SVCTE Film/ Video Production

Look back at your experience over the last two years here at Film/Video Production. Reflect on what you've learned, accomplished, the friends you've made and compose a letter to yourself on the first day of class in the beginning class. Imagine that this letter couple be delivered to yourself on that day and he/she could read it. What advice would you give your past self? Would you tell them they are going to have a great experience? What would you warn them about? Dear Angela from the beginning of second semester,       Here is some advice before going into this class: don't let being the new student stop you from expressing your opinions. The people in this class are very open and welcoming. Don't be afraid of them. They probably won't judge you for having ideas. It's okay to be wrong. It's better to say something than say nothing. You know more than you think you may know. This class is going to be a lot of fun but also really stressful. Be prepare...

If you had to pick three things that you found the most valuable from this class experience, what would they be? What do you feel overall that this course has helped you prepare for? I think the group work was the most valuable because it helped me socially. I learned to act professionally at times were professionalism was most needed and I was able to stay calm and composed even when a group member was being immature and rude. Another thing I enjoyed was the class discussions and class work where we all created one thing. I liked the activity during the storytelling unit where we all passed around papers to create a story. 

What unit did you enjoy the most? Why? What are three things that you learned from the unit? What are two things that you'd like to know more about? How could this unit be improved? Please give detailed input. I enjoyed the film history unit the most because I was able to incorporate my US and world history knowledge with the things that we were learning in this unit. It was cool learning about all the different ways things were made and how things were started. With all the videos, I was able to understand and internalize all the information. The sound unit was also pretty good but a lot of the topics were quite hard to interpret. It might have been just me for this unit but I felt as though it passed by too fast. If I had gotten more time on this unit, I feel like I might have done better and understood the subjects better.  

Look back at your goals for the Fall and Spring Semester blog posts. Were you able to achieve your goals? Why or why not? What could you have done differently? Looking back at them, what could you have done to focus more on your goals in the course? I didn't put down any goals in my blog but I know that in joining this class, I wanted to learn as much as I could and I wanted to be able to work well with other students. I was able to learn a lot about Premiere and I learned about scriptwriting but I don't think I learned enough about sound. I struggled a lot with that unit and I struggled with a lot of the technical stuff like learning about cameras and working with microphones. Those things scared me away so I avoided using them as best as I could. I enjoyed the creative part and I learned a lot of things like focusing on themes and motifs. I improved socially and I was able to work professionally with others and outside of class. If I confronted my fear, I think I c...

Now that you are finished with your documentary, reflect on what you have learned. Answer the following questions in a well thought out paragraph. 1. What have you learned in the documentary assignment? List three different things that you have learned and what you learned. 2. What has this assignment taught you about video production? 3. Was this assignment a good final project of the year? Why or why not? What did it teach you to improve you production skills? 4. What mistakes did you make on the project? How could you avoid them next time? Three things I've learned in this documentary assignment is that planning, communication skills between the client and group members, and professionalism is essential. Planning is essential because without good planning, the client will not be prepared for things we need from them. Communication skills are important because you have to get to know your client before you start shooting questions at them. Making them comfortable helps ge...

What is Anthony's take on B-roll? How is it different from others? What is his secret tip for "bedroom B-roll?" B-roll plays a bigger role than most people may think. It contributes to the progression of the story and is just as important as A-roll. Bedroom B-roll doesn't have to be on set. It can be set up but look similar and or relate to the story. 

What are 3 considerations you must keep in mind when shooting outdoors? How would you use a reflector? Why? 3 considerations to keep in mind while shooting outdoors is that the subject has to adjust to the light so they aren't constantly squinting. The reflector is usually used to even out harsh shadows and give better lighting. There are two sides to it. One has a more metallic look and the other side is white which makes the reflection softer. 

In your own words, which of these three are the most important? Why? If there were one more mistake that could be added to this list, what do you think it would be? Using music that does not fit the film will ruin the effect. It can distract people from the real point of the documentary. If there is no theme, the viewer will leave without seeing a point in the film. One more mistake could be interviewing the wrong people. If someone interviews a subject who mumbles or isn't passionate about a topic, chances are, the documentary will be garbage. 

What are three key points that the presenter makes about lighting? Why are each of them important? What is one point that you would like to learn more about? Hair lights separate the subject from the background. It makes the body pop out and frame the subject. The key is the most important light. It is the strongest light that is hitting the subject. Fill lights even out the shadows. The key light is usually closest to the subject. The fill light is twice as far from the subject. 

