What are your expectations for this class and for yourself in this class? What do you think of when you hear the word movie? What is your favorite movie? Why? Required: 2 full, well-developed paragraphs. Due: Monday, September 9
I have been extremely excited to start IB film ever since I heard about it during my freshmen year of high school. My love for movies and film started at a very young age and has only grown larger as the years have gone by. I like to upload videos for fun to YouTube, but I feel that I want to take my passion to the next level. I do not merely want to watch movies or create videos; I want to have the ability to dissect them into their key elements, and utilize these elements to display the story in a much more powerful way. I want to understand why a good film has the impact it does, how the same story can be told numerous times, through varying lenses and viewpoints while every time having a different effect on the audience. I want to be able to covey an idea or emotion without having to explicitly tell the viewers. I expect to apply myself to grow as a film maker and be able to appreciate films on a whole new scale then I ever had before. Finally, I wish to evolve my view point of movies from “another form of entertainment” into “an art form.”
The word “Movie” really holds a lot of meaning to me as an aspiring film maker, and just general film buff. The first thing that comes to my mind is the ability to escape from our mundane everyday life and experience or get lost in a different world. Even if it is just for a few minutes, if a movie does its job right then for those few moments, I can become completely immersed into the film and I engross myself with whatever is happening on screen. “Movie” means an opportunity for me to provide a window into the ideas of my mind that would normally come out as muddled and incoherent if I tried to explain them in another way. “Movie” makes me want to help the audience feel how I would feel, put my imagination on display and let people see things in the way I see them. As for my favorite film, I can’t really pick one distinct favorite over the others, but I think I will always have a soft spot for “The Matrix” by the Wachowski Brothers. As I mentioned before I love to get lost in the world the movie provides and when it comes to The Matrix, there are so many possibilities in that world; I end up getting so engrossed in the movie no matter how many times I watch it. And when I learnt some of the basics of film making (lighting, subject position, camera angles, etc.) and how they are used to convey certain feelings to the audience, my appreciation for the film went up so much more. I know that it is quite flawed in its execution, and it has definitely not aged well in some places, but the story is amazing, the message behind it is thought provoking, and it was one of the first movies that really took me into a world that inspired my mind to imagine greater things.
I LOVE THE MATRIX. I have to disagree--I think it has aged very well. I can watch it over and over. The Matrix for me is similar to The Terminator in terms of how many times I can watch it.
I suppose it would be fair for me to respond to this blog entry, as it is a "getting to know you" assignment and maybe none of you really care about your teacher, but I'll give you my response just in case.
I have a lot of expectations for myself in this class. If I can impart what knowledge I have about film history and theory to you guys, I will be happy. I am hoping that I'm able to open your eyes to films that you might never have seen otherwise. I took a film class in high school and, although it was not in depth as this class will be, I learned a great deal from my teacher, Mr. Gardener. If you all can feel just a little bit as excited as I was to see films like The Graduate and The Great Train Robbery, I will feel I have done a good job. In addition to teaching you to appreciate everything that goes into making (and watching) films, I am really looking forward to seeing the films you will make.
When I think of the word movie, I think of a couple of things. For the past few years, the word movie makes me think of having my daughter curled up at my side eating (non-microwave) popcorn while we watch movies like Bringing Up Baby or The Last Laugh or Star Wars or Singin in the Rain. She can't get enough of the movies.
I have memories of watching movies like Midnight Cowboy and Little Big Man with my dad when I was little and having him tell me these were great films and that I should watch them. They were on tv every once in awhile and every time they were, he and I sat and watched the whole movie--it was because he wanted me to see the entire movie that I was occasionally allowed to stay up past my bedtime.
What is my favorite movie? It's almost impossible to choose a favorite. I love a lot of silent movies, such as The Passion of Joan of Arc and Sunrise: A Tale of Two Humans and The Last Laugh and Battleship Potemkin. I love a lot of the French New Wave, such as Jules and Jim and The 400 Blows. Jean Renoir's amazing films Grand Illusion and Rules of the Game rank very high for me. I'm also really into American Hollywood of the 1970s--Dog Day Afternoon, Little Big Man, Badlands, Days of Heaven, Taxi Driver, Mean Streets...
