End of The Year Reflection

One thing I learned a lot from this year was the research script. I learned a lot about film analysis and overall history. I think my strengths are in film analysis during the script component. I have found that I am good at finding similarities between movies and exploring the themes of films. I found that I was good at describing symbolism and motif in both the films I researched. I definitely need more training when it comes to film history and technique. I do not know much about genre differentiations and terms and that caused me to struggle a little bit. I wished i could've learned more about cinematic technique and the vocabulary that that entails. I wish we could cover more of this in class and i feel like that would have helped me better get a grip on what we were learning.

I also felt that the Oral project helped me a lot and taught me new things I didn't previously know. As with the research script i felt that i had strengths in analyzing scenes and events from a storyline perspective. I was able to dive into the plot of the film and take what i found and use it to my advantage. I felt that it was easy for me to analyze symbols that were used in the film and apply them to the Oral. I  was also able to tie in the historical context to the Oral and I felt that those blog posts that we did helped me gain that knowledge and background information. As with the research script, I wish I knew more about the specific film techniques and genre styles. I'm sure we covered them in class; it must have gone over my head/ i might have been spacing out. I wish I had payed more attention to when these techniques and terms were introduced.

I learned a lot about production this semester. I was once again reminded how bad it is to wait until the last minute to get work done for your project. I need to work on my procrastinating and get started on things earlier. I learned more this semester about camera work and filmed a few more of the shots on this project then on the previous one. I usually take the role of director and i wished that i had branched out and tried different roles rather than stick to one. I did learn and practice more editing this semester as well and was able to put the rough cut of our film together. I don't think there is anything anyone else could do to help me with this it was just a personal choice i made throughout the year. Overall, I had a great year and learned many new things about film and cinematography that i didn't previously know.

Research Script Reflection

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qpfttKXrj10Y_uY3GShuHQ_Bt-IRc_Y02vuy5FOOrC0/edit?usp=sharing

For my first time writing a research script, I don't think i did too poorly. While discussing genre topic, I felt that I managed to stay relevant and on track. I backed up my claims with evidence and used cultural reference to support my thoughts and ideas. I felt that i lacked with film technique and used little to no exact technical terms. If i ever write a research script in the future i will make it a habit to to further cinematic research.

I felt that I managed to engage the target to the best of my ability. I provided interesting background and visual that combined with complex and constructed ideas to inform and educate the audience. I didn't dwell on one subject or theme for too long and kept the structure of the piece rather progressive. I provided more than enough information and detail to leave the target engaged and interested. In the future I could add more variation as I tend to repeat a few scenes in the final product.

I didn't cite many, if any, sources in the finished script and i regret doing so. It is important to have various opinions tied together in one piece otherwise the final outcome becomes completely singular. In order for a research script to become credible. It must contain various perspectives and evaluate every side of the spectrum in order to assess a theme or topic. I will need to do more research next time and incorporate it into my script rather than relying on my own thoughts and opinions. This was hard in the first place because I ended up picking a film with a small amount of related articles and info. It was also based on a true story so articles involving the real "Ip Man" were more common.

I believed I was exemplary in describing the visual and audio renditions of my script. Each scene I mentioned would be easy to single out and add to the finished project if one was made. I described scenes in ways that were easy to distinguish from one another and I coupled them with audio soundbites and descriptions that matched. One thing I could do that would make the script even more organized would be to insert specific quotes from the scenes where needed.

All the scenes I used matched the audio descriptions they were paired with. None of the shots seemed out of place or awkward and they complimented the vocals. I described scenes as they played out and not too far behind or too far forward from their appearance. I think overall I did a good job in writing my first research script. As previously stated I wished that I had added more outside sources and explored more technique in my analysis of both films.

Symbolism in The City of God

A variety of topics are covered in The City of God. One main topic covered is that of the life in the slums of Brazil, but not just on the surface. The film covers the stories of many different figures and how they represent the mindsets of the differing citizens that live in these slums. Each character represents a specific approach to living life in the favelas.

These characters also hold the different personas of those living in the area. For example, Lil Ze' represents the forceful approach and how a supreme desire for power leads to hopelessness. In a search for power, Lil Ze' underestimates his enemy and ends up dying as a result of it. He can represent individuals that are blinded by their own desires.




