Film Studies Essay
I am writing this essay to demonstrate my knowledge on the production context of films, my essay will include: the origins of cinema, the Hollywood studio system, the emergence of new Hollywood in the 70's and also contempory Hollywood as well as what is happening in the British film industry. I will also be mentioning films from these eras to illustrate my points and to demonstrate my knowledge and understanding of the context.
The first subtitle I am going to be discussing is the origins of cinema and Hollywood. The idea of the cinema that we know today, all began with the development of photography and creating moving images in the 1800's. One of the first photographers to develope moving images was Eadweard Muybridge, when he photographed a horse in motion using 24 individual cameras. As the horse ran past each camera the camera took a still image of the horse in motion. These images could be put together to create the illusion of motion using a Zoetrope or Stroboscope. These revolutionary inventions were the foundations for the modern cinema that we know today. In 1888 Louis Le Prince filmed the first ever known celluloid film "The Round Hay Garden Scene" which amazed everyone who watched it Louis Le Prince is known today as the father of cinema.
With these huge developments in technology more and more people were becoming interested in moving images and were starting to make there own. Eventually, by the 1890's technology had developed to be able to record live action on film. This development was thanks to Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope and WKL Dickson's Kinetograph in 1981. At this time early films could only be screened to one person at a time through a Peep-show machine, these machines spread all over Europe and proved a great success. Cinema was expanding quickly and by 1895 the Lumiere brothers, Louis and Auguste from France, invented the Cinematographe. This machine took images and allowed them to be screened to and audience in Paris. At the same time in Britain Robert W. Paul was developing a projector for screening moving pictures to group audiences, which he then did. The 1800’s was a key era of the development of modern cinema. Early movies were just minute long, single scene novelties of camera tricks, everyday life, sporting events of slapstick comedies with no editing or camera movement, but still managed to wow audiences. Audiences were shocked and terrified by a steam train moving towards the camera as they though it was going to burst through the screen. However the novelty was enough to spread cinema around the world by the end of the 1800’s.
It is safe to say that the reel origins of the film industry lye with the invention of the Kinetoscope peep-show parlours before projectors took off. Ealry film producers such as the Lumieres, Charles Pathe and Cecil Hepworth sent cameramen all over the world to make films because of the constant demand for new films. The Frenchman George Melies was the first to start creating fiction films by using trick and visual effects in the late 1890’s, These visual effects confused and amazed audiences all over the world. Film production was high as audiences kept demanding new films but buying the films was way too expensive for film exhibitors. The USA’s film industry mainly flourished in the east. Film exchanges found a way to solve the financial problems by buying films from the producers then renting them to Nickelodeons. This was called the invention of film distribution.
Films were still very basic by the early 1900’s and were still silent with a pianist’s music over the top; it wasn’t for many years that actual dialogue was introduced. Producers began to notice that certain film types (or genres) were more popular than others and so the producers started to cater for specific audiences. They also noted certain actors such as Florence Lawrence and Mary Pickford. These actors became increasingly popular with the more films they were in. They started getting paid to be in films and so the film star was born. Film language also began to develop as audiences demanded more than just everyday life and novelty. The use of close ups and point of view shots started to make film more interesting instead of just using long and wide shots. Editing to create meaning and transitions between shots became more common. The Life of an American Fireman was a film created in 1903 by Edwin S. Porter and was one of the first to cross cut shots to create drama.
The Great Train Robbery is a 1903 American Western film by Edwin S. Porter. Twelve minutes long, it is considered a milestone in film making, expanding on Porter's previous work Life of an American Fireman. The film used a number of innovative techniques including cross cutting, double exposure composite editing, camera movement and on location shooting. Cross-cuts were a new, sophisticated editing technique. Some prints were also hand colored in certain scenes. DW Griffiths is acknowledged as the pioneer of full length feature films and developed film storytelling techniques through camerawork. The Birth of Nation 1915 was one of the first ever features and the first ever blockbuster.
The motion picture patent company (MPPC) was a group of producers who tried to control the film industry by patenting their technologies and charging people to use their projectors, cameras etc. This group was largely European and included Edison, Biograph and Melies. The MPPC was outlawed in 1915 but had 2 effects. Most films were still being made in Europe due to many MPPC companies being based there. 1200 films that were released in the USA in 1902 only made a third of the profit made in Europe, which is far different compared to what happens today. Film makers trying to evade the MPPC headed off to the west coast of the USA. Including: Warner Bros, Carl Laemle (Universal) and Marcus Loew (MGM). This was the birth of Hollywood. As well as escaping the MPPC Hollywood had other factors that suited the fledging film studios permanent sunshine, wide open spaces, easy access to the ocean, deserts and mountains. California was only a small town when the big studios were being established, but now Hollywood which was only a small district of California was becoming the capital of the world.
