In my final post, I want to discuss my experience with this class. It was very interesting to see the history of film in detail. Before this class I knew mostly about the technology aspect of film history. In my viewing of the book and films I have learned more about the economic, social and aesthetic components to film history. Cinema has come a long way since it originated. Looking at early films in black and white in comparison to modern films, you can see some key components that still exist from the originals. Overall, I found the class interesting and now have more knowledge as to how film got to where it is today.

How to Shoot a Scene! - Film Riot

This video shows the basics of shooting a scene. This a basic way that directors choose to shoot a particular scene without too much added effects, etc. I wanted to share this video because it is very descriptive to those wondering how exactly scenes are filmed. This can be said for many films that have circulated since the history of cinema. Discovering the most productive filming aspects while maintaining a low level of difficulty can sometimes produce the most effective style of film. This style was obviously developed with practice and persistence as early directors experimented with various forms of filming.

I want to discuss a recent show that I have gotten into recently. Normally I do not follow these types of shows, as mentioned in previous posts, but I found this one interesting and I continued to watch it. The show is American Horror Story Season 4, which is the current season.
I had watch the original season in its entirety when it was first released a few years ago. I thought the show was very good and scary at the same time. However, when I went to watch the second season, I expected it to be the first season continued, but it was not. It was entirely different show with different characters, plot, etc. I lost interest immediately and stopped watching the show.
I decided to try it again for the current season and I found that I liked it. Looking back, I now think that series took an interesting direction in providing basically a brand new show each season. It is as if you are watching a new show each season. It is a different approach and it proves to be working with much appraisal from critics.

I this entry, I would like to talk about one of my favorite movies of all time: Requiem for a Dream. Though this film is not highly recognized, it has a cult following where its audiences greatly praise the film and has earned the movie an exceptional following.
One of the reasons I like the film so much was largely due to directing styles. The film had key features that stood out from most during its time. Being a very erie and dramatizing film, the director captured the genre through the emotion the film was exerting.
I also liked how the film had one steady music track that was played throughout the film the entire time. It highlighted the storyline significantly. All in all, I think the film did a great job in offering an effective storyline to the audience. It even made a name for a smalltime actor during the time: Jared Leto.

A look at Chapter 12

Chapter 12 discusses cinema in the 1960's and highlights how film was becoming a prominent feature i many countries. There were several major directors that were popularized in this era. I found Australian cinema to be the most interesting to me, as I recognized several films mentioned by this chapter. Crocodile Dundee was released in the 80's by Paul Hogan and was an immediate hit. Anther movie that gained enormous prominence around this time was Top Gun. I think most people can think back to this film as it showed some highly publicized actors/actresses in their early careers.
George Miller was another major Australian filmmaker. He released movies such as Mad Max and Twilight Zone: The Movie. These movies were big hits in Hollywood in this era. It is interesting to learn that they were not actually produced in the United States, but rather by Australian filmmakers.
I discussed mostly movies that were popular in United States, but the chapter highlights many films that gained much popularity in other countries. It is important to recognize these as well because cinema has learned a lot from international films. Most countries have had made some contribution to the world of film.



Gomery, Douglas; Pafort-Overduin, Clara (2011-02-28). Movie History: A Survey: Second Edition (Kindle Location 8654). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.

I found the discussion about post WWII Germany in chapter 11 very interesting. After the war the country was divided and disbanded with control coming from all different corner of the world. Germany really didn't have a voice for itself as it was divided amongst the allies that conquered the country. Films produced before captured were controlled and dismantled if they portrayed a Nazi-favored message.

In attempt to reconcile itself in the film industry, a handful of small companies led the race to produce films that would be favored by mass audiences. The Germans eventually gained popularity among the natives and some other foreign countries. 

I found it interesting to see how German was able to make a comeback in the film industry. From what I understand, prewar and during the war, films were controlled strongly by the German government. Much influence of Nazi-favored power was induced in these films, though there was a great amount of cinema that still captured the art of filmmaking and could by considered renowned and adored films. Though Germany struggled postwar, they were able to find their rightful place again in the film industry.

