignores or subverts a number of Western conventions.
All of the above films are examples of Revisionist films because they changed how people looked at life in the West.
Blazing Saddles (1973) - Is a satiric Western comedy film dircted by Mel Brooks. It was one of the first films to ever parady a genre as classic as a western. This movie demoslished many of the old ideas of the old western movies and as a result the spotlight faded from this preticular genre.

However genres do have a way of of springing back to life. Years later Kevin Costner's Open Range (2003) is an unabashedly classic bringing the real west back to life.
Early Revisionist films were Western. The early films such as the Great Train Robbey and Stagecoach made the West seem fun and exciting but then filmmakers took another turn toward the dark side of the west. The best example was Unforgiven(1992). The film had a cultural impact that the West was not as glamorus as prior films made it look. It made the West into a paranoid, bloody, fight to survive because everyone was worrying about doing onto others before they do onto them.
During the years of the Cold War the film industry began to turn and play off of the people's fears of communism. The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1953) was a wake up around America during that time. The movie came out as the "Red Scare" was reaching it's peak and the film examplifed what life would be like if we all surrendered to communism.
Movies that play off of people's fears and values are more likely to appeal to a larger audince. These films show the importance of every day life and it's nuances. Many factors affect the views of genres. Over the years these films have changed our outlook on life and reflect on the past and present values of their lives.

Karina Diaz: Pages 385-386

-Films tend to represent the needs and wants of people due to widespread situations. This is most apparent here:
Ø Jazz Age: dealt with violence and glamour of the Prohibition era
o Underworld (1927): A silent film that is seen as the first modern American gangster movie,
Ø Depression: -the harshest years showed the US loss of confidence in the government

o Little Caesar (1930): It is often called the grandfather of the modern crime film, with its quintessential portrayal of an underworld character that rebelliously challenged traditional values. Although it was not the first gangster film of the talkies era (that honor went to Lights of New York (1928)), it is generally considered the prototype of future gangster films.
Ø -In the last years of the depression, films were “pleas for liberal reform, arguing that crime is the result of broken homes, such as:
o Dead End (1937): One day in a slum area of New York, noted gangster Baby Face Martin, who grew up in the neighborhood, decides to come home to visit his mother and the girl he left behind when he was sentenced to reform school. While he is there, he hooks up with Dave Connell, a former friend who is now a struggling architect. At first Connell is a little disturbed that "Marty" is back in the neighborhood, but he goes along. Marty’s mother rejects him because of what he has become. He later sees his girl Francie, a prostitute in the throes of syphilis. All this drives Marty to kidnap the nephew of a prominent judge. When Dave finds out about this, he decides to take matters in his own hands and try to stop Marty’s plot.
Ø White Heat (1949): showed sexual neurotics after a time of no relations with women in films
Ø The Kefauver Senate Crime Investigations lead to confidential exposes of crime including:
o The Phenix City Story (1955): In the Alabama town of Phenix City, organised crime was rife, controlling the alcohol, gambling, prostitution and even stretching its insidious tentacles into the realm of the authorities and the police. Whenever honest citizens tried to rise up against this tide of corruption, they were beaten back down: quite literally. All this continued until lawyer Albert Patterson (John McIntyre) and his son John (Richard Kiley) accepted the pleas of a local group of concerned townsfolk, and Albert agreed to stand for office as Attorney General to stamp out the vice once and for all - but there would be great sacrifices to be made, including innocent lives.
Ø Vietnam and the Watergate Conspiracy served to numb the people as they showed the nation’s cynicism through:
o The Godfather (1972)and The Godfather Part II(1974): Vito Corleone is the aging don (head) of the Corleone Mafia Family. His youngest son Michael has returned from WWII just in time to see the wedding of Connie Corleone (Michael's sister) to Carlo Rizzi. All of Michael's family is involved with the Mafia, but Michael just wants to live a normal life. Drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo is looking for Mafia Families to offer him protection in exchange for a profit of the drug money. He approaches Don Corleone about it, but, much against the advice of the Don's lawyer Tom Hagen, the Don is morally against the use of drugs, and turns down the offer. This does not please Sollozzo, who has the Don shot down by some of his hit men. The Don barely survives, which leads his son Michael to begin a violent mob war against Sollozzo and tears the Corleone family apart.
Ø Once Upon a time in America (1984) captured what had become the traditional rise-and-fall of the genre while Pulp Fiction (1994) imitated the genre's conventions.
Ø OTHER FILMS: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982): Elliot (Thomas) is your normal boy, until one day, when he meets a little lost alien. Elliot decides to keep the alien, in which he gives the name E.T. Elliot works with E.T. in trying to find him a way to get back home. Elliot must make the difficult sacrifice. Whether to help his new friend or to lose him? Whatever the decision is, Elliot must keep him hidden, as someone else is out to look for him. “A film is a ribbon of dreams. The camera is much more than a recording apparatus; it is a medium via which messages reach us from another world that is not ours and that brings us to the heart of a great secret. Here magic begins.”
Sweet Hours (1982): It symbolizes Freud’s Oedipus complex and the Electra complex, where a son fights his father for his mother’s love.

