Film Final Flashcards
production/style/exhibition changes in 1920s hollywood
production change: no more live entertainment, expansion of independent studios that did short animation (emergence of Disney)
style change: cinema now combines different movements, more universal exhibition change: start of short cartoons before features, A and B movies
internationalism: film as universal language, distribution overseas, many cultural themes from different countries in one movie
What 2 studios brought sound to hollywood and what did they create
(sound on disk vs. sound on film)
Warner Bros: vitaphone projector made by western electric, wanted too make their own sound company in hollywood (sound on disk) had more issues, movietone
Fox: “movietone” system that made sound stay synchronized by western electric (sound on film)
Kinetoscope
W.K.L Dickson and Edison invented it in 1894/5, synchronized footage w/ sound accompanying audio, short lived
sound-proof camera booth
first synchronized film?
used in early sound films, “static” sound due to booths, many 1 camera/1 angle shots, booth v sensitive to sound
first sound synchronized film?
first example: the jazz singer, alan crosland, 1927
multicamera shooting
sound was recorded on multiple cameras so they could have copies of the sound, early sound film technique
the majors and minors: big 5 little 3 and what they did
big 5: paramount, MGM, fox, warner bros, RKO (died in 50s) (monopoly, lots of control)
little 3: universal, columbia, united artists
(did many horror movies, did not control distribution, no competition with big 5)
A and B movies
started during depression, A movie shown first, B movie followed, indirect consequence of sound introduced in studio system
The Hays Code
MPPDA’s production code
created to avoid external censorship internationally, by Will Hays
controlled depictions of sex, violence, controversila subjects
represented 1920s conservative america
challenged certain actors/genres (Mae West, gangster films)
drafted 1930. enforced 1934
lasted until the 50s
The Fleischer Studio
created Betty Boop inspired by Mae West big in 1930s embodied women of the 20s success due to merchandise rotoscope animation technique and rise of independents
issues with censorship
Hays code reflected conservative America in the 1930s/depression, conservative values, no references to places in Chicago, anti-homosexual, hypocritical in their approach (more ok with incest depictions than homosexual ones)
sematic/syntactic/pragmatic film approach on genre
semantic: iconography, presence of certain characters or motifs
syntactic: narrative structure
pragmatic: how a film is advertised and perceived by the audiences
genre creation by Altman
films were put in a few select categories but then common themes were put together to make it a genre, genre then defined by the studios and escalated during sound, producing as many films as possible for as cheap as possible
first was a lose genre like “fight picture”, then around 1910 genre terms were harder to use to differentiate, so then genre borrowed from existing areas, then again became challenged in WWI for not being broad enough, silent cinema escalated this as well
functions of genre film in production/distribution/consumption
production: genre concept provides template for production decisions
distribution: genre constitute a shorthand mode of communication between producers/ distributers, or distributor/exhibitor
consumption: genres create communication between exhibitor and audience, and among audience members
Orson Welles
worked w/ mercury theater, adaptation of war of the worlds (breakout sensation)
1939: RKO hires Welles as director w/ complete creative freedom and huge budget, brought actors from mercury theater, created Citizen Kane
Howard Hawks
one of best filmmakers, only made genre films, the “new woman”, overlapping dialogue, strong female roles, camera at eye level, limited editing, long takes
Andre Bazin’s ideas on realism
compares 1920s and 1940s films, directors who put their faith in the image vs. directors who put their faith in reality
Stylistic and ideological traits of cinematic realism
realistic time/space continuity, unambiguous meeting, not a new style: started in 20s, faith in reality instead of faith in the image
Italian Cinema during Fascism
usually uncensored, entertaining films, actors/directors trained by fascist regime
Italian cinema and WWII
driving forces: WWII, had to find new different styles, way to show the world
Italian Neorealism (Zavattini)
more revolutionary but also has repeating themes, about reflection, awareness of what’s happening, making things as they are instead of turning things into reality, unknown actors, tradegy, documetary-esque, nothing hidden from audience, no empty space, love for reality and human nature, loess expensive, does not offer solutions, inconclusive, elimination of screen writer, dialogue in dialect , unprofessional actors
Akira Kurosawa, life and career
had alpha brother Heigo, introduced Akira to movies, Akira saw many huge tragedies (urban destruction) in his life: 1923 huge earthquake in Tokyo, fire bombing of Tokyo 1945, bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, worked for Benshi, inspired by variety of movements including western films, brother commits suicide
Rashomon was a very successful film and led to Akira being a respected director
Cinemascope: technology, aesthetics, exhibition
Cinemascope: introduced in 1953 by Fox, short lived, replaced after widescreen formats
technology: simple technology, anamorphic lens (squeezes the image in the film strip then stretches it when projected)
aesthetics: revolutionary, huge/curved screen, 2:55:1/8:3
exhibition context: counter influence of television, advertised for specific films
ANAMORPHIC LENS
The influence of war on Japanese cinema
most films destroyed by tradegy, only 3% of Japanese silent films have survived, allies came and the rise of censorship in Japan, more nationalist, no more samurai films