What is B-Roll? Why is it important for a project? What are 3 things to keep in mind when you're shooting B-roll? B-Roll is secondary footage to take up space and help the plot progress. 3 things to keep in mind when shooting B-roll is to shoot as much B-roll as possible and get a huge variety of footage from different angles. It's better to shoot more than needed and it's best to get some kind of movement in each shot. 

What are 2 things that the filmmaker did that are controversial? Why were they? Do you think the film was "authentic" after reading this article? Why are why not? Why is this film so famous? The filmmaker staged some of the scenes which made them seem fictional. I think some of the film was authentic but I feel like most of it was what the director wanted to see rather than what the Inuits actually did in their every day lives. It was very famous because it was different from other films. This supposedly depicted people who didn't conform to western society in their natural habitats and that was strange to most people. It was like going to a zoo. 

What do you think a documentary film is? Why are they interesting and important? Please list 3 different reasons in detail and your justification for each. Please use complete sentences. A documentary film is where the film is to inform people about things in a narrative manner. They are important because it helps people learn in depth. It's also a great way for interests in children to peak and to keep history alive. 

What are 3 things that you've learned in the storytelling unit? What are 2 things that you'd like to learn more about? What is one thing you're still unsure about? Why? Please be specific and use vocabulary you've learned in the unit so far. I learned about story arcs, hero's journey, and the story spine. I'd like to learn more about how the story spine applies to movies and why it is successful. I'm unsure about how to hook the viewer and give them background info without making it obvious. 

How does Ira's advise relate to what you are going through in the class so far? What are the key points that he mentions in the video? How could they be applied to you? What part of his advise seems helpful? Ira's advice relates to what I am going through in this class because, though I haven't done much, all of the things that I have made, I was not proud of. I knew I could have done much better. His advice to do a huge bulk of work and make deadlines for yourself is something that I may start doing as soon as this semester ends. 

How did Kurosawa influence George Lucas? What parts of the samurai film did Lucas incorporate into Star Wars? What is the most interesting thing that you learned in this video? Kurosawa's samurai movies influenced George Lucas by giving him the idea of making a movie about people fighting in space. The costumes inspired George Lucas's stormtrooper and Darth Vadar's costumes. He incorporated similar shots and characters from the samurai film to star wars. 

Which archetype seems easiest to write? Which do you think seems the most difficult? Why? What archetype do you understand the least? Why? What kind of hero's do you like telling stories about? I feel like the mentor is the easiest to write, seeing as they are just help so if there's a plot hole, the mentor can help fill in the background info that the audience needs. I think the main character is the most difficult. The main character has to be simple enough to be average but complex enough to stand out from society to be the main character. The shadow is something that I feel like I may struggle to do as well because I don't like to keep my antagonists as 100% bad. I need a reason for my audience to see the reason behind their actions and possibly sympathize with them. 

What is the hero's journey? What parts of the structure stand out and seem the most important to you? The hero's journey is the plot structure usually found in adventure type movies. It's main character is the hero and it goes through different character developing moments. The part where there is supernatural aid stood out to me because it made me realize that all of the movies that I've watched that follow this plot line have an old supernatural aid to help them through their adventures. 

Pick two of these plot types that most interest you and write about them. Why does each of these plot types interest you? What makes them seem more interesting than the other ones? Which two of the plot lines out of the seven would you like to use for a future video project? Why? The two plot types that interest me the most are rags to riches and the quest. Rags to riches appeals to the ideal American Dream and I find that the more these movies come out, the more people try to achieve them which makes job fields hard to get into. I think I would like to try quest. 

What did you learn about genre and film from this video? Why is it important to a film? Genre in film gives a ritualistic satisfaction to the viewer. The constant viewing of something from a certain genre distracts them from their real life problems. Genre basically classifies different kinds of pieces of literature and films. 

What is the hot seat technique? How can you apply this to the next script that you write to create interesting characters? The hot seat technique is where the creator of a character puts that character through a series of questions about themselves. When writing a script, it is essential that I fall in love with the idea of the character. Something has to be specifically unique about it. Maybe the character can have a tragic flaw or something relatable for the viewer/ reader. I have to make my character go through rough times or else it's not interesting. 

What is the key to creating empathy with the audience and our characters? How does success play into this? The key to creating empathy with the audience and characters is to make the characters either relatable or desirable. Once the audience see's the motivation behind the character's actions, they can empathize more easily. If the audience see's what they want to be, they tend to empathize more with them. Or they see someone similar to them, status wise, personality wise, etc. they are tend to empathize with the character. 

