It was a privileged to profound my knowledge about the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation, Inc. (Mowelfund) which was non-existent to my knowledge. However, it taught me how Mowelfund, a non-profit; educational foundation, caters Philippine films that protects the history of the Philippine film. It is nice to hear that they are able to maintain the foundation that will be beneficial to the academe purposes and other future use.
Definitely a nice play to visit because of its original equipment used back then. And, it was an honor to see personally the costumes used of different prominent actors and actresses. I was looking at it and imagined that I was there right in front of that film. Everything was so magical. “Darna” costumes was one of my favorite I’ve seen in Mowelfund. And when I saw, I was tempted to steal it because it is really beautiful and historical.
They were able to preserve other non-human entities used back then. The typical and scary “aswang”, “manananggal”, “chanak”, “tikbalang” and the likes were all visually effective and well-constructed. At that moment, I retrospect from my childhood moments where these entities scared the hell out of me.
The experience was totally amazing and educational. I am looking forward to go in there. In fact, they have a library. It has Php20 entrance fee; and I just can imagined how they really give importance to the young aspirants of film industry.
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Note: I want to extend my gratitude to Sir Ashley Abbas and Mr. Alfie who introduced us to Mowelfund. Also, I want to give credit to Ms. Shanelle Merete for the photos I’ve used in this blog.
Classical Hollywood Style as I understand it is a form of narrative and manifestation of a “invisible editing”. The idea is to establish a story that perceives cause and effect. Classical Hollywood styles show main points and secondary points. What does it mean, every scene has to be discernible from the beginning to the middle up to the end. Mostly, Hollywood Style provides comprehensive resolution at the end, that is why it is primarily a cause and effect style or form of narration or causal relationship.
Editing is one of the essential and influential factor during this Hollywood Style. They have to make it as invisible as possible. Why? in order not to draw to much attention while the audience watching it.
It is also pondered in this part the importance of time and space. Mostly, cinematic time and space is linear and continuous. In the Hollywood Style, perception of time and space must be in accordance to the reality. During at that time, I think that “cuts” of space and time are not indispensable since they doing continuous and unified time and space.
Warm bodies is a 2013 film directed by Jonathan Levine. It captivates my attention how this unconventional idea of zombies turn into more exciting and romantic theme…far beyond the usual zombies I’ve watched. However, scary as they look like, but it gives another perspective of how these zombies really live after they were infected and/or bitten by another zombies. After a zombie apocalypse, our perception of the scenes are brutal, morbid, most likely hunting and killing. However, this film attaches emotional depth and value of these zombies with the representation of zombie, “R”. Evidently, when they eat human brains, they feel that they are alive when they experience their victim’s memories.
And there she met a girl named Julie who happened to be with her friends looking for medical supplies, he is drawn to Julie and even get attracted when he eats her boyfriend’s brain, seeing his memories of her which driven him more of her.
You can just imagine how love conquers all…look at this, loving someone can heal abnormalities within you.
New Wave Films may be evolved in making last scene in films ambiguous. Some films we’ve seen, even in modern era, have influenced with the the new wave films. Letting the audience to be part of questioning and analyzing what would happen next.
During at this time financial risk, allocation of the budgets matter among the new directors and films emerged. Thus, these independent directors were able to set themselves together instead of having their production company. Moreover, New Wave have not only contributed in making new films but the renewal of such films that had been produced and directed before. Example , Tony Richardson 1963 English film, Tom Jones.
With expensive studios falling apart, the producers have to paved way to construct films that would fascinate young people and making new films that were new to peoples’ eyes and would reach a broader audiences. Some successful films such as:
The Exorcist- William Friedkin
Jaws- Steven Spielberg
New Wave directors and these young directors have able to go in film schools to enhace their film aesthetic and history. Unlike before Hollywood directors were not able to attend film schools but by heart knew about classical hollywood style-the narrative form of filming. Moreover, many movie brats or film buffs were emerging at the moment. Original films were increasing and were introduced by these new, and young directors.
