Trailer Review: The Avengers

Joss Whedon's The Avengers (2012) is a film in which incorporates and unites some of Marvel's finest superheroes into one alliance know as The Avengers.

Narrative: The trailer for The Avengers reveals enough narrative to entice viewers with some of the film's most dynamic and attention grabbing scenes, but simultaneously conceals details to leave audience members wanting to watch the whole movie. Through this trailer we can depict the initial story line, but also have many questions as to why things are so. How did these heroes join alliances? Why are they fighting? Who are they fighting against? The trailer successfully creates narrative due to how it attracts audience members into wanting to watch more.

Mis en Scene: Consisting of explosions, fighting, and chaotic scattering, the mis en scene of this trailer emphasizes the action packed nature of the city in which it takes place in. Raging fires, crashing, flipping cars, and crowds dispersing in fear are all evidences to a corrupt city in danger, bringing out the idea that this movie is filled with scenes of action and an incorporation of sci fi. It also gives the plot a sense of back story. With the streets and buildings vastly destroyed along with unknown, futuristic flying robots, viewers know that the main characters aren't your average citizens.        

Cinematography: As demonstrated throughout the trailer, the cinematography glorifies all the action sequences through dynamic tracking shots. Simultaneously, there are numerous close-ups to create a sense of intensity in terms of capturing a characters true emotions whether it being, suspicious, angry, or determined. During intense scenes such as explosions, the cinematographer creates shaky movements to establish a sense that the action is real. There are also a number of skyscraper shots to create a source of establishment in terms of setting and mood.

Edit: As normally exemplified in action movies, there are numerous quick cuts in fighting and running scenes to glorify the action and intensity within the film. One essential factor to editing would be the CGI. Animations of robots, explosions, and weapons are created in the edit to create a sci fi feel. For those of you who are fans of the works of Marvel, the CGI performed in this trailer seems familiar to add to the superhero feel of the narrative.  

Sound Design: The sound design within this trail was executed successfully in terms of musical score, sound effects and dialogue. The sound effects are well done with the sounds of explosions, fighting impacts, and weapon bursts considering the weapons rather appear to be quite futuristic. The dialogue was created so all audio levels were even and able to be audible over musical score, obtain the dramatic intent. In terms of musical score, choice of soundtracks were perfect to preserve the mood of action and intensity. It helped convey the fast paced movement of the trailer along with the character's actions.   

Documentary Preproduction - BayKids

Purpose: The purpose of our documentary is to inform the audience about a world of children who are in intensive care and want to show their creativeness through the art of film making. They are young and their lives are not as easy as it might have been for us all. “BayKids is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of hospitalized children by teaching them a wide range of movie making skills and helping them discover the power of self-expression” and we want to help support them by getting the word out.

Contacts:
415-561-6262  --BayKids
devora@Baykids.org

Interview Questions:
To Adults working at BayKids:
How did BayKids get started?
How do the kids get funding for their projects?
How can others help BayKids improve?
What about your job is the most rewarding?
How has BayKids benefited you?

To Parents (if possible):
How do you feel about BayKids?
How were the first few days of the diagnostics like?
Were there any physical or emotional changes in your son/daughter at BayKids?

To the kids:
Have you made any videos before? If so, what was your favorite and what was it about?
How has film making helped you?
What type of movies do you like?

What do you like best about making videos?

Shot List:
Opening
- LS and ELS of empty streets of SF
- LS of BayKids building

B-Roll
- MS & CU kids with video cameras
- ECU of the eyes of the kids
- kids sitting in bed
- kids going under regular check up (maybe)

Interviews
- MS/CU (don’t know the location yet so it is hard to imagine where everything will be placed)

General Flow:
The documentary will open up with quiet, empty streets. This emphasizes the loss of livelihood missing in the shots. What’s missing are the people and therefore, the children who are facing life threatening conditions in the BayKids hospital. It is very unlikely that the opening will be narrated because we want the interviews to speak for themselves and describe the situation. After the street, the BayKids building will be shown to establish the location and also to show the facility. Most likely, an interviewee’s voice would be heard already and the camera would go to that person describing the location. After an interview with an adult, we will talk to kids and ask their personal opinion on movie making. Relevant B-Roll that we capture will be placed for every interview to illustrate the point even further. The documentary will end with a serious note and most like a text at the end saying that BayKids needs your help.

Scripts:
Questions to ask people we are interviewing, voice overs, musical score, templates for names of people we interview.

Production Schedule:
We will film from the 7-9 of December and dedicate the rest of the week to editing the film to finish by the 14th of December.

