Short Film Treatment

An old house with a neat lawn. The front door of the house opens and an old man steps out. An old man is wearing khaki pants, a coat, and a billed hat , as he relaxingly closes the door to his house.

He is walking on the street and looks to his left. He sees an electronics store where a customer is helping out another man who is getting an item for his son; his son is very exciting, eager to get his hands on the device.

The man arrives at old fashioned coffee shop. He lethargically opens the door. The waiter behind the counter says to the old man “good morning Bob” the old man replies “good morning”. “black coffee like always?”. “Yes, thank you”. The waiter then asks him “Are you sure you don’t want to try our new espresso?” The old man grunts. The old man takes out some crumpled old dollars and places them on the counter. The waiter puts the daily newspaper on the counter in exchange. The old man takes the seat of his choosing. The waiter puts a napkin on the table. He grabs the daily newspaper, and opens it up. In the corner of the of his eye he sees two kids playing their video game. He waves the page in front of him to reestablish his vision.
The old man gently moves the chess piece across the table. His counterpart then places the opposite colored piece across the table. The old men have a casual conversation about their recent lives. The old man, continuing his conversation, is about to move another piece when a kid knocks over the table. The old man is looks confused. The little boy casually reacts “ohh” and continues running and plays with his friends. The old man’s friend asks the old man if he wants to start over. The old man begins to put on his jacket “no my son is coming over with his kid. I haven’t met the boy yet”. He walks away with his hands in his pockets.
The old man is sitting on the couch when the doorbell rings. Father walks in and greets the old man. Father is about to introduce his son, but he is playing his videogame: “Ey i told you to put that away in the car, say hello to grandpa Bob”. “Hello”. They pause for a second. Father says “I brought some food”, they all transition to the dinner table where they take out the boxes of food.

As the dad sets up dinner, the kid resumes playing his video game. The old man seems a little concerned. He looks around his house to remind himself of his purity.

They finish up eating as the old man and father talk. Father excuses the kid. once he leaves, the old man questions why he raising his kid that way. The father is a bit skeptical, but concludes “Things aren’t the same as they use to be”. The old man seems to be irritated, and looks back down at his food.

One day, the old man is reading on his chair, when he hears the little kid scream in anger. The old man walks in and the boy is screaming at the game. The old man does not understand why the boy is mad. The boy continues to scream. The old man yells at him to quiet down, and he breaks the game. The kid begins to cry in confusion. the old man tells the kid to relax, but the kid ignores him, and screams louder. Father walks in “what is going on?”. The old man tries to explain himself, but the kid, much louder and abrupt, is also telling his dad what had happened. The dad goes over and picks up the broken game. Father is appalled by the old man, and tells his son “Jessie, I’ll buy you a new one, lets go” . .. “You can’t do this dad, you need to understand that you cant”. The old man is very confused, and doesn’t understand what he did wrong, as his family walks out the door.

Ideologies in Film

1) Ideologies in film refer to the meanings, virtues, or values that attempted to be portrayed in a film through its different elements. These elements include great concentration in the plot, a narration, in the characters, or perhaps even in the setting (time period and location). These different approaches the film makers have fall under two categories: explicit and implicit. Explicit ideologies is what a character or the director/producer decide is the subject behind the film. This is usually portrayed in the surface in the film. On the other hand, implicit ideologies require more analytical thinking, for it is not direct, but is left in the hands of the audience.

2) One actor that generally appeals to me through his strong-hearted, tough persona is Samuel L. Jackson. Samuel L. Jackson usually plays the role of a strong character who goes beyond the expected to achieve what he desires. In Pulp Fiction, he plays a bad ass detective who serves justice very harshly to his culprits. In the beginning of the film, he opens by reciting a rather scary biblical quote before he kills a man. Another film that reflects this strong character is his role as a coach on the movie Coach Carter. His aggressive character allows former thuggish players to cooperate and brings them to the championship. He defies the typical rules set by the league by expecting more from his players/students. Last, his role in Snakes on a Plane also depicts his expected role, as he takes control over all of the passengers on the plane and leads them to safety against vicious, poisonous snakes.

3)One film that i really enjoy is the film Gladiator, and I enjoy it so so much for its acting, especially from the antagonist Commodus played by Joaquin Pheonix. I like this character so much because the filmmaker gives him a discrete complexity to his character. All he initially wants in the film is to be loved and cared for by his father, but his inability to receive this love flusters him, turning him to be a rather bad and evil person. The values that i am being asked to reject is that resentment is a very bad characteristic, for Commoduses resentment for Maximus (protagonist) eventually leads to his death. His character generally disgusts the audience; thus, allowing, on the other hand, a stronger bond with the protagonist. The final consequences from a film maker's anticipation can be dramatic, because things may not turn out as wanted.

