Three initial ideas for dissertation.
1. Analogue film and its imprint on the digital era.
This thesis for a dissertation would have set about to analyse the relationship between analogue and digital filmmaking and the differences in these practices since the rise of the latter’s popularity and usability. The paper would have evaluated digital filmmaking practices and the new range of techniques that modern technology has brought about, giving reference to the rise of importance in editing since the development of red-one and the response to this of various filmmakers, Lars Von Trier etc. New aesthetics would have also been explored, looking at films such as Inland Empire (Lynch, 2006) and Trash Humpers (Kornine, 2009) and the
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As reference for this argument a case study would be conducted into the promotion of film through viral videos, and a further case study would be conducted into the forthcoming film Tron: Legacy (2010) and how the internet may have facilitated its production.
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Abstract
This study addresses the viability of auteurism in the contemporary moving image industries and the significance of this in relation to whether or not an animator can be considered a genuine auteur within the wider context of general artistic practice.
The purpose is to provide an up to date and comprehensive, analytical framing of auteur theory and enhance the arguments laid down by critics, thinkers and theorists on both the psychoanalysis concerned with the consideration of the ‘original’ self in a postmodern society and whether the collaborative, creative nature of the animation industry lends itself to the term auteur. The dissertation will provide a social, historical and theoretical study of a number of discourses concerned with the animation industry, examining distinguishable personalities within the medium and formulating a thesis on arguments limiting auteur theory to the status of “high art” whilst questioning the genealogical construction of understanding surrounding the bourgeois construct of authorship.
The paper sets about to provide an unbiased argument on the authentic nature of auteurism within contemporary perceptions of animated cinema,
An auteur is a singular artist who controls all aspects of a collaborative creative work, a person equivalent to the author of a novel or a play. The term is commonly referenced to filmmakers or directors with a recognizable style or thematic preoccupation.
In the digital era of convergent media, the most obvious about the change of cinema is the storage which rely on celluloid that you can touch in the past. Now, however, it is stored as electronic packets of 1s and 0s which is virtual. The changes of the cinema is not only about the film storage, but also the production,post-production, exhibition and distribution which is the main part of the film industry structure. In the era of celluloid, the four steps of movie is relatively independent and has its sequence. In digital movie, whereas, the connection and integration among four parts of industry structure are ever close.
David Bordwell wrote his article ‘The Art Cinema as a Mode of Film’ in an effort to convey the main idea that “art cinema” can be considered as a distinct mode of film practice, through its definite historical existence alongside other cinematic modes, set of formal conventions, and implicit viewing procedures. Rather than searching for the source of the art, or what drives the art in film, Bordwell compares art cinema to the classical narrative cinema, and highlights the differences in narrative structure. Bordwell makes the assumption that it defined itself against the classical narrative mode; especially with the way it deals with space, time, and the cause and effect link of events.
“The point of theatre is transformation: to make an extraordinary event out of ordinary material right in front of an audience 's eyes. Where the germ of the idea came from is pretty much irrelevant. What matters to every theatre maker, I know, is speaking clearly to the audience 'right now. '” This quote by English playwright and screenwriter, Lee Hall, from an essay he published in the Times of London, is central to the connection between theatre and motion picture technology. Since the rise of film in the early twentieth century, these elements have been influencing each other, and working together, to elevate the storytelling and experience of each medium and, in turn, better connecting them to the modern audience. The collaboration of these two mediums has resulted in a new form of theatre, known as digital theatre, that shows “theatrical entertainment does not have to be either purist (involving only ‘live’ actors on stage), or be consumed by the dominant televisual mass media, but can gain from the strengths of both types of communication.”(Masura). Throughout this paper, the intersection of theatre and motion picture technology will be explored through their effect on each other, in storytelling and experience, and the product of their collaboration—digital theatre.
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 term Auteur seems to bless a privileged group of filmmakers with an almost messiah-like legacy. Men such as Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford and Fritz Lange are believed to inhabit the ranks of the cinematic elite, and not surprisingly most critics are more than willing to bestow upon them the title of Auteur. By regarding filmmaking as yet another form of art, Auteur theory stipulates that a film is the direct result of its director's genius. With the emerging prominence of auteur based criticism in the 1950?s, the role of the director became increasingly integral to a film's success. However most would argue that this form of criticism didn't reach its apex until 1960s, when Andrew Sarris released his
It is intriguing to witness the development of technological shift in society. The newest technology has played and enormous role in media and it has a major effect on the way films and all other forms of media are originated. The style in which images, sound, and text are developed is much distinct from how it was processed many years ago. Digital Cinematography is a technique used to record and capture motion pictures as digital video images. Unlike the traditional analog film frames, digital capture provides other ways to capture motion pictures such as video tape, CD, or flash drive. With the help of digital cinematography filmmaking has become relatively easy allowing filmmakers to produce various types of films. Southpaw, an action/drama film released in 2015 directed by Antoine Fuqua is about a boxer who is subjected to a real if strenuous transformation reeling from tragedy. While movie critics found the film to be a bit cliché the viewers didn’t seem to mind. What set this film apart from most boxing movies was Fuqua’s display of masculine aggression, intense violence but yet emotional and familial drama that keeps the viewer’s tuned into the film. His inspiration for the film was influenced by the life story of Hip-Hop cultures very own rapper Eminem. The main goal was to depict a sense of reality while making the film very relatable. From the different factors within the diachronic shot such as focus, angles, sound, montage and the fascinating interpretations that
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
Auteur Theory is based on three premises, the first being technique, the second being personal style, and the third being interior meaning. Furthermore, there is no specific order in which these three aspects must be presented or weighted with regard to a film. An Auteur must give films a distinctive quality thus exerting a personal creative vision and interjecting it into the his or her films.