Batman (1989)- Trailer
Jurassic Park (1993)
Regardless of the time, new directors managed to continue orthodox Classical American Film or continuity editing, pondering the time shifting and plot developments. Instead of sticking with classical hollywood narrative or storytelling, new innovation and embellishment came in. Special effects technology, motion-control techniques, high-quality theater reproduction technology, pondering camera movement, emotional impact of scenes, flashbacks, hallucinations, dreams, camera shots and the like.
Francis Ford Coppola was one of the America’s most erratic, energetic and controversial filmmakers. He was known for his successful “Godfather” trilogy–the Godfather from part I and part II. Unbridled by his ambition and enthusiasm and perhaps obsessive to the point of being manic.
George Lucas was contributed of the importance of visual effects such as the “American Graffiti” and “Star Wars”. Employing beyond the reality and using his imagination has pave way to create such blockbuster films. George Lucas did not limit himself from doing what he thought would complement his film, like Star Wars.
Steven Spielbierg
He directed Jaws, ET, and Jurassic Park which associated extraordinary and animal-inspired movie. These films became one of the best blockbuster films, because these were something beyond the reality. It was so perfect that Steven Spielbierg has been able to come up with films that would bring the audience to the next level.
Brian de Palma
Brian de Palma and Mark Scorsese have the same genre. Depicting violence, sex, and thrill in theri movie. One of the films of Brian de Palma was Passion and Mark Scorsese produced and directed Bloody Mama.
Stars as they were called by many people really did shine like stars.
Basically, the stars from the documentary where taken cared of by the staffs, public relations staff, executives, directors, producers and the like. During at this moment, star system which encompassed actors and actresses were given contract to ensure that their loyalty have been secured. This was essential factor among the management or executives in establishing the names of these new actors and actresses in the industry. Moreover, stars have to undergo training and schooling to enhance their ability and skills verbally and non-verbally, which were a essential element a star should have. Considered to be a public image, they have to ensure that they looked presentable in the public. Females must be elegant, beautiful, almost perfect…or I must say beyond perfection. So did male actors, they have to be perceived to be manly, muscular, and gentlemen. Being beautiful and good-looking really matter the most, since beauty and high aesthetic sells. As much as possible, when they were in films, they have to create its character which the audience would love. Covering the bad names of the stars in their real life that could have affected their “good” names in the industry would be the job of the public relation staff to cover it up. Paying the columnist in favor of preventing too much damage or making him or her (stars) looked good in the public on his or her column. The trade before was to protect their stars for detriment that might caused a vast damage to the audience’s perception.
Film noirs were also known as black film. In fact, film noirs’ aesthetic were influenced by German Expressionism. As German Expressionism employed the importance of mise-en-scene, especially the camera tricks or angles, the lighting or the incorporation of black and white, shadows were all part of Expressionism which gave completion to the film noirs. For me, the camera angles or shots, the lights, and the shadow have been the most indispensable elements in film noirs production because it catered to the melodramatic scene which mostly depicted in the black films era. Many argued, so did I, that film noir was a genre, however film noir cannot be considered as one because of the diversity of the settings, genres and characters. Evidently, Film noirs encompassed horrors, crimes, detective films, science fiction, musical and the like. On the flip side, settings differed from rural places, urban setting, small towns, open areas etc. Also, characters have bound themselves from femme fatale, gangsters, police, etc. Hence, the idea of film noirs can be employed in so many things especially with the use of lights, shadows, camera angles and the consideration of mise-en-scene. It focused on the mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of the film.
Mostly, film noirs were designed to show a cynical man character who encountered a beautiful, amoral and seductive femme fatale. Women were given so much power and independence in film noirs, sometimes portraying bad roles such as betraying their man or murderers.
Themes and styles of film noir encompassed the following primary moods of classic film noir: melancholy, alienation, bleakness, disillusionment, disenchantment, pessimism, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, desperation and paranoia.
