13. Compare the challenges presented to the spectator by different experimental and expaned film/video works.
Some of the challenges presented to the spectator by different experimental films are those which include unconventional film techniques that make the piece difficult to watch and/or process. A film such as Un Chien Andalou by Luis Bunuel (and Salvador Dali) certainly use unconventional narrative and challenges 'mainstream' cinema. This is done regarding narrative and the themes throughout the film, some of which being considered taboo and risky for the time of production and release (1929). One scene which comes to mind regarding it's challenging nature is the close up shot of a knife slicing through a female's eye at the beginning of the film. I thought this part was particularly shocking as the human eye is a valued part of the body and is responsible for many things. The thought of it being cut open creates a sense of unease and queasiness. Another scene in the film which could be considered challenging to a spectator is the close up shot of a male's hand which has ants coming out of the centre of it. This personally made me feel very uncertain about what I was watching as I felt it was one of the most random parts of the film. This was Bunuel's technique of working as any idea that may have any sort of meaning was rejected. Another scene which generates similar feelings or unsureness is the shot that depicts a man riding a bicycle dressed as a nun. At first I thought this was very perculiar and then quite amusing as this is something you may not see everyday. This is an attack and critisism on religion as Bunuel was an Athiest and strongly against organised religion such as catholicism.
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Fight Club Exam Response (q.17)
17. How useful has a particular critical approach been in gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of your chosen film? [30]
The particular critical approach that I have been studying, the Crisis of Masculinity, has certainly helped me gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the film, Fight Club. There are many scenes which relate to this approach that have helped me understand what the director, David Fincher, was trying to say throughout the film. The Crisis of Masculinity suggests that men in today's society are becoming more feminised due to the lifestyle they have chosen. The approach also suggests that we live in a female-dominated world and this is the reason for the femininity of males.
An example of this is the 'Testicular Cancer' scene, where Jack/Narrator goes to a support group whose aim is to help men who have had the disease and need emotional support. The scene starts as we see Jack arrive and there are a group of men standing and talking to get to know each other. There is then a straight cut to show the same men sitting on chairs in a circle, talking about their stories. This is something that is stereotypically linked with an activity that women do when they have problems, therefore linking itself to the Crisis of Masculinity. They are located in what appears to be an gym, with an American flag noticable in the left hand corner of the shot. This also links itself to the theory as these men have the ability to play 'manly' sports in this facility, however they are not. The audience then go on to hear one of the men in the circle talking about how he has lost his wife, as she left him, and he says "Thank God, I'm happy for her" before bursting into tears. The word God/Jesus appears a lot during the film, and this is due to the idea that we assume God/Jesus is male, however that may not be the case, like the males in this scene. After this, the host of the group announces that it's time for the one-on-ones, which in itself could be mistaken for a reference to sexual activity. Jack is paired up with a man named Bob, and then states he has 'bitch-tits'. Jack goes on to use the voiceover to tell the audience that Bob had his testicals removed due to cancer, and as his body wasn't producing as much testosterone and more estrogen, he then grew a pair of breasts and his wife left him. Bob is a perfect example of the crisis portrayed in the film, as he has no testicals or wife/children but does have breasts and a higher-pitched voice. This helped me gain a deeper understanding to the crisis as this shows that the men in this film are literally being turned into women and they can't do anything about it. Even Bob's name is comical and links to the approach as it is one letter away from the word 'boob'.
Another example which helped me gain a deeper understanding of the film are the rules of Fight Club and other quotes from the film which may suggest that Jack/Tyler are homosexual. The rules of Fight Club include ones such as; "You do not talk about Fight Club", which may be a reference to 'being in the closet' and not telling people that you are gay, "If someone yells stop, goes limp..." which is a reference to a man's penis during sexual intercourse, and finally "No shirts, no shoes" which is accompanied by a stot of a man removing his wedding ring. This the act of the men removing all forms of women from their lives for the period of time that they are in the Fight Club. Another thing regarding the fight club that may be considered an act of homosexuality is the pink bar sign above the entrance to the club, as pink is a colour associated with homosexual men. Other quotes from the film which may suggest that Jack/Tyler are homosexual are ones such as "Everywhere we went, we were sizing things up" which is a reference to somebody looking at others in a sexual way and wondering how 'large' they are. Another quote which could link to the Crisis of Masculinity is when Jack comes back from a business trip and gets stopped by airport security because his luggage was vibrating. The security officer states that "9 times out of 10 it's an electric razor, but every once in a while...it's a dildo" and Jack immediately becomes defensive and responds with "I don't own a dildo!" which could be seen as Jack getting embarrassed and panicked due to him actually owning one (homosexuality).
