BLOG QUESTION BEG/ADV: FAVORITE UNIT

What unit did you enjoy the most? Why? What are three things that you learned from the unit? What are two things that you'd like to know more about? How could this unit be improved? Please give detailed input.

My favorite unit this year was the storytelling unit. I enjoyed it because we got to learn the basic foundations of storytelling structures/techniques, and it helped me understand the creative process of developing a story and formatting it into a script. I do wish we had more creative freedom to write our own screenplays in order to practice our story developing skills, instead of being forced to create one hero's journey film. The tight time constraints made ours feel quite rushed, and I wish we had more time to focus on writing instead of rushing through a producition.

BLOG QUESTION BEG/ADV: REVISITING YEAR GOALS

Look back at your goals for the Fall and Spring Semester blog posts. Were you able to achieve your goals? Why or why not? What could you have done differently? Looking back at them, what could you have done to focus more on your goals in the course?

My goals back then were to submit films to festivals and experiment with editing and lighting. While I was able to work on these a bit, I wouldn't say I completely finished these goals. I did work on two productions that were submitted to several film festivals, but I haven't submitted my work into any yet. I plan on submitting The Ghost Writer to a couple festivals this summer, so hopefully I can complete them. I did get certified in a lot of the lights here in class, and I learned a lot of techniques, so I believe I completed that goal. Lastly, I've been expanding on my editing skills quite a bit and taking on extra projects that are longer and more complex. While I haven't had the opportunity to experiment on AE as much as I'd like, I definitely have become more proficient in Premiere and learning how to edit sound, which is a pretty good accomplishment for myself. 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: INNOVATIONS OF THE NEW WAVE P. 1

What were some key stylistic innovations of the French New Wave? How did it change editing?

Jumpcuts are used to show the difference in both the space and time between two shots. It can be used to match or mismatch two shots. The French New Wave experimented with editing to contrast two different shots, capturing the audiences attention more to the fact that they're watching a film. This style of editing was a precursor to "montage" editing, and allowed for a faster-pace editing style. The "Auteur Theory" and "Camera-stylo"  idea also comes from the New Wave era, which helped define a directors true role in the making of their film, and bringing attention to the specific styles a director may have.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: INNOVATIONS OF THE NEW WAVE P. 2

What were some key stylistic innovations of the French New Wave? How did it change shooting?

Movement such as panning, tracking, and other hand-held techniques were utilized in the New Wave to show more about a scene and the emotions/characters involved in a scene. Whenever camera movement is involved, editing is involved, and vice versa.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE ACTING METHOD P. 4

After watching this entire video, what are 3 key things that you've learned about acting from this lesson? What changed your understanding about the importance of acting in film?

Both Strasberg and Adler have different methods to acting, but they all accomplish the same goal. The first thing I learned was the origin of acting, which originated from stories being retold. It wasn't until the greeks formalized the "acting out" of these stories through plays. I also learned about the Stanislavski system, which is one method actors can use to prepare for their roles and channel their emotions by following 3 key steps. Lastly, I learned that there are two dstinct ways of method acting: The Strasberg and Adler method. Lee Strasberg focused on the emotional memory method of the Stanislavski system, which requires actors to reflect on past traumas in order to channel emotions into their roles. This was different from the Stanislavski system which ditched this method for a more "imaginative"/"what-if" techique. 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE ORIGINS OF ACTING P. 3

What is method acting? How was it different from the Stanislavski System? How did Brando, James Dean, and Monroe change their acting style in the 50s?

Lee Strasberg focused on the emotional memory method of the Stanislavski system, which requires actors to reflect on past traumas in order to channel emotions into their roles. This was different from the Stanislavski system which ditched this method for a more "imaginative"/"what-if" techique. Brando, James, Dean, and Monroe all followed the Strasberg method (Although Brando denies this and credits Alder for is techniques). This allowed them to channel their emotions, creating "method acting" as a way for an actor to prepare for the screen.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE ORIGINS OF ACTING P. 2

What was traditional acting on the stage like in the 19th century? How did Stanislavski change acting? What was the Stanislavski System?

Traditional acting on stage in the 19th century continued to follow the grand declamatory style. Theater had to be exaggerated in order to be considered real, and certain emotions had motions and poses that were associated with it. Stanislavski found this style boring, and found interest in "living  the part", choosing to dress himself as different characters and stay in character while acting in public spaces. The Stanislavski System is a psychological approach to acting that was made for actors to get "into the moment". 

There are 3 key steps to the system: 

1. Preparation (Training your body and voice for the role), 

2. Studying the role (understanding the work), 

3. Truth (Feel as if the play is reality). 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE ORIGINS OF ACTING P. 1

How did Greek and Roman theatre create the art form of acting? What was commedia del' arte's influence on the development of acting?

Greek mythology was told through word of mouth. This process of telling stories became "theater", and as the stories were passed down, different interpretations would be made to reflect the times they were being told in. In the 6th Century B.C., theater became more formalized, and "Plays" would be written down. Commedia dell' Arte was a professional form of theatre that came about during the Italian Renaissance. This was a populist form of theater, meaning it represented all people (aristocracies to common peasants). The first theater trope came out of it, I Gelosi, and they would tour all over Europe. Known for their improvisation and actors taking on authorship roles, they were also the first group to allow women to share the stage.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: AUTEUR THEORY P. 3

How did the French New Wave transition to the United States? What influence did it have on cinema here? Go into depth.

American filmmakers didn't accept the auteur theory because American productions weren't used to the small artisan productions.  Pauline Kaele believed that the Auteur theory measurement of what makes a good director was pointless if a film they created was great. We only notice the flaws in the directors style afterwards, if there's nothing else notable about the film. She also argues that having obscure hidden meanings doesn't elevate a film, "Judge an artist by the movie, not the movie by the artist". The Auteur theory implies that the director has a large influence on the how a movie turns out, when filmmaking involves much more collaborators and is very complex.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: AUTEUR THEORY P. 2

How did French cinema critics begin to influence the development of auteur theory? What were two key critiques they made on the difference between auteur directors and traditional directors?

French cinema critics believed in the rejection of montage in favor of Mise en scene, as it allowed audiences to take in a scene as it unfolds. They also believed in Camera-stylo, which was the idea that a director should wield his camera like a writer uses his pen, and that they shouldn't be held back by traditional storytelling. Auteur directors also implemented their own personal style into their films, and they focused on establishing a mise-en-scène.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: AUTEUR THEORY P. 1

What is auteur theory? How did it first develop in France?

Auteur theory is the idea that a film holds a reflection of the creative vision of a director, that the director is the author of a film, therefore the films quality is in the hands of the director. It first developed in France when French theaters started converting to sound. This introduced Musicals and "filmed theater" became popular. After the war ended, French cinema took off since American films were banned. These films were organized, polished, but lacking artistic quality.