Alice Guy-Blanche

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?

She is the creator of one of the first narrative films known as The Cabbage Fairy at a time period when only scenes of everyday life was captured on film. Although she shot scenes of everyday life and some travelogues, her most significant work came from these narratives. Her style became the basis of modern films. She used special effect techniques such as double exposures, masking, and reverse of video and audio. Furthermore, her hand-colored films became popular in music-hall attractions. Her inter-racial casting, audio recordings system known as the Chronophone, biblical stories, personally owned studio, and music videos also made her films unusual for her period.

Louis Le Prince

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  is regarded as the father of cinematography because he captured motion outside his home with a working model which ultimately became the basis for film. He was the inventor of the 16-lens camera which was "one of the most ground breaking inventions of early cinema." This invention utilized paper-bak stripping film which allowed him to successfully project moving images before those of Edison and Lumiere. I was surprised that a man with such high technological skill was not widely recognized due to his unknown death. 

Early Film Scavenger Hunt

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?

I liked this early silent film because the main character was able to express emotions effectively with only facial expressions and body language. It was unmistakable when the character was in panic or when he was trying to impress the pretty women that came by. It was interesting how they were able to incorporate a realistic lion into their scene. Especially since computer graphics were not yet developed during the time period, I suppose they used a well-trained lion to shoot the scene. One thing I noticed as I skimmed through the silent films was that their use of music was very important to the scene. Because the films had no sound to the original footage, music played a vital part to the short films. Furthermore, most of the silent films had a a narrower aspect ratio compared to those that are common to modern day movies. It was an aspect ratio I noticed were widely used today when replicating old films. 

Earliest Films

What qualities do these early films share? Why do you think the filmmakers shot these? How do they differ from modern movies?

These early films do not have sounds or a story. They are usually shot inside of a studio where they are performing in front of a black curtain. Most of these are in black in white besides some that are hand-tinted. Either way, with the early technology, they were not able to capture color. I believe filmmakers shot these as an experiment or stock footage. For example, they may have shot the sneezing scene in order to keep as stock footage for anyone later on who is interested in watching how people sneezed in those days. In comparison, modern movies are produced by large sound production teams and have a story. Feature films are usually longer, lengthening up to two hours.

Muybridge

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 is known for his iconic sequential photographs, opening the door to photography about time and motion. He used his zoopraxiscope to shoot unusual subjects in an unusual way that may raise eye brows today. However, this contributed to the closing of the gap between science and art. His sequential photos answered scientific studies that were not able to be answered without precise details from a photo. I found it most interesting that many scientists did not believe his sequential photos of a horse galloping. Because the breaking down of motion was such an uncommon technology, some believed the horses looked too strange to be true. Despite skeptics, his contribution to scientific studies was significant.

Chronography

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 motion studies both contributed to the development of motion pictures in an artistic and a technological way. For example, the innovation of the chronophotography technique brought forth the futurism movement. It opened the eyes of photographers to become more creative in their work instead of simply taking photos of people or landscapes. These techniques allowed the creativity that can be found in other art forms such as paintings and sculptures. As of the technological aspect, Marey's photographic gun allowed more frames to be shot in a second, a technology that later allows the rise of frames. An increased frame rate per second allowed the frames to be seen in sequence, therefore creating the illusion of motion.

8 Inovations in Photography

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 wouldn't have had filmmaking without the invention of photography because films are countless numbers of photos known as frames. Without the ability to capture frames, films would not be able to be created. The Camera Obscura marked the beginning of photography. It was the very first attempt to project the outside world onto a screen which is the basic concept of filmmaking. Although the information was not able to be stored, it opened the possibilities of such technology. Then came the Calotype. The invention of using photosensitive paper to preserve visual information became highly commercialized because of the ease of production. Thus, it was able to reach a wider audience who became the next generation to invent new photographic methods that helped with the development of filmmaking. The Flexible Roll film was invented 40 years after the Calotype. Photography finally became easily accessible to amateurs because the Flexible Roll was significantly more light weight than glass plates. Because the time needed to shoot is cut down, people were able to take multiple photos in quick session. This eventually evolved to multiple frames per second, leading to the first motion picture.

The Phantasmagoria

What was the Phantasmagoria? After reading this article, write a reflection on what elements of the Phantasmagoria became adopted into the development of movies.

A Phantasmagoria Robertson's horror show which included ghosts, the afterlife, and the spirits. It was a show made possible with his knowledge of optics that allowed ghosts to appear real. He also utilized smoke and lanterns to create a spooky effect for the audience. His horror elements of Phantasmagoria became adopted into the development of current movies. Today, horror movies are vastly popular especially in the Halloween season. These movies use various visual strategies such as special effects makeup and post production to increase the realism of the movie, much like how Robertson used technological strategies to create a realistically spooky show.