Jack's lack of ability to talk to women is another factor which could be linked to the critical approach, and this is seen whenever he's around Marla. When Jack first meets Marla and she walks off, Tyler flashes in between them, suggesting that he is going to become in between them having a relationship. Later on in the film, we discover that Tyler and Marla are in a sexual relationship and this is due to Jack not being able to begin a realtionship with her. Another critical approach, Freudian theory, suggests that Jack is the ego and Tyler is the Id. Tyler is able to get whatever he wants and is everything Jack dreams off being, which can be backed up by Tyler's quote " I look how you wanna look, I fuck how you wanna fuck....".
The particular critical approach that I have been studying, the Crisis of Masculinity, has certainly helped me gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the film, Fight Club. There are many scenes which relate to this approach that have helped me understand what the director, David Fincher, was trying to say throughout the film. The Crisis of Masculinity suggests that men in today's society are becoming more feminised due to the lifestyle they have chosen. The approach also suggests that we live in a female-dominated world and this is the reason for the femininity of males.
An example of this is the 'Testicular Cancer' scene, where Jack/Narrator goes to a support group whose aim is to help men who have had the disease and need emotional support. The scene starts as we see Jack arrive and there are a group of men standing and talking to get to know each other. There is then a straight cut to show the same men sitting on chairs in a circle, talking about their stories. This is something that is stereotypically linked with an activity that women do when they have problems, therefore linking itself to the Crisis of Masculinity. They are located in what appears to be an gym, with an American flag noticable in the left hand corner of the shot. This also links itself to the theory as these men have the ability to play 'manly' sports in this facility, however they are not. The audience then go on to hear one of the men in the circle talking about how he has lost his wife, as she left him, and he says "Thank God, I'm happy for her" before bursting into tears. The word God/Jesus appears a lot during the film, and this is due to the idea that we assume God/Jesus is male, however that may not be the case, like the males in this scene. After this, the host of the group announces that it's time for the one-on-ones, which in itself could be mistaken for a reference to sexual activity. Jack is paired up with a man named Bob, and then states he has 'bitch-tits'. Jack goes on to use the voiceover to tell the audience that Bob had his testicals removed due to cancer, and as his body wasn't producing as much testosterone and more estrogen, he then grew a pair of breasts and his wife left him. Bob is a perfect example of the crisis portrayed in the film, as he has no testicals or wife/children but does have breasts and a higher-pitched voice. This helped me gain a deeper understanding to the crisis as this shows that the men in this film are literally being turned into women and they can't do anything about it. Even Bob's name is comical and links to the approach as it is one letter away from the word 'boob'.
Another example which helped me gain a deeper understanding of the film are the rules of Fight Club and other quotes from the film which may suggest that Jack/Tyler are homosexual. The rules of Fight Club include ones such as; "You do not talk about Fight Club", which may be a reference to 'being in the closet' and not telling people that you are gay, "If someone yells stop, goes limp..." which is a reference to a man's penis during sexual intercourse, and finally "No shirts, no shoes" which is accompanied by a stot of a man removing his wedding ring. This the act of the men removing all forms of women from their lives for the period of time that they are in the Fight Club. Another thing regarding the fight club that may be considered an act of homosexuality is the pink bar sign above the entrance to the club, as pink is a colour associated with homosexual men. Other quotes from the film which may suggest that Jack/Tyler are homosexual are ones such as "Everywhere we went, we were sizing things up" which is a reference to somebody looking at others in a sexual way and wondering how 'large' they are. Another quote which could link to the Crisis of Masculinity is when Jack comes back from a business trip and gets stopped by airport security because his luggage was vibrating. The security officer states that "9 times out of 10 it's an electric razor, but every once in a while...it's a dildo" and Jack immediately becomes defensive and responds with "I don't own a dildo!" which could be seen as Jack getting embarrassed and panicked due to him actually owning one (homosexuality).
