Movie Reflection
What is in your movie?
ENG 225
Hannah Judson
March 15, 2010
What is in your movie?
How does one analysis a movie? How does one watch a movie? What are you looking for in the movie? When you watch the movie, does the movie tell you a story or do you learn any life lessons from it? Movie making is considered an industry and an art form; as an artist media, it can come in a form of expression. A movie has so many components intertwined into it to make it overall and complete. Therefore, is there any one component that is superior to the other when the creators are composing the movie? There are so many elements and components used in creating and analysis a movie. However, before we take a look at those elements, let’s take a look at the history of films. Let’s start with silent films; many silent films were produced in the United States back in the early 1900’s. However, filmgoers never really got to enjoy the film in the theaters as they were intended to be seen. Silent films were meant to be viewed with the intentions of a full musical orchestra behind the film as was the case with The Birth of a Nation in 1915 (Griffith, 1915). The silent film, with the full musical composition playing behind it, made the movie experience seem much more complete. Now days, so many years later, after the original context, the films have lost the excitement as was intended by the directors. As we look more into the actual making of the film itself, each and every film was recorded on a reel of film. Until the standardization of the projection speed of 24 frames per second (fps) for sound films in 1926, silent films were shot at variable speeds or "frame rates", typically anywhere from 16 to 23 frames per second or faster. Unless carefully shown at their original speeds they can appear unnaturally fast and jerky, which reinforces their alien appearance to modern viewers. Eventually, they had the ability to add shades of color into the film. When they wanted to add
ENG 225
Hannah Judson
March 15, 2010
What is in your movie?
How does one analysis a movie? How does one watch a movie? What are you looking for in the movie? When you watch the movie, does the movie tell you a story or do you learn any life lessons from it? Movie making is considered an industry and an art form; as an artist media, it can come in a form of expression. A movie has so many components intertwined into it to make it overall and complete. Therefore, is there any one component that is superior to the other when the creators are composing the movie? There are so many elements and components used in creating and analysis a movie. However, before we take a look at those elements, let’s take a look at the history of films. Let’s start with silent films; many silent films were produced in the United States back in the early 1900’s. However, filmgoers never really got to enjoy the film in the theaters as they were intended to be seen. Silent films were meant to be viewed with the intentions of a full musical orchestra behind the film as was the case with The Birth of a Nation in 1915 (Griffith, 1915). The silent film, with the full musical composition playing behind it, made the movie experience seem much more complete. Now days, so many years later, after the original context, the films have lost the excitement as was intended by the directors. As we look more into the actual making of the film itself, each and every film was recorded on a reel of film. Until the standardization of the projection speed of 24 frames per second (fps) for sound films in 1926, silent films were shot at variable speeds or "frame rates", typically anywhere from 16 to 23 frames per second or faster. Unless carefully shown at their original speeds they can appear unnaturally fast and jerky, which reinforces their alien appearance to modern viewers. Eventually, they had the ability to add shades of color into the film. When they wanted to add
References: Boggs & Petrie, (2008). The Art of Watching Films, (pp. 26). McGraw Hill Publishing Co Cameron, J. (Director). (1997). Titanic [Motion picture]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox. Chaplin, C. (Director). (1931). City Lights [Motion picture]. United States: King Video. Docter, P. (Director). (2001). Monster’s Inc. [Motion picture]. United States: Pixar. Forman, M. (Director). (1975). One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest [Motion picture]. United States: Fantasy Films. Griffith, D.W. (Director). (1916). Intolerance [Motion picture]. United States: King Video. Griffith, D.W. (Director). (1915). The Birth of a Nation [Motion picture]. United States: Triad. Shadyac, T. (Director). (1998). The Patch Adams [Motion picture]. United States: Blue Wolf.