First the movies i enjoyed the most from the class.
Volver - i liked the tone of the movie and the story circling around family issues and conflicts. it was a nice clean shot movie, which i tend to lean towards, and has it's dark humor mixed in really well.
Brazil - This movie reminded me a lot of The Fifth Element, i guess because that movie probably borrowed it's style from it. It's a crazy story that after seeing it i see references to it in alot of movies since it came out.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Jack Nicholson is a great actor and deserved winning the Oscar for his role in it. it a movie that holds up well with time.
3 movie you should see
Requiem for a Dream - this movie is just epic. The song named after the title is used so much in scenes that need to be epic. the story is a sad one following three mid 20's drug users as they rise and fall. I'm a sucker for good music at just the right time and this is a great example of what i mean.
Catch Me If You Can - this is a movie that i never get bored of. It's a well paced movie with a great story and actors who portray their characters perfectly.
Reservoir Dogs - Quentin Tarantino is the master of making and hour and a half of dialog in one room more interesting then any other movie out there. Tarantino really knows how to write and this movie shows it off more than any of his other movies. It's a bank heist gone wrong and you never see what exactly happened, just the aftermath and some back story on the survivors. Besides that the whole of the movie takes place in a small warehouse where they try to figure out who set them up.
I'm just adding this extra, Animated Films (Anime films) you should see.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time - The title kinda describes the basic premise of the movie, it's a girl who can time travel, mostly small amounts like weeks, days, hours. The movie is nicely animated and paced well, it has been dubbed and the dub is great, just as good if not better than the original.
Tokyo Godfathers - this one is subtitled, no dub that i know of. The story is about three homeless people who find a baby while savaging through some trash on Christmas. It's a nice and touching story that has it's light and dark moments that blend nicely.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Jeff Bridges Interviewed on The Treatment
Wednesday February 24 2010, the five time oscar nominative actor, Jeff Bridges is interviewed on KCRW’s The Treatment. Bridges has just finished his latest movie, at the time, Crazy Heart where he plays the lead actor of an old musician on his way out of his career. Bridges has also acted in The Big Lebowski, TRON, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Iron Man, and tons of other movies and TV shows. He has also produced movies, Crazy Heart being one of them, and has also soundtracks under his belt, his most famous soundtrack is the Crazy Heart soundtrack where he sings and even plays a little in the movie.
It’s interesting to hear an actor talk about being tired and having to turn down roles, which would probably turn into a great movie, just because he/she just isn’t feeling it. Bridges has learned a lot from his father and has worked for every role instead of being handed to him for being the son of Lloyd Bridges. Crazy Heart is an independent film that Bridges help bring to life, becoming a producer on it, and brought in his musical friend T-Bone Burnett tp do a couple songs for it. Crazy Heart was the first film Scott Cooper has directed and written for, he allowed the actors work with him on how the characters are played, since Cooper has an acting background. Bridges is considered a lucky charm to new people in the film industry, having five movies, with three of them being new directors.
Bridges has worked with many new talents in the film industry and has done very well with them, “But we still haven’t done much better than Citizen Kane”. Many veterans of the movie industry often don’t trust first timers, but Bridges often works with them, in a way he’s a mentor to them. It seems like Bridges uses his connections to help a film out, which might not have gotten the backing it got if not for having a vet like bridges on the credits. Its definatly a confidence booster to have a A-lister like Jeff Bridges on you film and when it’s all said and done the films have had much success.
“Like a lot of stuff these days, that middle zone is disappearing”. Bridges is referring to movies on how one movie can have a 100 million dollar budget and be good to a 100 thousand dollar movie that is just as good. What he’s saying is a bit deeper than just comparing movies, it also relates to life. Many things nowadays are extra large or super tiny, TVs are a good example. TVs have gotten huge, beyond the 30” tube TV I grew up with to monstrous sizes that are almost, if not, bigger than me. And no you can watch TV on your phone, in your car, on you watch, it’s pretty crazy. It’s the battle of the two extremes, there is no more middle, or grey zone.
“Getting your foot in the door is one of the hardest things in an acting profession, and that was handled for me”, Bridges was lucky that his father was in show business and helped him start his career, even though early in his career he wasn’t to sure on if he wanted to be an actor. Bridges prefers earning his roles and not having them handed to him, which he has proven his acting ability time and time again. It’s interesting that he went into acting, mostly because it was the path of less resistance.
I’ve always like Jeff Bridges, no matter what he’s in he always gives it his all and then some. Bridges helps out new directors by signing to their films often, giving them a boost and come credibility to the film. He’s very modest and doesn’t get caught in the flashes of the paparazzi. He’s very clean, laid back, and friendly, almost like he’s living the role of “The Dude” from The Big Lebowski.
