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Film IB 1 Blockbusters
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Blockbusters Objectives
Who: Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott What: Jaws, Star Wars Episode IV When: Following the success of New American Cinema Where: USA in a time of consumerist growth. Why: Profit (again) Increasing the scale of production
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Links to Theory Audience and Institution: Profit making films, box office success Formalism: Story and Plot – Heroes Journey
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Why were these films so popular with the audience?
Box Office Success Why were these films so popular with the audience? Star Wars (1977) George Lucas $775m Jaws (1975) Steven Spielberg $438m The Exorcist (1973) Grease (1978) The Sting (1973) Saturday Night Fever (1977) (National Lampoon's) Animal House (1978) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) The Godfather (1972) Superman (1978) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977/80) Steven Spielberg Smokey and the Bandit (1977) Blazing Saddles (1974) Rocky (1976) John G. Avildsen The Towering Inferno (1974) American Graffiti (1973) George Lucas One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Stanley Kubrick
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Auteurs of Blockbuster
Draw a profile of your Chosen Auteur Technique Actors Crew Scale Budget Personal styling Camera Stylo Film language Colour Lighting Sound Music Editing technique Interior Meaning Themes Genre conventions Historical or Political Significance George Lucas Steven Speilberg Ridley Scott
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The Heroes Journey Narrative
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The Heroes Journey The heroes journey was a book identifying the key stages in most fairy tales. It was written by Joseph Campbell in a book called ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’ (1949) It’s features apply to most narratives. What genre might you say Star Wars belongs to? To what extent should the rules of screenwriting or ‘a good story’ transcend genre? Memento couldn’t be much different from
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The Heroes Journey The Ordinary World Call to adventure
Refusal of the call Meeting with the mentor Crossing the threshold Tests, Allies and Enemies The Approach/Belly of the Whale The Ordeal The reward, payoff from the ordeal The road back The resurrection The return with the elixir Star Wars was based on the Heroes Journey – George Lucas found the book and used the structure to complete the story for Star Wars.
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The Ordinary World Where the hero is discovered in his/her normal environment, comfortable for them. This is the seed of the adventure. Apply this to the story of Star Wars How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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Call to Adventure The Hero has to do something, a challenge.
Apply this to Star Wars How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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Refusal of the call Doesn’t initially go Apply this to Star Wars
How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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Meeting with the mentor
Can give them the equipment they need Apply this to Star Wars How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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Crossing the threshold
Guarded by a threshold guardian sometimes – e.g. morpheus)– into a new world/place where the adventure will happen. Apply this to Star Wars How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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Tests, Allies and Enemies (the road of trials)
Train them and prepare them, Apply this to Star Wars How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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The Approach, Belly of the whale.
Stage of approach to enter the inmost cave that is in every story (6&7 reversed in the cartoon vid) Apply this to Star Wars How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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The Ordeal (In that cave) face their greatest fears and maybe be transformed by that ordeal Apply this to the story of Memento How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film? (in memento, it’s so mixed up, that the meaning is even more important)
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Payoff from the ordeal The Reward Apply this to Star Wars
How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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Commitment to finish the adventure, with new twists
The Road Back Commitment to finish the adventure, with new twists Apply this to Star Wars How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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The Ressurection hero is challenged again on all levels, and transformed by that, redeemed, resurrected or 10 apotheosis, death – rebirth, comes back as something more after dying to old self. Apply this to Star Wars How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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The Return with the Elixir
Hero returns into his original world with something to share, something he has learned, new story, new love, new wisdom, something as a reward. Apply this to Star Wars How well does it fit? What meaning does it have for the audience, in the context of the film?
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Optional. Play the heroes journey with counters and dice
Optional. Play the heroes journey with counters and dice. Make notes on each section and how it applies to the film you’ve chosen to work with.
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Draw it Sketch out your heroes journey for Star Wars
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Checklist Prepare your checklist for the verbal assessment.
Make a quick note about each stage of the heroes journey. Your 5 minute segment should be for one of those. Explain how your chosen segment relates to the structure of the rest of the film. Explain why this part has meaning for the audience.
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How does this structure apply to a
TOKQ How does this structure apply to a HORROR or a TRAGEDY?
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The Age of the Sequel Blockbusters
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Sequels Particularly in the 1980s, the idea of a sequel become prolific in the US. Art: The meaning created by the film, as understood by the audience response.
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Sequels Do you think the idea of continuing a profitable series of films with sequels is good for the art of film? Art: The meaning created by the film, as understood by the audience response.
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Blockbusters and Sequels
Renactment of a Scene
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The Breakfast Club Time to finish the breakfast club reenactment.
This time, you’re going to do it like the pros!
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Renactment of a scene Pre-Production Script Interpretation (Moxtra)
Storyboard (Celtx) Set Design (Sketch Up) Shot List Camera Blocking Actor Blocking Lighting Costume and Props Roles: Actors/Actresses Director Assistant Director Cinematographer Cameraman Sound Designer Sound Supervisor Editor Script Supervisor
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Production Who is responsible for what aspect of the production?
Coaching the actors and making choices with the cinematographer Delivering the dialogue and action in the script Continuity and organising the crew Operating the microphone, recording ambient foley and music Setting up lighting and agreeing the frames and angles with the director Listening to and checking the dialogue as it’s recorded for problems, helping with the soundscape in final edit Organising the shots and sound into folders . Assembling and cutting the final film and sound Working with actors for ad-lib/improvised dialogue, coaching actors Recording the photography working with the ISO/Shutter speed/focal length and aperture
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Post Production You are all going to attempt an edit of the scene.
The actual scene from the breakfast club can be played on the timeline – replace their clips with yours.
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Criteria Similarity to the original is the key here: Framing/Angle
Sound Pace of the edit Who can cut the most faithful version of the original?
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