All posts by Stephanie Orellana

Homework #8

Along with the music and narration that accompanied the clips of La Jetee, this helped take the viewers on this cinematic time travel of the film. Even without actual film takes, photos that captured the moments were used to give the audience a visual of what the narrator was saying. Cinematic time travel has evolved tremendously throughout the years. Ways to draw the audience in and bring them into the sense of time travel has used much technological innovations to create the most realistic way possible. One film that used cinematic time travel is X-Men: Days of Future Past. Throughout the film, the storyline follows the character of Wolverine who travels back in time to change the course time that leads to destruction in the future. Viewers get a sense of what is past and future because of jump cutting between the two times. We see the characters in the past and the events that unfold and placed them on the path of who they were meant to become in the future. Very different from Le Jetee, X-men uses more technical methods to recreate the time travel. Many other ways to include time travel in a film have been used in films like Back to the Future. Ultimately, early films introduced a new discovery that would later lead a breakthrough into the world of time travel.

 

 

Here is the trailer to X-men: Days of Future Past

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXfvB_w-N20

Homework #6

While watching Attia’s “fan” movie deconstruction, it was interesting to see the contrast of the film and what the locations look like now. By revisiting the locations of films, the audience gains an insight and can make deeper connections to visualize what it was like when filming the scenes. There are people who do not care enough to think about such things but for those who have an interest in film and the way they are made and put together, it creates a new way to observe from the director’s and cinematographer’s point of views. This perspective is beneficial because it displays the scenery and setting in a different way. We see the background as the director would and can understand why that location was chosen for a certain scene. For example in The Birds, we see an explosion by the gas station when the birds attack, by deconstructing the film and revisiting the location, the people see the “untouched” location and can truly appreciate the work of actors and all those involved in making the scene look as it did in the final product.

Homework #4: Oz The Great and Powerful

When it comes to films of spectacle, many have required massive budgets to complete the project. One of these films is a remake of the 1939 “The Wizard of Oz.” The film titled “Oz The Great and Powerful required an outstanding $215,000,000. As I began researching how the film was made and the type of equipment used, it became more evident to me why the budget skyrocket the way it did. The film began in 2011, where basic photography was being done by using 3D cameras. Much like the original film, when the tornado strikes, the audience is able to be transported alongside lead actor James Franco into the Land of Oz. But once he arrives, we are taken through a new world where out of the ordinary things exist. Actual sets were also built in addition to computer imaging to help the actors better visualize the fantasy world of the film. In order to accomplish the task of employing the china doll and flying monkey, special effects like puppetry and motion capture suits were needed to make these scenes come to life. The film drew in the audience with its vibrant colors and detailed scenes. It was a spinoff of the original film in 1939 but because of new arising technology, the film was able to transport the public into this 3D world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz8ES8lKEcw

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT #2: X-MEN (2000)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI7SEIKaKwE

The opening seen of X-men is very subtle in the way it begins but in essence it creates the foundation of all that is to come. It begins in German concentration camp in Poland in 1944. A young boy, who we later identify as Erik, is with his mother and upon entering the concentration camp, he is separated from her. Attempting to reunite with her, soldiers try to restrain him and while this goes on, he causes the metal gates to bend towards him, as though attracted by a magnetic force. This scene may not involve much physical action but it is crucial in setting the basis for the audience to make note of “mutant powers.” This young Erik is used in this scene to open up to idea that other mutants like him will come into play. In addition, he later becomes an important character that is portrayed as a villain. Even the scene of the Holocaust concentration camp is important in itself because it serves as the reason why Erik is very remorseless and always seeking revenge. The scene is subtle but it kick starts the film for the rest to build up.