Jack's lack of ability to talk to women is another factor which could be linked to the critical approach, and this is seen whenever he's around Marla. When Jack first meets Marla and she walks off, Tyler flashes in between them, suggesting that he is going to become in between them having a relationship. Later on in the film, we discover that Tyler and Marla are in a sexual relationship and this is due to Jack not being able to begin a realtionship with her. Another critical approach, Freudian theory, suggests that Jack is the ego and Tyler is the Id. Tyler is able to get whatever he wants and is everything Jack dreams off being, which can be backed up by Tyler's quote " I look how you wanna look, I fuck how you wanna fuck....".
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Urban Stories Exam Response (City of God)
How far can it be argued that your chosen films provide a 'realistic' representation of the people and places they focus on?
To a certain extent, my chosen films do provide a realistic representation of the people and places they focus on.
An example of this in the film City of God (2002), is where the audience is told 'The Story of the Apartment' and we can see that drug use is used throughout the different decades that appear in the film and is a constant way of life for the people of the favelas. Throughout this static montage scene, we see all of the owners of one apartment in the favelas, and all of the activity that goes on there. The audience see that the character Li'l Ze takes over the apartment and uses it for drug selling etc. This is something that is very realistic and does happen in the favelas in Brazil.
From my own knowledge, I know that young boys, from the ages of 11, are forced to participate in drug selling and similar business as this is the way of life in the favelas. The life expectancy of males in Brazil is an average of 18 years old. A reason for this way of life may be that living in the favelas is a 'vicious cycle' and the people living like this are always sucked into things of this nature.
'Suck' is a constant word used in the dialog of the film. Rocket says that "Having a hood as a brother sucks..." in the scene where his brother Goose is being told off by their father about him stealing from a motel, and this word relates to the idea that people living in the favelas constantly get sucked back into the drug activity and violence, even if they don't want to. Another example of the cycle is through these individual's friends. Peer pressure and copying others may be a factor of the continuous cycle, as when somebody sees somebody doing something, they may want to copy them and do what they do. This can be seen in the film where Li'l Dice (Li'l Ze) goes with the Tender Trio (Shaggy, Goose and Clipper) to a heist at a local motel to steal goods. Li'l Dice wants to go in with the older guys, however he is too young so stays outside to watch. Li'l Dice wants to be like the other guys as he wants the same amount of respect they get from the rest of the villagers in the favelas. (WRITE ABOUT LA HAINE- YOUNG BOY COPYING VINZ/HIM COPYING AMERICAN FILMS)
There is also the constant thought that if you attempt to escape the favelas, you may die, like the character Shaggy does in the scene where he tries to run away with Bernice, the woman he loves and wants to start a family with.
Friday, 7 March 2014
SHORT FILM: Reflective Analysis
Reflective Analysis- A Story of a Burns Victim
My aims for this film were to create a sequence called 'A Story of a Burns Victim',which showed the life of a young girl named 'Sarah', who has suffered a burn from a chemistry experiment that went wrong at school. I wanted to show the 'aftermath' a few months later when Sarah was about to return. In my film I also wanted to include a variety of shots such as extreme close ups. In terms of my aims and context, I think that the final product was very successful. I got the idea for this story after reading the book 'Beautiful' by Katie Piper, which is her autobiography about her experience of the acid attack she experienced several years ago. I then based my short film around some of the things she said in the book, such as emotions she felt.
I managed to use the style of shots that I wanted to, taking techniques from directors which I have watched and been inspired by. The main director who I wanted to work in the style of was Kenneth Anger, who is known for his homoerotic films such as Firework. This was successful as I think that some of the shots which distort Sarah's body whilst she is getting changed at the beginning of the sequence replicates similar shots to those which Anger uses in his work.
