Monday, December 3, 2007

Blog #9 - foregrounding

One specific scene I was thinking about was in King Kong when the filmmakers are on the island and they let people die just to get a good shot of the dinosaurs or something. This shows the American culture as willing to do anything to make a fast buck. It also shows the morals of the characters and how a lot of Americans can be.

Another scene I was thinking of was when the filmmakers and others take down King Kong on the island. They capture him like if it is nothing and there is no guilt for it or knowledge of how immoral it is. This once again shows Americans and how they can be so oblivious to other cultures and values. They are selfish and greedy.

Another scene was when King Kong fights the planes. This shows his strength and will to protect Anne. This desire to help her proves his love for her. This symbolizes how even though he may be this huge powerful ape, he still possess the qualities of humans. For example, humans also have the qualities of wanting to be powerful like King Kong is, proving that they can overcome multiple enemies and be able to face danger, and seem as though they are invincible. Even though both humans and King Kong share these desires, they also both have the ability to love.

Another scene to go along with the one above is when King Kong fights the T-Rexes.

Blog #8 - visual concept in get a date

The director of the video "Get A Date" used examples a visual concept. The movie effectively showed the passage of time by showing the exact same couple of scenes but with some changes at the end. This is because her date was not able to answer the door because he would always do something that would not let him hear the door. Each time, she does something that takes longer. This is an example of the passage of time. The director also does a good job of showing two actions at the same time. The camera goes from objective, and then to privileged because he can see what she is doing, and what he is doing at the same time, but the audience is the only one who knows what he is doing behind the door. He always does something that makes him unable to hear the door. The narration was also very good. He had the right tone and the right speed. For example, as she climbed the stairs and her nervousness grew, his voice quickened and you could tell it was hurried and full of anxiety.

Friday, November 9, 2007

#7 - Visual Concept

A visual concept is an idea portrayed through images to bring out certain emotions and feelings. A visual concept uses images more than dialogue to relay its idea across to the audience. The audience should be able to pick up on the visual symbolism though.


My idea for the next project would be showing someone either trying to get the school on time maybe or to their next class. I would show two extremes, for example, have everything go slow, like the cars, when the person is trying to get to school, and then once he gets to school everything is so fast and hectic and the clock continues to go fast. Then once he gets to class, the clock goes extremely slow and he remembers it a block day and then just puts his head in is arms on the desk like as if he gives up or something. I could also have him get out of it and have a happy ending if there is announcement that says varsity soccer gets out early. and then he raises his head with a smile.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

reflection of Ind script A

1. The structure is not that developed. He did used courier font, and he did not even have his own voice over, which is one of the main parts of the project.

2. His visuals were alright, like the news report of Tony Blair, the elevator, and the screen shot from the films, but overall it was got dull and boring and very repetitive.

3. He used resources like websites, books, and a couple films.

4. I'm exactly sure of what score to give this script. But it cannot be in the upper two mark bands I don't think because he did not have his own voice over, and that was extremely important. Also, the whole thing was pretty repetitive and boring. So overall, a somewhat low or medium score.

Monday, November 5, 2007

research topic

For my research topic, i was thinking about comparing and contrasting King Kong with Godzilla and how the people in the movie reacts and how maybe that relates to how the audience acts. Or maybe how the two monsters are portrayed and how it relates to current event and politics during that time period in those two countries.

Reflection and Scoring of Jason's script

I would grade Jason's script as a low as a 20, 21, or 22. Somewhere around there. I feel that he put a great amount of detail into it and it really shows in how in-depth his analysis is. I also thought that there was a lot of creativeness to it. I like the title of it: Power That Pops. I thought it was pretty interesting, creative, and well thought out. I have never really thought about lighting and color in how it relates to the characters and clashes between characters. Or simply how it relates to the genre or theme of the film. I feel that Jason did an excellent job on analyzing and comping up with a solid script. It was incredibly detailed and precise.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Film Critique on Fight Club


I recently watched Fight Club, with Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. I enjoyed the movie a lot and thought it was extremely interested and captivating. I think that these feelings came mostly from the theme and extraordinary acting.

The theme of the movie was about the little guy in life. For example, the city workers, garbage men, people who clean the sewers, and so on. It is about how the little guys in life do all the dirty work that the important and well-known people don't even think once about doing or who does it. An example of this theme is when Brad Pitt and other people who are recruited by him, capture the chief of police and threaten him to call of the search for people who have been causing all the mischief that has been currently happening around the city. The people are the ones causing the mischief and mayhem. Pitt explains to the chief of police that the people causing all this are the little people whoall the powerful people step on and overlook. The little people do everything and since they do pretty much everything, without them, everything would fall apart. So Pitt basically says do not mess with us.

Another theme is following your dream and to not let anything get in the way of it. For example, in the movie, Brad Pitt takes the store owner of a store out back into the alley way and makes it seem as if he is going to kill him, but he doesn't. Instead, he asks about his life and asks why he did not become the profession he wanted to be. So, Brad Pitt threatens to come back and kill the store owner if he does try to become what he had wanted to be.

The last theme is mindless consumerism. An example of this is when Edward Norton spends his all of his time looking through magazines searchging for the right couch and other things to go with it, for example. And his house ends up being blown up. It shows the mindless consumerism of people these days in society. We buy all this stuff that we don't necessarily need, but to impress other people.



Another feature that made this movie brilliant was the acting. At the end of the movie you find out that Brad Pitt is just another personality in Edward Norton's head. Norton develops a slit personality, who he believes is an actual person. Pitt is everything that Norton isn't and everything that he wants to be. Norton and Pitt have to act as if they are totally different, but they also have to bond. Overall, i think that the acting was just outstanding, especially having to deal with faking a split personality.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Ideas for Research


An idea I would like to research is a comparison of Japanese and American monsters. Godzilla vs King Kong. Compare the destruction, how the plots form, how the people view the monsters, like how in the most recent king kong, they made him seem not as bad, even made you favor his side against his capturer.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Controversial Issues In Film and Society


Are violent games making kids who play these games violent?
It seems that most of the games coming out are pretty violent. I think that they do make some kids violent - to some extent. For me, they don't really make me violent and they don't really affect me. I just play the games and don't really take it to mind or try to reenact the game like some kids seem to do. However, when kids play these games at such a young age, they do not get a sense of real reality. As an example, a person gets shot in the game, your health either comes back, you can pick up health, or you can just restart and everything is okay. Kids are becoming desensitized.






Gay Marriage

It has also occurred to me that gay marriage has become an issue in society and has been reflected in film. For example, in Chuck and Larry, the movie is not just a comedy but also includes a viewpoint of how people suddenly change when they find out that you are gay. Chuck and Larry become isolated at first from everyone who used to be their best friends. But at the end, they are embraced and invokes that this is what society needs to do - embrace diversity because they are just like you and me.