Additionally, Characters like Ned symbolize how one can become consumed by a culture or way of life. We see in the beginning of the film how Ned chooses to stay away from the expected violent and criminal lifestyle that is expected for him. As time goes on though, he gets sucked in and becomes the very thing he said he wouldn't. This leads him to his overall downfall.


For my personal research project I would like to cover and analyze how characters are used as symbols in other films. I want to see if I can draw a parallel from another movie to this one. I will focus on how characters represents not only an individual but a group of other individuals as a whole.

City of God: Portrayal of Violence

In the Brazilian movie “The City of God” Crime and violence are two major reoccurring themes. In order to better understand the movie and its underlying themes we must understand why violence and crime play such important roles in the plot and narrative. Jennie Carlsten has written an article that greatly clarifies the importance and role violence plays in the film. There are a few major points to cover and the following blog post is dedicated to covering said points and analyzing them. One major question is:

How is crime portrayed?


 
“Crime is, in the early segments of the film shown as a direct response to poverty.”

In the film, the main characters and figures inhabit an area known as the favelas. The favelas are extremely poor districts in the majorly segregated country that is Brazil. There is little law enforcement and the police force that does exist there is corrupt and more trouble than help to the inhabitants. As a reaction the existing environment, citizens of the favelas are forced to fend for themselves any way possible. Since money and amenities are low, inhabitants are forced to resort to violence to get the simple supplies they need to live. With this in play, all the crime just begins to spread. With little to no effective police protection, robberies are commonly used to achieve what is wanted or needed.
 
 
“Crime is viewed as a means of escape, and is treated humorously and sympathetically.”

As the time progresses, things only get worse for the inhabitants. Violence and crime are seen everywhere and those without hope resort to violence as well. The saying goes, “If you can’t beat them, join them”. Those that wish to escape the favelas must resort to violence to do so. It is so futile is portrayed even humorously. Many try escaping the inevitable and almost all fail in despair. Many other citizens view crime as a way to escape the poverty they live in. In a world where achieving a job that pays enough to provide relocation is near impossible, people resort to the only other option. Robbery and crime are used as attempts to escape.


 
“The City of God is represented as almost exclusively male, and women's bodies simply provide another site for the men to carry out violence against one another.”

In The City of God, women only add conflict to the problem. The film suggests that a female counterpart only brings trouble. Throughout the film we see conflict started or cause by a female presence.  The City of God is a land for men. In Beni’s case, a woman leads to the end of his life. Because he meets a girl, he decides to leave the favelas, but as the movie suggests, leaving is near impossible. Shorty is another character who early in the film faces final judgment as a result of a female. 

Females are also used as surrogates for crime to take place. Criminals, such as Lil Ze’, use women to manipulate and attack other targets indirectly. Crimes Such as rape and murder are used to send messages and warnings.

“L'il Ze's violence is used to control the passions and impulses of the society.”

As briefly stated previously, violence is used to send messages in The City of God. Lil Ze’ uses violence as a way to assert his control and authority. Crime is seen as a way to stake control and in the favelas that is something necessary to survive. If someone controls all the violence taking place in the favelas, they basically have full control.

“Violence defines manhood and initiates the young boys into adult life. As one of the Runts says, "I smoke, I snort. I've killed and robbed. I'm a man."”

Violence is also seen as something that defines status. In a society affected by violence for prolonged periods of time, following generations are influenced. The young see crime and violence as an initiation into manhood. This only continues an everlasting cycle of violence. The young attempt to “out-crime” their superiors to show their own power but this just worsens the cycle continuing and passing the horrific behavior from one generation to the next.

Comedy and Humor - Genre Research

For the next short film I will be working on, I want to explore and dive deeper into the the genre of comedy and humor. The films I will basing my work on are the home alone series, mostly due to the fact that they have similar themes and connections to my concept.


Theme and narrative structure are important to a comedy. You have to entice the audience and keep them interested. You also need to supply humor and make the audience laugh as well. Getting in the zone in between is the ideal goal for a director of this genre. Supplying and interesting, funny, and original plot isnt always easy. Character design, dialogue, and acting also play key roles. One main goal of a comedy director is to create a character that has that specific "likeability" to them. You want the audience to click and enjoy the protagonist, otherwise the movie can go downhill easily.