Reflect on the story spine assignment from yesterday. Copy your story spine in your response. Did the exercise help you craft an interesting story synopsis? If or if not, why? What are two things that you learned from the exercise? Once upon a time there was a sardine factory worker in the industrial city of Monterey. Every day she packed sardines into their cans and went home to her boiler room. She earned a very small wage and her only goal was to save up enough money to move out. With the small wage, she was unable to keep up with her monthly payments so she was constantly stuck in a never ending cycle of payments. One day, as she was on her way back to her home, she was raped by her landlord. Because of that, she was at such a low and depressed mental state, she did not want to get out of bed. As she was running in late, she found she had been replaced with another factory worker. Learning she was out of a job, she went out to search for another form of payment. Unti...

What is good storytelling? Name 3 important key elements of telling a good story. Why are they so important? Good storytelling usually has a quality plot that keeps the reader or viewer's attention throughout the entire story. Good storytelling isn't necessarily required to have a basic plot structure. It can flow different kinds of ways but the only way to see if it's good is based off of the reader or viewer's experience. A story can perfectly follow all the rules in the story arc but if the viewer thinks it was garbage, then it's garbage. There's something about good stories that make it unique from other stories. It's up to the writer to figure out what about it will set it apart from the rest. 

Revisit your earlier blog posts about sound. What are 3 things you you learned during the course of this unit? What did you learn about them? Explain in detail. What are two things that you still feel you need to learn more about? Why? What was one thing that you found the most interesting? Why? Three things I learned from this unit is the importance of the score, Foley effects, and different mic pickup patterns. The score is the music that is made in post production for a film. There are many components to the score such as melody, harmony, and rhythm. Melody is like a motif. It recalls back to a certain setting or character. Such as the movie Up. It has a specific upbeat melody at the beginning but as the scene gets sad, the melody slows down and triggers the viewers' memory about a certain character that has passed away. Harmony appeals to emotions and rhythm hypes up the scene or makes it tense. Foley effects are sound effects made by Foley artists with everyday objec...

What is loudness normalization? Why is this important for video production? Loudness normalization is the consistency audio levels. Sometimes loud noises can create an inconsistency in clips of video so normalizing it will give it a constant volume for the viewer/ listener. It is important because if it is not done, it can result in distortion and clipping in the audio for the video. 

What are 3 separate things that the presenter says to keep in mind when setting up dual system audio? Why are each of them important? It is important to turn off all automatic settings on the recorder and do it all manual because it usually ends up creating more problems than it solves. Set the sample rate to 48 khz for video. Figure out if you need phantom power or plugin power. Use a slate or clap to mark where you have to sync up the audio and video. 

4/11 Summarize 3 different key functions of a lavalier that you picked up from this short video. What is one question you still have on how to setup a lav? Lavaliers are good for recording spoken dialogue on screen. If you set it up correctly and hide it in the correct spots, it will give you the best quality audio. It is important to place the mic so the chin does not distort the sound. Putting it somewhere on the chest in the range of sound the voice makes is the best way to get good audio. My question is how do you do the loop so it doesn't pop off easily?

What are 3 separate things that the presenter says to keep in mind when setting up your camera to record audio? Why are each of them important? What is one different thing that you would like to learn more about? The presenter says that all the buttons on the recorder is extremely important. If one button is off, it can ruin all the audio or there will be no audio at all. For the mic-line switch, it its important to switch it to mic if you are using a microphone. If you are using anything that is not a microphone, it should be switched to line. It is okay to use the mic that is on the camera for b roll though it is not recommended. Do not use it for dialogue. 

What are 3 separate thing that the presenter says to keep in mind when setting up your camera to record audio? Why are each of them important? What is one different thing that you would like to learn more about? One thing the presenter said is important is the limiter. The limiter is basically a safety net for the audio that is recorded. It keeps the recorded audio from going past the point of overmodulation. It is important to keep it on while recording so your audio does not get wrecked. Another thing is the commonly used setting: Internal mic low cut. It is important because it is a wind filter and can save your audio. Lastly, an important thing from the video is attenuation. Attenuation means to soften or dampen sound across the board. Any time you are in somewhere with loud noises and speakers, turning on the MIC/Int. mic Att. settings on will soften the audio so there are no clips where the audio is weird.

Summarize 3 different key functions of a boom microphone that you picked up from this short video. What is one question you still have on how to operate a boom? Three different key functions I learned from this video: boom mics are good at picking up quality audio from different angles. It works best for closeup shots because the boom mic can be as close as it can be to the talent. It is also important for the mic to always be pointed at the subjects' mouth and not their general direction or at the top of their head.

