I chose to watch Isle of Dogs, a film directed by Wes Anderson and produced by Indian Paintbrush. This artsy, unique film was intriguing to me because it combined the unique style of Wes Anderson and the magic of animation into the longest stop-motion film ever made. Being an animation student myself, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to analyze what I feel is one of the best animated and directed stop-motion films i’ve seen. Wes Anderson’s production design, choice of actors and acting styles, and creative use of cinematography contribute to a quirky, humorous film that can carry mature themes including the struggle of families with differing views and the destruction caused by racism. A notable element that contributed to the scale of the …show more content…
The voice acting is subdued and very natural. In many cases, it feels like a couple of people sitting around talking, and it fits so well with the mannerisms of the dogs that they feel real and tangible. At times I forgot that I was listening to animated dogs speak, and saw them as entirely human characters. This is an excellent approach to the acting of the dogs. Animals in animated movies or shows often come across as childish or goofy, because a younger audience is often the focus of the film. But Isle of Dogs targets a more mature audience, so by creating a casualness in the acting and authenticity to suspend disbelief, the actors create talking dogs that don’t come across as childish or goofy. This is also necessary to be able to convey more mature themes, including struggle within family and the battle against racism, which are both themes that are handled very well in the …show more content…
Wes Anderson’s unique choices of camera placement creates a tone that is different from any other director. In Isle of Dogs, he uses camera movements to emphasize emotions and character quirks. For example, in many scenes, when the dogs become uninterested in something, the camera slowly pans away from that object or character. However, when that object or character sparks the interest of the dogs, the camera whips back to focus on it. In one case, this is a cat that quickly draws the pack of dogs’ attention. This is similar to the fast attention spans of dogs and their real-life behavior, which makes the audience feel like they are seeing the world from the perspective of the dogs. Dramatic low angles are used in scenes with impact, such as when the sushi chef prepares to serve poisoned sushi to the pro-dog
Films are designed for numerous purposes, some entertain, frighten, enlighten, educate, inspire, and most make us think about the world we live in. This paper will be focused on the cinematic interpretation of the film "Stepping Razor Red X", the Peter Tosh Story. The makers of a film from the writer, director, cinematographer and the art director, design, and conceptualize what they want the viewer to see.
Many films are based on historical events or information. However, the movies typically romanticize the history that they are inspired by. In Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides there are some elements of historical piracy, such as the use of privateers, women disguising as male pirates, and class on board ships. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a Hollywood film that is inspired by historical accounts which also uses drama and romanticism to appeal to the general public.
Talented writers can take another’s work and expand it further into new potential. By adding details or introspection, a director or writer of an adaptation can achieve in pushing the boundaries of the original piece. In the case of Where the Wild Things Are, a children’s picture book written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, was expanded into a far more complex and emotionally developed work. The novel’s world flourishes into an intricate story through both the film adaptation and its novelization counterpart. Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers offer a darker, yet vivid variation of Sendak’s classic book by crafting a more dynamic version and cultivating the story with rich character depth and development. Through their choices in writing and direction,
Friedman, L., Desser, D., Kozloff, S., Nichimson, M., & Prince, S. (2014). An introduction to film genres. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company.
The film Wendy and Lucy, directed by Kelly Reichardt, presents a sparse narrative. The film has been criticised for its lack of background story, and as a short film, much of the story is left to the viewer to infer from what is presented in the plot. However, Wendy and Lucy is able to depict the intimate relationship between Wendy and her dog as well as reflecting more broadly on the everyday, and commenting on the current economic state of the film’s setting in America. This essay will examine how film form contributes to the viewer’s awareness of the story in Wendy and Lucy and allows a deeper understanding of the themes presented. The aspects of mise-en-scene, shot and editing and sound in the film will be explored.
The debate over Casablanca and Citizen Kane has been a classic argument between film critics and historians alike because both of these pieces contain great cinematographic value, and are timeless pictures that have managed to captivate audiences well beyond their era. However, the real question at hand is which film is the greatest? Which film transformed the future of American film making? It is these questions that I as many others have, will attempt to answer in the following essay as I explain why I believe Citizen Kane has achieved the status of greatest film ever made.
The ways in which we as humans represent our relationships with dogs are explored in Dog Love. Garber assumes on the role of a cultural critic through her book, commenting on the role and social value dog representations have in our society, as represented in various artifacts: novels, films, advertisements, etc. She believes that through dog stories we create the ideal human, assigning valued human characteristics to the canine protagonist. She states, “The dog becomes the repository of those model human properties that we have cynically ceased to find among humans” (Garber 15). In our society, we no longer turn to our fellow men and women for the embodiment of virtue; we instead look to “man’s best friend.”
