Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Maggie Pringle
Film Genre
Musicals
Musical films are one of my favorite genres in the world of cinema. They capture the heart and soul of performance. Movie-going began as a method of escape, a chance to relieve yourself of reality and just relax. Musicals have received criticism in the past for being cheesy or excessive, but I beg to differ as their unrealistic qualities are what make them enjoyable. Musical films are abstractions of reality. People go to musicals knowing that they are not real-life but rather an interpretation of life. It is known that people don’t really break into song every ten minutes or sing to themselves in the corner of a crowded room.
Musical films have evolved over the years from musical plays, acted out on stages. Similar characteristics can be seen between the two, whereas the characters in musical films tend to sing to the camera as if they were standing in front of a live audience.(1) Many times musicals begin as films and are then later made into Broadway musicals, and sometimes visa versa. In the 1920’s when silent films transitioned into “talking pictures,”[1] musicals were one of the first main genres of film in Hollywood. Musical films became quite popular during The Great Depression.(2) People were looking for any glimpse of happiness or to just be distracted from the chaos that was going on around them.
Musical films have unmistakable qualities. The narrative is executed through songs that the characters sing. Characters will sometimes break into unexpected dance numbers where complete strangers join in and happen to know the same dance moves. There is a utopian theme going on where everything is going just fine except for one or two main problems that usually won’t last long or don’t take too long to resolve. Most of the characters are attractive and just about everyone can sing. They most often result in a couple falling in love.
However, there are some exceptions. For example, one of my absolute favorite musicals is Funny Girl, starring Barbara Streisand. This musical tells the life story of Fanny Brice, a famous singer and dancer in the 1930’s. This film is a musical that is happy at times, sad at times, depressing, and uplifting, all in one. Barbara Streisand who plays Fanny Brice does a fantastic job of conveying emotion with her powerful voice. Another favorable aspect of musical films is just that. When a character sings a song to themselves, not necessarily “in public,” it gives the audience a window into the character’s head. The lyrics give the audience a chance to understand what that actor is thinking and feeling. This is something that is hard to offer with conventional acting.
Musical films today have been narrowed down to mostly children’s movies. Disney films produce musicals today with teens singing and dancing, such as Hannah Montana the High School Musical series. I am personally not a fan of contemporary musical films. I value the classics like My Fair Lady, Singin’ In the Rain, Meet me in St.Loius, The King and I, The Sound of Music and Funny Girl. Music still exists in movies today it is just more of a background music kind of thing in the form of a soundtrack. However, musicals can be found here and there. Some examples include Chicago, Enchanted, Moulin Rouge, and the most recent, Nine. There is something special about musicals, their elevated sense of optimism and fantasy enriches the viewing experience. The actors sing and act, adding a new dimension to the plot. I would love to see more musical films produced in today’s society. The presence of musical films would be a refreshing interruption in the abundance of chick flicks and horror films.
Sources:
(1)Musical Film
http://www.fact-index.com/m/mu/musical_film_1.html
(2)American Film Institute
http://www.fathom.com/course/10701053/session3.html
Monday, March 15, 2010
Genre Paper on Comedy
Danielle Salm
Visual Literacy
Prof. Hammond
March 12, 2010
Aristotle has told us that the Greeks were the ones who first developed the idea of comedy. At country festivals bands roamed the streets with torches and instruments, singing songs of comedy and tragedy. These were called the phallic processions. It leads to groups of people running around the streets of Athens acting like complete clowns. Comical acts soon became acceptable ways of making political attacks. Plato identifies comedy as a way to excite people. Soon comedy was incorporated into musicals and then to silent movies, which lead to the comedy films we see today.
