The importance of sound in movies cannot be overstated. Not only can more complicated plots be developed through the use of audible dialogue, but soundtracks and music to drive forward plot could also be used. For example, soind can be used as a way to foreshadow events that are going to happen. Think about any horror film you've ever seen. you always know the bad guy is around the corner because the music changes to a lower more foreboding sound. Of course there are visual cues that work with sound to foreshadow, i don' think we all realize how important sound is. Here is a famous example of how sound csn be used to foreshadow.
Now every time We hear this song, the audience is prepared for something bad to happen. Here's and example of how sound and editing van effect the whole tone of a movie. As we all know Dumb and Dumber is a rediculous comedy, but if you put the exact same scenes of a movie and add a different soundtrack it changes the whole meaning of the visual.
Color can also have a tremendous effect on a movie. Color, like sound allows the director to introduce themes. Because color already has an cultural meaning behind it, the audience can infer a lot about characters and location through the colors used. For example, white has the connotation of purity and innocence in many cultures, so if you dress a character in white or light colors, the audience understands inherent qualities about a character without the film having to spell it out for the audience. On the contrary if the character is wearing red, the audience will believthe opposite to be true.
One of my all time favorite movies is called The Fall. It is an amazing movie for many reasons, but one of the best things about this movie is it's use of color. Heres a trailer. Now you tell me, do you think this movie would have the same impact in black and white?
Yet another innovative film to discuss! In 1927, French director Abel Gance released "Napoleon vu par Abel Gance" the cutting edge masterpiece depicting the early life of Napoleon. This movie is known for many new technologies in film making, but arguableythe most important of these was the use and invention of polyvision. The final scene of this movie was of a great battle, and Gance didnt feel that the standard screen size would do this ending scene justice. So he developed a method of outting three cameras together to film in a wide screen fashion. The three scenes were orojected on three screens with a seam attaching them. Gance was unable to make the images seamless, so insome parts, he projected three different scenes on the oanels at the same time.
Many theaters were unable to project this movie because they lacked the panels, so the film has many different versions. this is a problem that filmmakers still encounter today. There may be interesting and new technologies that directors want to use in their fikm, but if theaters do not the proper technology to show the movie, it isnt oractical to be made.
Napoleon by Abel Gance has now been restored, but it is still difficult to view this cinematic masterpiece. Some scenes are still missing fro. the original production.
"The Great Train Robbery" is a very important movie in film history. Created by Edwin Porter only two years after Melies "A Trip to the Moon," "The Great Train Robbery" is a great example of how fast movie making techniques were evolving in the years of early cinema. Already in this film, we can see how Porter manipulates the camera. Instead if having the camera be a stationary observer of the action unfolding, the camera follows the action and acts as an active partisipant in the story telling. For example, in the chase scene the robbers are seen starting fro, the background and running towards the camera. Then as they run off to the left, the camera moves to follow the action. This simple manipulation of the camera doesn't seem innovative to us, but it really was. it broke the fourth wall because it made the audience feel like they were a part of the action. Porter broke the fourth wall even further with the final scene of this film. One of the most iconic scenes in early film history, many modern directors have paid homage to the bandit dhooting the camera in their films.
The editing in this film were also cutting edge for the time. Porter used double exposure composite editing in the scene on the train car. Although this scene was shot on a set, they had the door open and added in film that was shot on a moving train. It was kind of like the first green screen, but instead of digitally adding in the footage, film makers physically added cut and paste the two pieces of footage together.
Another interesting film technique used in "The Great Train Robbery" was that some of the scenes were filmed outside on location. Up until this time it was highly unusual to have any parts of a film shot outside. Not only were the characters outside in this film, but a real train was used as well. This film took big steps for the way we make movies today. Instead of acting as an expasnsion of theater, This movie showed that films can be closer to reality.