Monday, 18 October 2010
Friday, 15 October 2010
video interview questions
Video Interview Questions
Hello and welcome. My name is Gareth Gorvin reporting for Sky News. Join me today as I enter the home and the heart of Callum Brennan, A vocalist the upcoming 6 piece metal/hardcore band from Essex. In this interview I am going to be finding out about Callum’s role in the band and also about the band’s first E.P 'Summits'. You can find Circle The Sky on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.
Hello Callum! And welcome to Sky News. How are you today?
Starting off, Callum you have not been in Circle The Sky from its very beginning, could you tell us a bit about your role in the band, and how the opportunity to be in the band came about?
Did you have to do some sort of audition?
Was there much competition?
What actually happened?
Well you’ve been in the band now since… and played countless times in front of many different audiences, do you still get as nervous before a show as you did when you first joined the band?
How do you prepare for a show?
Do you feel more relaxed now on stage?
Are you looking forward to your next show? When is it?
So somewhere quite local then, would you say that you prefer playing to audiences that already know your songs, or do you prefer playing in new venues to new audiences to potentially recruit new fans?
Are you happy with how the band is doing? where do you see Circle The Sky in a few years time?
Does being in Circle The Sky take up a lot of your time? What do you like doing when your not at band practise or whatever?
Do you have a daily routine? Take us through a day in the life of Callum Brennan, the amazing vocalist of Circle The Sky.
well, lets talk about 'Summits, 'How long did the E.P take to record? when did you start recording?
how did u come up with the title of the E.P, does 'Summits' have a relevant meaning or is it just a cool sounding word?
Can you tell us a little about 'Summits' musically, and what to expect from it?
There are plenty of bands out there with a similar sound to Circle The Sky, but who to you stands out as the band’s main influences?
are you happy with 'Summits'? what could you maybe improve and what do you need to work on?
What would people need to do to get a copy of the 'Summits' E.P?
I have a copy of 'Summits' with me here, it comes in this nifty little plastic sleeve. You can order a copy of Circle The Sky’s ‘Summits” E.P from CircleTheSky.bigcatel.com or get in touch with them directly via facebook twitter or youtube and one of them will sort you out with a copy. In the mean time you have been watching Gareth Gorvin reporting for Sky News. Thank you very much Callum, and thank you for inviting me into your lovely home. That’s all from me, Goodbye!
Hello and welcome. My name is Gareth Gorvin reporting for Sky News. Join me today as I enter the home and the heart of Callum Brennan, A vocalist the upcoming 6 piece metal/hardcore band from Essex. In this interview I am going to be finding out about Callum’s role in the band and also about the band’s first E.P 'Summits'. You can find Circle The Sky on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.
Hello Callum! And welcome to Sky News. How are you today?
Starting off, Callum you have not been in Circle The Sky from its very beginning, could you tell us a bit about your role in the band, and how the opportunity to be in the band came about?
Did you have to do some sort of audition?
Was there much competition?
What actually happened?
Well you’ve been in the band now since… and played countless times in front of many different audiences, do you still get as nervous before a show as you did when you first joined the band?
How do you prepare for a show?
Do you feel more relaxed now on stage?
Are you looking forward to your next show? When is it?
So somewhere quite local then, would you say that you prefer playing to audiences that already know your songs, or do you prefer playing in new venues to new audiences to potentially recruit new fans?
Are you happy with how the band is doing? where do you see Circle The Sky in a few years time?
Does being in Circle The Sky take up a lot of your time? What do you like doing when your not at band practise or whatever?
Do you have a daily routine? Take us through a day in the life of Callum Brennan, the amazing vocalist of Circle The Sky.
well, lets talk about 'Summits, 'How long did the E.P take to record? when did you start recording?
how did u come up with the title of the E.P, does 'Summits' have a relevant meaning or is it just a cool sounding word?
Can you tell us a little about 'Summits' musically, and what to expect from it?
There are plenty of bands out there with a similar sound to Circle The Sky, but who to you stands out as the band’s main influences?
are you happy with 'Summits'? what could you maybe improve and what do you need to work on?
What would people need to do to get a copy of the 'Summits' E.P?