However, lately I am SMITTEN by low budget horror of the 1940s (the films produced by Val Lewton), 1960s (Night of the Living Dead) and 1970s (Shock Waves, Deathdream, Lemora, Raw Meat, The Shout, etc.). I'm not really into current horror--I like films where they work with a super low budget and have to be very creative.
There you have it--Mrs. Holden through the movies.
I’m elated to be in IB Film. I’ve loved watching movies for a long time, I like making short films, and I love what emotions movies can evoke, what they can inspire people to do, and that they make people think. Since this is an IB class, and through hearing rumors, I’ve tried to prepare myself for a hard class with lot of work, but with knowing that it’s something I care about, I know there will be a good will be a good payoff: better understanding. I expect a lot of creating, writing, and analyzing, all of which I’m excited to do. Doing these things, even though at times I’m sure it will be difficult, will help me to get a better perspective on what goes into films, and what the makers do to get their desired response and effect. Also, Im excited to see what tools, and how people use them to create movies that have long lasting effects on people. Hopefully I can incorporate them to make my short films better. I’m ready to take on the work, and for the most part, I’m sure I’ll have fun doing it.
When I think of movies, I think of art. They can inspire people to dream, they can take people away from their current lives, they can make people think about topics that are uncomfortable, topics they haven’t heard of, or have ignored. Most importantly which is an element in all of these things is that they can move people. To me movies, and making movies are as much of an art as any other thing viewed as art. They have a huge impact on modern society too. As for favorites, I’m not sure if I have a favorite, because I really love a lot of movies, but since I’ve seen this one recently, Saving Private Ryan, has to be at the top right now. I loved it, because of the action, the views of the people fighting in the war, but I mostly love it for it’s style. The color grading added to the style tremendously. But the movie itself was really gritty. Really real. Everything felt so real, and even when we read about World War II, I think people see it as history, but it never has that hard hitting, in your face feel like the one this movie gave me. This movie caused me to think more about World War II, the sacrifices people made, and put faces, names, and attitudes on so many of the people that fought in it. It showed the average soldier, and that most of them had a loved ones, which made me care about them more. I loved it, it opened my eyes to the chaos of war, and it brought it right too my face. That is why this movie is one of my favorites. On a side note: I know lot of people think of it as overkill, and I can’t say I was there at the storming of Normandy, but that scene felt so real. The deaths of people happened so quickly, people that were just talking died. It showed how fragile life is, characters who you would think were important were quickly disposed, and in addition it was at the beginning, which totally set the mood.
ever since my brother told me that there was a class for film i was stoked. i have always been interested in film production and saw it as a work of art.from everything being created in the beginning to filming and editing in the end. i would love to learn everything there is to films to answer some questions i have about "movie magic". ive always wanted to make films but i never had the chance to and i never had the right equipment like a camera, but now because im in this class i have the chance to do what ive always wanted to do. I see film as art and i care to much about art so what ever i think is art i put in the effort to know that form of art.
I am not a movie person. I am not one to rewatch movies over and over again. i watch it in the theater and im good and at home once or twice but i cant keep watching it. so when i hear the word movie i think of an escape from reality for a moment in time, but i also think of it as a hard work of art. it takes alot of effort to do it and im amazed by that and want to be able to have the skills to do that. i dont think i have a favorite movie, nothing has mad me feel like that. ive enjoyed many movies and got obsessed over them and then it was over then on to the next movie and obsession. But if i had to choose a movie it one be the last two movies of the Harry Potter series. I have always been a fan if Harry Potter and watching that movie it had a lot of meaning to it and nothing was not important and how it all came together in the end. It was also a fantasy and i escaped reality for a moment( all my life). anything that has a good story and and fits with my mood ill watch it.
My expectations for IB Film are based mainly on what last year’s juniors told me. The first thing anybody tells me when I ask is how hard and time consuming it is, then they go on to say that it’s completely worth it. How much they feel they have learned makes me confident that I will also come away with a much greater knowledge of movies and the elements used in creating them. I personally look forward to production the most because I’ve gone with my father to work before (He’s a director/director of photography) and been a production assistant and gone location scouting with him and its very interesting to learn what to do and how to do it. When I think of movies, I think of all the times I’ve stayed up late watching corny movies on Netflix when I knew I had to wake up early the next morning, or how when I’m at work and business is slow I watch movies on my phone and hope my boss doesn’t notice. And even though I think of filmmaking as an art form, I see movies as entertainment and I appreciate all the hard work that was put into each movie by hundreds of people to entertain others for just a few minutes. I also feel that a lot of people involved with the production are underappreciated, maybe even completely unknown by most people, like gaffers and grips. For me, picking a favorite movie would be impossible. It’s not that I’m a huge movie fanatic; it just depends on the mood and surroundings for me. No matter how much I love a movie, if the mood and surroundings aren’t right I just won’t want to watch it, so I can’t consider any movie my absolute favorite.
