Visions of Light

Visions of Light Reflecting Questions

1. Why were the early non-talkie movies so free with movement and location?
The early non-talkie movies were free with camera movements and location because back then, the cameras were smaller and they moved around faster.

2. What were the issues with the very first talkie movies?
The issues with the very first talkie movie was how the cameras were unable to move around or even tilt. Therefore, many film makers had to think a lot to solve this issue.

3. Why did 'Citizen Kane' have such a great impact - List some reasons.
'Citizen Kane' had such a great impact because:
- innovative cinematography as well as music and narritive structure
- it was Orson Welles' first feature film
- film was nominated in nine categories for Academy awards
- won Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
- was a semi-official consensus among film critics, saying that 'Citizen Kane' is the greatest film ever made

4. What is Film Noir?
Film Noir is a cinematic term used to describe fancy Hollywood crime dramas. Hollywood's classic film noir period was from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. It is also a technique where you use the darkness as the negative space.

5. How was colour first introduced to film?

6. What effects did the widescreen format have on cinematography?

7. Why didn't the director of The Godfather care about drive-in theatres and how dark his film was?

Francis Ford Coppola (the director of The Godfather) did not care about the drive-in theatres and how dark his film was because

8. How did the director of photography use colours in The Last Emperor?

The director of photography used colours in The Last Emperor

9. The track-back/zoom-in shot in Goodfellas signified a psychological change in the relationship between the two protagonists - How did the visuals change with this effect?

Days of Heaven

Days of Heaven - 1978 (HQ Trailer)

Cinematography

How mobile is the camera? Does it move toward the characters within a scene, or does it remain relatively static, allowing the actors to move instead within a steady frame?

The camera is not mobile at all, and you can tell because there are no "shoulder shots" where it looks like the camera is following a person. Therefore, it remains relatively static, allowing the actors to move instead within a steady frame.

How does the camera treat the different characters? Does the camera view the character from below (low-angle shot) or from above (high-angle shot)?

The camera treats the different characters by their roles and the plot. The camera often views the characters from above, when it is shooting characters that are relatively close together (couples, family, relatives, etc) while it shoots the other characters from below (low-angle shot) if the characters are not close, such as co-workers of the farm.

What purpose does the camera angle serve? For example, what cue might a camera angle offer you about how the director wants you to view a particular character?

The camera angle has a purpose that serves the impression of the character's personalities. A good example was when the director shot the lady's face zoomed-up because that was the scene where the man fell in love with the lady, so the director wanted to emphasize her pretty face.

What do the camera angles tell you about the relationships between characters?

The camera angles tell you about the relationships between the characters because when the scene is a close-up on the characters, it basically means that the characters are close with each other. Therefore, when the camera is shooting the workers farming together, it shot it from a long shot, so you cannot see each person's face.

Do the angles from which characters are shot change over the course of a scene, or a sequence, or the film as a whole? How does such a change influence your view of a character?

The angles from which characters are shot change over the film as a whole. This change influenced my view of a character because you can tell if the character is a protagonist or an antagonist. You can even tell if the characters share a bond between them or not by the camera angles because it sets a distinctive mood.

How frequently are close-ups used? Why? What is the effect of the close-up?

Close-ups are not frequently used in this film since the whole entire film was taken mostly at the 'golden hour', so you cannot exactly see the character's facial expressions. However, close-ups are used when the characters are falling in love, hating a lot on someone, stabbing someone, etc. (in other words, it is only used when viewers are curious of the character's expressions and emotions in the story). The effect of the close-up gives more emotional description to the viewers, since you cannot really tell every character's expressions, due to the shadows made on their faces.

Music & Sound

How does the degree of familiarity with the music influence your understanding of the plot or the characters?

The degree of familiarity with the music influence your understanding of the plot or the characters by a lot. A good example was the famous classical music that was played in the beginning of the film. This song was well-known for its 'mysterious' or 'strange' feeling that you get while you are listening to it. Since it started off with this music, the viewers may have had the feeling or have even expected a strange intro to the movie as well, such as when the first few scenes were when the man murdered his boss at the workplace.

What cues does the music give you about what to expect?

The music gives you cues about what to expect, such as intense music building up when there is a suspenseful scene coming up. It is basically foreshadowing the next scenes to the viewers so their fear will build up as well as the music.

What kind of mood does the soundtrack create?

The soundtrack overall creates a lonely, depressing mood throughout the whole movie. The music played are often mellow, and slow.