Another influence for my film was from the French New Wave style from the 1950s and 1960s. Main notable characteristics for this style of film were; constantly breaking the fourth wall (which is something that features in this sequence) and breaking rules of continuity editing and using free editing techniques.
Someone else who influenced my film, were the Quay Brothers as one of their films, 'The Comb' features similar shots to the ones that I used in my sequence. This is an experimental film, therefore my film does feature some experimental characteristics. For example, one of the most noticeable similarity is the beginning sequence where the female stretches out her arm whilst in bed. This is a shot that I used in my film, when 'Sarah' does a similar thing.
The non-diegtic music which features in this film is an acoustic song called 'Better World' which mainly features at the end of the sequence. This accompanies a voiceover from Sarah talking about her incident and the effects from it. Trying to shoot a variation of shots within this sequence was one of the most difficult things to do whilst creating this film, as well as the editing process. As I had ever made or edited a film before, this was 'new territory' therefore I had to learn how to do things such as shortening clips and changing the volume on the audio as I was editing. This film would be shown on something like 'Random Acts' on 'Channel 4' which is a late night viewing window for short documentaries like my film. Some of the shots that I used in the sequence such as the extreme close ups, helped make the desired effect that I wanted to create within the film. I wanted the film to be realistic and relatable, therefore producing an universal personal reaction as this is something which could easily happen to anybody at anytime. I think that the 'narrative' for this sequence was successful as it was clear of the story which I was trying to tell. This was also something picked up on in my feedback from the audience. Some of the feedback that I got from some of the audience included suggestions that I could possibly fit the audio in time with some of the shots better, as there is a certain part in the sequence where 'Sarah' touches her face, and the voiceover states that time can't heal everything. This would have fitted perfectly to the visual on screen. I think that the sequence could have been edited slightly better, however this was my first time editing so there were going to be a few mistakes. I also think that the non-diegetic audio (voiceover) could have been slightly louder as when I watched it back for the second time, I had to turn the volume up slightly as I was unable to hear it.
For this sequence I did all aspects of post production, filming and editing. I did my main character's makeup, which was a key aspect of making the narrative visual on screen. I then did all of the filming, directing my main character and the editing once everything had been filmed.
I managed to use the style of shots that I wanted to, taking techniques from directors which I have watched and been inspired by. The main director who I wanted to work in the style of was Kenneth Anger, who is known for his homoerotic films such as Firework. This was successful as I think that some of the shots which distort Sarah's body whilst she is getting changed at the beginning of the sequence replicates similar shots to those which Anger uses in his work.
Another influence for my film was from the French New Wave style from the 1950s and 1960s. Main notable characteristics for this style of film were; constantly breaking the fourth wall (which is something that features in this sequence) and breaking rules of continuity editing and using free editing techniques.
Someone else who influenced my film, were the Quay Brothers as one of their films, 'The Comb' features similar shots to the ones that I used in my sequence. This is an experimental film, therefore my film does feature some experimental characteristics. For example, one of the most noticeable similarity is the beginning sequence where the female stretches out her arm whilst in bed. This is a shot that I used in my film, when 'Sarah' does a similar thing.
The non-diegtic music which features in this film is an acoustic song called 'Better World' which mainly features at the end of the sequence. This accompanies a voiceover from Sarah talking about her incident and the effects from it. Trying to shoot a variation of shots within this sequence was one of the most difficult things to do whilst creating this film, as well as the editing process. As I had ever made or edited a film before, this was 'new territory' therefore I had to learn how to do things such as shortening clips and changing the volume on the audio as I was editing. This film would be shown on something like 'Random Acts' on 'Channel 4' which is a late night viewing window for short documentaries like my film. Some of the shots that I used in the sequence such as the extreme close ups, helped make the desired effect that I wanted to create within the film. I wanted the film to be realistic and relatable, therefore producing an universal personal reaction as this is something which could easily happen to anybody at anytime. I think that the 'narrative' for this sequence was successful as it was clear of the story which I was trying to tell. This was also something picked up on in my feedback from the audience. Some of the feedback that I got from some of the audience included suggestions that I could possibly fit the audio in time with some of the shots better, as there is a certain part in the sequence where 'Sarah' touches her face, and the voiceover states that time can't heal everything. This would have fitted perfectly to the visual on screen. I think that the sequence could have been edited slightly better, however this was my first time editing so there were going to be a few mistakes. I also think that the non-diegetic audio (voiceover) could have been slightly louder as when I watched it back for the second time, I had to turn the volume up slightly as I was unable to hear it.