To anyone who has seen the movie Hugo, this image is quite familiar. Melies 1902 film "A Trip to the Moon" is an amazing example of what was done in early cinema. "A Trip to the Moon" is hailed as the first known science fiction film. Using many different experiments in special effects and cinematic trickery, this Melies classic is revered by many. This film doesn't really break any new ground in editing or camera angles. The use of the camera in this film is obviously from the perspective of behind the fourth wall or where an audience would sit in a theater. The one editing choice that has intrigued movie critics in the fact that they show the actual landing of the spaceship twice. They show the bullet hitting the moon in the eye and also the bullet actually hitting the surface and the astronomers climbing out. Showing the same action from multiple perspectives is something that we take for granted today, but in the early days of film they didn't think that the camera could be multiple places at once. The set of this movie is incredibly elaborate. It is amazing that even though this film is not in color, so much detail of this fantasy world is given to the viewer.
I love looking at pre-Hollywood era movies. At this times there were no rules that directors had to follow. They were not bound by a set of standards that are now followed in almost all movies and that all people today have grown accustomed to. This freedom produced some beautifully creative films, such as "A Trip to the Moon."
I have always thought of myself as a creative person. Growing up I was never involved in any sports or anything like that. Instead I danced, performed in theater, took singing lessons, and played musical instruments (guitar, cello, and a little clarinet). So when I was deciding what I should major in in college, I knew I wanted to do something with my creativity. I soon found out though, however that creativity involved with advertising and graphic design is very different from performing a musical number. In my first real try of being creative in my major was in my survey of advertising and public relations class. I soon found out that it was really hard to come up with an interesting and creative idea. But it didn't seem as hard for some of my classmates to achieve. This was the first time I became worried that I wasn't going to be able to be successful in my major. I became, like Jason Theodor opened his speech with, intimidated that I wasn't original enough. This is something that I'm still working through, the fear that I might not be good enough. I would categorize my creative type to be an empath. I really understand the way things work, but I don't really have a lot of experience or faith in my own vision. I often struggle with being able to come up with ideas that are fully my own and when I do, I don't always know the best way to execute them. The best thing that I can do to get past this barrier is to continue practicing my craft. Jason uses a great quote that I feel like will help me get past this hurdle "Creativity is not a talent. Creativity is a drive" -Hugh Macleod I feel like I have the drive to get better. I love the excitement and challenges that the advertising major has given me. I have been interning at an ADPR firm since this summer and I absolutely love my job. I am excited to come to work since no two days are the same. And I think that's why I'll drive to practice my creative side through the exercises proposed in this video. So that I can have a profession that I love and am passionate about.
I have always been a huge fan of Broadway. I've been in a lot of musicals and seen a fair amount of popular musicals. (Being in Tampa can limit what you see) Here are some of the clips from the Stage Door blog that I felt used technology in an interesting way.
This is Chita Rivera performing "Where you are" from Kiss of the Spider Woman. I'm starting out with this clip because it introduces us to some of the basic ways that Broadway uses technology. Many musicals have sets that glide on set from the wings, lower from the ceiling, or come from the floor. This technology isn't much different from the kind that was used in opera's hundreds of years ago. The effect however is still as magical as it would have been back then. In this clip the bars in the background raise and lower during different times of the song. This clip also uses a spotlight to highlight Chita Rivera when her dancers are on stage with her. The spotlight is also a tool that has been used for years. Spotlights are used to show the audience where to look. There can be a lot happening on stage and it is easy for the audience to get distracted, so the spotlight draws our attention to what we should be looking at. Both of these technologies and the rest of the effects that I will talk about serve the same purpose. It is used to enhance the story being told. While some shows focus on wowing audiences with special effects (cough cough Spiderman the Musical) I tend to gravitate towards shows with an interesting story and music.
This is "Big Spender from Sweet Charity. I saw a local theatre do a production of Sweet Charity (My friends was playing one of the "call girls") This clip is also a great example of how lighting can be used to create mood on the stage. There is a low red light that is used to light the stage. This doesn't make the audience feel like this is a going to be a nice innocent song. The atmosphere of this scene is dark, seedy, and seductive. All of this is able to be communicated with the lighting and mood of the song. There is no set besides the bar that the ladies are leaning on. That is why lighting is so important, it can tell the audience all they need to know without a big elaborate set.
The effects that I'm taking about in this scene are quick since this is a montage. This clip is from Bye Bye Birdie. The train near the end of the clip shows one of the ways that a stage can transform through the use of pullies that glide pieces of the set across the stage. The revolving doors is another way that motion of set pieces can contribute to the story. While the technology behind the two set movement methods are not complicated in comparison to the special effects used in movies, the are effective in transforming a stage into a completely new setting.
