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46 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Episode 2: The Ring that kills ( Louis Fuillde) |
- Part of Les Vampires - all about newspaper investigators and a criminal group called the vampires - the big head of this criminal group disguises himslef as many different and common people -thinks a ballarina will tell Felipe and plots to kill her -Felipe is the head of the newspaper |
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Recap: About the MCCP |
- MPPC: Motion Picture Patents Company - 1. Edison 2. Biograph pulled together their patents and they allowed a select number of patents to join and companys who paid= a small number of companies who worked together to dominate the market - a oligraphy= they produce stability in a way that allowed a lot of movies to be made |
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1915 The Early Studio Era= Background |
- a contribution effect to elevate the stature of cinema, the standard was a singular reel of film - they wanted to make films much better - the exhbitors built largers and more emmaculate theaters that are more ornate - they put more into the film, any upper class environment -and now the developments would be long lasting in terms of stylistic developments |
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Formal Options in 1915 |
1. analytical editing= longer shot and then cut into closer parts of the space- gets closer and break down smaller parts * griffith was never comfortable doing this= he relys on staging and preformance to guide the attention - features go in another time all three are related to one another 2. closer framing= more often from the waist up or closer because the stories, characters, and emotions become more complex in order to understand their desires we need to see facial expression * a more needed look at physcology 3. Full development of Facial Acting Style= film is more facially oriented, goes from theatrics to more cinematic |
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"The Cheat"- Background, Early Studio Era, DeMille (1915) |
- alot of analytical editing also a ause of staging to provide meaning 1. hardly comes home to see she brough another expensive dress- the uses the deep space staging - can see both of the reactions if the dress is up front and the center of attention - the fan scene= all about her reaction, they both bend down to clear the frame to see her reactions once she hears about the funds and is freaking out - the court room is a perfect scene about analytical editing= there is a long shot to establish and then smaller close ups because DeMille feels as though he needs to defend his stance on the importance of this use - he then cuts fromt he judge, to Arkau, to Edith and her husband, then the high society ladies - this places a risk and tension in the scene - there is an eye line glance that makes an intimate bond because Arkau is holding back the vital information that he has - there is an uncomfotable sense of intimacy -this is all about building up a suspense - this is a deeper level of analytical editing= because people know what a court room looks like |
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Cheat #2- lighting |
- has lighting and lowkey lighting= there are many dilenated shadows - before 1912 all the sets were built mostly outside so that the sun were to light up the scene - even in a cieled room the coustumes are all blowing around to show that they were outside while being filmed - and in southern california the sun is out most of the time - indoor shooting would be unusual for the period and this is an enormous step in the right direction - there are darkened sets and artificial lights - he makes a kind of light scheme throughout the film - generally speaking the light gives us something to catch - this is marked as different right away and is used in many scenes - when Judith slips the check from her husbands desk= right away there is a different light and an example of illicitness -not an expressive lgihtign but also showing that its a prestigous and legitamate form*** |
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Cheat #3- economical story telling |
- this is all about the economical story telling - the cheat only provides elements that are relative to the story and all have a n extraneous web, she and Arakau have a flirtation - when she looses the money she goes to him - this flirtation gets sexual - the branding was also shocking but we are seeing the brand before in a weird way -not so schocking because it all connects and it leads and adds to the plot in a strange way - RACE- this is troubling element and adheres to east asian stereotypes that this asian man is wealthy and barbaric - the white gloves, the brand, the jade 1. the film is trying to adhere to the middle class mentality 2. a big cocern for these people was a foreigner and this was made at a time when immigration was very high -Japenese americans sewed the film, they reissued the film and made him Burmese an the stakes and the middle class also frear of mixing, she is white and he is an asian man - they are threatened by immigration and the ethnic other, expels the immigrant threat and makes him the bad other - S essue Hayakawa= the only major american start from japan and he was seen as a heart throb who plays Arakau - he was supposed to be dangerous as a forigner but yet he is appealing as a fantasy figure - he is supposed ot get expelled and gets takane away - complicated film in terms of race and how the audiences were supposed to feel about the film *** THIS IS BETTER REPRESENTATION OF WHERE FILM WENT |
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les vampires |
- this is a serial which is the style, ephasizes the openness of possibilities, lifted 4 major ones a commercial logic - this lowers the risk of production - economically this is quite smart - serials= 1. return customers 2. attractive to exhbitors due tot eh brevity of features 3. supports long term promotion - the films were so popular that this has long term promotion, eter serials ant eh problem is somewhat sovled, got more return on investment 4. with serials there is a way to reuse the sets and make more money - there is great economic sense to serials - this narrative is given many digressions to show many types of attractions - there is always stunning informationt that has no real progression= the supreme Justice that gets killed and then it is never talked about again |