I have a copy of 'Summits' with me here, it comes in this nifty little plastic sleeve. You can order a copy of Circle The Sky’s ‘Summits” E.P from CircleTheSky.bigcatel.com or get in touch with them directly via facebook twitter or youtube and one of them will sort you out with a copy. In the mean time you have been watching Gareth Gorvin reporting for Sky News. Thank you very much Callum, and thank you for inviting me into your lovely home. That’s all from me, Goodbye!
Location finders Checklist, video interview.
Video Interview
Location Finders Checklist:
Location 1: East Bergholt, Gandish Road,
Purpose: Filming POV shot entering subjects house.
Safety Hazards: Traffic.
Pedestrians.
Tripping hazards.
ETC.
Safety measures: Make sure there is no traffic about when filming.
Be aware of pedestrians.
Be aware of tripping hazards.
Time of Shoot: Midday, Saturday 23rd October 2010.
Location 2: East Bergholt, Gandish Road, In the subject’s home, Exact address unknown.
Purpose: Recording the interview.
Safety Hazards: Tripping Hazards.
Dogs.
Staircase.
Safety measures: Be aware of tripping hazards
Be aware of dogs; maybe lock them in another room.
Be aware of staircase.
Time of shoot: Midday, Saturday 23rd October 2010.
Location Finders Checklist:
Location 1: East Bergholt, Gandish Road,
Purpose: Filming POV shot entering subjects house.
Safety Hazards: Traffic.
Pedestrians.
Tripping hazards.
ETC.
Safety measures: Make sure there is no traffic about when filming.
Be aware of pedestrians.
Be aware of tripping hazards.
Time of Shoot: Midday, Saturday 23rd October 2010.
Location 2: East Bergholt, Gandish Road, In the subject’s home, Exact address unknown.
Purpose: Recording the interview.
Safety Hazards: Tripping Hazards.
Dogs.
Staircase.
Safety measures: Be aware of tripping hazards
Be aware of dogs; maybe lock them in another room.
Be aware of staircase.
Time of shoot: Midday, Saturday 23rd October 2010.
Video Interview Synopsis and Treatment
Synopsis For Video Interview
For my Video Interview I am going to be interviewing a member of a local band, Circle The Sky. The main purpose of the interview is the promotion of the band and their First E.P. I will be interviewing my subject using colloquial language in my questions, and I will be delivering them with a friendly and well-structured approach. I have thought of an appropriate intro to the interview, in which I will use clips of the bands live performances. Which are already recorded. The location I have chosen to conduct the interview is in my subject’s house, most likely in a conservatory or in a recording studio. The questions that I am aiming to be answered are: “When is the next show?” General questions about the E.P and its release.
Treatment For Video Interview
I have planned out the location, introduction and conclusion of my interview. I am going to open the interview with a montage of the band performing, which I am going to talk over and say a rough introductory statement which will include facts about the band and an introduction to the interview itself. I am then going to film a POV shot running from the street into my subjects house to where I am going to be interviewing the subject. I will speed this up in the editing so it looks distorted. The camera will then show a 2 shot of me and the subject and the interview will begin. I am going to film my interview using a stationary camera. I am planning the interview to last about five minutes; the camera will then zoom back out of the house, in the same way it entered. To finish the interview I am going to have the camera fade into black and then I will do a talk over a black screen with the band’s logo. The interview will then end. When i film the interview i may position some guitars or posters in line of sight.
For my Video Interview I am going to be interviewing a member of a local band, Circle The Sky. The main purpose of the interview is the promotion of the band and their First E.P. I will be interviewing my subject using colloquial language in my questions, and I will be delivering them with a friendly and well-structured approach. I have thought of an appropriate intro to the interview, in which I will use clips of the bands live performances. Which are already recorded. The location I have chosen to conduct the interview is in my subject’s house, most likely in a conservatory or in a recording studio. The questions that I am aiming to be answered are: “When is the next show?” General questions about the E.P and its release.
Treatment For Video Interview
I have planned out the location, introduction and conclusion of my interview. I am going to open the interview with a montage of the band performing, which I am going to talk over and say a rough introductory statement which will include facts about the band and an introduction to the interview itself. I am then going to film a POV shot running from the street into my subjects house to where I am going to be interviewing the subject. I will speed this up in the editing so it looks distorted. The camera will then show a 2 shot of me and the subject and the interview will begin. I am going to film my interview using a stationary camera. I am planning the interview to last about five minutes; the camera will then zoom back out of the house, in the same way it entered. To finish the interview I am going to have the camera fade into black and then I will do a talk over a black screen with the band’s logo. The interview will then end. When i film the interview i may position some guitars or posters in line of sight.