4) Film ideologies or eras may begin to change, for the society around us may change. Large, global, or even national events may affect a film makers decision of what he wants to film. This is also due to the fact that society usually prefers things that are more current. Along with that, film eras may change because new trends that are successful will be followed by other film makers because they now it was successful. This is very apparent in the recent film Avatar.considering how successful this film was, many other films following this one tried the 3d effect, fantasy type films because they also thought it would be successful like Avatar was.

5) I believe films can effect me without me being consciously aware of it. The arts have a subliminal effect to many; they are able to manipulate its audience as pleased. perhaps this is because in films, we become attached to the characters to an extent in which we admire them. this admiration wants us to mock some of the characteristics that the characters in the film hold. This is also exemplified by the fact that film was used as a propaganda tool for Lenin prior to World War II in order for people to be encouraged to support the war effort.

6) Suspension of disbelief is when we ignore the realism within films, and apply realism to the setting of any fictional film in order for the audience to be more compelled to the film. We "suspend" the fat that the film is in a very unorthodox setting also for us as an audience to enjoy it more. This is apparent in the film 300. This film takes place in very active and uniquely colored settings in order for the audience to be more visually appealed, despite the fact that we know it is fake. It enhances the effects of the film, making the film more awful and, thus, more successful.

7) The financial supporters of the film do have an influence on the ideologies of the film. Since they are immensely contributing to the production of the film, they are given a large say in what is going to be produced in the film. Although they are not the creative minds developing the plot or the story, they contribute to the over arching themes or values that they wish to be developed. This is also true not only in films, but in T.V. shows and other forms of media such as commercials or internet advertising.

Writing About Film

The first type of film papers is formal analysis. A formal analysis paper is similar to a passage analysis paper in a book: it focuses on small, yet vital portions of the film, and analyze it in relation to the film as a whole. This focus allows for scrutiny of the different aspects of film making, such as: how the director manipulated lighting, the dialogue, the coloring, the framing, and the editing of a particular scene. This also allows the writer to get insight on the director's intent as reflected n that particular aspect of the film.

The other type of film papers is film history. This type of writing reflects the history that the film made, the history that the film reflects, or the history of making the film and its intent. For instance, the film, 'The patriot" reflects the U.S. war of independence and their victory. Also, the film Taxi Driver perhaps reflects Robert Dinero's own youth, as he was surrounded by a terrible environment in New York.
Another type of film writing is Ideological papers. These papers target to extract beliefs that are withheld in a film. Directors intentionally portray certain beliefs within a film in order to condone them or negate them. This type of writing delves into the director's intent and how he portrays his intentions through settings and characters.

Another is culture studies. This studies the culture portrayed in the film as shown by character virtues and the setting they are placed.
The last type of film writing is discussion of the auteur. This focuses on on the single individual or vision that created the piece. Assuming this, it is a critique of their approach on the vision and how it is portrayed to the audience.
annotating a film sequence is labeling each shot in a sequence and determining how it contributed to the sequence as a whole, and thus, the film as a whole. This is very beneficial because it is a great preparation to analyze and look at the film as a whole.
What is meant by "Thinking behind the Frame" is to research or wonder what is behind the work that is physically seen. This includes the author's intent, and how it may relate to his/her biography. Along with that, look at the film in context of the time and period and what had occurred during that time and why the event portrayed is important to that time period.

Taxi driver-5 min

The 5 minutes of the film "Taxi Driver" that i will be focusing on is in the rising action of the film, directly after Travis Bickle talks to the other taxi driver in order to see his perspective on the taxi driving life. This aspect of the film is important because it illustrates Bickle's intent in wanting to be a taxi driver as opposed to any other job -- it highlights the problems that occur in New York, and the job gives much exposure to the filth that is within New York. It combines all of Travis' motives and heighten his anger that he releases in the resolution of the film.

Along with that, this highlights the intent of the piece: An outlier in a corrupted society tries to defy how society is ran in order to stabilize the city, even if by means of committing acts of destruction himself. Through creating such an unattractive and and almost cynical anti-hero, director Robert Dinero hopes to portray his own view on New York life. Perhaps he portrays it with such tormenting images and events because he may have experienced a similar life when he lived in New York himself.