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Les Vampires "Howling Cat" |
- so lesiruely and so unconcerned with getting down to narrative progress - this is a night club and look at the sign and backwards this says vampire - this was a alll about coding and decoding and an attraction in a way - we need to take some joy in the situations rather than the progess of the heroe, this is a digressive pleasure - there is some sort of pleasure in meandering - so its willing to waste time 1. digressive pleasure 2. prone to coincidence |
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Feulliades Film style |
- 1. precise staging- the cheat has editing to tell a story instead and he takes advantage of the depth of the frame 2. deth - he uses complex staging techniques - he wants a more complex staging almost a a challenge and to not change scenes - the vampire has stolen his desk and not alot to do without the editing how doe she make it all clear - Alot of this is due to the cut in**= highlights the actions that take place in the frame - like to watch for faces especially like the scene with the files and the faces that are looking up and down with time and place - they rise to have his head noticed, the other face is looking directly down at his desk, blocking forground figures with others which puts another emphasis to look at Mazameete al the more, he is in the center so he is doomed and doubly doomed because he can look directly at what he is doing - he also summons the police in this scene who are all in the foreground - wants us to the see the police when Felipe sits down - he is known for is *PRECISION EDITING - he is incredibly precise and he deosnt look to complex - he looks at character movement rather than cutting worngly get looks at as theatrical but this is incredibly cinematic - influential in keeping staging back |
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"A ring that kills" |
- there is a doorway and a mirror - we can still see the face withotut cutting he roduces a reaction shot - Felipe leaves - all eyes go to the ring because they follow the glance - there is a another mirror in this sequence= mirror withing a mirro points downwards after the ring scratches - can see her bending down to pick up the ring - doesnt need to be thi cimplex but this depth staging - Us places stuff closer to the camera - he uses depth and achieves it and shows off 1. precision staging= set design, character glances and faces, blocking the cameras stays in one position 2. depth- for the spectacular effect, for narrative ends |
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"Stella Maris"= Star vehicle and Paramount in 1918 Background |
- Mary Pickford is the start and americas sweetheart - anyone would have know her and her stardom would make people come and watch this scene - 1. there is stella maris 2. unity blake - and she plays duel roles to show off her acting skill - editing, lighting, built to make her look good |
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Quick reminder= review about short films, Griffith Lonely Villa |
1. so few short films survive due to the nitrate film stock and the acid that is released that messes up the image and that people did not see the reason to keep them as well 2. in the Lonely Villa= griffith doesnt emphasize the villian unlooding teh gun, there is a lack of emphasis, this is a tableau style |
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Cheat vs. Les Vampires |
- there are 2 very different style choices - and will duel early film making choices and styles |
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Stella Maris |
- hollywood filmaking in the context of the stardom - this takes off in the Nickelodeon era, reffered to as picture personality - starts were already known to be effective for publicity reasons - |
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1909 |
- producers start using them as a means of marketing= stars - more about the narrative film occurs in conjunction with the face, familiar faces= studios emerge and production is stablizing and these companies compete with one another - stars are important from around 1909 - this is popular for them in other popular arts for star preformers to be a thing |
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Picture Personalites 1909-1913 |
- knowledge is limited to the preformers role - this is different from a star - only know roles and they are preformers that are associated with a preformance or role - rapid turnover of one reel films limits promotional value= doesnt pay to advertise the star because would be over soon and would advertise them as biogrpah film instead - realize stars will see they are important |
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Florence Laurence the Biograph girl |
- she leaves biography and goes under contract with another company - plants a story in the newspaper said was killed in a street car accident - IMP said "we nail a die" - not famous enough to be known by her name - they named her in a dramatic and memorable fashion - situation that occurs up until 1913 and then this is very different= the star system |
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Star System 1913 |
- coincides with feature lengthed film - features promoted individuality, features cost more and stick around for long, yo wann amke sure that the audience wants to go and see and they use the star as a symbol - the star system= production, exhibition, and distribution= control all production - this reduces the risk of not being able to pay back - the fans will all come to this, this reduces the financial risk - they reduce the financial risk they stabilize production - stardom becomes an accurate bargaining chip= distribution and hollywoods ability to capture the gobal market, with mary pickford is a product differentiation exhibition= can bring up the price of tickets - center the star within the industry - the reaches the Apex in 1919 formeed primarily, and all huge start the publics reaction seems so favorable during this time |