With his down-the-rabbit-hole approach to design and obsessive attention to detail, Wes Anderson, writer, director and auteur, is best known for his highly stylized movies. His extremely visual, nostalgic worlds give meaning to the stories in his films, contrary to popular critical beliefs that he values style over substance. Through an analysis of his work, I plan to show that design can instead, give substance to style.
In society today, we are conditioned to believe certain sets of ideals. We use these ideals to interact and get along with the other people we surround ourselves with. These ideals are often the societal norms that form common ground amongst individuals. However, living life based off these basic and unchanging beliefs is not beneficial to humanity, nor does it make life any easier to live. In fact, holding on to the most accepted beliefs holds back society as a whole. Judith Halberstam, in her essay “Animating Revolt and Revolting Animation” challenges these societal norms through the analysis of animated movies and, in doing so, carves a path for a new way of thinking.
Think about your favorite movie. When watching that movie, was there anything about the style of the movie that makes it your favorite? Have you ever thought about why that movie is just so darn good? The answer is because of the the Auteur. An Auteur is the artists behind the movie. They have and individual style and control over all elements of production, which make their movies exclusively unique. If you could put a finger on who the director of a movie is without even seeing the whole film, then the person that made the movie is most likely an auteur director. They have a unique stamp on each of their movies. This essay will be covering Martin Scorsese, you will soon find out that he is one of the best auteur directors in the film industry. This paper will include, but is not limited to two of his movies, Good Fellas, and The Wolf of Wall Street. We will also cover the details on what makes Martin Scorsese's movies unique, such as the common themes, recurring motifs, and filming practices found in their work. Then on
Hollywood dogs can steal a scene. Or make an action sequence even more amazing. The best fur actor can jump, roll sit and be as personable as your next door neighbor (minus the barking). In today's world of CGI and over the top zombie filled films, it appears that the animals are making a bigger contribution by just being animals. It's hard to explain, but there is something quite cool about a dog completing a stunt when compared to a computer made machine completing the stunt. A Hollywood dog might not have as much to offer, but it has more impact on the fans.
Bliss, John, Art that Moves: Animation Around the World. Chicago, Illinois: Heinemann Raintree, 2011. Print
Since the creation of films, their main goal was to appeal to mass audiences. However, once, the viewer looks past the appearance of films, the viewer realizes that the all-important purpose of films is to serve as a bridge connecting countries, cultures, and languages. This is because if you compare any two films that are from a foreign country or spoken in another language, there is the possibility of a connection between the two because of the fact that they have a universally understanding or interpretation. This is true for the French New Wave films; Contempt and Breathless directed by Jean-Luc Godard, and contemporary Indian films; Earth and Water directed by Deepa Mehta. All four films portray an individual’s role in society using sound and editing.
The use of techniques and strategies in animation is significant as it greatly emphasizes the overall message of the film, and most importantly it allows the audience to understand and identify the film in their own individual perspective. All techniques used in animation films have potential in their own distinctive ways. Films such as ‘200,000 Phantoms/ Nijuman No Borei’ (2007), ‘Philips Broadcast of 1938’ (1938), ‘Uncle’ (1996), ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ (1940), ‘Felix in Hollywood’ (1923), ‘Billy’s Balloon’ (1998), ‘Mt. Head/ Atama Yama’ (2003) and ‘Simonova Sand Performance’ (2009) demonstrates a variety of techniques and strategies in the most effective ways. In some of the films, there are techniques and strategies used that are similar and some that are very different, nevertheless each are unique in their respective ways. We will explore the techniques used in these films, including its historical or contemporary context based on the methods of production used and the cultural environment from which they arose. We will also see how the films contrast from each other.
“Entertainment has to come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine, some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything’s not okay.” - David Fincher. David Fincher is the director that I am choosing to homage for a number of reasons. I personally find his movies to be some of the deepest, most well made, and beautiful films in recent memory. However it is Fincher’s take on story telling and filmmaking in general that causes me to admire his films so much. This quote exemplifies that, and is something that I whole-heartedly agree with. I am and have always been extremely opinionated and open about my views on the world and I believe that artists have a responsibility to do what they can with their art to help improve the culture that they are helping to create. In this paper I will try to outline exactly how Fincher creates the masterpieces that he does and what I can take from that and apply to my films.