______________________________________________

Danielle Danica Yambao: pgs. 387-388

One superficial layer of the unconscious is undoubtedly personal. It's called personal unconscious. But this personal unconscious rests upon a deeper layer, which does not derive from personal experience but is inborn. This deeper layer I call the collective unconscious...and the contents of the collective unconscious are known as archetypes.

Archetype
The primitive type, model, or pattern on which everything is formed.

When we see archetypes around us, they are images that can move us to tears or laughter or fear, without us knowing why. When you get that strange feeling and you don't know why it's affecting you, it's often because this archetypal language is talking directly to you.

-Many of these archetypal patterns are bipolar and embody the basi concepts of religion, art, and society: god-devil, active-passive, male-female, static-dynamic, and so on.

Archetypes in adventure movies are a critical aspect. This is why so many people watch these movies over and over again. An archetype has to consist of a few components. That is, the hero usually suffers a great loss or there is a big problem, which makes him set off on a quest. The hero generally has a person that he or she looks up to, who helps him on his quest. The hero must face a set of trials, which allow him to overcome evil. The hero escapes death and it is usually more than once. The hero escapes the evil villain's grasp or destroys him. The hero has flaws which make him or her human. The hero always has a sidekick, the movies are commercial and there always has to be a happy ending.

Pinnochio is a good example of how these elements of how these elements can emphasized rather than submerged beneath a surface realism.

Pinocchio (U.S.A., 1940), by Walt Disney

Some archetypal elements include a monster (the whale), magical transformations, a father's search for his lost son, supernatural creatures like a talking cricket, a son's search for his imprisoned father, and anthromorphized portrayal of nature, and a fairy god mother who rescues the improvident young hero when he fails to act responsibly.

Click here to learn more about archetypes, and archetypal movies.

"A story can be many things. To a producer it's a property that has no box-office value. To a writer it's a screenplay. To a film star it's a vehicle. To a director it's an artistic medium. To a genre critic it's a classifiable narrative form. To a sociologist it's an index of public sentiment. To a psychiatrist it's an instinctive exploration of hidden fears or communal ideals. To a moviegoer it can be all of these and more..."

6. Nonfictional Narratives

vancet — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:45:33 CDT

P 371-372- Caitlin Cande
Overview

- Formalistic editing in Mon Oncle d'Amerique

- Non-fictional Narratives

- Documentary/Avant-garde intro
- Documentary in-depth
- cinema verite- direct cinema- movement

(con't from formalistic narratives)
An example of formalistic narrativeis Mon Oncle d’Amerique- it uses Goddard’s essay form, combining elements from documentary and avant-garde style with fiction. Combining fiction with nonfiction, he discusses stuff from what would be Psychology 101. With autonomous, self-directing, characters who barely understand their dilemmas, he comments on human behavior, biology, behavior-modification theories etc. ‘In a kaleidoscope of shifting perspectives’, he doesn’t tell a story, or not in the fictional sense, he mixes different things from all different themes of the characters lives.