For this sequence I did all aspects of post production, filming and editing. I did my main character's makeup, which was a key aspect of making the narrative visual on screen. I then did all of the filming, directing my main character and the editing once everything had been filmed.
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Monday, 24 February 2014
SHORT FILM: Aims and Context
Aims and Context
- Documentary Short.
- Film/Script
- Short Film.
- People who have suffered from burns (or something similar) Male and female audience. Shown on Channel 4's Random Acts (late night short documentary - http://randomacts.channel4.com/#home). French New Wave style and characteristics.
- Close ups throughout sequence of right side of young girl's face, low key lighting at beginning of sequence, changes to high key lighting near middle of sequence. Applied cinematography techniques from an independent drama.
- Issues: This is new to me as at AS I made a storyboard instead of film-never made a film before. New thing to me. Never edited a film before either.
- Influences: Kenneth Anger: variation of shots taken in his style (while Sarah is getting ready) and French New Wave, breaking fourth wall characteristic (when Sarah looks straight at camera for a second)
Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Experimental Film Exam Response
Discuss some of the ways in which the film or video work you have studied for the topic requires a different kind of spectatorship for that which spectators bring to their mainstream film-going. [35]
Some of the ways an experimental film's spectatorship opinions differ from a mainstream's is mainly based on the fact that a mainstream film is a lot easier to watch in terms of the narrative and any other subliminal messages hidden in it. This is can certainly be seen in 'Un Chien Andalou', directed by Luis Bunuel in 1929. This is a very surrealist film, which was based on a dream that Bunuel and Salvador Dali, a surrealist artist, had about a man with a hand made up of ants. It could be argued that this film is very difficult to watch as parts of it are very disturbing, such as the beginning sequence where an eye is cut open with a knife. It has been stated that this is very hard to watch and makes audiences cringe as the human eye is a very important part of the human body so seeing it cut open makes us fear it happening to ourselves. I personally found this film very disturbing and weird because of these factors. Compared to a mainstream cinema film, such as '127 Hours', where similar things happen which strike a reaction like in 'Un Chien Andalou' (such as the protagonist cutting his own arm off due to it being trapped under a rock) this film, is very difficult to watch. A mainstream film is arguably a lot easier to watch than an experimental film due to it being watched in a cinema by a wider amount of people.
Another experimental film which may contain a different spectatorship view to a mainstream film, is 'Meshes Of The Afternoon', directed by Maya Deren in 1943. This surrealist film, based on the male's perceptions of females is a very surreal film. The film argues that the male opinions which state that women should say at home and be in the kitchen all day, is wrong, and this is shown in many ways including the director Maya Deren being female. As well as influencing other forms of film, such as Muse's music video Supermassive Black Hole, which could be considered as a short film, there have also been references to Meshes featured in films such as David Lynch's Inland Empire (2006). As an actress starts to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world starts to become nightmarish and surreal is the main narrative of the film. However as David Lynch's films are very surreal this question may not refer to Meshes and the spectatorship views of these films.
An experimental film that has certainly got a different spectatorship view to a mainstream film is Kenneth Anger's 'Fireworks'. Made in 1947, the homoerotic underground film is about a young man being homosexual and getting beaten up for it. Some of the spectatorship views for this film may include references to the film being hard to watch as in the present, it is less common to hear about somebody being hurt due to their sexuality, whereas in the 1940's it was illegal to be homosexual. A mainstream film such as 'Brokeback Mountain' has very different spectatorship view as it is a film which was shown in cinemas, that features homosexuality, and was very successful as it won 3 Oscars and many other awards such as, Best Motion Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes. Audiences nowadays have a more open opinion on homosexuality as there are more people coming out everyday, and people are more acceptant of it, whereas 60 years ago when 'Fireworks' was made nobody would allow it.
