Post 6

Are special effects now main drivers of many mainstream films and is the “hyper-reality” of the cinematic spectacle now an ever-growing part of the viewing experience?

The cinema experience today allows audiences to interact with the screen through 3-D glasses and technology which allows the filming of these images. Many films have been successful without the use of 3-D but new technologies that have been created are now incorporated in mostly all of the mainstream films.

The reason of why people go to the cinema has also changed over the decades. Nowadays it can be argued that cinema is no longer a social experience as when in the cinema no talking or interaction happens. However with the creation of the new technologies that makes 3-D more possible and even more life like the audience is then being encouraged to be in the film and feel like they are interacting. The main social aspect nowadays of cinema going is buying the tickets and refreshments before going into the cinema. Back in the 1930’s and 40’s the British cinema audiences looked upon cinema-going as an important social habit. The most popular of the social experiences was going to the cinema and was most popular through the working classes. Today going to the cinema is quite expensive for some people, especially now with the release of many 3-D movies as you need to purchase special glasses, so the alternative solution to seeing the movie is to wait till it is released on DVD. The Audiences of the 30’s and 40’s went to the cinema to be transported from reality into a fantasy world where they could get lost for an hour until needing to come back to reality. The creation of the technologies today allows the viewers to let their imagination run wild with the feeling of involvement within the films.

The award winning film Avatar, written and directed by James Cameron, was a break through film released in 2009, which was created by using stereoscopic filmmaking which was seen as a breakthrough in cinematic technology. The film is all about the special effects and after boasting about the new technology used the hype and expectation for the film was massive. The film was created in a variety of different ways for the viewing public’s pleasure. The film could be traditionally viewed, viewed in 3-D or 4-D. The film won numerous awards for the breakthrough technology that is had used and because of its huge success a trilogy has now been planned to go along with the first film Avatar. The new experience of viewing films with this new technology gave the audience to experience a new kind of 3-D. The use of 3-D in films in the past was generally used to scare and make audiences jump, which wasn’t to everyone’s taste. The new cinematic technology that was used to create Avatar gave the audience a new experience of consuming cinema. The feeling of being involved within the film of a spectator within the film but in the background was created, no scares or frights were created, just the sense of being in the jungle with the actors. 

Many films created today use special effects and this usage has grown over the years to keep up with popular demand, and keep the films being produced exciting and endearing. Huge films like Bridget Jones’s Diary had the simplistic story line of a hopeless in love single woman who had not found Mr right yet. The relatable character and great storyline did not need the enhancement of technology within the filming as the character had to be viewed as a real life person. The audience felt like they were witnessing the events as they unfolded and felt the emotions that Bridget was going through. The cinema technology, although still very enhanced and creative, created the scenes just as they were with on additional help from green screen or enhanced cameras.  The basis of a good storyline allows the audience to be caught up in the moment just as well as if they were watching a film in the new enhanced 3-D technology which gives the audience the feeling of being transported to another world.

“The cinema is...’for sharing’ as ‘our own special ceremonial’ a ritual and mythic form actualizing ‘the imaginary’- the collective dreams- of our society” (Merrin, 2005, 122-3) Baudrillard provides two arguments to the use of specialised technology that is being developed to make new films. The first argument provided expressed the need for society to bond when within the cinema and share experiences and desire that each have had. The use of film in projecting these images brings the audience closer and allows the viewing experience to be social. Baudrillard stating that cinema is “for sharing” again symbolises the social effects that going to the cinema has on audiences. The audience’s imagination can run wild and can be interoperated by other members of that social group. The counter argument that Baudrillard provides when concerning the new breakthrough cinematic technologies states “Cinema...has fallen into a ‘resentment’ of its own culture and history, becoming ‘a performance game’; one displaying ‘a supreme contempt for the image itself which is prostituted to any special effect whatsoever’, as well as for the viewer, who has become an ‘important voyeur of this prostitution of images.” (Merrin, 2005, 123) This argument by Baudrillard expressed by Merrin that the history of film and the images that we see today have been altered and tampered with leaving all of the historical background as a thing of the past when it comes to making new films. The technology created has been so done because of the demand for newer and more innovative ways to view cinema and the cinema experience. The “prostitution” of the “image” portrays that the original image that was created has had every special effect there is applied to it to make the previous and original images seem distorted but the new images that has came from the old image seem enhanced by the new technologies. Cinema has had to evolve through the decades to keep up with public demand and the need for new and more exciting experiences yearned by the audiences. The cinema experience evolving has lead to audiences and their reasons for going to the cinema result in a change and evolution. Social experiences are usually why people went to the cinema in the 30’s and 40’s, however now the expectation and involvement with the new style of cinema is a major factor for cinema goers of the 21^st century. To keep an audience’s attention for longer than the average 110-159 minutes running time the film makers have to create new and adventure packed and attention grabbing movies which keep the audiences eager for more. Special effects allow the films to create new viewing experiences that the audiences can get lost in and their attention can be concentrated for the entire running time of the film.

