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Media Aesthetics Summary of presentations on the required Films
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Notes/summery of the presentations given about the films that you are required to watch (and are tested on) during the Media Aesthetics course.
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MA film introdution notesJAWS (1975)
Jaws changed Hollywood forever. Not only was it the most expansive film at the
Tim din was also fist movie to goose $100 mil. Jaws was the first blockbuster and
first high-concept film. That means it has a very clear hook and the storyline is
easily recognizable which made really makable.
Spielberg is part of the movie brats, a elect group of filmmakers who where the fist
generation to come directly from film and not theatre novel or tv. They had learned
film from film. With the movie brats come a new barriot in Hollywood also known
as New Hollywood.
Spielberg was greatly inspired by Hitchcock. The key to suspense is giving the
audience enough information but leave the rest to their imagination. Spielberg
uses suspense and shock. Because the shark couldn’t be on set in time Spielberg
has to use suspense.
Long and very dynamic shots are also used in jaws but try to stay invisible.
Look for:
1. Suspense and surprise
2. Used perspective (camera)
3. Use of pacing in editing
4. Themes the family unit and friendships
5. How does Spielberg create heroes and enemies
MARY AND MAX (2009)
NO High cocept film nor a blockbuster
Low budget
Did well in winning prices normal filmfestivals and animation filmfestivals
Adam Elliot (director), based in Melbourne usually makes short animated films
which he calls Clayographies meaning clay animated biography. He is also down
for Harvie Krumpet (2003) which won an Academy award for best animated
,feature and is a film mixed with comedy and tragedy. Elliot use the form of
animation to bring characters with mental illnesses to life on screen.
To animate = to bring to life
To bring the inanimate matter to life. What matter is being used also determents
how the subject comes across. Do why do we humanist and feel for characters
made for inanimate material? Not just for children, animation also being used to
tackel tuff subject as mental illnesses.
Content: is the subject matter (what the movies is about)
Form: the means by whitch the subject matter is expressed.
Mis-en-scene; the contents of the frame a the way they are organized. In Mary
and max puppets are made form clay other object often not. Clay because you can
manipulate it and it has a skin like feel to it. Brauwnish colors is Marys town Mary
feels lonely, pairs but she is alone. Maxs town is grey dark anonymous. Closeup in
mays town wide shots in mass town; mass town large and Mary tiny everyone
knows each other.
Narratieve strategies
Animation has ‘the ability to evoke the internal space and portray the
invisible’ (Paul Wells)
Animation can express abstract ideas internal states concepts and feelings in a
way life action can not. And therefore can reveal deeper experience and portray
that in a more accessible way. You can offer better insight in the psychy of your
character.
Questions to keep in mind:
How does this film use animation to express concepts, mental health issues
and emotions in a way the live-action film can not?
What is the relation between the film form and the content? In other words:
how does the films plot relate to the story?
How are the characters different identities expressed?
Can you recognize any narrative or visual patterns?
What is the relation between characters, place and colour in this film?
What do you think are the implicit ideas expressed in this film?
SINGIN I THE RAIN (1952)
, Example of classical Hollywood cinema, upcoming Studio systems.
MGM Studios, is its own genre. Singing in the rain is a musical. MGM really found a
golden ratio of sticking to convention and seeking innovation in film making.
During the 50s we observe increasingly streamlined productions, really mastering
and innovating the techniques of continuity and storytelling. And as time
progressed these films became increasingly entertaining and immersive for the
audiences to watch.
MGM musical were super populair. At the time cinema was a for newer and what
came before cinema was theater and especially broadway. So when the two came
together they proves to be really irresistible to audiences. So with the specticals
and emotion of musical performances when that joins forces with the expressive
power of film that is where the musical movie really finds its succes.
A backstage musical; is a genre of musical with a plot set in a theatrical context that revolves
around the production of a play or musical revue is a genre of musical with a plot set in a
evue. Often done
theatrical context that revolves around the production of a play or musical r
so the film achieves verisimilitude.
Romantic comedy and animation (Disney) also use musical elements.
Particular to the Hollywood musical is its starts system. They were under contract,
the stars mastered their craft under the supervision of the studios and agreed to
do a number of movies. This reinforces the idea of the Hollywood system being a
factory. The starts were their workers a help them achieve cultural dominance
because they could use these stars over and over.
(Entertainment as utopia) With escapism and anti-realism as form is shows the
viewer what utopia would feel like. Characteristics we see in entertainment and
musicals in particular is abundance, energy, intensity, community and beauty as
oppose to what we experience in real life; exhaustion, scarcity etc. Musicals are
non elitist as opposed to other art.
Singing in the rain is not just about Hollywood but also
What film is and who it works, so selfs reflexivity and making reference to its own
artificiality. It exposes the illusion of film making it shows it's artificiality whist still
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