There are many different elements of film that filmmakers can utilize to make a film. Direction, storyline, cinematography, mise en scene, as well as point of view and tone can all lend a hand in making a film great. One might say that the most important aspect of a film is the script. Others might argue the actors are the most important part. However, an impressive balance of all of the different elements of film are what can elevate a film to greatness. That is why the best film viewed this semester is Night of the Living Dead. There are three elements of film that are individually important, however when they are viewed as a dependent unit (one element depending on another) they become absolutely critical to a great film and the impending success or failure. These three parts are narrative, direction and cast. Films have been viewed as a success or failure based on their narrative being portrayed alone. Yet, direction, cast as well as narrative have a directly proportional relationship. Great director and a great cast with a mediocre script or storyline will produce a mediocre film. Any one of these elements can be less than great and it will negatively affect the others as well as the film. All of these and more displayed perfect balance in Night of the Living Dead. George Romero did a remarkable job of ensuring emotions were conveyed to their audience through the camera, as well as his brilliant use of mise en scene (which will be discussed later). Specific examples
I never gave much thought into what it takes to shoot, direct, edit, and complete a motion picture. Sure, it may sound fun, but after this assignment, it felt like a lot of work. There are quite a few specialized groups that put together the films that we enjoy in our movie theatres. No wonder why it takes months and even years to edit a film, these folks are making sure things are done and synced correctly! The following essay will identify information pertaining to film and importance for their audience so the person or persons watching can have an understanding of what it is they are viewing. A story that has no meaning or becomes very confusing in the details that are presented does not make a good film.
The term “mise en scene” carries the original meaning of “putting into scene” and was a term that signifies the director’s control of visuals and events in the frame. There are several aspects in mise en scene. Aspect such as setting, lighting, costume and behavior of figures were controlled to allow the director to stage the event and create the overall effect within the frame.
The mise-en-scène in Hell or High Water reveals character and shapes the audience’s emotions by the overall visual aesthetic that the film makers accomplish. The mise-en-scène can be broken down into many different aspects, but for now I am only going to touch on a few. Starting with the costumes, the audience can infer that the brothers are not well off due to the worn button-down shirts, sweat-stained cowboy hats, and faded jeans. The hair also ties together the notion that the brothers do not have much because their hair, including facial hair, is quite scruffy and dirty looking. The visual effect of dirt and sweat also create the impression that the men do not cleanse themselves on a regular basis. Opposite of the brothers are two Texas Rangers, Marcus
To what extent does the Mise-en-Scene in ‘Night of the Hunter’ reinforce an understanding of the film's mood, character and narrative themes?
Die Hard, a film directed by John McTiernan, successfully utilized several aesthetics, which offered viewers various meanings throughout the duration of the film. Although the diverse meanings grasped by viewers may differ, it was clear to me that McTiernan effectively applied elements of cinematography and mise-en-scene that resulted in viewers being allowed to interpret a range of different meanings or functions of the elements.
There are various elements that contribute to the significance of a film. Cinematography, is one important element in which the camera is used to capture visual images through a number of other controllable elements such as; camera lens, framing, scale, movement etc. Editing is another fundamental component of film studies in which different shots are put together in a coherent sequence in order to make meaning of a film.
Zombies, as we know them today, have mortified movie viewers for the last forty six years. Modern zombies first appeared in George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead in 1968. These zombies were the slow moving, staggering ghouls that one has seen in countless films, but in 1985, Return of the Living Dead featured a new kind of zombie, the first fast moving and talking ghoul. Both Night of the Living dead 1968 and Return of the Living Dead 1985 feature the zombie as its villain, but Return of the living dead’s fast moving, talking zombies are a more modern take on the movie monster.
