Gravity: An Avatar, A Life Of Pi

Films are a large part of our lives here in America where we depend on them to do when we’re bored with nothing to do, or when the snow or rain is falling. We all use movies as a common way to go on dates and be with friends. However, there has become an abundance amount of movies that we can all enjoy throughout our lives. Although not all movies are interesting to all viewers depending on their personality and what they like to watch. I can say for myself that a film that I really enjoy would be “Mean Girls”. In the two thousand four film “Mean Girls” there is a sense of entertainment that helps in combining all the aspects found in a classical film. Classical films having a entertaining and dramatic plot, and a excellent cast.

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing is a documentary about the art of film editing and the immensity of the job an editor is given. The reasoning of the film is to show the impact editing truly has on movies and our emotional attachment towards them. This documentary shows clips from different films to prove to it’s viewers the substantial effect editing has. Directors and editors speak out about the significance of editing, something not many viewers know nor think about.

Over the many years of filmmaking, there is no doubt that classical Hollywood has made an interesting name for itself. The classical Hollywood style has become quite predictable in relation to film narrative because of their unique filmmaking choices using devices like continuity editing, three-point lighting, centered framing, and musical scores. When we think of a classic Hollywood film, we usually imagine a story with a happy ending. A phenomenal film that performs all these functions

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.

After watching and analyzing the action adventure film, Indiana Jones - “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008) and the Sci-Fi thriller, The Matrix (1999) many cinematic elements attracted my attention. With three very distinct and ingenious directors, (Spielberg and the Wachowskis siblings) these two films exemplified extraordinary uses of lighting, framing, editing and sound techniques unique to its own genre.

I initially chosen the movie Guardians of the Galaxy so I can elaborate on what is my favorite superhero film of all time. Being highly rated among other superhero movies, as well as containing an indie vibe, it happens to contain many aspects of film that creates a marvelous movie. Guardians of the Galaxy is an innovative movie in the superhero genre, because it has quirky story, but it somehow brings crazy comedy, middle-aged music, and of course the action-packed fun. I believe this film was a revolutionary idea in the genre and industry. From special effects to music, Guardians of the Galaxy packs a punch with the elements and techniques of a great production, which is why I chose to write about it. I was very confident in choosing Guardians of the Galaxy due to the film aspects of sound, special effects, and the narrative.

Kevin Smith has make the grueling trek from an unknown, extremely low-budget filmmaker to a well known and respected filmmaker thanks to the

An article from a magazine: Sean Smith and David Ansen, "2005 Oscar Roundtable" 31 January 2005

The 2009 film Avatar directed by James Cameron is a stunning visual masterpiece that required state of the art animation technology. Avatar was officially budgeted at $237 million and became the highest grossing film of all time bringing in more than two billion at the box office. The film used a new form of stereoscopic filmmaking that was touted as a breakthrough in cinematic technology. Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won three, for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. Avatar can be analyzed from various new historicist perspectives and effectively makes provocative statements about social issues such as race relations, imperialism, environmentalism, and the tactics of the military industrial complex.

On January 29th, 2016, Kevin D. Williamson a columnist of the National Review, wrote an article titled satirically titled On the Difficulties of the Movie Star. Williamson's argument revolves around the fact that although African Americans make up 12 percent of the US population, they are just six thousandths of a percent of the global population, and Hollywood is surely a “fully global enterprise”. He then reasons that it would be years even decades until an African American be nominated for an Academy Award if they were randomly distributed, just as it would be unlikely for ethnic minorities such as “Ukrainians or Comorians” to be nominated. He then stated that this shows African Americans, like white Americans are “overrepresented in Hollywood”.

In the early 1900’s silent films amazed audiences with images, later talkies impressed with sound, today we have 3D. As technology continues to evolve so too will film genres. Genres, while having some shared characteristics, also differ in terms of stylistic devices used. For instance, the dramatic film “The Notebook” effectively uses color to reinforce theme and has plausible performers as the two main protagonists.

the first of its kind to be made with a small budget, unknown cast, and limited resources. This proves that this film is unique by showing how differently the director and actors

The film industry has continuously changed since its inception due to rapid technology advancements. Camera technology has been a key factor that has influenced the growth of filmmaking. The first motion picture in the world was produced in the early 1880s, and the first public screening occurred ten years later. It didn’t take long for the quality of films to improve as new filmmaking equipment emerged. Ever since the first movie was produced, the film industry has been continuously changing in response to emerging filmmaking technology. Introduction of digital photography and digital data storage along with the development of internet significantly influenced the film industry (Barsam, 2015). These technologies contributed

Many films that have won top film awards from the Academy of Motion Pictures, but not all hold up against the test of time. For instance, The Departed won best film for 2006, but it has an incredibly flawed screenplay and hammy performances from some of its lead actors, Jack Nicholson in particular. Arguably, 2006’s Children of Men is a much more significant and better film, despite being more of a cult hit. It was the film I selected as a 21st Century classic, until I watched Spotlight. 2015’s Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy, has an exceptional cast dedicated to their roles and it won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, but these reasons are not enough to qualify it as a classic film. It is an important and devastating

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