Everything is a Remix: Part 2

Everything is a Remix: Part 2 is a documentary that visits the depths of Hollywood film making and the process of how movies are created based off of other movies. Originating from types of genres, books, comics, actual events or other movies, big blockbuster films are created by simply remixing them into different, more modern versions ergo the title Everything is a Remix. As seen in the figure to the right, these so called remixed films are created with the basic process using the standard elements of appropriating, transforming, and subverting. Although it may seem some of today's films appear unique and fresh, it is rather important to keep in mind that they in fact do heavily rely on existing material.

Given that the majority of many box office hits are either sequels or remakes, Hollywood's greatest tool in the art of film making is using adaptations from other sources. Everything is a Remix explores the ideas of recreating films by transforming them from out with the old and in with the new.  

From the movies that do seem unique and fresh, originality wouldn't be the most appropriate word to use to describe them, due to how these films are known as "genre movies". These genre movies are broken down into subgenres. For example, the documentary discusses the subgenres of slasher, zombies, creature feature, and torture porn all fall under the bigger genre of horror.  

The principle audience of this documentary would basically be anyone interested in the true origins of certain films. It discusses the processes that go into creating big box office films as well as the vast history of film making and its potential adaptations.

This documentary's goal is to raise awareness of the adaptations of big blockbuster films. Doing so would create a better image of the art of film making and its past in terms of old versions, books, and even toys. It explores how today's modern screenings are always referring back to films all the way back in times as far as the early 1900s. A great example to further demonstrate this idea would be Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill (2003). This film has approximately 12 mash-ups with other past references such as different scenes and specific elements of other classic films. This can be interpreted as Hollywood's greatest tool to creating new and exciting ideas and films. By remaking certain early year films, it helps audience member revisit the past and its classic memories.

This documentary is simply created to entertain rather than to just inform with its choice to convey artistic stand. Its use of B-roll consists of examples from movies from the early 1900s to demonstrate the idea of modern adaptations. By doing so, audience members gather information of how the film making industry mainly works. To recreate and make new versions entices viewers into watching new and potential box office hits. This simply allows audience members to vaguely remember the origins of modern movies but simultaneously enjoying present day films.

Although no interviews were used within this documentary, many enlightening examples were explain to broaden the understanding of film's past time. Given that there is a plethora of references, viewers are more aware of how today's movies reflect on the early sources proving that films bring out many certain aspects of the past. By providing these examples, gives audience members a sense of where Hollywood film makers adopt their ideas from. 

This documentary strongly and thoroughly communicated its points as to why today's film industry creates new versions and/or sequels to keep the movie making business both exciting and insightful. Successfully reaching its goal, this documentary achieves the ideas of the origins of modern day films.  

The Descendants: Realism, Classicism, Formalism

Realism

  
 To edit in a realist fashion is to create one long, continuous shot without any cuts or edits, therefore giving off a sense of dramatic intent and importance to the scene. Here we see the camera slowly, continuously pan over to a woman lying on a hospital bed unconscious; this here is the director's way of incorporating backstory within the plot, bringing out its main internal conflict which also can arise many questions as to why and how she got there. The shot is held on the woman for a while, creating an intimate and dramatic mood as she is slowly zoomed in on. This concept has an intention of making viewers focus and concentrate in order to fully grasp the effect this scene is attempting to create. All these elements within this one, crucial excerpt compose an effective foundation to the films beginning. 


Classicism

 Classicism is an editing concept in which keeps audience members interested due to the way all action is condensed in a way that gets the scene right to the point without leaving out any crucial information that is significant to the plot. This scene is edited in a in which keep the cuts not very noticeable based on the fact that all dialogue is quick and straight to the point rather than attempting to lead the main conflict in. We hear the girl say “Mom was cheating on you” at the start of the scene; that way the main external conflict becomes evident because of how concise everything is, grabbing attention and keeping it throughout this important scene which forms a sense of back story. The quick cuts and brief, yet effective, dialogue builds tension and glorifies all emotion.


Formalism

Formalism is a way for directors to develop a tone within the movie that is juxtaposed from the linear narrative that is mainly established throughout the plot. Although captured in only approximately under a minute, this excerpt from the film demonstrates this editing concept by creating context, further forming a sense of back story. Disregarding real time, the director cuts this scene to establish a new conflict, possibly creating more questions for the audience. This scene takes away from the linear narrative in this film due to the way the scene sort of gets off topic by Matt King (George Clooney) running randomly but, evidently, with purpose.    

