In his essay, “It’s Just a Movie: A Teaching Essay for Introductory Media Classes”, Greg M. Smith argues that analyzing a film does not ruin, but enhances a movie-viewing experience; he supports his argument with supporting evidence. He addresses the careful planning required for movies. Messages are not meant to be telegrams. Audiences read into movies to understand basic plotlines. Viewers should examine works rather than society’s explanations. Each piece contributes to Smith’s argument, movies are worth scrutinizing. In his first thought, Greg M. Smith establishes nothing is random within fictional lives. First off, he points out how easy it is to treat films like everything happens by chance, but proceeds to prove this is not the case. We are encouraged to get caught up in the movie’s world. Even a pedestrian of a scene has specific directions to follow. Outfits are chosen at length. Environments are carefully picked for being utilized by filmmakers. Everything in a movie has a purpose and has been edited and reviewed several times before reaching the big screen. …show more content…
They are not a telegram in which the original message is compared to the one received. One does not “get” or not “get” a message. Personalities, attitudes, and society’s influence contribute to understanding, as well as unconscious desires. He provides the example of Hitchcock’s Vertigo and continues to say Hitchcock may have expressed an unconscious obsession with aloof women. Interpretations range within audiences. If the movie means something to you, then the movie has succeeded. He provides the example of Humans are not reduced to one thought and movies should not be either, according to Smith. The interaction between the film and the viewer is the purpose of movies, not the message
Nabokov's most consistent reaction to popular films in their public context is his awareness that the film image... is overwhelming in its insistent claim to presence and, as a consequence, to truth. But in formula films perceived uncritically or absorbed inertly, film tends to displace... what is really important in life and to impose its own schematic simplifications upon life's teaming and idiosyncratic details. (62)
Lehman, Peter and Luhr, William. Thinking About Movies: Watching, Questioning, Enjoying. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2003.
Ellis contends that it is primarily the conditions of viewing that support a Mulveian response to cinema, and that the vastly different locale of TV viewing (the home) does not necessitate the same ‘gaze’. He argues that the physical setting of a theatre – with its dark atmosphere, gigantic screen, and coliseum seating – guarantees a “centered” viewer that automatically gives his or her full attention to the film. (Ellis 116/128). The life-sized (or larger) cinematic image encourages objectification and fetishization, as does its demanding narrative; with complicated narrative information and imagery, the film spectator must pay strict attention to plot progression and visual details throughout the course of a viewing.
In today’s rapidly advancing society, there are only a few forms of entertainment that have truly withstood the test of time. Of these, the film industry is arguably the most immortal, continuing to be the dominating force in entertainment with global box office revenue expected to increase from 36 billion in 2016 to 50 billion in 2020. In today’s world, film matters for the same reason that art does, that being it embodies and highlights the state of affairs within the world at time, specifically those values, attitudes and beliefs of the culture within which and for which the film is made. Arguably the most iconic plot structure of a film is that of a hero’s journey. A hero’s journey encompasses an individual or group that set out on an epic quest to achieve a seemingly impossible objective whilst facing extreme difficulty and turmoil at every step along the way. In this presentation, John Lasseter’s 1998 blockbuster A Bug’s Life, will be analysed with respect to its context and receival by audiences, the values, attitudes and beliefs it conveys as well as it’s hero’s journey.
Each film has a distinct purpose associated with it. Whether this purpose is as simple as teaching children a valuable lesson or as complex as criticizing a society’s barriers, there are explicit goals which must be discerningly conveyed. There are specific elements to filmmaking which are designed to contribute to the goals set forth when making a film. Such elements include what would be considered “aesthetics of astonishment,” or striking images, editing conflict and other techniques associated with montage filmmaking. Each of these techniques imprint a thought or logic on a film – a kind of “watermark” – that pushes the film itself towards the accomplishment of the original goals. Regardless of the need for the completion of these “higher goals”, a director’s ability to keep a viewer’s undivided attention is crucial to the success of a film. Each viewer must remain fascinated from start to finish by the plot and characters, or he will lose interest in the film. So, when a film relies on a strong narrative base to keep its audience captivated, there is little room for variation from the elements which depict the story best. Striking montage images or techniques, if not carefully placed, can have a tendency to take the viewer’s eye from the progression of the narrative and turn their thought to something else.