This is probably the main reason why he was inspired to become a priest when he was younger. Through this film he and his anti-hero, Travis, he hopes to visualize the potential revelation that the city of New York can undergo, even if it is through the smallest units, such as an ordinary individual. Travis, in this sense, becomes Robert Dinero's icon; Travis begins the process of revelation, an act that Robert Dinero himself hoped to accomplish.
In addition, i chose this aspect of the film because it covers all of the main recurring motifs and images that are portrayed in the film. In this film their is many recurring images and motifs: drugs, sexuality, isolation, and racism.
These images and motifs seem to be popular in some of Robert Deniro's films. A prime example of this is the film raging bull as Robert Deniro stars as a boxer who breaks up from his wife and child and constantly shows his sexual jealousy and eagerness.

Similar to his attempt to date the campaigning women, in Raging Bull he is desperate to have a girlfriend by his side. Through this role of women in relation to the protagonist, Deniro hopes to create the dynamic of the complexity that society has through the intricate role of women. Travis is eager to love a women, but at the same time despises them for their degrading acts such as prostitution.
In this portion of the film, he combines both his negative portrayal of women and his racism; thus, enhancing his motives that are revealed in the resolution of the film. In this particular scene, a prostitute is being antagonized by a group of young adults; the focus is on the black kid who stares back at Travis.

Directly after Travis talks to a fellow taxi driver who helps convey to the audience why the job of being a taxi driver is so interesting and important and, in turn, essential to the plot. The man explains the complexity of the "night life" which implies why Travis was so fascinated with the job which also helps characterize Travis a bit further.

This portion of the film assembles all of the key components of the film to help create a pathway to the climax of the film, where Travis physically demonstrates his lingering intentions.

Blog Response- The American Anti-Hero

The rise of the anti-hero expanded the realm of the cinematic art, and equipped it with a tie between the events that occur in the real world and the creativity of film making. An anti hero is a reflection of our historical selves. As events heated up in the 20th century, the need for an anti-hero in films quickly arose. The anti-hero within films was a powerful way to depict events and the emotions that tied along with these events. Before anti-heroes were used in films, film makers portrayed real life only through a realistic style of shooting. This included longer shot durations and less cutting. The addition of the anti-hero was an outlet to escape the realistic style, yet still accurately coney events that occurred in the world. Along with that, this also allowed for the escape the overused approach of hero-villain scenario: "The spice of a story, the element that makes it more than simple heroes and villains lies within the character of the Antihero".

This transition of the depiction of real events being portrayed by individuality has increased the emotional output displayed in film. By taking this approach, we become tied to the character as he faces what can be a manifestation of the real world's current problems. These are the most compelling protagonist because although we usually will not be able to relate to them as the audience, we admire their independence and courage. This is exemplified by Travis Bickle in Martin Scorcese's "Taxi Driver".

Travis Bickle is a very unorthodox character, as he clearly is inexperienced at communicating with others. He is secluded not only in a social level, but a mental one as well. He is "a character, who violently deals with being "dislocated"" (Kolker 181). Although his thoughts are very rational to the common audience, within the film his view on life contradicts the people he is surrounded by; he wishes to end the filth that recurs in New York City while others promote it. Although his actions are definitely out of the ordinary and very extreme, we are sympathetic towards him because we understand that he is innocent within his own mind. It is very relieving to the audience that, in the end, he is rewarded for being the couragous and honest character that he consistently is.
The incorporation of an anti hero contradicts the forms of classicism because the purpose of each form is very different. Classicism suggests that things are directly related to one another, and the fast cutting enhances this idea of cause and effect. But with an anti hero, it contradicts classicism because the anti hero is somewhat absorbs these problems within this one character, and through his action he produces the effects. This doesn't necessarily have fast cutting as well; with anti heroes, fast cutting is much more selective. These anti-heros become virtually heroes within the film media, and are accurately chosen as they are symbolic for something larger, hat can be reflected in real life. These characters are inspiring: "the goal of the warrior/hero is not long life, but glorious life followed by glorious death"(Fitch www.usask.ca).