It’s interesting to hear an actor talk about being tired and having to turn down roles, which would probably turn into a great movie, just because he/she just isn’t feeling it. Bridges has learned a lot from his father and has worked for every role instead of being handed to him for being the son of Lloyd Bridges. Crazy Heart is an independent film that Bridges help bring to life, becoming a producer on it, and brought in his musical friend T-Bone Burnett tp do a couple songs for it. Crazy Heart was the first film Scott Cooper has directed and written for, he allowed the actors work with him on how the characters are played, since Cooper has an acting background. Bridges is considered a lucky charm to new people in the film industry, having five movies, with three of them being new directors.
Bridges has worked with many new talents in the film industry and has done very well with them, “But we still haven’t done much better than Citizen Kane”. Many veterans of the movie industry often don’t trust first timers, but Bridges often works with them, in a way he’s a mentor to them. It seems like Bridges uses his connections to help a film out, which might not have gotten the backing it got if not for having a vet like bridges on the credits. Its definatly a confidence booster to have a A-lister like Jeff Bridges on you film and when it’s all said and done the films have had much success.
“Like a lot of stuff these days, that middle zone is disappearing”. Bridges is referring to movies on how one movie can have a 100 million dollar budget and be good to a 100 thousand dollar movie that is just as good. What he’s saying is a bit deeper than just comparing movies, it also relates to life. Many things nowadays are extra large or super tiny, TVs are a good example. TVs have gotten huge, beyond the 30” tube TV I grew up with to monstrous sizes that are almost, if not, bigger than me. And no you can watch TV on your phone, in your car, on you watch, it’s pretty crazy. It’s the battle of the two extremes, there is no more middle, or grey zone.
“Getting your foot in the door is one of the hardest things in an acting profession, and that was handled for me”, Bridges was lucky that his father was in show business and helped him start his career, even though early in his career he wasn’t to sure on if he wanted to be an actor. Bridges prefers earning his roles and not having them handed to him, which he has proven his acting ability time and time again. It’s interesting that he went into acting, mostly because it was the path of less resistance.
I’ve always like Jeff Bridges, no matter what he’s in he always gives it his all and then some. Bridges helps out new directors by signing to their films often, giving them a boost and come credibility to the film. He’s very modest and doesn’t get caught in the flashes of the paparazzi. He’s very clean, laid back, and friendly, almost like he’s living the role of “The Dude” from The Big Lebowski.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Brazil - Have you got a 27B-6? Shot list
SHOT LIST
Production Title: Brazil Director: Terry Gilliam Cinematographer: Roger Pratt
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eosrujtjJHA
SHOT # LOCATION SHOT TYPE CAMERA ANGLE CAMERA MOVEMENT SHOT DESCRIPTION (subject, action, lighting, etc.)
# 1 Ext. EST - LS EL Slow Zoom-In Ext. banquet hall, night; slow zoom-in to view of crowd inside
Now begin your analysis of the scene you have chosen, providing the information asked for in these columns.
#1 Int. MS EST Steadicam Int. Apartment living room
#2 Int. MCU - MLS LA Steadicam Int. Zoom-out from MS to LS, tracking Lowry in kitchen, OTS
#3 Int. MLS LA Steadicam Int. Pan w/ Tilt tracking Tuttle Down small stairs to wall
#4 Int. MS LA Steadicam Int. 2s
$5 Int. CU OTS Steadicam Int. 2s Looking up at Tuttle and Lowry
#6 Int. CU POV Steadicam Int. Inside wall looking out POV.
#7 Int. MS OTS Steadicam Int. 3s, Lowry answers door, camera over his shoulder
#8 Ext. MS OTS Steadicam Int. 3s OTS from outside people
#9 Int. CU LA Steadicam Int. slightly looking up at Lowry
#10 Int. MS OTS Steadicam Int 4s, over Lowry’s shoulder
#11 Ext. LS EL Steadicam Ext. 3s outside Lowry’s apartment
#12 Int MS - MCU OTS Steadicam Int. 2s Over Tuttle’s shoulder, Zoom in to MCU low angle
Production Title: Brazil Director: Terry Gilliam Cinematographer: Roger Pratt
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eosrujtjJHA
SHOT # LOCATION SHOT TYPE CAMERA ANGLE CAMERA MOVEMENT SHOT DESCRIPTION (subject, action, lighting, etc.)