What I expect from film is a challenging class, one where there are papers to be written and deadlines to be met. This excites me because all of the work will be on a topic that I enjoy. Film has always fascinated me and playing around with IMovie was something that I did a lot when I was younger. Editing was always interesting, the way you could add music to a certain scene to make it more emotional. I am very excited to do this from a more professional standpoint and further my knowledge on the subject. I feel as though when I watch a movie I pay a lot of attention to the acting and then all of the camera angles and lighting subconsciously affect me. I hope that through this class I will be able to watch movies and appreciate the effort that the director put into every single shot.
When I hear the word movie I think of the theater and the more commercialized movie industry. I think of a hobby of sorts, not a profession so I believe that it will be an interesting twist to look at it from a different view. My favorite movie of all time would have to be Slumdog Millionaire. The way that it switched between the set of a popular tv show and back into Jamal Malik’s past captivated me and held my full attention.
All I could ever think about last year when someone mentioned film class to me is how much work everyone said would be involved. At first I shrugged it off and I had already decided that this would be a class I needed to take. However, after hearing so many people warn me about film class, I started to become skeptical about whether or not the fun of working with movies would be worth the challenge. This completely changed after the first day of school, when I heard that we, "wouldn't be able to watch movies just to get lost in the world of the film or see some explosions," I couldn't have been more excited. So, while I do still expect this class to be somewhat difficult, I am overjoyed that the work will be about films and all the effort and planning that goes into them.
I have had some amatuer experience in making short videos for school and for fun. Also, I am fairly proficient in using video editing software. These will be definite pluses for me in this class. I am new to the analysis of scenes and camera shots, so, it will be engaging to learn more about production.
When I hear the word "movie", I think of the people watching aside from myself. Although we all see the same thing projected onto a screen, we take different things away from what we saw. Everyone experiences the feelings and messages of a movie in their own unique way. Although I may not like what others have to say about a movie I have seen, I love to hear and compare their thoughts with mine. This also makes me think of the messages the people who made the movie all want to convey. I love any movie that gives me more to think about in real life than anything that happened during the film. Connecting these messages to the real world makes films much more than just a simple story telling method.
Just this summer I took a day to decide what my favorite movie was because I was tired of not having an answer to that question. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that "Blade Runner" by Ridley Scott is my favorite movie of all time. I love how much is going on in the movie all at once, and the possibilities that would occur in the world the movie creates. This world was created by the brilliant Phillip K. Dick who wrote the story that the movie was based off of. After watching the movie a few times, I finally read the short story and was impressed by the films ability to make that dystopia in the story so believable. I missed the twist at the end the first time I saw it and it was mind-blowing when I realized what it was. Finally, I love the message about how important one life is; I never realized that every person alive in this world has a life that is just as diverse and challenging and crazy as everyone else's. That thought still overwhelms me today.
Carl Wiedemann
P.S. Sorry for deleting the first two copies of this post, there were some typos.
I took IB film for the main reason of challenging myself. Through the first two classes I can already tell that this standard will be not only met but easily exceeded. It seems nice to have the option to take a class where there is so much more creativity involved than in any other class you could take at City Honors. I’m fairly excited to take a class that makes me feel like I’m t expanding my knowledge and putting a few more things under my belt to impress colleges. I’ve always looked at film with an absent minded stare where all I see is the obvious. So I guess you could say I’m entering the class with everything to learn but I won’t let that hold me back. I’m excited to take a class where I will soon be able to see films with eyes wide open. I can only hope that I will be able to manage the tough requirements along the way. When I hear the word movie I think of the modern industry and how film has changed so much over the past years. Special effects and everything have created necessities for movies where if the face of a movie isn’t up to the world’s standards, it never stands a chance. In this sense, the advancements that have been made with film have damaged the film industry greatly and possibly permanently. My favorite movie is easily Raising Arizona with Nick Cage. Anything with Nick Cage really you’ve just gotta love. What captured me was the way it managed to maintain its right as a comedy but still held its own as a serious film that truly made the viewer think. I also absolutely love the music.
