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Semester Wrap-Up

  Favorite Movie: Pan’s Labyrinth, it had the most captivating story line and it was raining during the screening which created a cool vibe. Even though the film was in Spanish, it was a compelling story which was visually easy to follow. Learn about yourself: I thought I would have an easy time writing the script and a hard time acting but it was the other way around. I found coming up with Will Ferrell jokes to be tough on paper. I did not have too many speaking lines, which Joey did a great job of, but I found that just ad libing lines was relatively easy in the short period we had. As far as my film appreciation goes, I enjoyed some of the early movies such as Dr. Caligari, since its story line was a precursor to tropes we see today. Pandemic: Spiderman - No Way Home was the first movie I watched in a theater after Covid was over, but there was no one in the theater other than my friends. It was not like most marvel movies that are usually packed. I did not have any stream...
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The Social Dilemma

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     The Social Dilemma  uses a very interesting technique to show the dangers of social media. The documentary part of the film uses the former tech executives, law grads, and a couple speakers who have interior knowledge of the innerworkings of social media to validate the points it tries to make. It also focuses in on a family whose kids have different experiences with social media. Ben and Isla are both addicted to social media while Cassandra is the older sister who wants them to say off their phones. Isla seems to be too young to properly use social media and the documentary makes points that young girls are being poorly influenced by it. Isla is a good character to use in order to get this point across.     Ben and Cassandra's story has a different twist. Ben is the main protagonist of this tragic story, as we see the innards of his phone and constantly see his screen. One interesting aspect of the film is that the more he is on his phone, the more r...
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Jaws

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     Steven Spielberg's blockbuster, Jaws , shows how a horror film can be portrayed in a real life scenario. Spielberg didn't use a ghost or zombie in his film, but rather a shark, something most beachgoers fear running into. By realizing these fears, Spielberg creates a new type of horror film, one that could actually happen. The quality was extremely real for being made in the early 1970's, especially the animatronic shark, which still looks realistic today. Spielberg has been on the cutting edge of special effects and later in his career CGI.      Spielberg also brought in a cast of emerging thriller actors in Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss to co-star in this film. these new actors for a young director make this movie a true masterclass of low-budget, high-quality productions. The most captivating scene is in the interior of the boat at night. This scene is well directed as Robert Shaw's character, Captain Quint, transitions from cheery to sober as h...
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You and Me and Everyone We Know

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      Miranda July discussed some interesting relationships throughout the film,  You and Me and Everyone We Know.  The most fitting relationship is between her character and Richard, the divorced dad. This relationship, that is implied to happen considering the last scene was their "first date,"  explores two awkward personalities. I read into this as July finding a sense of comfort knowing her main characters actually make it.     The ending scene, where Robby finds the man clanking on the bus stop post, perfectly ends the film with the sun setting over the houses. This scene seems to capture Robby growing as a person, taking the mans spot. Robby seems to be mature for his age, using computer chat rooms and being able to walk home from school. The unfortunate reality of divorce is it makes kids grow up too fast. This ending scene seems to depict Robby growing up.
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Will Ferrell Themes

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      The biggest part of our Will Ferrell production will be the script. While Ferrell occasionally goes ad lib for some scenes, it will be important to us to keep to a main script. This will help our production flow better for the limited time we are given. This will also help with the comedic timing of the jokes.     Our other important tool will be camera angles. Ferrell often has a western stand-off in his films, so we will incorporate that into one of our shots. We will also use some over-the-shoulder shots to frame the match. This will give the viewer an immersive experience.
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Lost In Translation Scenery

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       Sofia Coppola creates her brand by using international locations to create unique experiences. Many of the scenes seem to capture more natural life in a big city. This was largely due to the impromptu shooting of some of the scenes, especially as Scarlett Johansson walks through the city. The camera angle does very good point of view shots throughout the movie. This helps Coppola create a better sense of feeling.      Part of expounding on Bob and Charlotte’s confusion in their new setting is by Bombarding the camera with Japanese characters and signs. In a book written on Orientalism by Homay King, “ the Chinatowns, Tokyos, and Shanghais depicted in these films are dumping grounds for dead letters, overdetermined icons, and mutterings that belong to no dialect in particular… These filmic worlds often contain curious objects or details of ornament that seem to lie outside of rational systems of knowledge in communication.” Coppola uses this as a...
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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Mise-en-Scene

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      Wes Anderson's  The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou continues with his brand of film. Wes Anderson films put a premium on his brand of color: pastels. Anderson uses these colors to create a fantastic vibe in a live action film. Even his animated films are colored in pastel. This coupled with dark theming, where Bill Murray's friend/dive partner dies, and he also learns he may have a grown adult son, who later dies. These somber themes clash with the pastel coloring in the film and create a unique viewing.     Anderson also includes a love interest in his films, usually that Bill Murray is attr acted to.  Jane Winslett-Richardson, a reporter on the Belafonte played by Cate Blanchett, acts to attract both Owen Wilson's and Bill Murray's characters. Anderson uses this to create enmity between characters who should be close, given their assumed bond. Anderson films use a young female character to create complexity to the story, even if it is now wholl...
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