Throughout a person’s life, they are exposed to many different people and objects that represent the current socially acceptable practices in, and they are forced to decide whether their path in life conforms to or opposes these common normative pathways. In the film, American Beauty (dir. Mendes, 1999), the audience listens to Lester, played by Kevin Spacey, as he prepares the viewers for what is to come while introducing them to the character the story is centered around, but in this narration, the ending to the movie is already spoiled. Going to the cinema is an adventure, individuals see plot arcs adjusted to represent a director’s vision and for films that provoke the interest it’s usual for the viewers to be on the edge of their seat
Boggs, J. M., Petrie, D. W. (2004). The Art of Watching Films (6 ͭ ͪ ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Sparking debate over the nature of its viewing, film is now being questioned in social, political, and moral arenas for its potential impact on an audience. Critics claim that watching films is a passive activity in which the viewer becomes subconsciously absorbed, and creates a reliance or "addiction" to the medium, and thus can be influenced by any perpetual concepts or images. Advocates, however, argue that viewing such programs is an active process in which audience members are able to choose to what they are exposed to, and interpret messages based on their individual needs and background. Perhaps both views are too extreme? Film from the 1950s to present, as will be explored in this essay, is an extremely useful medium, often underestimated within the label of "entertainment".
There are many sharp differences in the application of reading and movie going, and the dramatic differences will be exposed in this essay. As an intense reader, one often finds that the movie experience will let them down in their expectations in areas such as film quality, cast characters, and removed scenes. Likewise, movie goers often lose a part of context when seeing a movie and not reading the book. Those simply viewing movie either feel as if they have not been told the whole story, or that they are missing a vital piece of the storyline.
Barsam, R. M., Monahan, D., & Gocsik, K. M. (2012). Looking at movies: an introduction to film (4th ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co..
...verything around us is made by our actions. Positive or negative they cause an effect that will ultimately lead to a different story base on how we interpret life. Narrative elements are used as a bridge by the directors in their film to create any master plot that is currently known. Any modification at any narrative element used by the director at important moments inside the story can help you portray a different master plot. This used of narrative elements can be best described as an ever changing process that takes place inside an individual’s head. Depending on the individual that may be exposed to those narrative elements can create different meanings. This new interpretation can be different for everyone. We have to be aware that one change in the surface scenery can lead to many ideal outcomes in our minds and that is the main power the audience has.
Movies were something that I never enjoyed. Even as a small child, I never gave interest when my teacher wheeled out the old, fat, and riddled with dust television. While the other children screeched with joy, I wanted to read the new book by Judy Blume. I cherished the moments when I could immerse myself in the fabricated reality of the story for hours. I never found that with the childish flicks that my teacher showed. It wasn’t until watching My Neighbor Totoro, that my affection and passion for film sprouted.
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese believes that cinema as he knows it is gone or dying, and that the latest generations don’t understand or appreciate the cinema like he does. While the current movie-going experience has certainly changed as time has gone by, I believe Scorsese is over exaggerating the plight of cinema. The movies have been a prominent part of our culture for around a decade, and while the way in which we indulge in this form of entertainment may not be exactly the same as it was years ago, it is certainly not a dead art form.
In being able to watch a movie on the go, on your phone or tablet is certainly one way in which “Film has shaped th...
Cinema can be taken to mean very different things at different times —a physical space (“I am going to the cinema.”), a medium of entertainment (“Casablanca is a cinema masterpiece!”), or even an entire industry with all the connections and entanglements that entails (“I am studying Bollywood cinema.”).