Early comedies were silent films and they began in the 1900’s. Slapstick was a predominant type of comedy in this time. The name comes from the idea of pieces of wood that clowns slap together to indicate applause. It worked for many different types of audiences because of the lack of words. There was limited technology those days, so the whole film relied on the visual humor that it implied. Once sound could be incorporated into the films, jokes could be formulated and complex situations could become more comprehensible. This lead slapstick comedy to evolve into the new and improved screwball comedy. It is a sub-genre of romantic comedy that incorporates lightheartedness, with wittiness, and some sort of a romantic story line that has two sexes or protagonists battling each other in a certain sense. Often enough, these two end up together in the end (but not always). Black or dark comedy is sarcastic or humorous situations based around some dark issues like war, or death. A parody or spoof is the typical more commonly known and understand type which stick to a very humorous style that makes fun of serious topics and/or just has comical characters. Satire can also be included into parody or spoofs because it makes fun of politics or social remarks.
Comedy is most popularly known by the craft of humor and amusement. The characters use witty jokes and exaggerated actions to bring a smile to onlooker’s faces. Comedy entertains, amuses. It takes the serious aspects of life and makes them less important or just makes people look at them in a more light-hearted way. We get so caught up in everyday life that being able to laugh at the things that stress us out is healthy and takes some of the weight off of our shoulders. In some ways, it is an escape from the conflicts of life to a place where it is all just one big joke. Comedy has many different conventions for the different audiences. It is categorized by teen comedy, romantic comedy, social comedy, and gross out comedy. The typical conventions consist of the gag which is the jokes and the visuals with the most impact. There is a comic situation or narrative, which has characters with a certain relationship that makes people laugh. There is often an issue between the gag and the situation between the characters which causes hostility that much be solved so that the narrative can progress.
Romantic comedy is one of the most successful recently because it incorporates the two basic things that people like to see when they are taking a break from life. It has the love aspect and can make them laugh. Love is a topic that gets thrown around a lot these days and so many are looking for it. Although it is not an easy thing to find for all, they turn to the romantic comedies to give some liberation to people that it is out there and it is possible to find. These comedies also make people feel a little bit better because while watching something in which they are so desperately looking to find they can laugh and see it in a more optimistic way. This is not to say that there aren’t plenty parodies and spoofs that people are interested in as well. While some are interested in the more romantic side of things, others just want to laugh at jokes that make fun of everyday life and the situations being portrayed.
Video Clip- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDzoLUzwMMI
Work Cited:
http://www.theatrehistory.com/ancient/bates001.html
http://movies.lovetoknow.com/wiki/History_of_Comedy_Films
http://www.filmsite.org/comedyfilms.html
http://www.katpad.co.uk/media%20website%202000/genre.html
Visual Literacy
Prof. Hammond
March 12, 2010
Aristotle has told us that the Greeks were the ones who first developed the idea of comedy. At country festivals bands roamed the streets with torches and instruments, singing songs of comedy and tragedy. These were called the phallic processions. It leads to groups of people running around the streets of Athens acting like complete clowns. Comical acts soon became acceptable ways of making political attacks. Plato identifies comedy as a way to excite people. Soon comedy was incorporated into musicals and then to silent movies, which lead to the comedy films we see today.
Early comedies were silent films and they began in the 1900’s. Slapstick was a predominant type of comedy in this time. The name comes from the idea of pieces of wood that clowns slap together to indicate applause. It worked for many different types of audiences because of the lack of words. There was limited technology those days, so the whole film relied on the visual humor that it implied. Once sound could be incorporated into the films, jokes could be formulated and complex situations could become more comprehensible. This lead slapstick comedy to evolve into the new and improved screwball comedy. It is a sub-genre of romantic comedy that incorporates lightheartedness, with wittiness, and some sort of a romantic story line that has two sexes or protagonists battling each other in a certain sense. Often enough, these two end up together in the end (but not always). Black or dark comedy is sarcastic or humorous situations based around some dark issues like war, or death. A parody or spoof is the typical more commonly known and understand type which stick to a very humorous style that makes fun of serious topics and/or just has comical characters. Satire can also be included into parody or spoofs because it makes fun of politics or social remarks.