Step Outline

Step Outline
                             

Scene	Dramatic Intent
1. Victim, Simon, (innocent boy) sleeping on couch in living room	1. Establishing shot of what will happen to Simon
2. Friend, Gerald, (notorious prankster) creeps into room with suspicious look on his face	2. Introduces antagonist and shows who and what his character is
3. Gerald carefully tiptoes over to sleeping boy with a rope in his hand and mischievous look in his eye	3. Reveals Gerald’s intentions, and what he prank he is planning. Also showing backstory on what he will do and how it will happen
4. Gerald goes to the foot of the couch where Simon’s shoes are and ties his shoes together in a triple knot	4. Reveals Gerald’s first execution of his prank and the audience realizes his level of maturity
5. Gerald goes to Simon’s hands and carefully handcuffs them together behind his back	5. Reveals Gerald’s second execution of his prank. Also shows that Gerald is executing his prank making sure Simon can’t escape unless helped
6. Gerald goes to the head of the couch, carefully brings out an airhorn and blows it in Simon’s ear	6. Gerald’s plan comes into action
7. Simon wakes up startled and turns to Gerald confused. Realizes his hands are cuffed behind his back	7. Demonstrates what obstacle Simon encounters as he must figure out a way to get out of Gerald’s prank
8. Simon, trying to squirm free, begs Gerald for the key back as he mocks him by dangling the key in front of Simon’s face barely within reach	8. Further characterizes Gerald. He is devious and and childish
9. Simon attempts to get up and go after Gerald but falls off the couch and onto the ground, realizing his shoes are tied together but unable to untie them due to the handcuffs	9. Brings out main conflict in story on what Simon must deal with and try to get out of to overcome
10. Simon struggles on the floor trying will ever will in his body attempting to break free while Gerald is outside the door mocking him	10. Audience sees Simon is truly angered and no longer thinks the prank is funny while Gerald has a different perspective
11. Gerald puts the handcuff key on the porch steps and walks away with an accomplished smile on his face without regret or remorse	11. Shows that Gerald is truly relentless when it comes to pranking and proves he doesn’t stop at any extent
12. Cuts to Simon’s dog in the kitchen knocking down a lit candle off the table which lands near a curtain, causing it the enflame	12. Introduces big turning point within story foreshadowing Simon’s fate and Gerald’s life changing mistake
13. Fire grows bigger while Simon remains in the house still trapped unable to make it out alive	13. Shows big conflict and second turning point of story. Also brings out major backstory to antagonist’s mistakes
14. Gerald sees fire from a block away with a worried look on his face realizing Simon hasn’t made it out	14. Gerald realizes what an enormous mistake he has made as he considers everything he has done: kills someone and forever looks at himself as a murderer

Characterization Blog

Ron Swanson of Parks and Recreation

Ron Swanson, otherwise known by his real name Nick Offerman, is the director of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation, which seems to be quite ironic due to his personal logic on why this department should not exist. Ron Swanson's character is a true libertarian who has many strong views on why the screwed up government honestly doesn't matter thinking that it is a "greedy piglet that suckles on a taxpayer's teat until they have sore chapped nipples". Ron also is portrayed as a simple man when it comes to wardrobe and women standards. He dresses simply, nothing conspicuous but not too bland, and enjoys Brunettes. Ron Swanson truly defines the ideal characteristics of a man: strong, literally eats nothing but meat and occasionally eggs, emotionally and physically tough, pro America and has a substantial, thick amount of facial hair. All of his characteristics, ideas, and methods can be demonstrated through his very own "Swanson Pyramid of Greatness" which is a "perfectly calibrated recipe for maximum personal achievement" that will turn you from boys to men, from men to gladiators and from gladiators into Swansons.

Although my main focus is on Ron Swanson's overall manliness, which at times can be challenged, I'd like to talk a little about his interesting laugh and double life. Ron's laugh can represent a whole new idea. His masculine figure and image juxtaposed from his unmanly giggle truly shows what an interesting character he plays. Also, although his co-workers, aside from his apathetic intern April Ludgate, know nothing about his alias, Duke Silver. Ron doubles as a smooth jazz saxophone player who plays at night clubs for all his fans and has Memories of Now, Smooth as Silver, and Hi Ho, Duke.

 Ron Swanson Laugh:

                                     

Ron Swanson a.k.a Duke Silver

          

Chase Jarvis: Nikon D600 Camera

Nikon D600

The DSLR camera over the past several years has revolutionized the video industry in a tremendous way. Since the inception of introducing high definition video capabilities, these cameras have changed the minds of independent filmmakers, advertising agencies, and production companies throughout the United States as well as many foreign countries. It has given them the ability to shoot a variety of video projects both on constrained as well as high-end budgets. The new DSLR Nikon D600 is one of the cameras that can retain many of these qualities. It can record in both high definition formats of 1080i and 720p offering up images that look very cinematic as opposed to using overly expensive film cameras requiring huge crew personnel. Although its competitor, Canon, has come out with these same features a few years ago Nikon is know as being behind the 8-ball on technology.