Setting plays another role in comedy. You can use setting and background to your advantage as a comedy director or screenwriter. This is where one can make use of props or other background action to their advantage. Cinematography and sound design work together to make a comedy successful but they are not always vital to success. This being said it is still crucial to have a fitting score and professionally styled camera work.

Log-line of the film I will be curating:

A man must convince a burglar that he is also robbing his own house to avoid conflict and confrontation.

Psycho - Film Language and Representation

The scene in psycho I will be focusing on for this analysis is the time between the sister and boyfriend of Marion Crane's visit to the bates motel (the second time) leading up to the moments right before the discovery of Mrs. Bates.

a video of this segment could not be found.


During the segment we cover the characters of Norman along with the sister and boyfriend of Marion. We see many interesting changes throughout the segment. The biggest character change we see is that of Norman. We truly see the different sides of Norman as the scene progresses. In the beginning of the segment, Norman is calm and relaxed, but as we continue on we begin to see and feel the uneasiness inside of him. He eventually loses it and in a rush hits the boyfriend in the head with what appears to be a vase. An interesting observation i made was that Norman doesnt kill the boyfriend. This shows that he is still himself and is not fully controlled by the murderous intent of his mother. It sends the message that there are still traces of good and innocence in Norman.

Throughout the segment we see variation in camera work. A lot of the shots are head on  but others are differentiated to make a specific point. For example, when Norman and the boyfriend talk the shot is held on both of them. It is held quite long during the dialogue and takes a realist perspective. This adds a feeling of discomfort and helps the audience feel the same as Norman, or at least to an extent. The shots in the house are held longer as well which allows the viewer to fully take in the surroundings of the setting. A wide angle lens is used for most of the scenes in order to give a full feeling and allow audience to explore the background. All of the scenes are cleanly cut and play in sequential order. We see two different stories of the same picture intertwined and observe how they merge together. This gives the scene a dramatic and urgent sense.

Lighting is used to convey the emotions and atmosphere of the setting. For example, The bates house is dimly lit and very dark, almost as if to give the feeling and emotion death itself. The lack of accents in the lighting gives it an overall dead feel. We see Normans room brightly light however. This contrasts from the house and communicates mood through lighting and a change in brightness. Color is not used in this film so shades and shadows are very key and important,

The score of the scene is urgent and spooky. The tone of the piece adds to the dark ambiance of the scene itself. It compliments the picture and adds a fitting mood to the landscape and events at play. We see a lot of differentiation and samples form the main theme and the change in tone and pitch bring depth to the setting and scene itself. The music helps convey the mood of the segment and the film as a whole.


Set design is what sells the scene. This whole segment has a strong focus on what is visible to the audience yet not conveyed verbally. For example, we see all the decor of Mrs. Bates room. It is all very regal and old conveying a feeling of darkness and age. Additionally, and probably the most important, is that of Norman's room. We see in the set Norman as a character, depersonified and represented through a room. It's innocent and pure. You can see stuffed animals and blakents and in the record player, Beethoven's "Eroica" or "Hero" in Italian. All this background sybolism helps further explain Norman and his character as a whole. To tie symbolism into this, the house can represent Norman. His room represents him deep down and who he really is, but the rest of the house represents Mrs. Bates and her control over Norman and his conscious mind.

One other scene that takes advantage of the technical elements of production and design is the scene in which Marion is spooked by her reflection, cleverly placed in the background. This added a thrillistic nature to the investigation of the house and can symbolize the idea that one can be their own monster or villain. This scene could be viewed as a subtle way to blame ones own actions on themselves.


Throughout the segment we are thrown and presented with emotions of urgency, fear, and suspense. The director accomplished this by manipulating the aspects discussed previously in the post and by distorting physical reality, in turn creating a blank canvas for a fake one.

Oral Analysis - Psycho

Grade: 11
-Not enough information conveyed
-Too much background information at the beginning
-Pauses and stutters
-Goes too in depth on character analysis
-Limited film language but still demonstrates an understanding of the segment
-Covers a variety of different topics
-Brief and rather short (unaware of time limit/maximum)