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1920s |
- the worried starts becoem too powerful and that they wouldn't be able to be controled - they had a 7 years contract that was unbreakable, control of stars lives and their salaries - they had a say in what role they would play and stars looked glamerous but the work day was grueling although lucrative |
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The Film Star 1919 |
- star promotion reaches beyond the screen - picture personalities are all about the role - knowledge goes beyond the invdividual films and there is extra filmic discourse - they are seen and known as common folk as well and ideal beings that seemed god like - but they want to care about them and those who came from poverty and made it big because it gave others hope - they wanted stars to be relatable and like us and in some way not at all - they are rich but like us - those who came from humble beginnings then made it creates a fantasy like life and thinks that maybe could be like that one day -this forges an intimate and imaginary relationship between the two -the stars of this era had a very locked in persona - the pictures form this sort of relationship - they have to maintain an image of sorts |
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Mary Pickford |
- she is the queen of filmhistory in Silent Film - She really is the first super star as someone who existed outside of her films - she became the main player in Griffiths films - she was in his biograph films - she had an acting style that was more reserved and restrained that focused on the facial features and expressions - increased about the star power - Pickford has her own production unit= she is in full control of her image and made a to do this - she had certain requirements on how she would appear in these pictures and on screen - she is in the darkness in Stella Marris buts he glows in contrast with Unity - unity is in flat and unflattering lighting always and could handle that this is and important aspect off her screen and in her life as well - Douglas Fairbanks is the man that she marries= another huge star aroudn the globe and people adore the two of them - the marriage was all about publicity and promotin - there mansion= was the pickford estate and there are a ton of pictures this is like the image of domestic perfection - there was knowledge about her life that far proceedsd the films and then they got divorced but the fan magazines treated as another chapeter - divorce was unpopular then and shows how much they adored them, because although this was frowned upon people would still talk about her and love her - there is the constant merchandise and promotion, of life outside the role - people think that she is americas sweetheart - she embodies two characteristics 1. american= energy, spunky, self motivated, independent 2. sweetheart= innocence, compassionate, untouched by the modern world, known now for playing girls or young women younger than herself for this idea of feminity and she is very much loved and plays a sort of traditional role |
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Mary Pickford with sound |
- when sound hit she changed her look and bobbed her hair and she becomes a sexually knowledgeable woman and more modern - common ad sent from the heaven like Stella marries - the story of her life and the movie explore contradictory identities - she would often apperar in two very different roles= which shows that she is a star and how good she is at acting |
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"stella Marries"- Unity blake |
- coming and role with punches kind of girl and typical American girl and represents all that is american |
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Stella marris character |
- beauty on a pedastal, confined, protected and a sweetheart - they take her image as a starting point and then structure a narrative around it |
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Stella Marris- movie plot |
- there are 2 characters: 1. stell and unity meet and have a dicussion and unity is flat lighting and hard shadow - they want a more rounded image of her face -1. Stella responds= full out light up and down, and both sides, that seems to be glowing, possibly radiating - there is a point that she is supposed to be the center of attention - she is glowing in a bed but this is not to be seen in a sexual way - she is very selfish and there is a girly image about her - alot of Stella marris is reflecting on what it means to be a star** 1. unity crys over John and Stellas picture as stella gets courted in the moonlight - she looks at this pic like it could be her, and look like her and she walks to the mirror, corss cut and look at the courting scene which it makes it seem as though the courting scene could be a dream of Unity - cuts back when she realizes that she will never be stella ever - this scene is reflecting the idea of stardom and is similar in a way to the life of Mary Pickford if you watch it this way - shes uses the multiple star identities that Mary has - the scene reflects and shows the dynamic of stardom - showing that she is strong and willful - shows a girl who kills her foster mother and then commits suicide - then it cuts to all right in the world with the courtship of stella and dogs - Pickford plays all roles= the darkness is justified through the idea that one side of Pickford has and takes it all |
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Oscar Micheaux "within our gates" 1920- Background |