Non-fictional Narratives
Documentary- non-fictional, usually doesn’t tell a story, or not in the fictional sense- structured without a plot- story is often structured to a theme or argument
Avant-garde – structured without a plot- non-fictional- usually doesn’t tell a story in the fictional sense- story is often a matter of the filmmaker’s subjective instincts. More abstract films- the point is not necessarily to tell something, but focus on the beauty of something (often film) itself.
Documentaries are reporting on current world, not creating a different world. Many documentaries keep structure simple and unobtrusive, as not to detract from the truth of the movie with emotions in the editing. They want their version to be just as random as life. Just like realism and formalism, although documentarists would say they focus on content not style.
Cinema verite- direct cinema- movement in documentaries in the 1960’s – television crews needed video quickly and efficiently so new technology developed and the new philosophy of truth in documentary cinema. (cinema verite example and explanation)

JFK (USA, 1991), with Kevin Costner written and directed by Oliver Stone- Historical account of president, but all history emits details and embellishes some. Film was told from DA Jim Garrison’s point of view- offers a possible explanation for a national tragedy that was never fully explained to the public.

pg. 373-374 by Jason Gomez

Because of the need to capture news events quickly, like for docummentary pieces or breaking news, reporters' equipment evolved. The equipment included the following:

A lightweight 16-mm camera which enables the cinematographer to move with ease

Flexible zoom lenses, which allows the cinematographer to go from 12-mm wide-angle positions to 120-mm telephoto positions in one adjusting bar

New fast film stocks, permitting scenes to be photographed without the need to set up lights

A portable tape recorder, allowing a technician to record sound directly in automatic synchronization with the visuals

This equipment is so easy because only two people are needed; one person with the sound and one with the camera.

Zoom Lens- a lens of variable focal length that permits the cinematographer to change from wide-angle to telephoto shots in one continuous movement, often plunging the viewer in or out of a scene rapidly.
Wide-Angle Lens- a lens that permits the camera to photograph a wider are than a normal lens. A side effect is its tendency to exaggerate perspective. Also used for deep-focus photography.
Telephoto Lens- a lens that acts as a telescope, magnifying the size of objects at a great distance. A side effect is its tendency to flatten perspective.
Fast Film Stocks- Film stock that's highly sensitive to light and generally produces a grainy image. Often used by documentarists who wish to shoot only with available lighting.
Synchronized Sound- The agreement or correspondence between image and sound, which are recorded simultaneously, or seem so in the finished print. Synchronous sounds appear to derive from and obvious source in the visuals.

Welcome to Sarajevo (Britain/U.S.A., 1997), based on the true story of some British and American journalists covering the Bosnian was in Sarajevo, in what used to be Yugoslavia. The reporters use hand held cameras and tape recorders.

Monica F pg. 375-376

In these few pages they mentioned lengthy takes. Lengthy takes are when shots are taken in real time and not much sound. Editing was usually kept to a minimum. Cinema verite also uses sound minimally. Usually off-screen narration is added. Soviet filmmaker Dziga-Vertov, who was a propagandist, believed that the veiwers should have an ideological perspective. He wrote, "Art, is not a mirror which reflects historical struggle, but a weapon of the struggle.".

Film References:

The Kid Stays in the Picture (USA 2002) with Robert Evans, directed by Brett Morgan and Nanette Burstein. This film is based on Evan's version of what had happened, not including other peoples perspective. An autobiography.

Vance Thorsen pg.377-378

Most avant-garde movies are so unique that it's hard to generalize what one is about. Most don't even tell a story. Most avant-garde artists are more concerned with showing their "inner impulses", their personal and subjective involvements with people, ideas and experiences. they tend to be hard to understand for most audiences because they can create their own language and symbolism. Most avant-garde films aren't written down because the director is also shooting and editing the film. Avant-garde filmmakers like to see spontaneity and chance in the film, so writing out the film would lose this in the film.

One of the main differences between avant-garde and more traditional narratives is that they tend to be more "vertical". this means that they go deeper into what the film is trying to get across to the audience. They are not so much concerned with moving the story forward, like the "horizontal" films. Some avant-garde filmmakers refuse to use any recognizable subject matter. For example, Hans Richter refused to use any narrative. He used just abstract designs and shapes to makee his "absolute film". This was the idea that film should be like art and music, and be left up to the audience to interpret it they way they want.

Hans Richter - Rhythm 23