# 1 Ext. EST - LS EL Slow Zoom-In Ext. banquet hall, night; slow zoom-in to view of crowd inside
Now begin your analysis of the scene you have chosen, providing the information asked for in these columns.
#1 Int. MS EST Steadicam Int. Apartment living room
#2 Int. MCU - MLS LA Steadicam Int. Zoom-out from MS to LS, tracking Lowry in kitchen, OTS
#3 Int. MLS LA Steadicam Int. Pan w/ Tilt tracking Tuttle Down small stairs to wall
#4 Int. MS LA Steadicam Int. 2s
$5 Int. CU OTS Steadicam Int. 2s Looking up at Tuttle and Lowry
#6 Int. CU POV Steadicam Int. Inside wall looking out POV.
#7 Int. MS OTS Steadicam Int. 3s, Lowry answers door, camera over his shoulder
#8 Ext. MS OTS Steadicam Int. 3s OTS from outside people
#9 Int. CU LA Steadicam Int. slightly looking up at Lowry
#10 Int. MS OTS Steadicam Int 4s, over Lowry’s shoulder
#11 Ext. LS EL Steadicam Ext. 3s outside Lowry’s apartment
#12 Int MS - MCU OTS Steadicam Int. 2s Over Tuttle’s shoulder, Zoom in to MCU low angle
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Noir and white
"Great Noir poses the question, 'why me?'", Errol Morris said it right, why me? Just like in The Postman always rings twice Frank is confronted with that question when he first meets Cora and hell starts breaking lose when the failed murder attempt on her husband's life. Same goes with L.A Confidential where Edmund is stuck in a department were there's dirty cops everywhere and he's the only one looking for true justice. Why me? it's the age old question, when bad things happen everyone thinks why them not someone else.
A women that has here eyes on the big picture, she wants more than what she has, someone who can control men by just looking at them, a black widow of film, the femme fatale. Cora was a woman that wanted to make something out of herself and make something out of their business. Men feared women in power, who can do things for themselves yet still at frail and innocent while possessing those "Bedroom eyes". And once they get what they want they'll turn on your to clear their name and to get rid of you.
I believe that the main aspect to Noir films is the contrast between black and white, and i'm sure many will agree. Because of the time the films were mainly black and white and starting off Noir films were B-movies. Which worked for the films, having to shoot on location, using whatever lighting there was on set and adding a few portable lights. L.A Confidential Gave the Noir style a good shot and pulled it off pretty well, but there's just something about the old black and white films that was more extreme on lighting and even the acting, maybe a bit corny at times but still great. Color films in a way were an end to Noir, the contrast was a bit hard to get those extremes when you're working with more than just two colors. noir kinda reminds me of Japanese comics (Manga), pretty much a black and white comic book that knows how to utilize the two colors.
A women that has here eyes on the big picture, she wants more than what she has, someone who can control men by just looking at them, a black widow of film, the femme fatale. Cora was a woman that wanted to make something out of herself and make something out of their business. Men feared women in power, who can do things for themselves yet still at frail and innocent while possessing those "Bedroom eyes". And once they get what they want they'll turn on your to clear their name and to get rid of you.
I believe that the main aspect to Noir films is the contrast between black and white, and i'm sure many will agree. Because of the time the films were mainly black and white and starting off Noir films were B-movies. Which worked for the films, having to shoot on location, using whatever lighting there was on set and adding a few portable lights. L.A Confidential Gave the Noir style a good shot and pulled it off pretty well, but there's just something about the old black and white films that was more extreme on lighting and even the acting, maybe a bit corny at times but still great. Color films in a way were an end to Noir, the contrast was a bit hard to get those extremes when you're working with more than just two colors. noir kinda reminds me of Japanese comics (Manga), pretty much a black and white comic book that knows how to utilize the two colors.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Diegesis This
In L.A. Confidential a surprise moment was when the police chief shoots Jack after tell him about finding the dead bodyguards body under the old woman's house, where as suspense would be waiting for the gun fight to begin at the end of the movie. Surprise moments are usually loud, to catch the audience and the characters off guard, that is the meaning of surprise after all. Another example is when Cora is trying to kill her husband, in The Postman Always Rings Twice, and a cat jumps onto the electrical wire outside the house blowing the power out. And suspense was being built during the car ride to attempt to kill her husband again, this time driving to a cliff and getting him drunk to make it look like an accident. Often Suspense is when you know something is gonna happen, or have an idea of what's going to happen, and the scene slowly makes it's way to that conclusion putting the audience on the edge of their seat to seat what they thought come true. There are rare occasions where suspense is being built and suddenly a surprise twist will happen and change the films path.