Early Humans and Animated Art

What role does lighting play in the caves? How might these painting have 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 brightness and location of the lights inside the cave changes the way in which the art inside the cave is viewed. If lights can be placed in the correct positions as the ancient times, we would still be able to see the sights early humans enjoyed. The early paintings may have been used to tell stories, including the effects of the flickering lights. The range in which the lamp's light can reach is a vital tool in storytelling using cave art. Early artists used superimposition and sequences to paint on the walls of the cave. Both of these techniques produced animation-like effects by using flickering lights. I believe they painted with these images in order to tell the story in an effective fashion with the resources and technology that was available to them.

The Top 10 PSAs

Pick one that interests you then embed it into your blog. What makes this PSA so engaging? Why does it stand out to you?

https://youtu.be/xayd1c0wtOE

This PSA is engaging because it includes a catchy song. Songs can engage the audience while also including important information about the social issue. It stood out to me because compared to the other PSAs which are more serious, this PSA used a comical effect in their video. This light hearted take on the issue allowed more of the audience to continue watching the video. The video was able to clearly address the problem with a simple set up. Although it was simple, the pills were nicely coordinated and entertaining to watch.

The Fairness Doctrine

Considering when the FCC finally scrapped it, (2011) how has this affected our national broadcast media and the national discourse? Do you think the fairness doctrine should stay dead or be brought back? Why?

The fall of the Fairness Doctrine meant that broadcasters were no longer required to broadcast important social issues that may be controversial. This meant the broadcaster did not have to display the various viewpoints of an issue anymore. I think the Fairness Doctrine should stay alive because it allows people to be more aware of how other people may view a certain social issue. However, it will be hard to bring back the Fairness Doctrine because it will be largely unpopular to the broadcasters because no one would want to make their station controversial. They would much rather stay out of political upheavals and focus on the entertainment business.

The Crash Test Dummies

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?

Previously, ads promoting seat belts used horrific examples of what can potentially happen if a driver or people in the car did not use their seat belts. However, the new approach gave the same message in a more humorous way using crash test dummies. The crash test dummies became a highly popular PSA, earning more than $337 in donated time, making the iconic dummies into a celebrity. The widespread recognition the dummies got for the PSA finally gave the viewers the an idea of the dangers of driving without a seatbelt. Thus, seatbelt usage steadily rose, saving tens and thousands of lives every year.

Fall Semester Wrapup (blog from 12/22/17)

As our semester draws to a close, take some time to reflect on what you've learned. Write down three things that you've learned and how they will improve your video projects in the future. For those that are continuing into next semester, also list three things that you are looking forward to learning in the Spring. Why do you want to learn these things? What do you want to concentrate on doing better? What could you improve? What kind of projects are you looking forward too?

Things I have learned

1. I learned that the pre-production process is a lot more necessary than I believed previously. The entire process of pre-production seemed to be excruciatingly long when I first learned the concept, but as I completed the pre production for my group projects, I noticed various points that needed to be addressed before shooting. It allowed me to look back at my plan thoroughly and understand which points I have missed and how the entire video flows throughout. 

2. I learned the competitive nature of the film industry. One of the most memorable experiences in the first semester was the face-to-face interview I had with a person who was currently working as a filmmaker. We talked for over an hour about his experiences and his advice for future filmmakers who are interested in film. It was very memorable how he emphasized the harsh realities of payment and employment in the competitive industry. It gave me a better insight on what kind of mindset I needed if I were to think about professionally working as a filmmaker.

3. I learned the different perks and setbacks of various softwares. Coming into SVCTE, I assumed that Premiere Pro was above all, the best editing software out there. However, as I worked with the software, I became aware that it is more effective to utilize different soft wares for different uses. For example, Davinci Resolve is strong in color grading, regarding that the editing and the grading feature is built into the same program. Premiere Pro, on the other hand, is stronger at handling special effects. Because Premiere Pro is a much more popular software, there are more plugins that can be downloaded to enhance the video. Furthermore, AVIUTL is strong on graphics, as every bit of the motion and shape of a graphic can be altered one's ideal style.

Thing I want to learn in the spring

1. This spring, I want to be able to learn how to use more film making equipment to enhance my videos. For starters, I want to be able to use the Osmo Pro for a more cinematic, stable shot. Being able to use this will help improve my videos, regarding how much lighter the camera is compared to the large Sony camcorders. Therefore, the Osmo can be carried to places that would have been too dangerous on the camcorders.

2. I want to be able to use different setting for videos. For example, I want to use 4K to shoot my videos to give me more room to image stabilize, crop, or use other ways of altering the footage without lowering the video quality below 1080. Regarding how the Osmo has the capability to shoot in 4K, I am excited to see how this high resolution will give me more options in post. Furthermore, I want to learn which cameras are able to shoot in Raw, to see the difference in flexibility when putting it into color grading. It will be interesting to see a non-grainy footage even when the exposure is increased.