After the World War I, French films have to emerge itself from the predominant Hollywood films. Thus, French films were known to be as first avant-garde or narrative avant-garde which operated within the film industry–renting studio facilities and releading their films through established firms. With the dominant Hollywood films, they have constructed films that were unconventional from the rest.
Impressionism focused more on editing, depiction of transitions such as flashbacks, dreams, fantasies, character’s perceptions, and mental states.
Over the course of French Impressionism, directors have incorporated the idea of photogenie, in which the objects depicted to attached the objects’ perception from the film to the audience in order for them to experience what it seemed happening in the film. Thus, it focused on framing and optical effects instead of narrative storytelling. Moreover, the directors have managed to depict the characters’ point-of-view to the audience, consequently connecting the characters’ inner emotion to the audience. Overall, Impressionist filmmakers used editing and camera techniques to force viewers to experience impressions of thought and ideas. One of the tricks that influenced conventional films were the incorporation of telephoto.. This innovation which was also a part of editing and optical effects have become eminent. Evidently, impressionists mounted or strapped their cameras to cars, and other locomotives to establish point-of-view movement of the objects. One good example of these was Napoleon.
Learn more from the expert/ filmaker, Kevin Brownlow.
Surrealism
If Impressionists focused in editing, optical effects, subliminal cuts, flashbacks, memories, characters; perceptions or subjectivity, telephoto leses, and handheld cameras et cetera; surrealism have emerged also at this time without pondering about the production cost too much because they have to rely on the private funding and in fact, worked out the commercial film industry.
Un Chien Andalou (1928) example of Surrealism film
Surrealists have been influenced by the Freudian dream symbolism. It was anti-rational and non-existent. As I understand it, the surrealism the freedom from being rational, and attacking causality. There were no connections and logicality of the film. It has shown bizarre and extraordinary scenes and imagery. Each scenes has been the product of the character’s depiction of sexual desire, ecstasy, violence, blasphemy etc which accord to the Freudian symbolism.
One good example of surrealism was the film Un Chien Andalou (1928).
As I understand German Expressionism, the idea of light and shadow as we see it on horror films and other film noir or crime films also known as black films have something to do with German Expressionism. It gave the contemporary films of horror and film noir films the complementary substance of lights, shadows and objects. Expressionism’s influence have extended to set designs, lighting techniques, and trick camera angles.
Onset of German Expressionism
From the article I’ve read, As World War I started, German film industry was not that huge as what we thought it could be now like in Hollywood. In fact, Germany theater movies encapsulated films from France, America, Italy and Denmark. During that time, German films were banned by America and France. However, Germany created its own propaganda films, and the Germany government have supported the film industry. Germans knew exactly how these films captured the life of broken nation and tragic moments and memories during those years of war. As the German began to ban imported films like the French, Italian and American films except the Sweden and Denmark, it was still not able to produce films because Sweden and Denmark have not created enough and so in 1917, the German film studio Universum Film-Aktiengesellschaft (UFA) was founded. This UFA was able to gather superb technicians and established best-equipped studios in Europe. During that time, Hollywood had found its competitor. I quote “Germany’s young artists were ready to accept it as a new means of communicating with the masses. The new freedom of expression manifested itself most immediately in a series of well-mounted, independently produced pornographic films.” close quote.
My Understandings
During the German Expressionism where they focused more on the mise-en-scene where it were evident to the films the manifestation of the unconventional incorporation of lighting and shadows, the used of high-contrast of black and white, the heavy used of make-up of actors to represent emotion and mood. This Expressionism was often shot in studios because they did not have enough budget for the production of the film, however they employed paper cut outs or woodcuts to established set design. Mostly, to create the trees, houses, chimneys, buildings and other infrastructures for the complementary of the production. In fact, during at that time, designers of the set were given so much honor and kudos and received relatively high salary and were always mentioned in different advertisements. Why? because these designers have a predominant role that the rest, because as what I’ve learned mise-en-scene were the most important element of the film. Graphic arts were mostly done and must be seen in the German Expressionism films. Thus, creativity of the designers really matter the most, especially, designers have to bound his or her creativity to the realistic arts because abstract arts were prevalent during that time. Moreover, based from what I’ve researched the themes mostly dealt with madness, insanity, betrayal and other intellectual topics which opposed to action-adventure and romantic films.
