Another Winner! Great Work, Kristen!

The Romantics - Talking in Your Sleep

This one has so many aesthetic choices, you won't know where to begin!

WOW! Jessica's OPENING credits!

Very sweet, funny, endearing!!!  Great work!!!

CHRIS TOMASELLO'S FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC OPENING CREDITS!!!!

SUGGESTIONS FOR PAPER TOPICS

If you're having trouble deciding, I hope this helps!

1.  Choose a scene and discuss the production design components.
2.  Discuss the style of an Auteur director.
3.  Discuss the ideas of Unity, Belief, and the Golden Key
4.  Investigate Eisenstein's theory of Collision
5. Is there even a performance since the actor's work is cut down to the syllable in the editing process, thereby creating a moment, fabricatingi a moment, that was not ever manifest in the physical plane.
6.  Compare the evolution of camera movements such as the steadycam vernacular and their parallel expressions in the human brain (e.g. seccades)

Lynn Hirschberg's Screen Tests: Emma Stone

Lynn Hirschberg's Screen Tests: Kristen Stewart

Screen Test: Jennifer Lawrence

Emma Stone's Current Crush? (Hint: It's Not Andrew Garfield) | Screen Te...

Jennifer Lawrence | 14 Actors Acting | The New York Times

Jesse Eisenberg | 14 Actors Acting | The New York Times

Javier Bardem | 14 Actors Acting | The New York Times

Anthony Mackie | 14 Actors Acting | The New York Times

Lesley Manville | 14 Actors Acting | The New York Times

Tilda Swinton | 14 Actors Acting | The New York Times

Natalie Portman | 14 Actors Acting | The New York Times

Links to Actors' Studio Interviews

Just a Reminder

If you would like further information to explore regarding Film and Music theory:

http://web.archive.org/web/20031208182300/

http://www.franklinmarketplace.com/filmmusic.html

Film Theory in Practice:

http://www.storyispromise.com/cascade.htm

Philosophy of Narratology:

http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/narratology/terms/narrativetermsmainframe.html

Persistence of Vision:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_of_vision

Depth of Field:

http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/User-Guide/950/depth-of-field.html

and

You will find a lot of articles of value for this course at:

http://www.storyispromise.com/wmovies.htm

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzedefUXARE

Coalescing the Readings

HI,

I've looked through the requested videos and books for this course and gathered them together on this page to make it easier for you.  If you haven't finished yet, this post may be useful as a reader's guide.

Looking at the production values aspects, consider the linkages between the following:

Berger (Ways of Seeing)  (this is the link to the first of four videos)

• Shows us the visual essay and how juxtaposition makes meaning
• Reveals the meaning behind the gaze, and specifically, the male gaze
• Discusses the use of visual artifacts to create contextual meaning in the frame space
• Considers the frame itself as an integral part of the artwork

Zetl (Media Aesthetics, Shot by Shot)

• Uses the frame to create dynamic tension between motion vectors and dominant images
• Discusses the x, y, and z axis, and the use of the "space" translation from two to three dimensional
• Discusses the collision between shots, and how linear linkages create meaning
• Discusses in-frame construction, dominant images, etc as well as out-of-frame motivated contextual devices (suggestivity.)

The Cinematography Video

• Focuses on how the movement of the camera catalyzes meaning in the brain
• Looks at how camera movements developed in a parallel way to how the eye sees, but the movements were all unintentionally neuro-biologically relatable to brain chemistry and the physiology of the eye.

The Cutting Edge Editing Video

• Discusses the history of editing
• Considers the power of juxtapositioning and collision
• Explains the use of the sonic fabric and textures
• Delves into the physiology of editing
• Looks at making meaning visually and temporally

A Sense of Direction (Bill Ball)

• Studies the meta-ideas of Unity and Belief
• Parses out the theory of The Golden Key
• Observes the Verb, or the Want
• Assimilates the performance meta-question with the question of the entire film/performance as a single entity

In the Blink of an Eye (suggested book)

Further Clarification on the Paper and Shot by Shot

The paper topic is a more in-depth study of something from the reading or the lessons that intrigued you.  ​For instance, you may be interested in the relationship between the way the eye sees (seccades) and camera movement.  Or, you may find the idea of the Golden Key fascinating.  If you need more help, send some ideas and I'll brainstorm with you.

The Shot by Shot is meant for you to pick a scene from a film that interests you, and then to break down a part of the scene (you will find the breaking down process to be quite time consuming and lengthy, and most scenes are too long to sustain) by considering motion vectors, lighting, sound, editing, shot construction, acting, camera placement, etc.  Explain why every choice was made, find lietmotifs, look at costumes, etc.  If you need more guidance, please let me know.

I will be emailing you this week individually just to check in.