The film I picked for my critique is Red Tails, a historical World War II drama. The movie starred Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard and Gerald Mcraney, was written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder, better known as the creator of the comic strip “the boondocks”, from a book by John B. Holway, directed by Anthony Hemingway and produced by George Lucas . In this paper the author will show how all elements of filmmaking
Mise en Scene is the environment of the scene. One of the most famous shot is when Elliot has E.T in the basket of his bike in front of the moon. The director made this an extra long shot because it is important to see the background. The viewer needs to see the moon in the sky to show that the bike is actually in the air flying. It shows that Elliott will do anything to help E.T return back to his home planet.
When it comes to movies, many directors are good at their jobs. However, other directors are great in the art of film making. There is no doubt such statement is considered utterly subjective, but what would life be without subjectivity, for it is our differences that make us thrive against a monotonic existence. By the same token, Alfred Hitchcock and Christopher Nolan utilize their singularities to create films that for decades have impacted the movie making universe. In fact, it is their differences that provide us with a high contrast to compare and scrutinize their job and find what made them great at it.
First released in October 1968 and shot for an underwhelming $114,000, Night of the Living Dead was created by a team of movie business outsiders from Pittsburgh (IMDb.com). The Image Ten, as they were later known, led by George Romero, created a horror film unlike any that had come before. Although the horror film had been around for nearly as long as the cinema, Night of the Living Dead was revolutionary in its production, its subtext as understood in historical reference, and its lasting effects on the horror genre. The British Film Institute’s Benjamin Hervey provides an analysis of the film as understood by critical audiences of the day.
Elements and principals of design are incorporated into all forms of art to include film. Film has a way of merging all the forms into one motion picture, providing the audience with both visual and auditory elements of art. Within those elements are deeper levels of creativity.
Reading through the whole essay, there are many appealing strategies found in order to strengthen the essay academically. Brooks attracts the audience with a pathos-style strategy, giving specific movie examples to straighten up the essay. The movie Night of the Living Dead resonates the viewers with an image of a flesh-eating and harmful zombie figure instead of a harmless voodoo-created zombie, which makes the notion of zombies transformed into a horrifying figure, provoking the sense of fear of audience with emotional appeal. The revolutionary creation of zombie film was led by George A. Romero, the father of the entirely new horror genre. In his work, zombies are characterized as a form of undead
The article “It’s Not Like Just the Wind That 's Passing Through” was published by R.H.W. Dillard to the Film Journal in 1973. Dillard is an author and had published 4 books of poetry, two novels and a collection of short fiction stories. Throughout the article, it is best to say that Dillard argues about how George Romero’s movie Night of the Living Dead (1968) has no special meaning nor purpose from the zombies and the movie itself. Also, based on his article, he describes the movie as a whole as “ordinary” followed by examples and his overall reason. As mentioned in the article, he described the movie as “merely ugly and cheap” which I’m assuming he didn’t like the movie. The way he compared the movie to “The Lone Wolf” and “Rosemary’s Baby” made me think he didn’t like Night of the Living Dead in general while he criticized some elements of the movie. Although, I agree with Dillard’s point in the plot for the fact that after struggling for survival, they all lose in the end, and how the characters are who they are and just aren’t as special as they’re seen to be looked as “ordinary” people. However, I wouldn’t agree with Dillard’s point in trying to compare the movie Night of the Living Dead to other films, such as Rosemary’s Baby and The Birds.
Italian Neorealism was a movement of art, which strived to illustrate the normal lives of the ordinary, working class people in post war Rome, usually with the use of non-professional actors. As one of the best Italian Neorealist film, Bicycle Thieves showed an absolute depiction of the war’s impact on daily life and exposed a world in which sufferings, unkindness and corruption jeopardized the rationality of human beings and action of men (Schoonover). By utilizing a depressing and gloomy cinematography, De Sica implies the somber lives of the poor and their crisis in losing their self-identity and moral conscience as a result of parochial society that make a fetish of personal belongings as a mode of social acceptance. By examining the cinematography, ‘mise-en-scene’ and events in the film, the daily struggles of the working class in post war Rome can be seen through the crisis of masculinity, class struggle, ethical dilemma and a profoundly patriarchal society.