Comedy is most popularly known by the craft of humor and amusement. The characters use witty jokes and exaggerated actions to bring a smile to onlooker’s faces. Comedy entertains, amuses. It takes the serious aspects of life and makes them less important or just makes people look at them in a more light-hearted way. We get so caught up in everyday life that being able to laugh at the things that stress us out is healthy and takes some of the weight off of our shoulders. In some ways, it is an escape from the conflicts of life to a place where it is all just one big joke. Comedy has many different conventions for the different audiences. It is categorized by teen comedy, romantic comedy, social comedy, and gross out comedy. The typical conventions consist of the gag which is the jokes and the visuals with the most impact. There is a comic situation or narrative, which has characters with a certain relationship that makes people laugh. There is often an issue between the gag and the situation between the characters which causes hostility that much be solved so that the narrative can progress.
Romantic comedy is one of the most successful recently because it incorporates the two basic things that people like to see when they are taking a break from life. It has the love aspect and can make them laugh. Love is a topic that gets thrown around a lot these days and so many are looking for it. Although it is not an easy thing to find for all, they turn to the romantic comedies to give some liberation to people that it is out there and it is possible to find. These comedies also make people feel a little bit better because while watching something in which they are so desperately looking to find they can laugh and see it in a more optimistic way. This is not to say that there aren’t plenty parodies and spoofs that people are interested in as well. While some are interested in the more romantic side of things, others just want to laugh at jokes that make fun of everyday life and the situations being portrayed.
Video Clip- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDzoLUzwMMI
Work Cited:
http://www.theatrehistory.com/ancient/bates001.html
http://movies.lovetoknow.com/wiki/History_of_Comedy_Films
http://www.filmsite.org/comedyfilms.html
http://www.katpad.co.uk/media%20website%202000/genre.html
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Genre - Epic
Thuy Pham
March 17, 2010
Visual Literacy
Film Genre: Epic
What does the word epic mean? Epic means having characteristic or relation to an epic poem. Another definition for this word is going beyond the norm or ordinary in size or span.[1] In essence, epic comes from the poetic genre. Examples of such genres are Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Ramayana. Epic poems is a narrative pertaining to a serious subject that includes major events and heroic deeds that affect the people, country, etc. Epic poems can be dated back to the 20th BC, but films were not considered epic until possibly the earliest 1912. Nevertheless, epic poems definitely impacted the making of epic films.
Silent epics were the very first category of cinematic epics. Enrico Guazzoni’s “Quo Vadis” was one of the first films to run over an hour and a half long and was considered the first successful feature-length motion picture and had been distributed internationally.[2] The film had the biggest sets and cast at the time. There were full orchestral accompaniment when ran in major cities; there was also a 150 voice massed choir when the film was played in Paris.[3]
But it was “Cabiria” (1914) produced by Giovanni Pastrone that set the foundation for future feature-length films with big-budgets that would be considered epic films. Five thousand extras were used with a reenactment of the Second Punic War amid that, the Roman fleet was also burned. Pastrone also hired the Italian writer, Gabriele D’ Annunzio, to write the subtitles for the movie.[4]
What comes to mind when you think of an epic movie? Epic films are often called “costume dramas.” Usually the period setting is heavily emphasized with the historical display of costumes and wardrobes, décor, spectacle, etc. “Epic films often take a historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure, and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes, accompanied by grandeur and spectacle and a sweeping musical score.” History is often rewritten to portray the “suffering from in authenticity, fictitious recreations, excessive religiosity, hard-to-follow details and characters, romantic dream worlds, ostentatious vulgarity, political correctness, and leaden scripts.” [5]
Historical epics usually take in the historical past. The main focus is on people who have altered the history’s course. Examples of such historical epics are Gone with the Wind, Ivan the Terrible, Gladiator, and Ben-Hur. The time setting of films made in the 1950s – 60s are typically set in Rome, Greece, or Egypt. Religious epics are revolved around Jesus and/or other religious figures like The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur. The center of romantic epics is the main character’s relationships and the romance transpiring. The romance likes to be depicted in a “counterpoint to war, conflict or political events” in the backdrop of the film like Titanic or Australia. War epics of course recreate major war battles on a grand scale landmark; examples are Troy, 300, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List. Anti-war epics also exist; Full Metal Jacket and The Deer Hunter are such. Crime Epics is apt to spotlight on the lives of people who are involved or within organized crime. Every aspect of their lives is shown how it affects others throughout the story. The Godfather and American Gangster are considered to be crime epics. Science Fiction/Fantasy epics are becoming more popular today. Avatar, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings are amazing examples of this particular subgenre. What you can expect from the science fiction epics is a whole new world that can only exist in books or imaginations. Animation epics are quite popular as Disney produced a mass of them. The Lion King is among the most famous of them all.