What are the benefits of using a microphone on a boom vs a lav vs on the camera? What are the differences between single and dual system recording? Microphones built into cameras are usually heavily compressed and aren't amazing when it comes to picking up audio. It's good for scratch tracks. Lavaliers are good for interviews and reports etc. but for some cameras, there can be an imbalance in levels. Boom mics are good because they give more freedom for the camera placement. 

Why are A/V cables wrapped over/under and power cables wrapped over/over? Why is this an important skill for a beginning filmmaker? Wrapping cables correctly is an important skill for a beginning filmmaker and any filmmaker in general because it shows professionalism and attention to detail. If a cable is wrapped incorrectly, it can ruin wires inside the cable which will ruin the film being produced. 

What are three essential things that this article mentions to keep in mind? Why might each of these be important for video production? Three essential things that this article mentions are capturing the action, mixing, and moderation. After filming, getting all the diegetic sound while the production is running is rare. Capture the action during breaks just as backup or for future reference. Mixing can enhance the Foley effects. Sometimes they can be really underwhelming when first made, but with some alterations, you can have an amazing soundtrack to go with the film. Moderation is key when making Foley effects. It is not necessary to go full out in one take and have it be garbage when playing it back. 

Without music, how does the scene feel to you? Why? What aspects seem missing? How do you think having music change this scene? Without music, it is much less dramatic than what the movie should be. I haven't seen the movie with music but I assume it is a very dramatic scene. The different angles and shots of people with guns looks overused and it gets boring without music. It probably goes with the music when it is there. Having music probably makes it way better and adds dramatic effect to keep the viewer on edge. 

Use what you've learned about sound in the keynotes and readings. Describe 3 things that you notice about the before and after sound effects mix vs. the final mix. How are they different? How would you describe each of the differences? Before sound effects, it sounds very lame. After altering voices and adding different things to the audio, it adds more character to the audio and makes it fit the film more. Even with foley, there is still editing that needs to be done. 

What happens to this scene when the music is removed? How does it affect the viewer's experience? Without music, the scene from ET really lame and weirdly quiet. It loses its mystical feel and rather than being fun and amazing like how I remembered it, it was funny. I remember it being such a breathtaking moment when I first watched it. Seeing it without music was really weird.  

What are three interesting things that you learned from this video? How could you begin to start thinking about sound design in future video projects? From this video, I learned that sound designers take many different sounds and alter them and layer them in order to create the desired sound effect. He took his desired style of sound effect and looked for objects around him that gave off the same nuance. For my future video projects, I think I should put more thought into the sound and think about the nuance and its effect on the sound. 

What is the foley artist's role in crafting sound effects? Explain in detail three different things that you learned in this video and how they effect the final film. Foley artists create sound effects using objects that aren't what is on screen. They are sent around 15 minute videos of edited footage without added sound effects. They make their own noises to try to portray what the subject is doing. 

What is the status of your Silent Film? What was successful? What were some challenges? What did you feel were the biggest flaws of the final product? I am still not yet finished with my Silent Film. I found that some of our costumes were successful but I don't think they were well thought out. Some challenges we faced as a group were communication and planning. Members of our group did not contribute as much as we had hoped. People flaked out last minute on our project on days that were important. The days we did end up filming turned out to be much harder seeing as we did not plan things out in detail. Finding a location was also difficult. Our first location was the one we were most excited about but we came off as disrespectful to the people at the location and we did not have everything planned out as well. My biggest flaw in this project was contributing my input on how we executed our project. This leaves me with a product that I am not fully proud of.  I also feel lik...

What are each of the different categories of sound that are explained? In detail, explain the role of each of these categories of sound in film and how they enhance the story. There are three different categories of sound: the human voice, sound effects, and music. The human voice is spoken dialogue on and off screen. Dialogue is used to tell a story and express emotions from characters. Sound effects help the film seem more real and it gives a more in depth experience for the viewer. There are two types of sound effects. One is synchronous sound which is sound seen on screen and the other is asynchronous sound which is sound off the screen. Music helps set the mood for the film. It can foreshadow what is about to happen in the plot or create a tense tone to leave viewers on the edge of their seats. 

What is the difference between diegetic and non diegetic sound? What is an example of each that you can think of from a film? Diegetic sound is where the subject that's making the sound is visible on screen such as spoken dialogue between characters. Non diegetic sound is where there is audio but the subject making the sound is not on screen such as narration or music. An example of diegetic sound would be in a fight scene where we see the punches being thrown and we hear punches accompanying it. An example of non diegetic sound would be for example, when Gollum and Bilbo are playing games and Gollum disappears but we still hear his voice taunting Bilbo. 