The new cinematic technologies such as stereoscopic filmmaking create a new experience for the viewers where then usually need specific 3-D glasses to enjoy the effects of the film. By using this technology film makers are reducing the reality of copyright and people illegally recording the films for pirate copies to be used in the home. Technology evolving creates a larger gap between the paying audiences and the copyright criminals who steal the film and put a bad copy online. Piracy and copyright are two battles that film makers and actors have had to contend with since the beginnings of films. The fact that the new technology may make this process more difficult is only a good thing, but the chances of the technology used nowadays evolving is high and the more the film making industry evolves the more likely the new technology to make illegal copies will evolve.

Special effects within films are almost definitely one of the main drivers of many mainstream films. The “hyper-reality” of the cinematic spectacle is now an ever-growing and constant part of the viewing experience with new technologies being created to wow audiences. Technology development over the past decades has came about through popular demand and the need to hold audience’s attention throughout the length of the film, and the special effects that have been created allow the film to do just that. New technologies, although they leave the history of film behind, create interesting and new intelligent films which can only be good when it comes to the future of cinema and the social experience it has attached to it. 

References:

• Baudrillard, J (1998) The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures, London, Sage
• Smith, F. C. B (2011) Cinema and Society: Audiences and the Cinema, Robert Gordon University
• Abercrombie, N. and Longhurst, B. (1998) Audiences, London, Sage
• Merrin, W. (2005) Baudrillard and the Media, Cambridge: Polity Press

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Post 4 - Ideologies

In film an ideology is an applied theme that is apparent and interpreted throughout the film. A dominant idea that has been proposed by a dominant class, for example the Christian Church, that is expected to be adhered to by all members of society. The purpose of the ideology is to either offer a change in society or conform to the ideals that are already in place.

Inglourious Basterds, (2010) by Quentin Tarantino, set in 1944 Nazi-occupied France, tells of what it could have been like if Hitler was killed by the Jews. This particular imaginative film by Tarantino has the strong running theme of kill the Nazis, and take no prisoners. It is a fairy-tale and a ‘what if’ film that gives the audience a taste of what it could have been like if the reverse happened.

There are both explicit and implicit ideologies running throughout the film that can be easily interpreted. The suggested implicit messages from the story of the Nazi are embarrassment, humiliation and the repercussions of breaking trust. Brad Pitt and his team of ruthless Jewish soldiers brought across these emotions when they branded the Nazi’s that they captured. A knife was used to carve the Nazi sign into the forehead of the soldiers so they would be scarred forever with their wrongdoings. The explicit ideology comes from the Nazi and Jewish point of view in the film, which is clearly interpreted as go to war. The film has many different chapters but we see the brutality of the treatment of the Jewish race by Hitler’s army through many of them. Hitler’s reign was a dictatorship, a very explicit theme shown throughout the film. The history of the film has been reversed, showing the Jewish race being the race that came out on top; however both races had very explicit ideologies which ultimately lead to killing, death and war which are clear throughout Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, (2010). 

The Da Vinci Code, (2003) written by Dan Brown and directed by Ron Howard, is another film that has explicit and implicit ideologies throughout the film. There has been a lot of debate and disapproval towards the film as many people who have seen the film have been influenced and now believe that there have been many clues and truths that have been covered up by the church for centuries that there is actually a bloodline from Jesus and Mary Magdalene’s children that still exist today. 

The implicit ideology within the film is how the modern world has become rebellious and corrupted from religion. This is resonated through the explicit ideology when the dedicated monk interferes with the facts that could lead to the Roman Catholic Church and religion being challenged. This could be looked at as ironic as the monk who commits the murders feels that the Harvard University symbologist, Robert Langdon, and the cryptographer, Sophie Neveu, are interfering with his belief and religion instead of the other way around, which would be the church hiding hidden secrets from the public.

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References

•   http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=10392
•   http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=117421
•   http://www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com/why-jews-should-worry-about-the-da-vinci-code.html
•   http://www.xenos.org/essays/deconstruct_davinci.htm

Post 5 - Film Review

The wicked reality of the perfect dream

Inception is a science fiction action heist film which takes the audience into a subconscious world where your inner most-deepest thoughts can be stolen. Not even in sleep are you safe from theft. Throughout Inception we meet many different characters; the main character we follow is Dom Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Cobb is the best at what he does, which is extraction: stealing valuable secrets from the subconscious mind in its most fragile state which is a dream state. Although Cobb and his team are the best it has ultimately cost Cobb everything and now this one job of inception: planting an idea instead of stealing one, could be his one chance to turn his life around. The job is highly dangerous as the team inevitably find out, but if his team succeed, it will be the perfect crime and could also be Cobb’s second chance at happiness.

Christopher Nolan, director of the film, starts off with a key flashback which we later find out is the conclusion to the film. It is a trademark of Nolan to start off the beginning of a film with the ending, putting his auteur quality in the film. To start with there is a lot of guess work to figure out what is happening, are we or are we not in a dream, however the plot unfolds quickly and we are catapulted into the world of the extraction of information from the subconscious mind. The understanding of dying in a dream is that you just wake up where as if you are injured it is an emotional pain and you therefore feel the pain you are in, for example if you are shot in the leg, you feel the pain in the dream. So early on the audience know that one way to wake up from a dream is to die. As the story evolves we are shown into the world of inception, the planting of an idea in the subconscious mind, and the deeper into the dream state you go the more dangers there are, if you die when you are deep in a dream you go into limbo.

