I found this article about feminist film theory that I though would be helpful for the exam. Feminist film theory is a cultural practice against the myths and stereotypes of women seen in film. Read this article if you need some help for the exam!
http://www.annekesmelik.nl/TheCinemaBook.pdf
Since we are learning about documentary film in class, I wanted to post this video.here is the video take a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg1zaW7c8_I
It is a song by Matt Nathanson called Headphones. It is a music video but also a mini documentary film about deaf people and hearing loss. His reason for the video is to bring awareness to the 360 million people in the world who struggle with hearing loss but to bring out the fact that many people cannot afford the proper medical care or devices to help their deafness. This video is magically cut and his song
goes along with what we have learned.
It is his perspective on the topic and how he has changed peoples lives. It is very moving.Music to him is very important, he says does not want to go deaf would feel lost with out it. He donated and helped third world people get hearing aids. They give 1000 in 48 hours.This shows a third world country as the setting. It is a medical clinic that shows the change in people with their hearing aids. The hearing aids are “headphones” in the video. It is a good way to help and show this issue. I like how they showed different individuals and their reaction as well as showed Matt Nathanson.
II have been recently introduced to the global blog Guest of a Guest. It is a website that website founded by Cameron Winklevoss and Rachelle Hruska that covers high society events, people, and places. It also has many pictures of people and events around the world. It is based in DC, NYC, LA, and the Hamptons. It covers events from the Oscars to small parties to store openings to what to do for dinner. I think it is an appealing and interesting new take on media in these cities. You can click on a calendar of events in a city near you and find many exclusive or open events.It also keeps people updated on trends, celebrities, etc. It is similar to page six but unique and online and popular among many young people. I enjoy browsing through the articles, made by interns to editors and full time employees. They have told me about good restaurants, brands, music and other things. It is easy to use and appealing to me because I live near New York City.
I wanted to post about this blog because I am interning there this summer in their Chelsea office. I will be working 3-4 days a week and am excited to work in PR and journalism. I will be blogging, going to special events at night and networking. It will be interesting to see what they will want me to do and if their is bias toward different things and how I should write about them.
Here is an article about the Tribeca Film Festival: http://guestofaguest.com/new-york/tribeca-film-festival/julian-schnabel-anja-rubik-public-school-celebrate-daniel-arshams-tff-debut-future-relic-01-04
This article is about Saturday at the Tribeca Cinemas, as Arsham debuted the first 4 parts of his 9 part film series Future Relic. It shows pictures the cocktail party and screening of the film as well as tells about it in the article. I hope you guys enjoy poking through the blog!
It was interesting to meet Roger Ross Williams a few weeks ago. I thought what he had to say was very significant and influential to my view of independent Documentary filmmakers. I enjoyed watching previews of three of his films and listening to his own voice and journey in the making of them. He broke out of normal newscasting and being tied down by higher people and rules and went out into the world alone with a camera in his hand and not much money. I was amazed at the story of Music By Prudence. It was out of the norm and a hidden story that he told and got her unique voice out. The preview made me want to see the film. It shows the lives of disabled people in Zimbabwe. It seems like an intriguing story. I enjoyed hearing about his daily struggles and grind there. It must have been difficult but we need people like him to make film. He is unique, motivated, and has his own personal voice. I am curious to see how his Disney film turns out about the boy with Autism. I told my friend about it who is obsessed with Disney- she has been 18 times and ran 2 half marathons there. She was surprised Disney is giving him the rights but is excited to see the film too. I like how he can show his films to audiences our age to adults and older people and get them moved.
I really enjoyed the talk with him and learning about him and his assistant who went here. I am interested in watching more independent documentaries and possibly a film minor. I think people like him who break racial barriers and bring unique thinks to cinema are a positive thing. I hope to share my voice somehow.