The last experimental film that I am going to discuss is Chris Cunningham's "Rubber Johnny", a 6 minute short film in the style of a music video which could be seen as very weird. Whilst watching this film, I was very confused for the majority of it because it is unclear what is going on and there is no clear narrative. When you are watching this film you also get the sense of not wanting to watch it as you are unsure what is going on, however you are intrigued as to what is going to happen so you are unable to not watch it. Compared to a full-length mainstream film such as "Titanic" where is it clear what is going to happen, as it is based on a true story, "Rubber Johnny" has the element of surprise in terms of what it happening on screen.
Some of the ways an experimental film's spectatorship opinions differ from a mainstream's is mainly based on the fact that a mainstream film is a lot easier to watch in terms of the narrative and any other subliminal messages hidden in it. This is can certainly be seen in 'Un Chien Andalou', directed by Luis Bunuel in 1929. This is a very surrealist film, which was based on a dream that Bunuel and Salvador Dali, a surrealist artist, had about a man with a hand made up of ants. It could be argued that this film is very difficult to watch as parts of it are very disturbing, such as the beginning sequence where an eye is cut open with a knife. It has been stated that this is very hard to watch and makes audiences cringe as the human eye is a very important part of the human body so seeing it cut open makes us fear it happening to ourselves. I personally found this film very disturbing and weird because of these factors. Compared to a mainstream cinema film, such as '127 Hours', where similar things happen which strike a reaction like in 'Un Chien Andalou' (such as the protagonist cutting his own arm off due to it being trapped under a rock) this film, is very difficult to watch. A mainstream film is arguably a lot easier to watch than an experimental film due to it being watched in a cinema by a wider amount of people.
Another experimental film which may contain a different spectatorship view to a mainstream film, is 'Meshes Of The Afternoon', directed by Maya Deren in 1943. This surrealist film, based on the male's perceptions of females is a very surreal film. The film argues that the male opinions which state that women should say at home and be in the kitchen all day, is wrong, and this is shown in many ways including the director Maya Deren being female. As well as influencing other forms of film, such as Muse's music video Supermassive Black Hole, which could be considered as a short film, there have also been references to Meshes featured in films such as David Lynch's Inland Empire (2006). As an actress starts to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world starts to become nightmarish and surreal is the main narrative of the film. However as David Lynch's films are very surreal this question may not refer to Meshes and the spectatorship views of these films.
An experimental film that has certainly got a different spectatorship view to a mainstream film is Kenneth Anger's 'Fireworks'. Made in 1947, the homoerotic underground film is about a young man being homosexual and getting beaten up for it. Some of the spectatorship views for this film may include references to the film being hard to watch as in the present, it is less common to hear about somebody being hurt due to their sexuality, whereas in the 1940's it was illegal to be homosexual. A mainstream film such as 'Brokeback Mountain' has very different spectatorship view as it is a film which was shown in cinemas, that features homosexuality, and was very successful as it won 3 Oscars and many other awards such as, Best Motion Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes. Audiences nowadays have a more open opinion on homosexuality as there are more people coming out everyday, and people are more acceptant of it, whereas 60 years ago when 'Fireworks' was made nobody would allow it.
The last experimental film that I am going to discuss is Chris Cunningham's "Rubber Johnny", a 6 minute short film in the style of a music video which could be seen as very weird. Whilst watching this film, I was very confused for the majority of it because it is unclear what is going on and there is no clear narrative. When you are watching this film you also get the sense of not wanting to watch it as you are unsure what is going on, however you are intrigued as to what is going to happen so you are unable to not watch it. Compared to a full-length mainstream film such as "Titanic" where is it clear what is going to happen, as it is based on a true story, "Rubber Johnny" has the element of surprise in terms of what it happening on screen.
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