Epic genre films are rather popular as they can appeal to a vast majority of their audiences. The least popular subgenre has to be biblical epics. They are rarely made because it can be controversial. But quite a few of the highest-grossing films of all-time have been epics, Titanic, Avatar, Gone with the Wind, and Star Wars. The most Academy Awards ever won by a single film are also by epic films which are Ben-Hur, Titanic, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.[6]
[1] Merriam-Webster dictionary
[2] http://www.filmsite.org/epicsfilms.html
[3] http://www.4enoch.org/wiki/index.php?title=Quo_Vadis%3F_(1912_Guazzoni),_film
[4] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/87605/Cabiria
[5] http://www.filmsite.org/epicsfilms.html
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_film
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Gone with the Wind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtOVmAtZ9tU&feature=related
Genre Paper
Mari Magazzu
March 17, 2010
COM 232: Visual Literacy
Film Genre: Horror
Horror films- the reason we’re afraid of the dark, the cause of our nightmares, and the root to our biggest fears. These unsettling films are designed to frighten and panic its viewers, and to entertain them at the same time. They primarily focus on the dark side of life, the prohibited, bizarre and disturbing events. Horror films have the greatest range of all the genres, seeing that horror takes place in every location imaginable, and it has no boundaries; film makers’ creativity and expertise ensure that anything goes. (Frank) Furthermore, horror is the most powerful film genre, making it possible to feel all the emotions of our greatest fears, without having to experience any danger. (C G Jung) Although many believe that horror films are dangerous, the genre continues to thrive throughout today’s society. Most people, not including myself, enjoy the thrill that comes along with being scared, which is why horror films are so popular.
Horror films originated in
Horror films have developed and evolved a great deal overtime, however, the initial intention still remains- to generate fear. The American horror film, which was greatly influenced by
In the 1960’s, after cases such as the Manson Family murders, monsters were replaced by corrupt human beings. Psycho, which was about a serial killer, illustrated the new image of what the public believed to be horrific. The horror genre became more realistic, more believable, and dealt with the issues one faced in the real world. Children manipulation became a popular fear in the 1970’s. The Exorcist, which dealt with a girl who was possessed by the devil, was created at this time. This film was banned from video release in the
Although there are many different types of horror films, there are certain themes and motifs that continue to appear throughout the genre. In many scary movies, the character who teases their friends for being afraid usually finds death sooner than the others. Also, when a victim is running from a murderer at full speed, the murderer continues to walk and still manages to keep up. Music almost always signals danger in horror films, which is clearly illustrated in both Jaws and Halloween. In addition, wrong turns are very common in horror movies. The characters always end up in vacant or sketchy places, just from one wrong turn. Although all of these conventions are very predictable, audiences generally love it and horror movies continue to thrive.
After looking at statistics, I found that the horror movie genre is at its peak in today’s market. Although horror itself has increased overtime, it is not necessarily the most popular movie genre. The top five popular horror films at the
Bibliography
1. Frank, Alan G. Horror Films.
2. Horror Film History Introduction. Web. 15 Mar. 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4KCTPU_w5M
film genre screenshot.
The Incredible Hulk (2008) directed by Louis Leterrier. Genre: Superhero film which includes the sub genres of action, fantasy, and science fiction.
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