Gomery, Douglas; Pafort-Overduin, Clara (2011-02-28). Movie History: A Survey: Second Edition (Kindle Location 7664). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition. 

chapter 11 European art film analysis

Chapter 11 takes a look at film history played out in Europe. As Hollywood was the dominant player in cinematography, Europe found it necessary to keep up with their competition as America greatly profited from distributing films throughout Europe. In response to this Europeans developed art films that stood out substantially and gained a name for European film.
European art films offered story-lines that could be somewhat difficult to follow, though this was entirely intentional. This type of film centered around psychological problems associated with the characters. The open-ended story endings in art films allowed for the viewer to interpret their own opinion formed around the story and how it was played out. The character's mental states played a prominent role in the developing stories. Flashbacks and flash-forwards were a popular use in these films (Douglas and Pafort-Overduin).
Reading about this original style of filmmaking was very interesting to see. Many of the characteristics of European art films can be noticed in many modern films. Thinking of films like Shutter Island, I can see this film considered as an art film. The main character was constantly going through different mental states, the story was somewhat difficult to follow, flashbacks were consistent throughout and the ending was definitely left open for interpretation. It is really interesting to see how early European art films developed a style that is still played out in today's cinema.



Gomery, Douglas; Pafort-Overduin, Clara (2011-02-28). Movie History: A Survey: Second Edition (Kindle Location 7348). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.

I want to talm about a film I just saw called Fury. It was based on the American soldiers who commanded the tanks in WWII. I thought the movie was really good. I normally lose my attention pretty quick when watching movies, but this one had me watching the whole time. I think that the film did a good job in presenting the action in the battle scenes, while focusing on other aspects of the war at the same time. It wasn't all about fighting, it looked more in depth at the characters and how their thoughts and actions were portrayed during the war.

Obviously there have been a lot of WWII movies in the past. From Saving Private Ryan to Schindler's List. I think these types of films are very important to the history of the war and its good that the plots change up once in a while. Its not always the action of battle that needs to be presented in these films.

The progression of technology, television and cinema has allowed for new types of programming on you TV. Watching live TV is no longer a popular thing. The introduction of On Demand allows a person to watch an entire program without having to wait for it to air on live TV. Somewhat recently, OnDemand has allowed viewers to purchase movies and store them directly on their TV. 

Thinking back to when I was younger, I can recall going to the local Blockbuster down the street and being excited to pick a movie and watch it. Rental time limits were made to keep people from permanently owning these films. Once you were done watching a film you rented, you would have to drive back to the store and drop it in the return bin. 

With today's technology, all you have to do is click a button on your remote and you rent the latest movies. Streaming movies and TV allow an easy access to whatever you want to watch. Soon after this technology was introduced, Blockbuster stores were shut down. No one no longer felt the need to leave their households and drive to the store to rent a movie when they could just go OnDemand and select the latest films.

Like VHS we can see how DVD and BlueRay is phasing out. Does anyone think this will happen to our modern television and movie formats? What is the next step for technology in terms of access to TV and movies?

Chapter 6 in Movie History discusses the introduction of "talkies" and films with sounds. This was a new type of cinema that allowed for a new form of entertainment thanks to advancements in technology. This chapter also discusses how Hollywood was being formed around a select number of production companies, most of them still around today like Paramount and Warner Bros.
It was a struggle for many scientists to create a presentation of image and sound in cinemas at first. In the past, an orchestra or piano player accompanied the silent films with sound and music in the cinema. Many inventors strived to design a device that could link together both image and sound. Eventually, this was made a possibility by inventors outside of the Hollywood industry.
With the new introduction of sound to films, Hollywood adapted immediately, discarding silent films and producing only talkies. Following this, competition increased between competing production companies in the movie industry. Many broke ground and were able to provide spectacular cinema to their viewers.
It is interesting to see where cinema started and how it was able to adapt relatively quickly. The chapter discusses how once perfected, talkies took hold over night. Silent films were merely a thing of the past and audiences were now able to enjoy a film to its full potential with sound and all.



