When starting my capstone I thought, what could be a better way to show the power of film then by making one? Creating a short presentation video essay to speak and also show the influence film has proved to be the best way to drive home my main points. Powerful imagery can help the audience understand what I’m saying even better than just hearing the words come out of my mouth. Especially in the parts where I talk about “The Birth of a Nation” the powerful and disturbing imagery can give the audience the full scope of how influential visuals and themes in film can be. I wanted to make sure that the audience would be able to connect with and associate each clip shown with the points I’m covering. Everyone who watches has (hopefully) seen or heard of a film featured. They can use their familiarity with the movies to reach back in their memory to recall their feelings to the filmmaker's work. This callback can help them understand how they were swayed by the handling of the topic matter. Understanding their personal experience can show how powerful the tools filmmakers use are and what can happen if used improperly.
Annotated Bibliography
Casetti, Francesco. “Cinema and Modern Life.” Early Film Theories in Italy 1896-1922: The Little Magic Machine, edited by Francesco Casetti et al., Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, 2017, pp. 35–41. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv157bwd.4. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020.
This source is an excerpt from a book on film theory. Focusing on the introduction to film in Italy, the chapter explains the nature of human intrigue in the films that started being produced. Humans were drawn into parallels of their lives and enjoyed diving into the fantasy of film. Responses to these films began to create demand and shape the production of future projects. Though the source may seem irrelevant because of its early studies, the principles that were established in this age set the stage for cinema for decades to come. The look into human psychology and the response to themes shown on screen allows me to gain insight to the reception of different types of films, both back then and now. Aiding in my ability to evaluate how films can be used to open people in an audience to the world climates and events of any generation.
De Luca, Tiago. “Slow Time, Visible Cinema: Duration, Experience, and Spectatorship.” Cinema Journal, vol. 56, no. 1, 2016, pp. 23–42., www.jstor.org/stable/44072163. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020.
Focusing on the stylization of cinema, this source explains the motivations of why filmmakers are prompted to create certain types of films. From festivals to award responses, certain movies garner more attention than others. De Luca brings audience research along with a look into shaping a film aesthetic and tone to determine a product marketed towards a specific audience. I will be able to use this source as a way to look into the filmmakers psyche of choosing to focus on certain topics in films. Knowing why themes and topics are chosen can help me determine why current events and heavy themes that relate to them draw filmmakers towards making films like that. The source helps me specifically target the marketing and filmmaking motivation parts of my research.
Longo, Regina. “The Art of Film Blackness: A Conversation with Michael Boyce Gillespie on Film Blackness and the Idea of Black Film.” Film Quarterly, vol. 70, no. 1, 2016, pp. 112–117.JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26413749. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020. The Art of Film Blackness is a study of African-American cinema. Films new and old that are created for black audiences and by black filmmakers hold a certain amount of weight and importance in the industry. Gillespie looks into how films started to be made, struggles along the way, and where the industry is currently. Also, the book studies how blackness is portrayed and messages that are given to the viewer. Current events and serious topics are a centerpiece for my studies. The idea of “blackness” portrayed in film has a profound impact on viewers and audiences of color across the nation. The cinema can open non-diverse audiences to struggles. On the other hand, movies can just give the audiences insight into how similar the communities are. African-American culture and history in the US plays a large part in modern cinema, so it is to my benefit to look into a study surrounding the topic. This source is extremely beneficial as it looks into both the importance and motivation of the filmmaking side, and the audience reaction and reception. Being able to use both sides of the coin will help me gain information about current events in film.
"Narrative." Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film, edited by Barry Keith Grant, vol. 3, Schirmer Reference, 2007, pp. 195-203. Gale eBooks, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2587600133/GVRL?u=atla25856&sid=GVRL&xid=0007613a. Accessed 13 Feb. 2020. “Narrative” is a film studies book about the forming of a film’s plot. The book takes a look at storytelling and themes that lead into the creation of a film. This book is a valuable research tool on a slightly broader scope. Though not delving specifically into heavy themes or topics in films, I can gather information about forming a narrative in general. Knowing the backbones of a story can help understand what might draw someone into forming a story around current events or heavy topics, leading back into my capstone idea.
“Studying Film.” Studying Film with André Bazin, by Blandine Joret, Amsterdam University Press,Amsterdam, 2019, pp. 17–46. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvrs8xh6.4. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020.
“Studying Film” is a book focused on all aspects of filmmaking at large. The book covers matters of not just technological components, but the way filmmakers use reality and form a film to portray a message. Compared to other arts, the book shows the medium of film as a tool to tell stories and comment on all sorts of topics. I will use this source as a gateway to understanding the form of film. Shaping the medium a filmmaker uses helps me to understand how they might approach different topics to share a message. It helps me comprehend how filmmaking can be one of the most important ways to share themes and heavy topics that might not be able to be expressed as clearly through an art piece, creating an open line of dialogue to the viewer.
Internal Subject Matter Questions
What does history mean to film?
How has the progression of the world and more specifically The United States shaped the way film topics are handled?
How have the trends varied over time?
What specific films or film moments have defined a period of history?
What did the reception look like?
How have citizens here or abroad responded to this type of cinema?
If the reception was bad, what was the result?
External Subject Matter Questions
Are modern filmmakers more inclined or less inclined to tackle heavy topics?
What are a variety of motivations?
What are the benefits to approaching a current event in film?
Is there a bias in award ceremonies to these films?
How has the audience response been to different themes?
Is a studio more or less likely to pick up a film of this nature?
Process Reflection
I have read some articles by critics and writers breaking down the usage of real life inspirations to form the foundations of films. These articles helped gain direction on what story I am planning to tell through my research project. I plan to speak to Mr. Mathis, Dr. Barksdale, and Clay Randel. The two teachers will be able to not only provide insight on film, but they will be able to look at them in the context of history. I know both of them know extensive films from the older side of the film industry, so their input will help add onto the modern look of many online sources. Clay has a degree in film, so he will be able to speak extensively in film theory about why they might do what they do as filmmakers. Mr. Mathis: What historical time period do you see most represented in film? Do these topics shown change over time or have the trends remained the same? Dr. Barksdale: When do you see the start of serious topics being tackled in American film? How has deeply important films exposed all Americans to ideas they haven’t known before? Clay: Why would a filmmaker choose to approach a historical topic? What are the goals of a filmmaker who tries to create a film around a deep film topic? Externally, I want to speak with Dan Rosenfelt from Third Rail studios. I hope to gain his insight as a person from the industry. Mr. Rosenfelt: What projects have you taken part of that are based around real life themes or events? What topics do you think the industry pushes to cover more and why? The questions that I need to ask more are about the why. Knowing why the people want to accomplish something from creating these films is important to understanding the consistent production of them. What I need to progress my topic further is to find some better educational resources that I can use. Academic journals and articles have not been helpful since I can’t find one that specifically caters to my topic.