"I am big...it's the pictures that got small"

Sunset Boulevard...what a movie. I have heard of it before but never took the time to sit down and watch it. With a consistent theme of the movie business and stardom, this film projects a not so glamorous image of Hollywood. It follows a washed-up silent film star, Norma Desmond, who is desperately trying to get into the spotlight again. She uses a film writer, Joe Gillis, to make her feel wanted and young again. Yet throughout the movie, I found myself sitting there thinking that even with the fame Norma had when she was young, it was not worth losing half of your life to feelings of isolation and unimportance. Even today, as glamorous as celebrities may seem, I do not desire their lifestyle simply because it comes with far too much pressure and attention. It seems that this film was trying to show its audience that the movie-making business is not as glamorous as it seems and that actors/actresses are subject to flaws as well.

Throughout the movie, I found several things that struck me as being unique. I loved the creativity at the beginning of the movie, including the shot of the curb with "Sunset Boulevard" painted on it. Even the way that the credits were being filmed on a moving road boosted the movie's overall effect. Another part of the movie that was unique was that Joe Gillis was the narrator telling his story. By having a narrator, it makes you feel closer to Joe's character as he tells you about his tragedy and even foreshadows several events. In addition, one camera shot at the very beginning was of Joe Gillis floating in Norma's pool, but the shot was underwater, looking up at Joe Gillis' face. It is such a bold camera angle that truly grabs the audience's attention. And the fact that this shot represents the end of the film but was shown at the beginning is another creative element of the movie.

After the movie, we discussed how Sunset Boulevard falls into the genre of movies called film noir. I had never heard of this genre before, but after discussing the elements of film noir, I could gradually see how this film could fit into that category. The fact that it was a black and white film in 1950 is one reason it is part of the film noir genre. It seems that the dark lighting and lack of color add to the darkness and tragedy within the plot. Yet the sound and music was one of the best features of this film by far. The opening scenes of the movie have powerful and suspenseful music that draw you into the story. As the plot and actions of the characters thicken, so does the sound. Yet the sound and music seems to be intensified around Norma. Whether her emotions were dark or uplifted, the music hinted at her present mood. I can understand why this movie won an award for its music; it was powerful and just as much a part of the movie as its acting.

After seeing this movie, it makes me want to see other classic films. The only film that is "old" that I can say I have seen and loved is Gone With the Wind, and I would definitely be interested in increasing this list. I love modern movies, but it seems that they are lacking the classic features that films from decades ago mastered. If anyone has any suggestions as to which movies I should watch, let me know!

Behind the Camera

Medium, medium-long, long, close-up: this list of words represents a small fraction of the amount of camera shots that movie and television crews utilize in the filmmaking industry. It seems mind-boggling. And what makes these shots even more complex is that each of them is used in specific situations and scenes of films. I honestly have never thought about the job of the camera man or that he even had a very difficult job until now. Yet after learning about the different shots and when they are used, I was getting slightly mixed up with the terminology. Imagine being a camera man and having the pressure of taking the correct shots at the correct moments during filming. One incorrect camera angle could evoke the wrong experience for the audience. Needless to say, the job of the camera man is far more intricate than I have ever realized.

In addition, the short videos we watched last Thursday revealed another job behind the scenes that I have never thought much about: the editor. The footage covering the detailed work of the editors for the most recent Star Wars movies was interesting. Although the job title gives it away, I never understood just how much editing an editor would have to do in order to produce a hit film such as Star Wars. And it is not just large chunks of the movie that can be edited all at once. The editing occurs in each scene and for every camera frame that is shot. It made me realize that directors, writers, editors, and the camera crew have equally difficult jobs and no position should be valued above another.

When watching the videos about the making of Lord of the Rings, I was fascinated with the creativity behind the sound editor's job. I have always ignorantly thought that the sounds within movies can simply be made within a computer program and zapped into the film. I had no idea that sound editors had to physically travel to distant zoos or drop boulders in order to create the sounds desired for a movie. The creativity behind this type of position truly suprised me. It makes me respect the movie-making business even more now that I better understand the detailed work that film crews undergo to produce those Blockbuster hits.

Thoughts From the First Day

I have always been a fan of film. Whether I am in the company of television or movies, I have no problem spending days in front of a screen and being entirely unproductive. Growing up on Disney movies (which have been proven to be not so kid-friendly) and Nickelodeon, I have gained a love for films of all kinds and have a collection that grows every year.

Yet Thursday's class caused me to realize that film has not always been so technologically advanced. Even modernly, film itself is still developing and changing. I was excited to see Avatar and witness the ground-breaking technology that was used to make the movie. It was definitely a milestone for film. After seeing such an advanced film production, it's fascinating to think that only 100 years or so ago film was just beginning.

I find it amusing that people were intrigued by watching ordinary scenes such as the arrival of a train. As simple as such scenes were, it makes sense that people were excited by the fact that they could watch moving pictures and recordings of real life situations simply because they had never experienced it before.

After watching Neil Patrick Harris in a musical scene from How I Met Your Mother, I thought about all of the things to consider in order to create those few minutes of the show. With the music, choreography, lighting, scenery, camera angles, and additional elements to consider, the entire process of making a scene from a television show or film seems overwhelming. I now understand why the credits at the end of movies seem to be never-ending.

I believe that the metaphor stating that the camera is the audience's eye is quite accurate. The camera and its recordings allow the audience to experience a journey or situation from a different perspective. This seems to be a primary reason that many people, including myself, enjoy film so much: it allows them to experience and be a part of a story. Whether this story is realistic or not, most people are drawn to the world of film and the feelings it provokes within them.