Friday, 1 October 2010
Scripts
A 3 minute interview in the style of /T4.
ME: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, Hello.
RICKY and STEPHEN: Hello,
ME: Wow, in unison.
STEPHEN: Well, we are pretty formal now, now we're directors.
ME: And the film is called 'Cemetery Junction', for people who know nothing about it, can you just tell us what it is about?
RICKY: well, its about a group of 20 somethings growing up in the early seventies, and its about wether they can sort of escape that small town stifling mentality. We're trying to make a soft of British 'Saturday Night Fever'.
ME: With the actors, for most of them its their first real film. Do you feel as if you're sort of father figures?
STEPHEN: Erm, we feel as if we're sort of working with a new band or something, you know, they've got all the talent they can lay the instruments and write the songs but we want to make sure they king of, don't go off down the wrong road.
RICKY: He's like Louie Walsh and I'm Simon Cowel
ME: Haha Wow.
RICKY: this is a real film you know, its not us doing an hour and a half of TV comedy, we want this to be a film making experience.
STEPHEN: The film has like comedy in it but we also wanted drama and romance you know.
RICKY: There was a on screen kiss between me and Stephen but we had to cut it because i through up.
ME: So when will the film be showing in cinema's?
STEPHEN: it should be in cinemas erm, within a couple of months.
ME: Cool. Erm let's talk about your past, about The Office. I'm sure you're fed up of being asked about it. But, do you feel your comedy has moved on since then, and how?
RICKY: Well, it has been hard to move on from the office. i mean it will always be a massive hit. But, yeah with these new films we are trying to move away from the comedy of the office and try something new, you know.
ME: Yeah, well i think we'll leave it at, that thank you very much, its been great talking to you both, i look forward to seeing the film.
STEPHEN and RICKY: Thank you.
ME: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, Hello.
RICKY and STEPHEN: Hello,
ME: Wow, in unison.
STEPHEN: Well, we are pretty formal now, now we're directors.
ME: And the film is called 'Cemetery Junction', for people who know nothing about it, can you just tell us what it is about?
RICKY: well, its about a group of 20 somethings growing up in the early seventies, and its about wether they can sort of escape that small town stifling mentality. We're trying to make a soft of British 'Saturday Night Fever'.
ME: With the actors, for most of them its their first real film. Do you feel as if you're sort of father figures?
STEPHEN: Erm, we feel as if we're sort of working with a new band or something, you know, they've got all the talent they can lay the instruments and write the songs but we want to make sure they king of, don't go off down the wrong road.
RICKY: He's like Louie Walsh and I'm Simon Cowel
ME: Haha Wow.
RICKY: this is a real film you know, its not us doing an hour and a half of TV comedy, we want this to be a film making experience.
STEPHEN: The film has like comedy in it but we also wanted drama and romance you know.
RICKY: There was a on screen kiss between me and Stephen but we had to cut it because i through up.
ME: So when will the film be showing in cinema's?
STEPHEN: it should be in cinemas erm, within a couple of months.
ME: Cool. Erm let's talk about your past, about The Office. I'm sure you're fed up of being asked about it. But, do you feel your comedy has moved on since then, and how?
RICKY: Well, it has been hard to move on from the office. i mean it will always be a massive hit. But, yeah with these new films we are trying to move away from the comedy of the office and try something new, you know.
ME: Yeah, well i think we'll leave it at, that thank you very much, its been great talking to you both, i look forward to seeing the film.
STEPHEN and RICKY: Thank you.
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Notes
question types and examples
Opening question: How are you? How did you get here? Have you had a good weekend?
Closed question: Do you like.... Peanuts? how old are you?
Single question: What is your favourtie film?
Multiple question: What artist is your biggest influence in your music and why?
Suggestive question: Why is college boring?
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian. He is widely known as host of The Daily Show, a satirical news program that airs on Comedy Central.
BBC Interviews
T4 Interviews
Opening question: How are you? How did you get here? Have you had a good weekend?
Closed question: Do you like.... Peanuts? how old are you?
Single question: What is your favourtie film?
Multiple question: What artist is your biggest influence in your music and why?
Suggestive question: Why is college boring?
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian. He is widely known as host of The Daily Show, a satirical news program that airs on Comedy Central.
BBC Interviews
T4 Interviews
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