What is the difference between stereo and mono recordings? What are 2 things that you found interesting in this article? Why? Mono sound is usually used for conversational reasons like telephones and radio talk shows. It requires only one mic and it isn't super costly. Stereo sound is for music, theaters, and radios dedicated to music. It requires two special microphones and is super expensive. I found the fact that Mono is compatible with and usually found on Phonograph cylinders interesting. I also found that Mono and stereo are both found in MiniDisc interesting.

How did the musical first develop in hollywood? Why do you think it play such an important role in the history of filmmaking? Why do you think there has been such a revival of the musical in pop culture in the 21st century? Musicals first developed in hollywood after The Jazz Singer came out. Film studios were competing with each other to create a unique film that would attract the most audiences. Forty Second Street created by the Warner Brothers sparked the popularity of musicals as a form of narration. It was a new and refreshing style for audiences and was a great escape from the harsh reality of the Great Depression. Musicals like Hamilton  and Dear Evan Hansen  are popular musicals today that are not on film but they are sparking new interests in younger generations. 

Why do you think this film was so successful when it was released in 2011? Why do you think this film won the best picture oscar for that year considering that sound has been around in since the 1930's? I think this film was so successful when it was released in 2011 because the concept interested film historians as did it interest the common people with it's humor and style. The idea of making a silent film in 2011 was nostalgic and brought people together to see what it felt like to watch a film without spoken dialogue. It was an old experience for older generations and it was a new experience for younger generations because they had had sound their entire life. 

According to this article, why did hollywood switch over to "talkies" so fast? Why was 1928 such a pivotal year for silent cinema? When The Jazz Singer came out, people were intrigued by the scene where Al Johnson started speaking. People wanted more and wanted filmmakers to make more films with sound. 1928 was a pivotal year for silent cinema because it was the last of their kind in the industry. More and more people wanted to watch and listen to films. The silent film fad ended. 

What was the effect of Star Wars on the movie industry? How did it affect the audience at this time? What were the long term historical trends that Star Wars set into motion after this? Stars Wars changed the movie industry's use of special effects and it expanded how far people can go in creativity. It was life changing. No one had ever seen anything like it. From the visual special effects to the plot, it was almost surreal for the viewers. It gave the sci-fi genre a whole new standard and broke many barriers. 

Why was Hollywood threatened by television? What where three key reasons it became a threat? As television was introduced, prices got lower as more people purchased them. Television was more convenient compared to movies in the theaters. All viewers had to do was stay at home to be entertained. The only cost was the set itself; the programs that aired were free. As less and less people went to movie theaters, ticket prices got higher which made television even more appealing. 

What caused the end of the golden age of hollywood? What was so significant about this change in it's history? The end of the golden age of hollywood was caused by the Supreme Court's decision to control movie distribution and exhibition. Though it was first applied during the Great Depression, it was not fully enforced until the economy started to improve. The movie companies and the supreme court reached a compromise that allowed the studios to keep ownership of theaters, but inhibited block booking.

What were some technological issues that came up when it was first being implemented? What was significance of "The Jazz Singer" in film sound history? Some technological issues that came up when sound was first being implemented was that it was expensive and movie theaters did not want to pay the expenses to show the Warner brothers' films.  "The Jazz Singer" was significant in film sound history because it had improvised dialogue in it which changed audience's views on incorporating sound into film. It made people want to hear more music and dialogue in their films. 

How do you think these technological advances affected filmmaking? Which 3 of these advances do you think are the most important to video and film? Why? These advancements in audio affected filmmaking because it was able to enhance the viewers' experience in movie theaters and at home. I think stereophonic sound, different kinds of audio manipulation, and multitrack recording are most important to video and film. Stereophonic sound helped the quality of the audio so it gave a new feel to the films. The different kinds of audio manipulation could give different effects to audio which could switch interchangeably between different genres. Lastly, multitrack recording made the people's voices clearer when they were recording which also added a clarifying effect to films as well as the audio. 

Take a moment to write down 2 questions about the history of sound at the movies that you would like to learn about. What do you want to know about these aspects of sound history? How was sound first recorded? What was the science involved in keeping sound waves and being able to play it back? What was the first form of playing recorded sound?