Hearing about all the work that goes into IB Film did not, as it did many others, turn me away from the course. I’m excited to spend long days afterschool reviewing a single scene and writing and analyzing movies as film scholars do. I also expect to learn more about other cultures and ways of expression in the IB way and expand my critical thinking skills as well as my capacity to work hard. When I hear the word “Movie” I think mainly of today’s blockbuster hits that in my opinion are no longer art (Of course, many still are). They are just, as stated in the book, an army of artists making a 2 hour nice looking piece to appeal to everyone and make money. On the other side of movies I think of Film, the artform that has the power to entertain as well as provoke love or hate in the form of controversial topics, stellar film form, or inspiring ideas. Others allow people to dream or create an acceptance of the life they live. Two of my feel good movies I can always watch to feel extremely happy and accept the moment in life are “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Truman Show” by Peter Weir. Comedic, I know, but both are great feel good satires that make me feel like I can succeed in life and be happy even when I have doubts about the future, which is what classic feel goods are meant to do. My favorites of true ‘films’ are the ones that challenge the very government we live in or inspire and bring back nostalgic moments. Two of my new favorite movies are Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown” and Tom Hooper’s “Les Miserables”. Both films explore the hierarchies of politics and the rich that can suppress the people in different ways. Both movies also inspired a type of vigor in me I couldn’t explain. Their content exploring love and life were quite emotional and the films were shot in amazingly beautiful form to supplement it. Another movie from one of my favorite directors that actually has to do with film and film history is Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo”. It conveys film as literally magical and shows how beautiful it can be. I found it quite interesting and it may have first made me want to see older films and in turn join this class.
I'm glad Marty opened your eyes to the origins of film history. Chinatown cannot be beat in terms of suspense and neo-noir perfection. And, who doesn't love Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
I have been extremely excited to start IB film ever since I heard about it during my freshmen year of high school. My love for movies and film started at a very young age and has only grown larger as the years have gone by. I like to upload videos for fun to YouTube, but I feel that I want to take my passion to the next level. I do not merely want to watch movies or create videos; I want to have the ability to dissect them into their key elements, and utilize these elements to display the story in a much more powerful way. I want to understand why a good film has the impact it does, how the same story can be told numerous times, through varying lenses and viewpoints while every time having a different effect on the audience. I want to be able to covey an idea or emotion without having to explicitly tell the viewers. I expect to apply myself to grow as a film maker and be able to appreciate films on a whole new scale then I ever had before. Finally, I wish to evolve my view point of movies from “another form of entertainment” into “an art form.”
ReplyDeleteThe word “Movie” really holds a lot of meaning to me as an aspiring film maker, and just general film buff. The first thing that comes to my mind is the ability to escape from our mundane everyday life and experience or get lost in a different world. Even if it is just for a few minutes, if a movie does its job right then for those few moments, I can become completely immersed into the film and I engross myself with whatever is happening on screen. “Movie” means an opportunity for me to provide a window into the ideas of my mind that would normally come out as muddled and incoherent if I tried to explain them in another way. “Movie” makes me want to help the audience feel how I would feel, put my imagination on display and let people see things in the way I see them. As for my favorite film, I can’t really pick one distinct favorite over the others, but I think I will always have a soft spot for “The Matrix” by the Wachowski Brothers. As I mentioned before I love to get lost in the world the movie provides and when it comes to The Matrix, there are so many possibilities in that world; I end up getting so engrossed in the movie no matter how many times I watch it. And when I learnt some of the basics of film making (lighting, subject position, camera angles, etc.) and how they are used to convey certain feelings to the audience, my appreciation for the film went up so much more. I know that it is quite flawed in its execution, and it has definitely not aged well in some places, but the story is amazing, the message behind it is thought provoking, and it was one of the first movies that really took me into a world that inspired my mind to imagine greater things.