In this essay I will be discussing five key points throughout Post Production history between the 1900s-1960s. Post Production is seen as a vital component in the cinematic industry as it essentially finalises the final products. Techniques that have been developed over the years are incredibly important, but they all have an origin. Although these techniques started out without overwhelming effect, they are now unbelievably crucial to how films are constructed. The five points I wish to discuss go as follows: The Great Train Robbery and Edwin Porter himself, D.W. Griffith and his overwhelming influence on editing, The Jazz Singer, the Kuleshov Effect and finally, 2001: A Space Odyssey. As well as discussing these key factors, this essay will take into consideration secondary material.
This paper will focus on the film techniques used by Cameron in his three most known movies, Titanic (1997), Avatar (2009), and Terminator series. Mise-en-scene according to John Gibbs is used in film studies in the discussion of visual style. Translated literally it means “To put on stage”, but for the purpose of students, it is defined as the contents of the frame and the way they are organized (p 5). In addition, a director’s style can be identified only through the arrangement and orchestrations of the film’s mise-en-scene (Nelmes, 425).The films Titanic, Avatar, and Terminator series were successful
The romantic idea of the auteur is described by film theoretician, André Bazin, observing the film form as an idealistic phenomenon. Through the personal factor in artistic creation as a standard reference, Bazin primarily refers to an essential literary and romantic conception of the artist as central. He considers the relationship between film aesthetics and reality more important than the director itself and places cinema above paintings. He described paintings as a similar ethical creation to film stating a director ‘can be valued according to its measurements and the celebrity of the signature, the objective quality of the work itself was formerly held in much higher esteem.’ (Bazin, 1967: 250). Bazin contemplates the historical and social aspects that indeed hinder a director’s retribution to their own personalised film, thus en-companying their own ideological judgement upon the world ‘more so in cinema where the sociological and historical cross-currents are countless.’ (Bazin, 1967: 256)
In all forms of art there is a natural inclination to explore and experiment within the medium. The resulting methods and formats can be seen as alternatives and additions to existing ones. I do not believe that, in terms of technical decisions, there is a superior style of film making that the industry progresses to on a set path. I agree with Arnheim’s statement that “there is no objection to the complete film as an alternative to the stage” if it exists with the other types of films (Arhheim, 186). In some cases advances in method and technique are used to fix the problems of technological limitations. In other cases these advances provide alternatives. The introduction of color is described by the latter. Color was introduced as an alternative to black and white movies but never completely replaced them and didn’t stop the use of black and white as an effective technique in modern cinema.
The introduction of motion picture drastically changed the world as we know it along with introducing new and advanced ways of making and presenting media to the masses. Before the introduction of motion picture the only way people were able to hear about the news or new products was either by newspaper or word of mouth. Before we had T5i’s or any other new and elaborate camera we had to film with black and white picture with no sound, like the old classic super eight film cameras. The process of editing has changed over the decades from where film was just cut and scenes would be placed right after the other with hard cuts with the raw material, literally they cut the film, to now where most editors use non-linear editing with a computer to add transitions, text, and other video effects to produce the most visually appealing and most understandable when producing a video production. The way the video productions are shown to the public have also adapted throughout its brief existence. When commercials and films first made their appearances in the early twentieth century Directors and Producers had no idea how to use color to catch the audience’s attention by using their sub conscious, they didn’t realize that the length of the production would play a role in rather a person will watch it or not. Nowadays there are entire books on how to grab the audience’s attention.
Film Industry has been expansively affected by the changes in technology. The mechanical and digital innovations give cause to the influence of equipment, distribution and the way in which films are made and consumed. New trends shape directors and filmmakers to expand creatively towards telling stories in motions. The film industry has developed to one of the most important tools of communication, it's cause so powerful affecting the way individuals and societies think, act and behave. Among the new Era approaching film, and seeing celluloid film fade is that of the Digital Era and a camera that saw celluloid films passing hastened.