Media Magic
If given two types of film, a Hollywood blockbuster, and an average American's home-video, it would not take long for one to determine which is which. Aside from perhaps the obvious difference in acting experience, our text, America on Film (2009), depicts five major elements that enhances a film. These five elements are literary design, visual design, cinematography, editing, and sound design. Within this journal entry I will discuss a few examples regarding sound design, cinematography, and editing.
Sound Design
Have you ever found yourself sitting next to someone during a scary movie that could not keep their eyes open? It is a popular tactic for one to divert themselves from a frightening scene taking place. However, aside from the obvious visuals that one receives from a scary movie, the audio is just as important.
In this first clip I ask that you watch it twice:
First: With the audio off.
Second: With the audio on.
Okay, now that you have finished watching the trailer for the film twice, I am sure you would agree that the audio played a very important role. Not only did the audio allow the viewers to understand the script from the actors, but it enabled the viewers to hear things such as the commentary at the beginning of the scene, pain and screams coming from the actors, and what many would consider most important, the popular Halloween theme song. Together, all of these different audio enhancers, brings a very intense and needed aspect to the film.
Cinematography
Another element one can observe from the Halloween (1978) trailer above are the different elements that went into the cinematography. A key aspect within cinematography are the camera angels. The suspense one generates with the curiosity of who is behind the mask at the beginning of the trailer is a great use of camera angels. Rather than showing the young boy walking down the stairs dressed as a clown, they put the viewers watching the film in the mask. This tactic allows for the exposure of the child being the killer to be an element of surprise.
The other camera angel that can be noted within the trailer occurs when the victim falls down the stairs. As the camera focuses on the agony she is feeling with her injured leg, the camera angels up the stairs to show Michael. Not only does this scene allow the audience to see Michael in his entirety, but it also shows him as the superior. It is almost as if though he is looking down on his victims. Scenes such as this are prevalent throughout many of the Halloween films.
Editing
The last form of film that I want to discuss is that of editing; continuity editing to be exact. This type of editing is when a scene appears to be continuous even though it probably took many takes in order to create the specific scene. The mistake however, is that many times the creators of the scene misplace a prop on the set or an element of costume between takes. With these simple flaws, many can find the errors within the "continuous" scene.
The example I chose was of no mistake. Being that it is Black History month I found this scene not only to display a mistake within it's continuity editing but there is also an interracial acceptance to be acknowledged. Enjoy.
Did you catch it?
The mistake within the continuity of the scene occurs around one minute. Feel free to watch it again.
Okay, so I am sure your eyes have caught it by now. The centerpiece of the scene, the cookie, was a mistake. They used two separate cookies for the one scene. It can be observed through watching the clip that the cookie goes from having white frosting on the inside of the cookie, to having the white frosting on the outside of the cookie after a quick change of camera angle. Mistakes like this occur repeated throughout many films and television shows and can often be entertaining.
The impact of the five elements our text book, America on Film (2009), brings up regarding forms to enhance film are imperative. Whether it be literary design (script), visual design, cinematography, editing, or sound design, they are often the difference that separates a Hollywood Blockbuster from a home-video.
Sound Design
Have you ever found yourself sitting next to someone during a scary movie that could not keep their eyes open? It is a popular tactic for one to divert themselves from a frightening scene taking place. However, aside from the obvious visuals that one receives from a scary movie, the audio is just as important.
In this first clip I ask that you watch it twice:
First: With the audio off.
Second: With the audio on.
Okay, now that you have finished watching the trailer for the film twice, I am sure you would agree that the audio played a very important role. Not only did the audio allow the viewers to understand the script from the actors, but it enabled the viewers to hear things such as the commentary at the beginning of the scene, pain and screams coming from the actors, and what many would consider most important, the popular Halloween theme song. Together, all of these different audio enhancers, brings a very intense and needed aspect to the film.
Cinematography
Another element one can observe from the Halloween (1978) trailer above are the different elements that went into the cinematography. A key aspect within cinematography are the camera angels. The suspense one generates with the curiosity of who is behind the mask at the beginning of the trailer is a great use of camera angels. Rather than showing the young boy walking down the stairs dressed as a clown, they put the viewers watching the film in the mask. This tactic allows for the exposure of the child being the killer to be an element of surprise.
The other camera angel that can be noted within the trailer occurs when the victim falls down the stairs. As the camera focuses on the agony she is feeling with her injured leg, the camera angels up the stairs to show Michael. Not only does this scene allow the audience to see Michael in his entirety, but it also shows him as the superior. It is almost as if though he is looking down on his victims. Scenes such as this are prevalent throughout many of the Halloween films.
Editing
The last form of film that I want to discuss is that of editing; continuity editing to be exact. This type of editing is when a scene appears to be continuous even though it probably took many takes in order to create the specific scene. The mistake however, is that many times the creators of the scene misplace a prop on the set or an element of costume between takes. With these simple flaws, many can find the errors within the "continuous" scene.
The example I chose was of no mistake. Being that it is Black History month I found this scene not only to display a mistake within it's continuity editing but there is also an interracial acceptance to be acknowledged. Enjoy.
Did you catch it?
The mistake within the continuity of the scene occurs around one minute. Feel free to watch it again.
Okay, so I am sure your eyes have caught it by now. The centerpiece of the scene, the cookie, was a mistake. They used two separate cookies for the one scene. It can be observed through watching the clip that the cookie goes from having white frosting on the inside of the cookie, to having the white frosting on the outside of the cookie after a quick change of camera angle. Mistakes like this occur repeated throughout many films and television shows and can often be entertaining.
The impact of the five elements our text book, America on Film (2009), brings up regarding forms to enhance film are imperative. Whether it be literary design (script), visual design, cinematography, editing, or sound design, they are often the difference that separates a Hollywood Blockbuster from a home-video.
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