- this is a mainstream hollywood film that is made outside of our system - what does this mean for film style "one way of doing things is not the only way" -this is an american independent film -OSCAR 1884-1951 he was one of 13th children who have parents that were former slaves - he also wrote novels -"within our gates" 1920 and "the homesteader" is a novel 1919 - he was a midwesterner that moved to south dakota - he wrote a book and autobiography - he wrote a book and did all of this while he also ran a farm - the newly formed NAACP wanted to make films to answer the horribly racist other films - he makes his own production company for Homsteader - he is the first african american to make a feature lengthed film - he makes alot of films aimed at a particular audience, african american audiences, featured midnight rambles - context in which distributes the movies, and these were all pretty contraversal - he is a sharp critic on the role of religion -targeted at the birth of our nation and this is his 5th film - whites enact justice, and the side of the lynchers and say that this black man rape a white woman and he gets lynched - Oscar reverses the roles in the script suggesting that the lynching is wrongful, this was very bold right after the Chicago Race riot, race taing and charged film -this was immediatly rejected in 1919 he cut it and reedited it for certain markets - he worked on a tiny tiny budget and he edits well in post production - he shot on location and can we also think about thi sas a optional film making, made for black auidences - stereotypes? how does he use them? why are they in there? - what is his point - he uses this more as a call to action** |
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Character in "within our gates" |
- Efrem= the tattle tale and is the white mans friend or so he thinks, thinks he is being treated as an individual - racism innate characteristics so can hold al of that race accountable- all the same a window into the racist thinking - the narrative strategy= less to go off, we do not have Micheauxs goal and strategy - he operates within a melodramatic framework**= up and down and coincides to solve plot problems -slyvia as a philantraphist help her out with the huge amount of money - Griddlestone about to rape slyvia and then he sees her scar and realizes that she is his child - this is a mainstream hollywood comparison - this is less expensive and tries to imitate hollywood in certain aspects of this film -there is analytical editing and scene dissection - with sylvia there is analytical editing= close shot and then restablishes the space of the room and we know what he is trying to do to her - this probably close to a jump cut and it can be rough film making and usaually its a vivid contrast - there is a clear asthetic ambition here: he uses the low budget that he has to a considerable effect - his project is fundamentally disitinctive= he shows a poor group of marginalized individuals and groups that hollywood would not do - he has a didactic purpose= teaches us something rather than provide entertainment only - he returns to digression** story telling which was a technique has something effect the idea is to use melodrama to make a larger point |
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Old Ned |
- philanthrapist consults a racsit fromt he south who talks about old ned, and there are scenes depicting old ned, big showing of emotional black preacher as a stereotype he is structured upon and controlled by the whites who they want himto be - talk to thim almost directly - Ned looks at the camera and voice self disgust almost Micheaux talking to us - its confrontational in a way and the digressions its supposed to jolt and indicate a message that needs to be taken away** - a direct address and confrontation |
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Within our gates |
- the film is full of stories told by one character to another - he is not afraif to stop the narrative and do things - he cuts to the newspaper and cut through scene shows that sheer lies can be told and facts can ebe manipulates - he also shows a scene of sylvias mother hiding= and shouting demands acknowledgment from the audience, hails the spectator - hollywood goes about liek doesnt have or know there is a viewer- used for them to want to make action |
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Sylvias story |
- told by Alma, the rape and the buring of her parents body, this may be hooly conventional - cross cutting occrus in Loney villa, increase emotional impact of whats going on and increase the sense of outrage or horror, intensifies the scene -now**= there is crosscutting without any sense of hope or escape, no one comes to rescue sylvia and those getting lynched- the scene cannot end with relief or hope, she gets very narratively unconvincing, this is a melodramatic twist this is dumb luck and a race to the rescue without release or hope |
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Micheaux and Film Form |
- he makes a concious conversion, argumentative - emulating hollywood on a budget - posing a didactic alternative= digressive storytelling, direct address, emphatic editing/ montage - developing alternative potentials from early cinema and griffiths form - unfortunately hollywood becomes so dominant |
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Europe |
- films are designed for a smaller niche of audience after ww1= most of the world is seeing us films, other places had to cut bakc on film prodcution due to WW1 - there was an increase in a budget for US decrease admission prices, they also have stardom in US - there is a reaction against the US model that some of the European countries try out - this is a movement or rather film movement that make films that have similar approaches to narrative elements and there are similar intentions 1. impressionists 2. USSR= we look at their intentions and look at the intentions of the film |
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French Impressionism |
- little before the 1920s - they are in dire straits because things are not going well - path owned and distrubted to Gaumont= 2 big companies - the vertically integrated countries tried to shut out other countries in the US= does not happen in france - us takes advantage of WW1 and they try to squeeze films out of france, the french companies no longer do production but stick to distribution and exhibition |
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WW1 |
- some theater reopen but films are usually american because those were popular and films that were preffered - the war shut down all films for a year= but when they open all US they no longer produce so the burden of production' - some theater reopen but films are usually american because those were the popular and films that were preferred - war shut down all the films for a year= but when they open they are all US becaus ethey no longer produce and so the burden of production falls on smaller companies |