What do you find interesting about this video? How does seeing sound visualized help you understand what sound is? The fact that sound is just a change in air density is interesting to me. With this knowledge, it helps me better interpret what sound is. Their explanation of how they captured the clap is really complex and they said it very fast so it was a little hard to understand. 

Take a moment to reflect over your experience of sound at the movies. What are 2 things things that you notice about the sound in modern hollywood movies? What is the first film that made you think about the sound of the film? What interested you? The sound effects? The sound track? The dialog? Why? Sound in modern hollywood movies has very high quality. The way things are recorded can change the perspectives to match what is on screen For example, a car is speeding from the left side of the screen to the right side of the screen. The audio would sound far away in the speaker on the left and as the car gets closer, the noise gets louder and gradually starts to play in the speaker on the right. I can't think of a specific movie that made me think about the sound of the film. However, when I think of sound in any sort of film, I think of the ASMR trend where people get super close to microphones and record noises that they find satisfying. I also know that occasionally, ce...

Stepping back a bit, we are going to screen Hugo. So lets review the accomplishments of George Melies. Write a paragraph response summarizing his accomplishments in cinema history. George Melies created the science fiction genre. He developed his own camera system and created Europe's first studio. He was also the first filmmaker to use special effects and have a narrative in his film. It helped the progression of cinema because it gave other creators ideas that started technology for modern cinema. 

Take a few moments to reflect on what you have learned in this unit. The history of cinema is pretty vast, and we could only cover a short part of it. After watching this video, what do you notice about the evolution of filmmaking? How did it all begin? How far have we come? In your opinion, where are we headed? After watching this video, I noticed the art of acting is very different from what it had started off as. Near the beginning, the acting was over exaggerated and very dramatic while movies from the present seemed toned down but very realistic. I also noticed that there were not many people of color featured in this montage. I think we have come far technology wise but oppression towards minority groups in America are still common in films. I'm not sure where we could be headed because films right now seem very high tech and I don't know what other adjustments can be made. 

What are the roots of silent cinema in the bay area? How did it play an important role in early cinema history? What famous personalities made films here? Silent cinema in the bay area was important in early cinema because it helped the spread of filmmakers and the popularity of cinema blossomed. They were able to use the modern looking architecture from the bay area to imply time periods. 

How were asian actors and characters treated at the time in american films? Which of these actors stories could you relate too? Explain why you found their achievements so significant. At the time, Asian actors were treated as lesser than white actors, even if they were more fit for the role. Back in my home school, I don't experience this kind of discrimination because the majority of the students who attend Saratoga are Asian. However, out in public, my friends and I often experience the same sort of injustice that these actors may have experienced after starring in many films that objectified her. When were are together in public, people often refer to us as "China dolls" or "Mulan" or cat call us and fetishize our appearances. Though these stars sort of started an uproar in cultural appropriation, they broke barriers in Hollywood's casting and showed Asians in a positive light. 

What was Mabel famous for? What were three significant events or films that she made? What was her downfall? What surprises you about her? Mabel Normand was famous for being an early silent film actress and she directed her own films. She mainly featured and directed comedies. Some significant films she featured in were Tomboy Bessie  which was when she identified as a director rathe than an actress. Her downfall occurred after a close friend of hers was murdered and she was accused of drug and alcohol abuse. Nothing much about her surprises me other than how early she passed away.

If you had to summarize and explain the events that led from the film industry's transfer from New Jersey to Los Angeles, how would you explain it? What was Thomas Edison's role in this transition? What role did patents and Nickelodeons play in this dispute? The film industry transferred west because of the convenient scenery for filming surrounding the area, the weather, and cheap land. Furthermore, it was because it was far away from Edison. If someone wanted to create a movie, they would have to do it under Edison. Independent companies wanted to make movies freely under their own name so they moved as far as they could to make their own motion pictures.

Why was New Jersey the capital of film at the time? Why did the industry move West? New Jersey was the capital of film at the time because the land was cheap and there was lots of it. It was a quick trip with a ferry from Manhattan. The scenery was useful because there were lots of cliffs that could be used to make dramatic short films. The industry moved West because it was convenient and there was more space and good lighting.   

What is the latham loop? How did it change cinema? The lathom loop was a new invention that pulled film through the threading device of a camera gently enough not to tear the sprockets. It enabled the film to gently spool over from the back to front, allowing for longer films. It changed cinema by letting filmmakers create longer movies. The friction between Edison and Dickson helped inspire them to create new inventions in spite of each other. 