Experimental film is abstract films by individual artists that use alternative film strategies. They use different film stock, light, cuts, editing, movement that break the normal rules of filmmaking. Vinyl an experimental film by Andy Warhol is very groovy and shot interestingly. It brings us back to the 1960s immediately by the outfits, music, and location. A guy is dancing in the for front with men and a women in the backround. His dance moves are almost amusing. His facial expression is serious but he looks like he is having fun. He is just dancing and enjoying himself. I think this short film is an interesting take on the time period when rock and roll and dance clubs were prevelent. It is a moment in time that has stuck and is shown well through his camera. I will keep looking at more Warhol experimental films because as an artist he is very influential and unique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM4Xe6Dlp0Y
This ted talk video by Cameron Russell a model talking about how looks aren’t everything. It is a good thing to watch after Miss Representation because it tells of her being a real person instead of being photoshopped and made perfect to be shown in the media.
First, she opens wearing a skimpy cotton black dress and heels but then puts on a long skirt and sweater covering her pretty body. This transforms what we think of her and shows how she is normal just like us. It is a big statement against the media and how it portrays women-and herself. She says “image is powerful” and ‘image is superficial” which is like what the director says about media and looks in Miss Representation.
Her story about her life, modeling, and the media. She promotes beauty as being yourself and that everyone is beautiful. She hates the legacy for models and the media-white, skinny, perfect skin. She promotes knowledge and leadership over modeling and other media jobs this is similar to Newsom’s want for women to be powerful and not be part of the media and be leaders. I think her ted talk goes hand in hand with Newsom’s film. There is a powerful voice behind Cameron that makes me want to look past the photos in magazines and the celebrities in media and want more for myself.
After watching the short film the Sandman in class, it reminded me of my favorite short film the Paperman.
Like the Sandman, there is a lot of added non diegetic sound. It opens with the train rumbling by, which is an added sound, and the piece of paper flying by which was created to fit into the animation. The backround music goes along with the action in the film and fits with it. It makes the audience sad and then happy. Other added sound is the train bells, backround intruments,street noise, running. It does not have any words which makes it unique and fun to watch. It is a romantic and silly short film. I recommend it to all audiences.
I noticed that in Bride and Prejudice there is a similar scene of Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett coming together in rain. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Martin Henderson play it in Bride and Prejudice while Kiera Knightley and Matt Mcfadyen play it in Pride and Prejudice. The bollywood version uses the rain scene to show her change and her new love for Darcy. She realizes she likes him and not the other guy who ends up being a bad guy. She sings in the rain but it is a quick clip. It being so short makes this scene less drama filled and romantic. It is interesting that the filmmaker made this scene so short because it is an important moment for character development and moving the plot along.
Unlike the bollywood version, the film Pride and Prejudice (Wright, 2005), the rain scene is longer making it more intense and emotional. It is in England ands shows the beautiful landscape behind and the characters which is more relatable to the Jane Austin novel. In the Bride and Prejudice, there is a different adaptation and the setting is in India and California, much different than the book.
Going back to the scene in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth ran away and see’s Darcy, it is a long moment and intense moment. They fight and make up. This scene is more dramatic because of the rain and how it is cut showing Darcy and Elizabeth back and forth. There is much more romance and feeling to it. It brings the audience in the moment. I liked this adaptation of the moment better than in Bride and Prejudice because it is more romantic and drawn out.
In the book Stephen Arpkon writes about a guy who showed a tape of police brutality to the media after getting ignored by the police: “So he took the footage to the KTLA television station, which broadcast the whole tape and turned it into a focal point for years of frustration between the African Americans of Los Angeles and what they considered the routinely heavy-handed tactics of the police” (page 107). This shows how powerful the media can be compared to the police. It is through the media that word gets out and public opinion arises. We see politics and oppression from the media. This example above is similar to Spike Lee’s film showing police brutality and bringing up race. The police did not do justice for killing the black man but the media and the public rose up to the occasion. This is significant because times are changing and the media is becoming a powerful force.
The scene with the french people on the streets and the one algerian man that sits on the step after the attacks shows prejudice and stereotyping. This scene is after the many shootings of cops and people by the FLN. The people on the streets see this lone man of color and harass him: “where are you headed?” “I’m sure it’s him” “Murderer.” I like this scene because it really shows what the french thought about the Algerians. They alienated them and thought they were all the same. It was just some guy going about his day and keeping to himself but he got harassed. This scene shows a shift in the thinking of the French after the bombing and unrest in society. There is fear in the French for their lives and want the Algerians taken care of.