Blog Response- Article- Intensified Continuity

David Bordell's concept of intensified continuity has greatly revolutionized the cinematic arts. Intense Continuity is continuity that creates cinematic incoherence and stylistic fragments. This idea of intensified continuity had not developed, or was not adopted until the 1960s. Prior to this, films had generally followed the idea of realism in which the focus of continuity was displayed through elongated shots and a lack of cuts. This preserved the realism within the film which, in turn, made for absolute coherence in the film. Yet this style was soon revolutionized when new lenses, camera movements, faster cuts, and closer shots were integrated.
With the addition of extreme lenses in a film, the ability to create more coverage within scenes. Polarized lenses, such as narrow lenses as opposed to the more commonly used wide-angled lenses. The use of narrow angle lenses created a much more discrete depth of field which, in turn, allowed their to be more concentration within each shot. Along with that, this use of extreme lenses allowed for the creation of more surreal images. This not only amused the audience to a much larger degree, but it also allowed for an expansion of narratives. Film makers were enabled to film more radical narratives that were well-supplied by the use of extreme images.
Faster cuts is what defined "intensified cutting". The use of faster cuts had greatly sped up the pace of the film. Action became much more substantial as events took place in frames that lasted less than 3 seconds on average. The introduction of this technique heightened the effects in action, thrillers, and horror films. Faster cutting has been so affective and appealing to the audience that it dominates the modern world. This was a large transition that marked the largest innovation in cinematic art.
The integration of camera movements has also greatly enhanced film production. With the addition of camera movements and tracking shots, the audience is more compelled to the actions of the film as the camera itself brings them closer to the film itself, as if they are participating in the events themselves. Tracking shots and panning had also added to the affect of bringing focus to the frame. This is exemplified by directional movements; thus, adding to the dynamics of camera movements. In some cases, this addition to the cinematic arsenal has also allowed the camera itself to adopt a personality of its own. Depending on its movements and role within the film, the camera becomes very affective in making the audience feel as if they are interacting with the actors within the film themselves.
Last, the use of closer framing added the emotional aspect of this cinematic revolution. As the use of close-ups and extreme close-ups became more prominent, the connection between the audience and the actors grew. As the audience is closer to the action of the film, they feel a larger emotional attachment to the events that are occurring. This supplemented the fast cutting as the audience begins to feel the intensity of the action.
Although their were many strong additions to the film industry, this adaption did come with some minor discrepancies. The abandoning of a more realistic style of filming lost a sense of continual continuity. Film became a bit more choppy, and lost some sense of realism within the film; Events within the film were not fully depicted in the scenes. Despite this loss, overall, films use of "intensified continuity" has strongly aided film into what it has become today.

Blog- Advanced Editing Notes- Overview/Classical Paradigm

1) Their are clear differences in the camera works of "Arrival of a Train" which reflects a more realism style of shooting and "Damsel in Distress" which reflects more of a classicism style of shooting. In "Arrival of a rain" the camera is static in one position as it is in one spot as an ordinary train is passing by. This realism style of filming was very compelling in the time period of this film because it was the first step to actual film making. Yet in retrospect, we generally look at this film as boring, for the camera is static and it is a dragged on shot to commit to continuity of the action.
"Damsel in Distress" on the other hand, has a much different approach on film making than "Arrival of a Train". The shots within this film were much more diverse and, therefore, had much more coverage and composition. This focused on different objects or people at different times to reflect a relationship between two things in order to show cause and effect. In addition, the shots used contain much more close-ups than "Arrival of the Train" to capture more emotion and to draw the audience within the piece.

2) Their are glaring differences between the edits between these two films. In "Arrival of a Train", their is little to no editing done (or at least any noticeable editing). The shots in this film are elongated to its fullest extent in order to preserve the film's continuity. In addition, this realism editing style is used to portray real events that can relate to the audience as much possible; this is achieved through pure continuity and a central focus on one event.
Contrarily, "Damsel in Distress" uses full use of editing to convey their desired meaning. Following the classicism editing style, this film has very fast cutting to tie with the close ups on different people and objects. This allows them to take full advantage of a parallel action, and intensifies the film as well. This is exemplified near the beginning of the film where it begins with a close up on the train and the steam coming out of its top, and it then cuts to a women sitting down on the ground. This also conveys a relation between the two that will become more clear as the film progresses.

3) I would describe the the characteristics of "Arrival of a Train" as subtle, yet interesting. Considering the realistic style of this film, their is no true plot or narrative to it; thus, this simple idea becomes very subtle. It is interesting because, in hindsight, I see it as interesting, for my perception of music is quite different than this. I am more exposed to faster cutting and more complex storytelling.
I would describe "Damsel in Distress" as a very intense film. This is because the cutting of the shots are very quick, and the sounds and images are very uneasy. Along with that, the use of parallel actions makes the film even more intense, for the audience awaits what is going to happen in the end between the train and the women. In my perspective, this classic style of editing is much more compelling than realist editing.