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Obstacles to the French Film Industry 1920s |
1. lack of capital and money scared US dominates 2. lag in technology still use glass stuio not as good and backlots, a lack of studio space in general - Impressionist films are filmed on location in general 3. fragmentation 4. loss of exhbition markets= there is a struggle to show films in and out of France - france cannot compete with Hollywood on own terms have to come up with a new method, they start to want to compete through difference |
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Support Film Culture France 1920s |
- 1. specialized theaters= not mainstream techniques known as "little theaters" which show experimental films 2. disco "cine clubs"- were a membership organization, people would come in and knew each other -would watch experimental, radical, and edgy stuff and in hollywood not shown |
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Film Journals |
- want to talk and write about what they saw, and treated film as s thriving art forms, essentially intellectuals grappling with the intention of film -they support the more experimental cinema that is going to emerge |
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Cooperation with the Art world |
- film has a prestige assocaite with it 1925 international exposition of decorative and industrial modern are, what we need to know |
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French Impressionism (1918-29) |
- even though this is called impressionism not so ismialr to painting - the film makers were also critics and made essays about cinema as an art form, asking what cinema can do that art cannot do - cinema must seek to become gradual and uniquely synamatic |
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"photogenie" |
-Louis Delluc 1918 -"the quality that distinguishes the film shot from the original object photographed" - mean that photogenic is the ability tof the movie camera to photograph an object and transform it - and in doing so, it may transfer the object into something else - he argues that objects that are not alive can see like they are "any asepct of things, being, or sould whole moral character is enhanced by filmic reproduction" - similar to what the ROmantics did with nature but they engage with the mod ern world - he argues that cinema is like witchcraft, seem like they teater on the edge of insanity - visual properties of cinema that move peyond simple reproduction and toward the creative shaping of iamges which have beauty and emotional power - they also emphasize subjectivity, want to represent the innermind on the screen and its an emotional cinema |
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French Impressionism |
- has a visual transformation through the devices that they can provide= not waht you place in front but how the camera manipulates waht is in front of it, want to transform into thngs tahta re more beautiful and compelling |
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"la Roue" |
- 10 min clip Abel Ganze - baby from a trainwreck and then he falls madly in love with her - crash the train and kill her -there is interest in Character subjectivity - representations of characters mental image and seeing the world through the other side - when one is in love, shows a different filter and there is a pragmatic list and optical device - speed up or slow down the motion - doesnt have all the characteristics - on the rain given up normal and trying to transfer love of her to the steam engine - the idea of smashing two things together - French impressionist movement as well - notable for introducing rapid editing and rapid editing a huge new tool ** - prior to that the film sets up that this is more like his state of mind - in the begining we are in his state of mind - in hollywood tracks, tires, coals etc. would be establishing a sense of space - but this is so important for his mindset - see them getting more and more inside his subjectivity - the train goes faster, will the train crash, are to make us feel more and more anxious and suspense makes us feel more and more intesne and more into his mindset -the shot lengths get longer an the seped up, more than one shot per second you can see them - shows his overraught emotions - this is all about showing an intimate relationship with Seasif - |
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Characteristics of French Impressionism |
1. optical devices to transform the image= superimposition, filters, distorting lenses - there are simple stories with emotional situations= 1. emphasis on the subjectivity 2.lyrical passes - uses common melodramatic places - the film should be closerto music in terms of the emotional movements rather than drama -opitcal devices to transform the image, simple stories with emotion situations= they take the modern world and romanticize it, softer filter to make it more romantic - an attempt to romanticize the modern and do it with locaiton shooting |
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Mis en Scene |
-location shooting, pictorial treatment of landscapes and cities - they were influenced by "the Cheat" with the close up - they like the analytical editing to see things close up in the cheat used to advance the story but the French like because transforms the image and allows people to see deep emotion *transformative power this camer can have -most would play in cine clube and little theater but would circulate internationally, Alfred Hitchcok hollywood was just coming to term with what would get them into trouble - havent engaged, French impressionists have an ambivalent attitude towards hollywood
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Pre Revolutionary Russian Cinema |
- Bauer daydreams 1915 - long takes, elaborate sets, slow anger preformance style but Russians change this 1st and 2nd Revolution - lenin creates USSR in 1989-1990 - the civil war is 1918-20 - this has a chaotic period memebr of all the old industry |