Non-Diegesis is sounds or music that come from Narrioation, or music which doesn't come from the film's world and can not be heard by the characters. Non-Diegesis examples is when the sappy love music played when Frank Kissed Cora in The Postman Always Rings Twice and also the transition music L.A. Confidential. Diegesis is Sounds or music that comes from the film, like the radio being turned on in the car (The Postman Always Rings Twice) or the Police radio (L.A. Confidential)
Non-Diegesis is sounds or music that come from Narrioation, or music which doesn't come from the film's world and can not be heard by the characters. Non-Diegesis examples is when the sappy love music played when Frank Kissed Cora in The Postman Always Rings Twice and also the transition music L.A. Confidential. Diegesis is Sounds or music that comes from the film, like the radio being turned on in the car (The Postman Always Rings Twice) or the Police radio (L.A. Confidential)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
My recipe for a great movie
Movies need to impact the viewer, give them something to connect to and even inspire something deep within them. Here's a list of movie ingredients that I notice in movies i find great in my mind.
A Good lead Actor/Actress: Sometimes movies are based on a sole person's performance that brings the story to life and makes a human connections with the viewer. There are always exceptions to this rule, but most the time it's when a supporting Actor/Actress just has a more interesting character (example: Christen Bale in The Fighter) and it's often not the lead's fault, it's just the writing.
Good Story Acing: Movies need to have a good pace to them, or else they audience will start to get bored by the slow pace of the movie. (Examples of good pacing: True Grit, The Karate Kid [2010], Unstoppable, Toy Story 3, The King's Speech, The Social Network)
A Good Director: The Director has to know what shots work for certain situations and which don't. Often i see movies with shaky camera movements when it's just two people sitting and talking (Example: The bar scene in Star Trek where a young Kirk is talking to Pike, after a fight) One of my favorite Directors are Steven Spielberg, Edgar Wright, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, Hayao Miyazaki, Guillermo del Toro .
Good Visuals: Whether it's computer graphics or just the scene the scene is in, it has to be stunning. Visuals that when you see them you think "Wow, that's cool". (Example of Good Computer Graphics: Wall-e, Final Fantasy- The Spirits Within, and most Pixar films) (Examples is live action visuals: The King's Speech, True Grit, Unbreakable, Million Dollar Baby, The Godfather, Hellboy 1/2) (Examples of Drawn Visuals: Anything done my Hayao Miyazaki)
Two Movies I love are The Big Lebowski and Predator. Both Movies are complete opposites, but have some of the ingredients i enjoy in a movie. Both have Good main Actors, Jeff Bridges and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeff is more of a laid back slacker as Arnold is a Man's man Commander afraid of nothing. The Visuals in both are stunning, from the Drug induced musical in The Big Lebowski to the jungles of Central America in the Predator. It's strange to compare movie from two different genre and like both equally.
A Good lead Actor/Actress: Sometimes movies are based on a sole person's performance that brings the story to life and makes a human connections with the viewer. There are always exceptions to this rule, but most the time it's when a supporting Actor/Actress just has a more interesting character (example: Christen Bale in The Fighter) and it's often not the lead's fault, it's just the writing.
Good Story Acing: Movies need to have a good pace to them, or else they audience will start to get bored by the slow pace of the movie. (Examples of good pacing: True Grit, The Karate Kid [2010], Unstoppable, Toy Story 3, The King's Speech, The Social Network)
A Good Director: The Director has to know what shots work for certain situations and which don't. Often i see movies with shaky camera movements when it's just two people sitting and talking (Example: The bar scene in Star Trek where a young Kirk is talking to Pike, after a fight) One of my favorite Directors are Steven Spielberg, Edgar Wright, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, Hayao Miyazaki, Guillermo del Toro .
Good Visuals: Whether it's computer graphics or just the scene the scene is in, it has to be stunning. Visuals that when you see them you think "Wow, that's cool". (Example of Good Computer Graphics: Wall-e, Final Fantasy- The Spirits Within, and most Pixar films) (Examples is live action visuals: The King's Speech, True Grit, Unbreakable, Million Dollar Baby, The Godfather, Hellboy 1/2) (Examples of Drawn Visuals: Anything done my Hayao Miyazaki)
Two Movies I love are The Big Lebowski and Predator. Both Movies are complete opposites, but have some of the ingredients i enjoy in a movie. Both have Good main Actors, Jeff Bridges and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeff is more of a laid back slacker as Arnold is a Man's man Commander afraid of nothing. The Visuals in both are stunning, from the Drug induced musical in The Big Lebowski to the jungles of Central America in the Predator. It's strange to compare movie from two different genre and like both equally.
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