3. I am excited to learn how to shoot a music video in the spring semester. Before I came to this class, the type of content I was making was mainly focused on creating videos that match perfectly to the music. Music videos can give me all of the flexibility to perform interesting color grading that came off as unnatural in normal films.

Semester XP (blog from 12/21/17)

What do you feel was the most difficult part of your experience in this class this semester? What are three of the biggest challenges you had this semester?

1. I feel like the most difficult part of my experience this semester was trying to keep all the work for film during film hours. Originally, I took this class so I am able to have a set amount of time to do what I enjoy doing the most. However, as I got more involved and got more inspiration on different aspects of film, it became difficult to focus on my schoolwork outside of SVCTE because I kept on getting distracted by the temptation to watch another practical video, find sound effects, or an editing tutorial video to cut down the time spent during lab time doing these activities that can be done at home.

2. In addition to the inability to focus on my school work, I found it difficult to work as a group in projects. Because I was used to creating videos on my own without outside influence, I did not understand how to communicate my vision to others or how to incorporate ideas of others to my idea. Thus, for example in the suspense scene, my attempt to incorporate my group member's ideas in the storyboard ended up as fully using my original storyboard. My teammates only fully understood how the video was going to be edited after I showed them a rough cut. 

3. During the semester, I had the hardest time trying to find time in class to finish projects and practicals. Some practicals require more time than there are left after the lectures, while others require assistance from the teacher because the equipment was never explained. Thus, it goes back to my very first problem in which my attempt to finish work that can be done at home disrupts my time to do other necessary responsibilities outside of SVCTE as well as cutting down on sleep. Although this is effective to a certain degree because it clears up time to spend on practicals, it creates another problem as stated in the first point. This ongoing loop of not have enough time during and out of class is by far the biggest challenge I faced during this semester.

The Ad Council

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?

The Ad Council is America's largest producer of public service advertising. They develop campaigns to advertise a certain cause during the donated ad time. Their mission is to "identify a select number of significant public issues and stimulate action on issues through communications programs that make a measurable difference in our society." The only campaign I recognize is Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign. This campaign was effective because it was well advertised through TV shows and collaboration with other organizations. In addition, this movement was successful because the campaign hit a specific audience with a concern that many parents face with their children.

History of PSA

Where did public service announcements begin? What was their main purpose? How have they evolved throughout the decades?

PSAs began during WWII, spreading through radio broadcasters as propaganda. These PSAs advocated the listeners to buy War Bonds necessary for the war. This practice continued after the war in what is now known as a PSA. Their main purpose was to spread nationwide campaigns for a certain cause supported by a non-profit organization. Post-world war PSAs often included the topic of civil rights, environment conservation, and cancer treatment. One significant impact of the popularized PSAs were the anti-tobacco campaigns which eventually caused a decline in smokers as well as a law passed against advertising of cigarettes. However, as media platforms began to suffer from competition and the concept of PSAs began to be criticized, the idea of supplying free ad time came to be seen as unprofitable as well as being unnecessarily controversial, therefore causing an overall decline in PSAs seen in media.

Intro to the PSA

How is a public service announcement different from a commercial? Why are they not seen as often compared to in the past?

Compared to a PSA, commercials are paid advertising. On the other hand, time for the PSA is donated by the broadcaster for the specific public interest. They often appear during low-viewing  time slots because it is considered to be less of a loss when donating the time. However, it is very effective for a popular TV station to air a PSA during high-viewing hours if it is for an impactful cause in the local community. These PSAs are becoming less common compared to the past because PSAs don't directly benefit he broadcaster financially. The TV stations are far more interested in branding themselves with self-advertising.

Spring Semester Goals

If you'll remember, at the beginning of the fall semester we blogged about your goals. Revisit those goals in your first entry of the Spring Semester.

Look back at your goals that you set in the fall, did you achieve them? Why or why not? How can you make steps or corrections to achieve these goals? Where will you need to look to gather help or resources?

1. Learn new editing technics and master the process of editing in Premiere Pro

Although I am now comfortable with Premiere Pro, I am far from considering myself a master at editing in this software. I still do not have the skills to control retime controls, basic color grading, and the color map. As starters, I need to learn how to read the color graphs to help me execute basic color correction

2. Understand how to use film making equipment properly

Overall, I have a good understanding of when and how to use the equipment. Although I still have a lot of equipment to take practicals on, I can always go on youtube or ask the teacher how to use the equipment.

3. Create more visually pleasing shots

This goal was achieved to a certain degree Through the suspense scene project, I learned how being creative with shot can pay off. Because the lenses on the camcorders have large apertures therefore tending to create wider shots, theres is little bokeh to be found that can elegantly separate the subject from the background. This semester, I want to be able to interchange between lenses to create more aesthetically pleasing sequences.