Likewise, I’ve read that German Expressionism films were relatively called as “young people movement”. German Expressionism was inevitable movement in Germany. These movement were employed in different artistic styles and forms like in painting, music, theater sculpture, architecture and even films or cinemas like the silent films that inculcate inner emotions and implicitly depiction of emotions. These settings were expressed subjective viewpoints. However, the theatrical composition were shown overtly; evidently the elements were “anti-naturalist” meaning they used cut outs instead of real houses, chimneys, buildings etc. Likewise, actors wore heavy make-up and moved slowly and jerky in a sinuous patterns. Overall, German Expressionism focused on self-contained aesthetic and symbolic world of imagination which detached from conventional structures.
Director: Danny Boyle Writers: Irvine Welsh (novel) John Hodge (screenplay) Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Petter Mulan, James Cosmo, and others. Courtesy: Google and Youtube
A movie that perceived you to the rampant world of drugs. As I contemplated on it, I did not have an idea about it, because I have never thought of trying it. However, the film has elevated me to the world of drugs. How it feels like, how it looks like, how it turns someone to somebody. Basically, I knew how it affects ones’ life; in a negative or “positive” way. But it still questioned me how drugs can be addictive, that was in accordance to the film. I may not talked the plot of the film, but it boost my enthusiasm to inculcate the theme of the movie–basically, drugs addiction. But…why is it so?
Drugs is equivalent to craving foods
If we will talk about drugs and name all of them; it may take me hours of explaining it. It basically needs a brief and a scientific explanation. Let me put it this way, drugs can be associated with food. According to new research, cravings for food can be as bad as those for drugs Why is it so? A quantitative research approach provide that more than 5,000 Slimming World Members have been suffering of the aura of food as they crave for it and find this as their weaknesses. I quote ” Three in four (76 per cent) compare their weakness to an addict’s desire for cigarettes, drinks or drugs and more than half (55 per cent) believe they got ‘a buzz’ from their favorite foods in the past.” This is a fact I took from an article and it lures me how these people find food as a solution to escape on their emotional problems. This is not far from the rampant issue of inevitably taking in drugs. Emotional problems and bound in the acceptance from society have become one of environmental factors that affect people from doing unhealthy habits. Cliche’ as it may sound, bad things are the best ones. But this is a form of an alibi that causes too much detriment to people and find these as an “advisable” escapism from these bad factors happening to them.
How to escape
Thousands may still do not know how drug addiction caused severe damage to our life. I find the bathroom scene as one of the semiotics of impossibility in the film. This is a reflection of absurdity of man to enter the impossible, disgusting, rambling path and expect for a better life. Chasing something that cause detriment is an act of idiosyncrasy for the escapism of filthy life (the bathroom depicts the life of a person). A way to escape is knowing how to search for the solution of your problem. A problem is made to come up on a best result. Things do not appear as they seem; everything is meant to undergo its metamorphism. What do I mean by that? Our life sometimes may travel the same path as a train but it doesn’t mean that we stay the same every day. Something has to be changed. We move on the same direction to go to the destination we are expected to be. The train is a symbolism of movement from one place to another. We ride on it to come one step closer to the life we wanted. And we, as a passenger, are independent of the life we are going.
Start with an inspiration
Sometimes when I left nowhere else to go, I always make sure that I have somebody’s words to hold on. “Sometimes we make the right choice for the wrong reason, and sometimes we make the wrong choice for the right reason. In truth, there is no wrong or right, only choice… All of it is a lesson which brings us to where we need to be, for what we need to learn.” -Julie Parker
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Silent Quorum 