I LOVE THE MATRIX. I have to disagree--I think it has aged very well. I can watch it over and over. The Matrix for me is similar to The Terminator in terms of how many times I can watch it.
DeleteI suppose it would be fair for me to respond to this blog entry, as it is a "getting to know you" assignment and maybe none of you really care about your teacher, but I'll give you my response just in case.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of expectations for myself in this class. If I can impart what knowledge I have about film history and theory to you guys, I will be happy. I am hoping that I'm able to open your eyes to films that you might never have seen otherwise. I took a film class in high school and, although it was not in depth as this class will be, I learned a great deal from my teacher, Mr. Gardener. If you all can feel just a little bit as excited as I was to see films like The Graduate and The Great Train Robbery, I will feel I have done a good job. In addition to teaching you to appreciate everything that goes into making (and watching) films, I am really looking forward to seeing the films you will make.
When I think of the word movie, I think of a couple of things. For the past few years, the word movie makes me think of having my daughter curled up at my side eating (non-microwave) popcorn while we watch movies like Bringing Up Baby or The Last Laugh or Star Wars or Singin in the Rain. She can't get enough of the movies.
I have memories of watching movies like Midnight Cowboy and Little Big Man with my dad when I was little and having him tell me these were great films and that I should watch them. They were on tv every once in awhile and every time they were, he and I sat and watched the whole movie--it was because he wanted me to see the entire movie that I was occasionally allowed to stay up past my bedtime.
What is my favorite movie? It's almost impossible to choose a favorite. I love a lot of silent movies, such as The Passion of Joan of Arc and Sunrise: A Tale of Two Humans and The Last Laugh and Battleship Potemkin. I love a lot of the French New Wave, such as Jules and Jim and The 400 Blows. Jean Renoir's amazing films Grand Illusion and Rules of the Game rank very high for me. I'm also really into American Hollywood of the 1970s--Dog Day Afternoon, Little Big Man, Badlands, Days of Heaven, Taxi Driver, Mean Streets...
However, lately I am SMITTEN by low budget horror of the 1940s (the films produced by Val Lewton), 1960s (Night of the Living Dead) and 1970s (Shock Waves, Deathdream, Lemora, Raw Meat, The Shout, etc.). I'm not really into current horror--I like films where they work with a super low budget and have to be very creative.
There you have it--Mrs. Holden through the movies.
I’m elated to be in IB Film. I’ve loved watching movies for a long time, I like making short films, and I love what emotions movies can evoke, what they can inspire people to do, and that they make people think. Since this is an IB class, and through hearing rumors, I’ve tried to prepare myself for a hard class with lot of work, but with knowing that it’s something I care about, I know there will be a good will be a good payoff: better understanding. I expect a lot of creating, writing, and analyzing, all of which I’m excited to do. Doing these things, even though at times I’m sure it will be difficult, will help me to get a better perspective on what goes into films, and what the makers do to get their desired response and effect. Also, Im excited to see what tools, and how people use them to create movies that have long lasting effects on people. Hopefully I can incorporate them to make my short films better. I’m ready to take on the work, and for the most part, I’m sure I’ll have fun doing it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of movies, I think of art. They can inspire people to dream, they can take people away from their current lives, they can make people think about topics that are uncomfortable, topics they haven’t heard of, or have ignored. Most importantly which is an element in all of these things is that they can move people. To me movies, and making movies are as much of an art as any other thing viewed as art. They have a huge impact on modern society too. As for favorites, I’m not sure if I have a favorite, because I really love a lot of movies, but since I’ve seen this one recently, Saving Private Ryan, has to be at the top right now. I loved it, because of the action, the views of the people fighting in the war, but I mostly love it for it’s style. The color grading added to the style tremendously. But the movie itself was really gritty. Really real. Everything felt so real, and even when we read about World War II, I think people see it as history, but it never has that hard hitting, in your face feel like the one this movie gave me. This movie caused me to think more about World War II, the sacrifices people made, and put faces, names, and attitudes on so many of the people that fought in it. It showed the average soldier, and that most of them had a loved ones, which made me care about them more. I loved it, it opened my eyes to the chaos of war, and it brought it right too my face. That is why this movie is one of my favorites. On a side note: I know lot of people think of it as overkill, and I can’t say I was there at the storming of Normandy, but that scene felt so real. The deaths of people happened so quickly, people that were just talking died. It showed how fragile life is, characters who you would think were important were quickly disposed, and in addition it was at the beginning, which totally set the mood.
ever since my brother told me that there was a class for film i was stoked. i have always been interested in film production and saw it as a work of art.from everything being created in the beginning to filming and editing in the end. i would love to learn everything there is to films to answer some questions i have about "movie magic". ive always wanted to make films but i never had the chance to and i never had the right equipment like a camera, but now because im in this class i have the chance to do what ive always wanted to do. I see film as art and i care to much about art so what ever i think is art i put in the effort to know that form of art.