This is a montage from Jesus Christ Superstar. This musical is traditionally performed on a pretty simple stage. The set is minimal, but they use lighting, specifically in the background to show a change in scene and contribute to the story. For example, the big "H" in some of the scenes shows Herod's home. The cross is used for the crucifixion. Lighting also plays heavily during the scene where Jesus is beaten. You can also see a part where the platform that Jesus and Judas are standing on rotates around the stage. I believe this scene is from right before the crucifixion and the platform rotates to the cross. Then Jesus is raised onto the cross. This technique is used a lot on broadway. What is always amazing for me is that many times the character is walking around stage and then is magically lifted into the air. But you swear they didn't have a harness on a minute ago. As with the rest of the clips I have discussed, the technology used in this show add to the story being told.
Speaking of being raised in the air, this favorite scene from Wicked depends heavily on the use of harnesses to raise Elphaba into the air. Without technology, this scene would not be able to be performed. This is the defining moment of the musical, and another instance where you don't see the technology at use. The lighting also adds the the flying effect of this scene. The lights are streaming up as she raises into the air. By using panels of light, it gives the added illusion that she is soaring high on her broomstick. When the chorus appears on stage, a cloud of smoke appears around them. It is as if she is flying about the clouds and the rest of the people are below her. All of these combined effects adds to the story.
West Side Story is a modern telling of Romeo and Juliet. Set in New York, it tells the story of two lovers from different backgrounds. Maria is Puerto Rican and Tony is a New York Italian. The lighting in this scene shows the harsh contrast of these two sides of the gang wars in New York. The lighting changes from red to blue depending on which side was dancing. The Puerto Rican side is depicted with red colors and the New York Italians are depicted with blue lights. Once Tony and Maria come together from across the room, the lights come together to form a purple color then dim down to a light blue that doesn't create such a harsh light on the two lovers. Then, at the end of there song a bright white light shines down on them the create a sort of halo. The symbology of these colors show how something as simple as light can mean so much. Purple of course is the made through combining red and blue. And a white halo represents a sort of innocence and purity. The love of these two is greater than ethnicity or background. They see past that and only see the one they love.
Finally, I want to wrap up this look at technology on Broadway with a clip of the opening of the Tony Awards. The Tony Awards is filled with people who work on Broadway and the people who watch on TV are all Broadway aficionados. The opening number for the awards comments on a lot of inside jokes and exposes some of the behind the scene action that happen in a musical. One of the first technological aspects of this show was the lightning strike behind Neil Patrick Harris. It was perfectly cued with his hand and the thunder went along at the exact right timing. People underestimate how much work is involved with that two seconds. The timing and the technology behind that part of this clip really set the mood for the entire song. It is poking fun at the shows on Broadway, but in a good natured way. Next we have Mary Poppins gliding across the sky. At that point the lighting changes to a starry look on the entire stage. NPH even points out that you can hardly see the harness. Then when Patti Lupone comes on a stage there is a set change that brings on a house from the side of the stage. I love it when NPH and Patti talk about the audience during the "intermission." This is something that anyone who has been on stage can relate to. The whole performance is filled with lighting that fits whatever is being sung about. Especially when NPH talks about what real life is really like. The lights change from bright pinks to blue. There are even lighting strikes behind him. Then when little orphan Annie comes back on stage the main stage lights go out to show that there is a pause in a production. Overall this scene shows the importance of technology on Broadway. The use of lighting, harnesses, fog, and set changes all add to the story. Without the use of timing in music, lighting, and all of the technology used in these clips, these musicals would be stripped from their very essence. They would become a shell of a performance, and wouldn't be a part of the Broadway genre.
Good news everyone! Cabaret is showing until the end of the month! Click here for more information.
Also here's the information for Scattered. Even though it isn't playing this semester, I thought you might like to see a clip of their performance and maybe you'll be interested in seeing it.
Jazz is often referred to as America's Classical Music. It is a genre that grew out of the fields of slaves and has developed into a music that African American's can call their own. Music has always played a huge role in the lives of African Americans. Songs known as spirituals were sung during a time of slavery to pass time and pass along stories of their past. Many of these songs were filled with a yearning for freedom and a deep dedication to God.