The actors and actresses that have been cast in the film feel like they have been made for these roles. Each personality makes the characters come to life and allows the audience to be wooed by the great acting. The characters names, if looked at in great detail, are highly relevant to the film and its purpose. The main name which is relevant is Ariadne, who comes in as the new architect. The name Ariadne was the name of a Greek myth who guides a hero from a maze, and throughout this film is exactly what Ariadne, played by Ellen Page, does for Cobb.

The soundtrack throughout the film is incredible. For action scenes the music is fast and encapsulating. The audience can get lost in the intensity of the action just by listening to the soundtrack, not to mention the amazing effects that have been created. Some of the action scenes have little help from the special effects team, with the actors and actresses creating the scenes in sets that have been specially made to rotate and create the desired affects.

The film itself is a masterpiece; however it takes a few watches to fully appreciate the effort and creative genius that has been used to create the film. The only down side is that if you blink you miss some key information that is crucial, nod off and you don’t have a chance of catching up with the plot. The ending is also another point that you have to ponder, however if you think too long you get frustrated by the question hanging over the final scene, is Cobb still dreaming. You have to enjoy your first reaction and go with a gut feeling of whether or not he is in limbo or in reality.

Overall the film was a thrilling masterpiece. The special effects and acting made the film come to life and took the audience on a fact finding journey. The only real downside is the amount of concentration the whole 145 minutes requires. The level of concentration required is heavy going and it takes a while to really get to grips with what is actually happening, but when that light bulb eventually clicks on you are thrown into a science fiction wonderland of great special effects, soundtrack and brilliant acting.

References

• http://www.essortment.com/write-good-film-review-34563.html

• http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=118547

 

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Post 3. Conform or Subvert

  

The Blair Witch Project and Bridget Jones’s Diary are two films which conform or subvert Hollywood filmmaking standards and techniques. Both films have very different storylines and the making of both are at the other ends of the scale in comparison.

Bridget Jones’s Diary is a film which conforms to Hollywood filmmaking standards. The light-heartedness allows males and females of any age to enjoy this film. Following a clear storyline, the film allows the viewers to keep an understanding of the events that are unfolding throughout. The character of ‘Bridget Jones’, played by actress Renée Zellweger, is easy to relate to. The situations that she is put in and the series of events that happen to her through the film could by all means happen in everyday life and this link between character and audience allows a bond and fondness to be created towards the character. We can sympathise with her and imagine ourselves in her position. The ‘Bridget Jones’ character captivates the audience and allows the viewers to escape into her world for the ninety seven minutes that the film is on for. The film techniques that are used allow the viewer to follow the film like real life and don’t give the impression that the whole thing is a construction just for our viewing pleasure. The film has a seamless plot which ultimately ends in a positive result, not a cliff hanger that leaves the audience having to create their own ending. Bridget Jones’s Diary is a great example of a film which conforms to Hollywood filmmaking standards. It is an enjoyable, light-hearted, romantic comedy which allows the audience to escape whilst it is on and create a knowing bond with the characters throughout the film.

The Blair Witch Project is on the other scale and subverts Hollywood filmmaking standards and techniques. The main aspect of the film is to create fear, and make the audience feel like these events are actually happening and that they could happen again to them, however, the camerawork and general making of the film is difficult to follow and keep up with. The film is obviously portrayed as a home video and the actors are made to look like it is their handiwork, the method is in a way effective but the audience miss out on a lot of images and scenes which would help with the story. The flow of images broadcast is not seamless; they are edgy and create a sensation of being on some sort of ride. The illusion of the film being a homemade movie is meant to be the beauty of spurring fear in the viewers but the whole film being shot in the woods is confusing and hard to follow. The actors and actress that are shown in the film are trying to show a series of events that happened to them at the time they happened. We see the fear and helplessness of their situation but we don’t and aren’t really given the opportunity to relate to the characters and there is no link with the audience. The Blair Witch Project is a good example of a film which subverts Hollywood filmmaking standards and techniques. Although the effect of the film is to scare, the audience are primarily left confused and annoyed as there is no real ending to the film, just a strange shot leaving the audience to guess what happened next.

Both films were hugely successful whether or not they did conform or subvert Hollywood filmmaking standards and techniques. Each captivated the audience in a different way and although Bridget Jones’s Diary had the ending that was more accepted and enjoyable, The Blair Witch Project gave the viewer a new way of watching films and introduced a way of filming which has inspired some other great movies to adapt and take this method of filming and make it conform more to Hollywood standards.

References

• www.blairwitch.com

• www.blairwitch.com/home.html

•   http://www.britfilms.com/britishfilms/catalogue/browse/?id=d5fd9b420eeaf2e8f3tumvceea7d

• http://www.spring.net/karenr/mdbro/bjd.html