ReplyDeleteI am not a movie person. I am not one to rewatch movies over and over again. i watch it in the theater and im good and at home once or twice but i cant keep watching it. so when i hear the word movie i think of an escape from reality for a moment in time, but i also think of it as a hard work of art. it takes alot of effort to do it and im amazed by that and want to be able to have the skills to do that. i dont think i have a favorite movie, nothing has mad me feel like that. ive enjoyed many movies and got obsessed over them and then it was over then on to the next movie and obsession. But if i had to choose a movie it one be the last two movies of the Harry Potter series. I have always been a fan if Harry Potter and watching that movie it had a lot of meaning to it and nothing was not important and how it all came together in the end. It was also a fantasy and i escaped reality for a moment( all my life). anything that has a good story and and fits with my mood ill watch it.
My expectations for IB Film are based mainly on what last year’s juniors told me. The first thing anybody tells me when I ask is how hard and time consuming it is, then they go on to say that it’s completely worth it. How much they feel they have learned makes me confident that I will also come away with a much greater knowledge of movies and the elements used in creating them. I personally look forward to production the most because I’ve gone with my father to work before (He’s a director/director of photography) and been a production assistant and gone location scouting with him and its very interesting to learn what to do and how to do it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of movies, I think of all the times I’ve stayed up late watching corny movies on Netflix when I knew I had to wake up early the next morning, or how when I’m at work and business is slow I watch movies on my phone and hope my boss doesn’t notice. And even though I think of filmmaking as an art form, I see movies as entertainment and I appreciate all the hard work that was put into each movie by hundreds of people to entertain others for just a few minutes. I also feel that a lot of people involved with the production are underappreciated, maybe even completely unknown by most people, like gaffers and grips. For me, picking a favorite movie would be impossible. It’s not that I’m a huge movie fanatic; it just depends on the mood and surroundings for me. No matter how much I love a movie, if the mood and surroundings aren’t right I just won’t want to watch it, so I can’t consider any movie my absolute favorite.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat I expect from film is a challenging class, one where there are papers to be written and deadlines to be met. This excites me because all of the work will be on a topic that I enjoy. Film has always fascinated me and playing around with IMovie was something that I did a lot when I was younger. Editing was always interesting, the way you could add music to a certain scene to make it more emotional. I am very excited to do this from a more professional standpoint and further my knowledge on the subject. I feel as though when I watch a movie I pay a lot of attention to the acting and then all of the camera angles and lighting subconsciously affect me. I hope that through this class I will be able to watch movies and appreciate the effort that the director put into every single shot.
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear the word movie I think of the theater and the more commercialized movie industry. I think of a hobby of sorts, not a profession so I believe that it will be an interesting twist to look at it from a different view. My favorite movie of all time would have to be Slumdog Millionaire. The way that it switched between the set of a popular tv show and back into Jamal Malik’s past captivated me and held my full attention.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAll I could ever think about last year when someone mentioned film class to me is how much work everyone said would be involved. At first I shrugged it off and I had already decided that this would be a class I needed to take. However, after hearing so many people warn me about film class, I started to become skeptical about whether or not the fun of working with movies would be worth the challenge. This completely changed after the first day of school, when I heard that we, "wouldn't be able to watch movies just to get lost in the world of the film or see some explosions," I couldn't have been more excited. So, while I do still expect this class to be somewhat difficult, I am overjoyed that the work will be about films and all the effort and planning that goes into them.
ReplyDeleteI have had some amatuer experience in making short videos for school and for fun. Also, I am fairly proficient in using video editing software. These will be definite pluses for me in this class. I am new to the analysis of scenes and camera shots, so, it will be engaging to learn more about production.