In the 1800s an influx of immigrants from Ireland, Germany, France, and many other European countries contributed to the melting pot of cultures in America. These waltzes and jigs inspired African American composers like Scott Joplin and Earnest Hogan to combine the rhythmic nature of spirituals with the music of Europe. This became known as ragtime. Ragtimes has a syncopated rhythm with melodic accents occurring between beats. Rag time was extremely popular in the African American community and even became popular with the rest of the North American Audience in the early 20th century. Maple Time Rag is one of the most famous examples of ragtime music
Was created in the early 20th century as a combination again of European styles of music with traditionally African American music like blues and ragtime. Although jazz developed in many different cities in the United States, many believe that it originated in New Orleans. New Orleans has a history of being a mix of many different cultures. At one time or another, all of the European colonists held stake in this piece of land. Sitting at the mouth of the Mississippi River made New Orleans made it so unique. As African Americans moved to northern cities like Chicago and New York, this daring new kind of music dared the youth of America to break away from their parents old fashioned views. With new technology such as the radio, the sounds of Jazz were able to reach every corner of America which helped this genre grow at an amazing rate.
This video provides a brief overview of the history of jazz and some examples of the early pieces
Prohibition also contributed to the growth and possibility of Jazz. Known as the jazz age, this period of time was filled with speakeasies where this genre of music thrived.
There are many different styles of Jazz. Bebop, swing jazz, ragtime jazz, folk jazz, gospel jazz. Each one of these is like a separate genre. But my favorite type of jazz is Big Band. Big Band Jazz gave names to Duke Ellington and Luis Armstrong just to name a few. This type of jazz has three main parts, reeds, rhythm and brass. These bands played mainly in unison, but often a solo instrument would start lines of improvised melodies. This type of jazz later developed into swing music.
Here is one of my favorite Jazz songs. I heard this played when I went to New Orleans. This song just takes you back to the Jazz Era. It is amazing to think of all of the genres of music that came from Jazz (Like Rock and Roll) It is an amazing genre of music that is uniquely American.
Amadeus is one of my favorite movies, and I was so happy that we got to watch some scenes from it in class today. I've grown up listening to Mozart, and my parents even joked around that my name was going to be Wolfgang. They didn't know I was a girl, but they told my grandparents that the first Von Behren grandchild needed a strong German/Austrian name. But that's a whole other story. If you haven't seen Amadeus, please do! Here is my favorite scene. (Spoiler alert: This is from the end of the movie)
The Requiem Mass in D minor is one of my favorite pieces by Mozart. Though left unfinished, it is a composition that will bring you to tears if you really listen to the music. This scene is just amazing because it breaks down the music to give the audience a little perspective into the time and work it takes to compose. I won't to get into too much details with Salieri, so I don't spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it. But when you watch it, you'll understand the meaning of Mozart's apology at the end of this clip. One great thing about being a communication/art major at UT is that you will take a lot of classes that will introduce you to classic movies like this one. I really encourage all of you to watch them and research more important movies. It will help you understand a lot of references in pop culture that you may otherwise overlook. For example, this scene from Amadeus was parodied in 30 Rock. Is that show funny without knowing all the references, sure. But you get so much more out of it when you know what they're talking about. I wanted to post a link to that clip, but I can't find it. But if you want to watch it, it's in season two and the episode is called Succession. Seasons 1-5 are on Netflix.
For those of you reading this blog who are not in my class, here is a link to the video that I will be discussing in this post.
After watching this animated version of Un Bel Di from Puccini's Madama Butterfly, I decided I first needed to look up the translation of the lyrics to better understand what she is saying. Here is the translation I found from an aria database
Un bel dì, vedremo One good day, we will see
Levarsi un fil di fumo Arising a strand of smoke
Sull'estremo confin del mare Over the far horizon on the sea
E poi la nave appare And then the ship appears
E poi la nave è bianca. And then the ship is white
Entra nel porto, romba il suo saluto. It enters into the port, it rumbles its salute
Vedi? È venuto! Do you see it? He is coming!
Io non gli scendo incontro, io no. I don't go down to meet him, not I.