Gomery, Douglas; Pafort-Overduin, Clara (2011-02-28). Movie History: A Survey: Second Edition (Kindle Location 3638). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.

There are many types of television that people taking a liking to. These include reality shows, sitcoms, crime-dramas, etc. In today's world there is such a large variety of television that is offered to the public. In the past you had basic cable where you were only able to watch what was playing live on your tv. If you weren't interested in a channel, you only had a limited few other option to choose from. In a modern society, you have access to anything you can possibly imagine. I personally rarely watch live tv anymore. I find myself going straight to On Demend when I do watch tv. You can also even watch tv on your laptops or through entertainment packages like Netflix and Hulu. The plethora of television content is overwhelming.
I personally find myself strictly watching sitcoms and the occasional documentary-style television show. I don't really expand my tastes to much when watching tv. I'd rather watch a repeat episode of the Office than sit down and watch an episode of Law and Order.

Chapter 2 in A Short Guide to Writing about Film discusses the importance of taking notes upon watching a film. It allows for a better analysis and understanding what is being viewed. When taking notes, it is also important to question what was just was just viewed, whether it was confusing or whether one just wants to know the meaning of that scene in the film.
Questions allow the viewer to really experience the film. It helps them understand why a scene was filmed this way, the why filmmaker chose to use this scene, why the filmmaker did this in a scene, etc. When a viewer takes a deeper look at a film, they really come to understand it better.
Watching a film multiple times is also necessary in really understanding all aspects of what was viewed.  Many things can go unnoticed the first time around so it is important to take a few looks at the film, as a better understanding might result from it. Watching the characters work their way through the plot multiple times might give the viewer a different opinion the second time around.
Reviewing the notes that one has written allows for the retention of visual memory. Remembering what was seen in the film can help recall specific details that might have stood out. These details might differ from what was originally examined. They might be more specific which might allow for a different perspective of the film.
These few tools are extremely useful when writing about film. They will ultimately allow the viewer to analyze the film in detail and really examine it from all angles. Note-taking is an important piece to all types of writing.


Corrigan, Timothy (2011-08-09). A Short Guide to Writing about Film (8th Edition) (Short Guides) (Page 26). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Chapter 3 in Movie History: A Survey discusses how norms developed trough the narrative style of the Hollywood film industry. As films became more popular, the audience expected certain story-lines and plots, consistent lighting effects, etc. The film industry began to establish a certain set of standards that the film should prepare that the audience could follow. The film was expected to narrate a story and the characters to act it out. A problem was expected to derive a solution.
The audience is enticed to engage in the story as the images and dialogue presented to the viewer established a plot for them to follow. The flow of the story was important to the viewer. It kept them interested and allowed them to recognize what was happening that made the story play out.
Filmmakers were now getting the hang of how to present a story and plot in such a limited time frame. They established cues and gestures as techniques used to engage the audience. The filmmakers had to pick and choose which clips to present and which to leave out. Filming the movie in pieces required that the editor assemble the story through depicted events. Characters are also developed in this early filmmaking. The audience begins to learn each individual character represented by a specific actor.
Understanding 5he norms that cinema had created in its earlier years helps to understand the modern film industry. Much of these guidelines are current in modern movies. The norms created in the early years have not changed very much. Though today's movies might seem much more lively and realistic, one can still see the relation to early cinema.


Gomery, Douglas; Pafort-Overduin, Clara (2011-02-28). Movie History: A Survey: Second Edition (Kindle Location 1909). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.

After watching the film "Seventh Heaven," it is interesting to see how the film industry has progressed. These were the basics of early film history. Black and white picture with no audio dialogue. The viewer really had to get into the film and analyze the story. It is easy for viewers to follow films today, as everything is in-your-face and laid out for the viewer to see and understand.
It was difficult for me to know what was really going on at the beginning of this film. I honestly was bored with it after watching the first 30 seconds. This shows how the film industry has changed. This type of film would've excited viewers in the past. Now the audience expects much more.
This film really helps me analyze early movies and their productions. As I have not seen many black and white films, this is very knew to me. I think one can learn a lot from early filming techniques and this is a prime example.