Wednesday 28 March 2012
Tuesday 6 March 2012
MDA1700 - Assessment 03 - Visual Essay - Melancholia
For the 3rd summative assessment we were asked to make a visual essay on any aspect of 'film'.
While initially, I found this very difficult as I had never had to do a video essay before, after deciding to base it on one of my favourite films: Melancholia, by Lars Von Trier, I started planning out how I can use the grand imagery of the film to put across the main point of my essay, which is how the film itself, featuring many auteur qualities of Von Trier, is not a typical disaster film.
Unfortunately, due to the software used to get the clips from the DVD, there is a watermark on the essay. If I make a visual essay again for this course, I will try to find another way to get the clips, avoiding the watermark
.
While initially, I found this very difficult as I had never had to do a video essay before, after deciding to base it on one of my favourite films: Melancholia, by Lars Von Trier, I started planning out how I can use the grand imagery of the film to put across the main point of my essay, which is how the film itself, featuring many auteur qualities of Von Trier, is not a typical disaster film.
Unfortunately, due to the software used to get the clips from the DVD, there is a watermark on the essay. If I make a visual essay again for this course, I will try to find another way to get the clips, avoiding the watermark
.
Sunday 4 March 2012
MDA1800 - Assessment 03 - Silent Film Scenario
For the third Assessment for this module, we were asked to write a 3 minute silent short filmable scenario:
The main inspiration for this piece came from a song: 'This is What Makes us Girls' by Lana Del Rey.
The song, I feel, evokes feelings of nostalgia, and really feels like it is being told from the point of view of a person, knowing the best times of their life have gone by, looking back and wanting to reclaim the happy memories of their past.
I feel that while her friend's death is tragic, it acts as a key for Maria, unlocking a door, so to speak, and allowing her to move on from her abusive present, after trying to re-invoke the past and moving to a possibly brighter future.
1800Assessment 03
The main inspiration for this piece came from a song: 'This is What Makes us Girls' by Lana Del Rey.
The song, I feel, evokes feelings of nostalgia, and really feels like it is being told from the point of view of a person, knowing the best times of their life have gone by, looking back and wanting to reclaim the happy memories of their past.
I feel that while her friend's death is tragic, it acts as a key for Maria, unlocking a door, so to speak, and allowing her to move on from her abusive present, after trying to re-invoke the past and moving to a possibly brighter future.
1800Assessment 03
Saturday 3 March 2012
MDA1700 - Weeks 13-18 - Challenges to the Mainstream
Starting with French New Wave and ending with Postmodernism, in the past six weeks we have looked at a variety of film movements which have gone against the more conventional styles of cinema we started looking at.
I have previously watched the film 'A bout de Soufflé' (Breathless) and I found it as entertaining then as I did now. I enjoy the look and 'feel' of the film, and the almost disjointed, yet almost 'stylish' editing.
I had never really studied the French New Wave movement, and found the lecture and seminar interesting, particularly how the movement utilisex their less-convention style of editing, and its almost disruptive effect in the film.
I also enjoyed the documentary 'Close-Up', which though I missed in the screening, I watched in my own time. Being Half-Iranian, I foudn it interesting to watch and consider in my studies, a film relating to what is a part of my own culture so to speak.
One film viewed as part of this module which had a particularly poignant effect on me was 'The Trial' directed by Orson Welles based on Franz Kafkas novel. From slight research before the screening, I knew to expect the downcast ending and confusion throughout the film, yet the film itself still had an effect on me. While the plot itself confused me at times, and If eel the film dragged on quite a bit, I found certain aspects to the film engaging and interesting.
For example, I found the animation-esque imagery at the start involving the story of the gate and a man being denied access very interesting, as I feel the visuals were different and something I had not seen before, and the story itself complemented the narrative of the film.
Throughout the film, as it was clear form the start the protagonist wasn't exactly set-up for a victory, there was a melancholic and almost belittled feel, which I believe was complemented by the almost fascist mise-en-scene, (i.e. the large, dark, towering structures and how even the sets themselves seem to look down upon and belittle audiences and the protagonist).
I also found the ending quite 'difficult' to watch; not in the sense that I foudn it shocking or frightening, just because of how after witnessing the character's struggle to get himself 'cleared', and all he had been through and the journey we as an audience had gone on with him, his life was ended brutally, with no real explanation. This, I suppose, was one of the main aims of the film with regards to audience response.
I have previously watched the film 'A bout de Soufflé' (Breathless) and I found it as entertaining then as I did now. I enjoy the look and 'feel' of the film, and the almost disjointed, yet almost 'stylish' editing.
I had never really studied the French New Wave movement, and found the lecture and seminar interesting, particularly how the movement utilisex their less-convention style of editing, and its almost disruptive effect in the film.
I also enjoyed the documentary 'Close-Up', which though I missed in the screening, I watched in my own time. Being Half-Iranian, I foudn it interesting to watch and consider in my studies, a film relating to what is a part of my own culture so to speak.
One film viewed as part of this module which had a particularly poignant effect on me was 'The Trial' directed by Orson Welles based on Franz Kafkas novel. From slight research before the screening, I knew to expect the downcast ending and confusion throughout the film, yet the film itself still had an effect on me. While the plot itself confused me at times, and If eel the film dragged on quite a bit, I found certain aspects to the film engaging and interesting.
For example, I found the animation-esque imagery at the start involving the story of the gate and a man being denied access very interesting, as I feel the visuals were different and something I had not seen before, and the story itself complemented the narrative of the film.
Throughout the film, as it was clear form the start the protagonist wasn't exactly set-up for a victory, there was a melancholic and almost belittled feel, which I believe was complemented by the almost fascist mise-en-scene, (i.e. the large, dark, towering structures and how even the sets themselves seem to look down upon and belittle audiences and the protagonist).
I also found the ending quite 'difficult' to watch; not in the sense that I foudn it shocking or frightening, just because of how after witnessing the character's struggle to get himself 'cleared', and all he had been through and the journey we as an audience had gone on with him, his life was ended brutally, with no real explanation. This, I suppose, was one of the main aims of the film with regards to audience response.
Friday 2 March 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)