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Showing posts from October, 2020

Hollywood Studio System

 - the hollywood studio system was at its most powerful around the 1930s  - the big five major studios were MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros, RKO and Fox. 'The Big Five' had controlling stakes in their own theatre chains, which were exempt from block booking (-studios selling films in packages on an all-or-nothing basis). In some cases, one of the studios would even control all the theatres in a city so that all their films would be distributed, no matter the quality.  - the studio system greatly benefited any notorious studios involved, essentially making the rich richer. Most of this was due to the studio system having direct control and influence over many aspects of film production and entire process of making movies: laboratories, creating prints and owning film processing in general. The studios had numerous actors, directors and writers under contract even granting them notoriety for what’s been branded ‘the star system’. In 1945 the studio system either partially or ou...

Key Rules and Conventions of Classical Hollywood Style Film Form

Cinematography and lighting  - matching eye-lines -180 degree rule (in which an imaginary 180 degree axis is created between the viewer and the shot, allowing viewers to clearly orient themselves within the position and direction of action in a scene)  - should have framing and shot types for a clear narrative   Editing   - should have continuity editing - the 30 degree rule (where cuts in the angle that the scene is viewed from must be signifiant enough or the viewer to understand a purpose of a change in perspective) - no jump cuts as they interrupt the illusion of temporal continuity between each shot - narrative resolution should be clear - an establishing shot (which shows the entire location being used when a new scene is started in order to avoid the audience being disorientated when different shots are cut to - shot reverse shot - where two separate shots o two subjects in a conversation are facing each other and the editor cuts back and forth betwe...

Evaluation of High Maintenance plot twists

The first plot twist has an element of surprise to it, as we are not expecting it, but it is quite logical. at the beginning, both of the characters say and do things in quite a mechanical way. Particularly the man who looks pale and emotionless, although he eats, drinks and smokes , all of which are red herrings , as these activities would not be expected from a robot. Initially, we make the assumption that the film is in the drama genre - the wedding ring is a misdirection as we think the drama is a conversation between a wife who is unsatisfied with her marriage. But we soon discover   that it is a sci-fi film about robots. It is a flip of the characters and story's situation because up until the point where the woman turns off the man by the switch at his neck, we are unaware that he is not human.  The second plot twist is arguably the best one and is unpredictable regardless of the foreshadowing . The line, 'mechanical sex' between the original pair foreshadows that...

CASABLANCA: Intro to rick's bar scene analysis

At the beginning of the scene, we are shown the entrance to rick's cafe which is more lively and lit up which shows the contrast between day and night. There is a spotlight over the doors to the cafe which suggests to the audience that it is where the main action takes place and that it is allude to the potential of clandestine activity. We are then introduced to the rest of the cafe as the doors open and there's a tracking shot, cutting to different guests to convey its busyness.  The jazzy love song coupled with the nonchalant appearance of those who are dining lulls the audience into a false sense of security. Two characters are in the forefront of the shot, in a a more low-key area, suggesting that they are engaging in surreptitious undertakings. The well-lit room and the glee of the jazz band do much to set in place the at ease ambience of the room and its hedonistic tone. The focus is on the jazz band which pulls us through the room, drawing attention to the singer, seate...