Film Essay

Creating a film from the storyboard up requires a wide variety of skilled workers. Everything from actors to make-up artists and even lighting specialists will be utilized; however, it’s easy to take one of the most important jobs for granted: the cinematographer. Although it may seem as simple as holding a camera, artfully combining clips, angles, and points of view to give a scene an identity is far from easy. Varied filming techniques throughout a movie are important so as not to generate feelings of boredom and simplicity (unless this is the goal). In addition, attempting to use a huge amount of vastly different methods can crowd a movie and give a sense of overwhelming confusion. As with any other job on set, cinematographers work…

Since the rise of the twentieth century, our society has been fascinated with film. Even during times such as the Great Depression our nation has always had an urgency to spend their weekends at the drive-ins enjoying a movie or two. The woman’s role in film has drastically changed over the years, not just in their wardrobe but also in all aspects of film. As the trends change so do the social normalities. With the importance of women’s power increasing, their sexuality in film is becoming more…

Many people know about African Americans in the film industry, but not many know about the path they had to take to get there. African American films have always played a significant role in my family. We loved to see films that make us laugh, but also ones that revealed more about the history of our race, especially since my distant cousin Pearl Bailey starred in many of those motion pictures. The fact that my cousin worked in film during a time that African Americans were looked down upon in…

I swear to submit to the following set of rules drawn up and confirmed by Film Éire: 1. All Film Éire films must be filmed on the island of Ireland and the stories must set in either the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland or both. This is to encourage the growth of both the film industry and local talent across the whole of Ireland. This is similar to Soviet Cinema of the 1920s where resources were used to create films that told stories set against the backdrop of the Soviet Union. Film…

Since its inception, the American film industry has reigned supreme in popularity throughout the world. Moviegoers and cinephiles alike have become enamored with the allure of ‘Hollywood’, known as the mecca of the entertainment industry. As one of the oldest film industries, the US has produced major films such as Star Wars (1977), Titanic (1997), and Avatar (2009). In addition, iconic American actors such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe rose to worldwide stardom. Its popularity, through…

Historically, censorship policies have impacted the production of war imagery in films during explicit conflict, especially in the United States. It dictated the amount of films produced, how they were produced, and where the films were distributed. Not only did it affect film, but it also affected photography and information the press released to the public. These censorship policies in the United States, furthermore, affected the film industry during both the Second World War and the Vietnam…

portrayal of African Americans in the film industry is pretty different from what they were in the past. Compared to our society, the portrayals of African Americans in the past were negative. Since one of Hollywood’s main goals as time progressed was to make films that are more relatable, the films had to follow the specific trend that was going on in that time. Many films followed the lifestyles of individuals living in antebellum South. The only roles available for African Americans in film…

Hawking. From a framing perspective, this film is pretty ideal when compared to the other representations in this study and in films with disabled characters in general. According to Darke, most disability films construct the disabled characters as abject where the impaired are easily fatigued, totally dependent, socially isolated, asexual, and infantilized, and have an impaired posture (“No Life” 104). In fact, the film’s representation of Stephen Hawking’s (Eddie Redmayne) experience with the…

The Film, Reimagined To reimagine the seventh installation of the epic fantasy series Star Wars in the tradition of the French New Wave of the late 1950s/60s, one would have to drastically reconsider and revise the film’s budget, cinematography, special effects, and, perhaps most importantly, point of view and narrative style. Within the reimagining, the basic plot and characters would remain the same because the plot and characters are quite archetypical; they maintain their integrity and…

“Before Sunrise” is about young love. The story follows a couple, Jesse, a young American man and Céline, a young French woman meeting on a train and getting off in Vienna, spending the night talking and walking around the city. The film ended with Céline leaving and the couple not exchanging any contact information but agreeing to meet at the same place in six months. Viewers are left with a cliffhanger, not knowing the fate of the couple’s relationship. “Before Sunset” picks up nine years…