Mi metto là sul ciglio del colle I stay upon the edge of the hill
E aspetto gran tempo And I wait a long time
e non mi pesa a lunga attesa. but I do not grow weary of the long wait
E uscito dalla folla cittadina And leaving from the crowded city,
Un uomo, un picciol punto A man, a little speck
S'avvia per la collina. Climbing the hill.
Chi sarà? Chi sarà? Who is it? Who is it?
E come sarà giunto And as he arrives
Che dirà? Che dirà? What will he say? What will he say?
Chiamerà Butterfly dalla lontana He will call Butterfly from the distance
Io senza far risposta I without answering
Me ne starò nascosta Stay hidden
Un po' per celia, A little to tease him,
Un po' per non morire A little as to not die.
Al primo incontro, At the first meeting,
Ed egli al quanto in pena And then a little troubled
Chiamerà, chiamerà : He will call, he will call
"Piccina - mogliettina "Little one, dear wife
Olezzo di verbena" Blossom of orange"
I nomi che mi dava al suo venire. The names he called me at his last coming.
Tutto questo avverrà, All this will happen,
te lo prometto I promise you this
Tienti la tua paura - Hold back your fears -
Io con sicura fede lo aspetto. I with secure faith wait for him.
Pjotr, the director, followed the lyrics pretty closely in his interpretation of this heart wrenching aria, but not in an obvious way. He really showed the long wait that Cio Cio San (Madama Butterfly) had to endure before seeing the return of her love. Her dedication and obsession over her love is shown through her wait on the hill. She had a baby, continued to where the hat he gave her, and never left that hill. The baby that she had was still attached to her with the umbilical cord. To me, the cord represents Cio Cio San's inability to let go of that passionate experience she had with her love. As the daughter grows up, they roam the hills, but they never stray too far from that spot that he left her. As soon as the ship returns to shore, Cio Cio San runs to the top of the hill to wait for him. He doesn't come to greet her right away, but she never seems to lose hope. It isn't until he comes with a new girl and a carful of random children, and he takes Cio Cio San's daughter from her does the umbilical cord.
When the cord is ripped, it is as if the hope and dedication that she felt towards him is also ripped from her. She walks away from the hill, and goes to a place on the side that is "off-set." While she takes herself apart, the music of the aria is playing. The music did not play loudly throughout the entire video. The music grew louder and more apparent during times of intense emotion. Another image that was seen during times of high emotion was the butterfly. The butterfly sat on Cio Cio San's head after her relations with her love. The butterfly is also shown at the end after she takes herself apart in the flashback on the top of the hill.
Overall I really think that this animated interpretation of Un Bel Di really captured the emotion of the aria.Many of us know the intense emotions that come with love. The hope that we feel and the devastation that can come when our faith in another isn't realized can consume us.
Another thing that you all need to know about me is that I'm a perfectionist. It can be a bit of a problem. If I can't do something they way that I want it to be done, than I won't do it at all. I was that kid who would read The Diary of Anne Frank and decide to keep a journal. And if I forgot to write in that journal one day, I would rip all the pages out and start over. I'm that person who hates my dirty room, but I won't tidy up if I don't have time to clean everything.
My perfectionism probably posed the biggest problem while earning my degree. Sketching is not an easy task for those who seek perfection. I don't want to commit to any designs, put any ideas on paper until I have a fluid idea. I found it difficult to revel in my mistakes as my teachers so encouraged me to do. And even if I were to put my thoughts on the page, how could I allow anyone else to look at it?
It's funny that I strive for perfection so desperately. After all, perfection in and of itself is a relative idea built by the culture and more specifically the subcultures we live in. This is assuming that such a concept can even exist. I think that most people, including myself, think of perfection as that ultimate level of complete satisfaction with oneself. We think of it is a physical goal that has specific boundaries. But, now that I really think about it, I believe that we are looking at perfection completely wrong. Perfection is not a static tangible goal, rather it is an ever changing motivation that pushes people forward in life.
Not everyone strives for perfection, and those who are consumed by it are met with an anxious life filled with half finished blog posts that take a week to post. I think the best thing we can do is stay motivated, but not worry so much about whether or not our work is absolutely perfect. I think the sooner I understand and apply that to my everyday life, the happier I will be.
As Salvador Dali said, "Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it."