What were nickelodeons like? What was the first movie palace? What influenced the transition to the movie palace? Why do you think the movie places became so important? Nickelodeons were places where people could project movies for the public's entertainment. They started off as retail spaces that had 10-12 benches for audiences to sit on. Movie palaces were for the upper middle class and classes above it. Technological advances influenced the change from the nickelodeon to the movie palace. Movie palaces became important because they focused only on projecting motion pictures. They were a commercial success. 

What effect did the film have on the US society at the time? How did the white audience react? How did the african american audience react? How did Griffith respond to the publics reaction to his film? Write about three of the innovations that Griffith pioneered with the film. At the time, blacks were being pushed out of the south due to racial discrimination and were promised equal opportunities in the north. They were not fully accepted by northerners but they developed more rights as the years went by. Many of the Anglo-saxons at the time felt threatened by black empowerment and wanted to feel superior to them. When this film came out, it influenced more people to think black people were less than human and did not belong in white America. The film caused an increase of protests turned to riots and lynchings of black people. People accused Griffith of being a racist but he claimed he was not and everything in the film was pure fact. Griffith introduced the use of magnesium flares fo...

What was Porter's contribution to cinema? What was so significant about his work? Porter contributed to cinema by using his artistic views to recreate themes from older works and giving people a better idea of narrative cinema. He pioneered the use of continuity editing, transitions, and added text to better the quality of narrative films. Before this, films were mainly actualities so when he started incorporating narratives into film, it became very popular and helped the film industry expand. 

What were Melies' contributions to cinema? Why is his work so significant? Melies contributed to cinema by being the first to incorporate stage magic and in camera special effects which became the first film in the science-fiction genre. He also opened the first production company in Europe which made films a more international thing rather than just being in the US. 

What is this music video about? Why did the band and the filmmakers choose these images? Why are they significant? What do you think they are paying homage to or emulating? This music video is very similar to Le Voyage Dans la Lun or A Trip to the Moon which was an early motion picture about people who went on a trip to the moon and fought aliens. I think the band and filmmakers chose these images because they knew it would appeal to people interested in film history. It may have had added a nostalgic feel to some viewers who have seen Le Voyage Dans la Lun before. Their use of painted backdrops and flat props emulated the style of early motion picture and its early experiments of special effects. 

What are Alice's contributions to cinema history? Why are her accomplishments so incredible during this time period? What makes her such a significant figure? Blanche, being the first female filmmaker, contributed to cinema history by experimenting with different kinds of special effects like double exposure, masking techniques, and running film backwards. She also experimented with hand coloring black and white film. Her accomplishments are more unique compared to other filmmakers at the time because she was the first female filmmaker. At the time, women were expected to be working at home rather than independently creating their own content like Blanche. 

Who was Louis Le Prince? What was his contribution to cinema? After reading about him, what surprises you about reading this article? Louis Le Prince was a French inventor who created the Le Prince Single-lens Cine Camera which is thought to be one of the first motion pictures ever captured. Unfortunately, he was not able to market his invention very efficiently, resulting in Edison and the Lumiere Brothers taking credit for the success and spread of motion pictures years later after Le Prince. What surprised me the most was his disappearance and how not many people know about Le Prince.

Why do you like this early silent film? What is so interesting about it? What are two common things that you noticed about the films you saw while searching for your video on youtube? Le Voyage Dans la Lun (A Trip to the Moon) In this early silent film, I noticed a few little tricks they used to make things seem real. Like the back drops in the first three minutes was painted rather than building an actual elaborate setting like that. The rocket that the characters were "building" was also just a flat board with a half built rocket painted on. There were more like that but what interested me the most were the costumes. The moon alien costumes were very elaborate and well thought out. They looked as though they were almost real.

What qualities do these early films share? Why do you think the filmmakers shot these? How do they differ from modern movies? All of the films shown are little moments in time. They don't have a full length plot with a climax or anything. Filmmakers may have shot these because they wanted to preserve history not just as a frozen photo but as a moving picture to show the detail of how something was done or what they did. They differ from modern movies because they were small clips and some of them were repeated over and over. Since they were on film and they were not in color, filmmakers were able to color on the film strips to give them color. Modern film is already in color and they are digital rather than on film. 

What were Muybridge's contributions to motion pictures? What breakthroughs did he make? Why are they significant? What part of the story did you find the most interesting? Why? Muybridge contributed to motion pictures by taking sequential photographs of people/ things moving. His photography helped scientists because it showed the break down of motion and it helped settle things like the horse running and other anatomical theories. Some of his story made me think that Muybridge was actually not that great of a person but his photography techniques inspired a lot of people to create better things so authors are trying give him some sort of credit in history and they portray him as some sort of sad, struggling artist who created great things out of his "misery". 