When I hear the word "movie", I think of the people watching aside from myself. Although we all see the same thing projected onto a screen, we take different things away from what we saw. Everyone experiences the feelings and messages of a movie in their own unique way. Although I may not like what others have to say about a movie I have seen, I love to hear and compare their thoughts with mine. This also makes me think of the messages the people who made the movie all want to convey. I love any movie that gives me more to think about in real life than anything that happened during the film. Connecting these messages to the real world makes films much more than just a simple story telling method.
Just this summer I took a day to decide what my favorite movie was because I was tired of not having an answer to that question. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that "Blade Runner" by Ridley Scott is my favorite movie of all time. I love how much is going on in the movie all at once, and the possibilities that would occur in the world the movie creates. This world was created by the brilliant Phillip K. Dick who wrote the story that the movie was based off of. After watching the movie a few times, I finally read the short story and was impressed by the films ability to make that dystopia in the story so believable. I missed the twist at the end the first time I saw it and it was mind-blowing when I realized what it was. Finally, I love the message about how important one life is; I never realized that every person alive in this world has a life that is just as diverse and challenging and crazy as everyone else's. That thought still overwhelms me today.
Carl Wiedemann
P.S. Sorry for deleting the first two copies of this post, there were some typos.
I took IB film for the main reason of challenging myself. Through the first two classes I can already tell that this standard will be not only met but easily exceeded. It seems nice to have the option to take a class where there is so much more creativity involved than in any other class you could take at City Honors. I’m fairly excited to take a class that makes me feel like I’m t expanding my knowledge and putting a few more things under my belt to impress colleges. I’ve always looked at film with an absent minded stare where all I see is the obvious. So I guess you could say I’m entering the class with everything to learn but I won’t let that hold me back. I’m excited to take a class where I will soon be able to see films with eyes wide open. I can only hope that I will be able to manage the tough requirements along the way.
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear the word movie I think of the modern industry and how film has changed so much over the past years. Special effects and everything have created necessities for movies where if the face of a movie isn’t up to the world’s standards, it never stands a chance. In this sense, the advancements that have been made with film have damaged the film industry greatly and possibly permanently. My favorite movie is easily Raising Arizona with Nick Cage. Anything with Nick Cage really you’ve just gotta love. What captured me was the way it managed to maintain its right as a comedy but still held its own as a serious film that truly made the viewer think. I also absolutely love the music.
Raising Arizona is hilarious--The Coen Bros. know how to do comedy.
DeleteHearing about all the work that goes into IB Film did not, as it did many others, turn me away from the course. I’m excited to spend long days afterschool reviewing a single scene and writing and analyzing movies as film scholars do. I also expect to learn more about other cultures and ways of expression in the IB way and expand my critical thinking skills as well as my capacity to work hard. When I hear the word “Movie” I think mainly of today’s blockbuster hits that in my opinion are no longer art (Of course, many still are). They are just, as stated in the book, an army of artists making a 2 hour nice looking piece to appeal to everyone and make money.
ReplyDeleteOn the other side of movies I think of Film, the artform that has the power to entertain as well as provoke love or hate in the form of controversial topics, stellar film form, or inspiring ideas. Others allow people to dream or create an acceptance of the life they live. Two of my feel good movies I can always watch to feel extremely happy and accept the moment in life are “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Truman Show” by Peter Weir. Comedic, I know, but both are great feel good satires that make me feel like I can succeed in life and be happy even when I have doubts about the future, which is what classic feel goods are meant to do.
My favorites of true ‘films’ are the ones that challenge the very government we live in or inspire and bring back nostalgic moments. Two of my new favorite movies are Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown” and Tom Hooper’s “Les Miserables”. Both films explore the hierarchies of politics and the rich that can suppress the people in different ways. Both movies also inspired a type of vigor in me I couldn’t explain. Their content exploring love and life were quite emotional and the films were shot in amazingly beautiful form to supplement it. Another movie from one of my favorite directors that actually has to do with film and film history is Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo”. It conveys film as literally magical and shows how beautiful it can be. I found it quite interesting and it may have first made me want to see older films and in turn join this class.
I'm glad Marty opened your eyes to the origins of film history. Chinatown cannot be beat in terms of suspense and neo-noir perfection. And, who doesn't love Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
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