What kind of sound effects are used in the film? Do they arise from the action or are they added to the action?

Sound effects such as the surprising, suspenseful effects are used in the film at some points, such as the scene where two mans fight each other for the girl. The sound effects arise from the action at most times, and they are often not added to the action. Since the sound effects are not exactly added to every action, the actions throughout the whole entire movie seems 'natural', and not forced/artificial at all.

How does the use of music and sound influence your interpretation of the plot or your attitudes toward particular characters?

The use of music and sound influence my interpretation of the plot by setting a rhythm or a flow to everything. Since the music and sounds that are used throughout the film was neat and slow, it gives you this interpretation that the plot will be mellow as well. The use of music and sound also influence my attitudes toward particular characters by setting their own theme. For example, when the scene was showing the happy family eating together outside, they would set a mellow, but an optimistic music to the background. This changes your whole attitude toward the different characters throughout the movie.

Closure

Does the film reach a satisfying end?

No, the film does not reach a satisfying end because it seemed like there was a new beginning of another story at the end, where the daughter and her friend walks on the train track, starting their new journey.

Does the film reach an ending you have anticipated/wanted?

The film does reach an ending that I have anticipated/wanted because the energetic daughter escaped from the orphanage, met up with her friend, and started their own little journey to find their family. However, it was not exactly something that I have expected and wanted completely, because it left you hanging at the end because you felt like you wanted to now watch a sequel of the movie, or at least another version of it where it is now narrating the journey of the two little girls.

Are all the threads of the plot tied up? What hasn't been resolved? (For example, are there any characters who are not paired up into a romantic couple at the end? Why not?)

Most of the threads of the plot was tied up in the end, except for some family member's plots, such as the daughter going on a journey with her friend (it feels like it did not tie up). The family members were all separated in the end, and some were not paired into a romantic couple at the end because the two man fought each other for the girl. Sadly, one of the man got stabbed by the other, so it was not exactly a happy ending with the relationships going on in the movie.

Reality Check

Billionare By Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars [Official Video]

· Where does this product come from? Who created it? Who owns it?

This song is produced by Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars. They created it, and they also own it as well.

· How is this product distributed, shown or sold to the public? Who profits?

This song is distributed through the radio, television and online. It is sold online such as the iTunes store, and stores where you can actually walk into, such as hmv or any other CD store.
The stores selling the song will profit, as well as the composers of the song and the different sponsors contributing to the song.

· Who is the audience/projected consumer? What is the purpose of the product?

The audience/projected consumer are teenagers and young adults who are dreaming about becoming a billionaire and what they would do if they do become one.

The purpose of the product is to entertain listeners who enjoy music.

· What is the purpose of this product? Entertainment? Information? Persuasion?
· Who is the intended (target) audience? How and why might this product appeal to its intended audience?

· How does this product appeal to you? What things do you like and dislike?
I love this song a lot because of its lyrics that you can easily relate to, and the catchy rhythm that you can play on the guitar by yourself. Although the song was perfect, I disliked the video at some points because I wish they could have made it so it was more connected to the lyrics because it was more like a video showing Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars singing the song together around a campfire at the end with random people singing along to it.

· What does this product appear to be saying on a surface level?

This song appears to be saying that there are many ways of spending your bottomless money when you become a billionare - ways that only profits yourself and some ways that profits the people who actually needs the money.

· What are the values and ideology behind this product?
The values and ideology behind this product are the different ways of using your money when you become a billionare - such as giving food to the hungry ones, etc. This value/ideology is easy to translate into your own values because the ways that they mention of using money are not all the "stereotypical" ways such as donating them, buying food for the hungry ones, etc. They also mention of buying (or rather called 'wasting') money by buying a Mercedes and giving it away to a random lady that you see on the street.

· Does the text present the beliefs of one particular group?

· What stereotypes, if any, are presented? To what effect? Do you share these beliefs?

· What medium was used?

· What techniques are used to reach and hold the audience?

In order to reach and hold the audience, scenes and clips of what people could actually do when they become a billionare is shown, such as giving away a Mercedes to a random lady in the street (which was also mentioned in the lyrics for the rap).

· How was the product made? What production techniques were used?
The song was made by Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars composing the song together and the sponsors/companies working with them to make the music video and release it.
Recording, filming, and advertising techniques were used very effectively which ended up in many people's iPods and radio channels.