After reading this article and viewing the images that Marey captured, write a reflection on what you think Marey's motion studies contributed to the development of the motion picture. What makes his work so interesting? Marey's photography contributed to the development of motion picture because of his technique if taking "multiple successive images, usually on the same print"(Meier). Marey used a photographic gun which was able to shoot 12 frames per second which influenced the invention of motion pictures. His photos were able to show stills of movement in an order which showed kinetic motion and it helped later inventors to create motion pictures. 

Why do you think we wouldn't have filmmaking without the invention of photography? Pick three of these innovations on this list and explain their historical importance and why you think it led to the invention of motion pictures. We would not have filmmaking without the invention of photography because without being able to capture a still moment in time, we would not be able to capture a moving moment in time. The Camera Obscura was not exactly a frozen moment in time but this was the starter for the creation of the cameras that come after this. The Daguerreotype was evidence of lots of progress in cameras. It was able to capture a frozen moment in time rather than have a live view of the subject. Flexible roll film made photography become extremely popular and accessible to the public and I think this was a huge component to the invention of motion pictures.

What was the Phantasmagoria? After reading this article, write a reflection on what elements of the Phantasmagoria became adopted into the development of movies. The Phantasmagoria was a show put on by Étienne-Gaspard Robert. With his love of art and physics, he set up a performance that used magic lanterns, ventriloquism, and glass harmonicas to set the terrifying mood for the audience. Robert/ Robertson/s use of "bringing back the dead" influenced the horror genre and how lights were used to their advantage.

What role does lighting play in the caves? How might these paintings been used by primitive man? What are the two techniques that the early artists used to paint on the walls of the cave? Why do you think they painted with these images? The early artists used lighting to show their stories that they drew out on the walls of the cave. These paintings were used to entertain and/or preserve history. The two techniques early artists used to paint on the walls of the cave were juxtaposition of successive images and superimposition. Juxtaposition of successive images were basically multiple drawings of the same subject but in each separate drawing, the subject has a slight difference. The final product is similar to a flip book spread out on a wall. Superimposition is like juxtaposition of successive images but the images are layer on top of each other. I think they painted these images to document what their lives were like. 

Pick one that interests you then embed it into your blog. What makes this PSA so engaging? Why does it stand out to you? "I learned it from watching you" This PSA had a plot twist that not a lot of people would have expected. It got me interested when the father would not even let his son explain himself. From that, I inferred that something about this PSA was not the same as other anti-drug PSA's like the the frying egg one or the seven minute film on how a guy got into drugs. It was short and had a good shocking factor that kept me interested. 

What was the creators approach to seat belt safety in these ads that was so different from previous efforts? What was the effect of the crash test dummy PSA's on society? Instead of using the common PSA that shocked people, the creators decided to use humor to appeal to viewers. While giving the viewers a glimpse of the possible outcomes of not using a seatbelt, they added jokes to keep the viewers engaged. Before the crash test dummy characters were created, it was not the norm to buckle seat belts which led to many deaths that could have been prevented. With the creation of these two characters, more people were influenced to use their seat belts. 

What does the Ad Council do? What is its mission? Do you recognize any of their campaigns growing up? Which ones? Why do you feel they were effective? At first the Ad Council was made to promote the sale of war bonds. Now, it is used to raise awareness to change people's attitudes on social issues. I recognize Smokey Bear by FCB-West and American Red Cross from history textbooks and school promotions. Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign is something that I saw growing up in school too. I think it was effective because it was created when Michelle Obama was First Lady and she used her fame to promote a sensitive topic like child obesity. I have also heard of "Just say no" that Nancy Reagan created for the war against drugs. I also think this was effective because she used her fame as a platform like Michelle Obama. Though this topic was not as sensitive, I think many people took action with it because they felt some sort of relation to it. ...

Where did public service announcements begin? What was their main purpose? How have they evolved throughout the decades? The PSA was created when the United States joined WWII drafting propaganda. Tag lines like "Loose lips sink ships" were used to get people to donate and contribute to military operations. Now, a PSA is for getting people to contribute to other causes like anti-drugs, drunk driving, and seat belts. 

How is a public service announcement different from a commercial? Why are they not seen as often compared to in the past? Public service announcements, compared to commercials, are mainly for getting a point across. PSA's are not often broadcasted due to limited time. They are often seen on unpopular stations because they have more time to fill so the PSA's are able to fill that time.