HNC FILM STUDIES

1. HNC FILM STUDIES 2017 Faustina Starrett

2. OVERVIEW • WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A FILM? • BRAINSTORM 5 IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS THAT INFLUENCE YOUR SCREENING CHOICES

3. Overview What do you look for in a film? Brainstorm 5 Qualities Genre Director Actor Storylines/Narrative Structure Issue or Debates raised Advertising Campaign/Buzz about it?

4. Top Ten Audience Choices • Gangsters • Horror • Sci-Fi • Anime • War • Zombies • Comedy • Action & Thriller • Rom- Coms

5. Gangsters Create a Timeline of Seminal Films The gangster genre is one of the most popular in modern movies and some of the best film directors alive have produced some incredible gangster movies. 1949 - White Heat (Raoul Walsh) 1972 - The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola) 1973 – Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese) 1974 – The Godfather: Part 2 (Francis Ford Coppola) 1976 - Bugsy Malone (Alan Parker) 1983 - Scarface (Brian De Palma) 1984 - Once upon a time in America (Sergio Leone) 1987 - The Untouchables (Brian De Palma) 1990 - Miller’s Crossing (Coen Brothers ) 1990 – The Godfather Part 3 (Francis Ford Coppola) 1992 - Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino) 1993 - Carlito’s Way (Brian De Palma) 1994 – Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino) 1995 – Casino (Martin Scorsese) 1997 – Donnie Brasco (Mike Newell) 1998 – Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (Guy Richie) 2000 – Snatch (Guy Richie) 2002 – Road To Perdition (Sam Mendes) 2006 – The Departed (Martin Scorsese) 2007 - American Gangster (Ridley Scott

6. Sub – GenresPsychological Horror • In this type of horror the narrative drama of plot explores what is going on ‘inside someone’s head’. This might include psychological readings of ghosts and paranormal activity as connected with mental states. They give the viewer more challenging experiences than the full on blood and gore of slasher movies . • Examples of these films: Orphanage, Silent Hill, Psycho, Blair Witch Project, Salem’s Lot, A Ghost Story, Paranormal Activity, Personal Shopper.

7. Slasher Horror • Slasher horror films usually represent a teenager, or teenagers, being the victim of a serial killer – whether it may be set in a high school, frat home or a holiday trip. They intend to be more bloody and creative in the individuals death. All the time, they follow the same old traditional cliché. The origin of slasher horror came from the mystery author Agatha Christie, with her story ‘And Then There Were None’. • Examples of these films: Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Black Christmas, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. • Insert trailer homage

8. Romantic Horror • Movies such as ‘Dracula’ is the most popular, iconic and influential romantic horror known in film and literature history. Romantic horrors are sometimes set in the Victorian or in the Baroque timeline, because of it’s influence upon the gothic culture – specifically these films are based within settings such as cathedrals, mansions, castles, or in opera houses. They do allude to more violent sub plots in some scenes and the narrative has a tragic back story. • Examples of these films: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mark of the Wolf, The Phantom of the Opera, Sleepy Hollow, Twilight Series

9. Sci-Fic Horror • Sci-fi horror is another popular genre amongst people who are fans of the movie Alien or Predator. For some reason, some of these films can be more bloody than other horror genres. • science fiction films are largely inspired by books and authors such as Stephen King • Examples of these films: Alien, The Virus, Dark Horizon, The Thing, Dreamcatcher, Tommy Knockers

10. Zombies Zombies are regularly encountered in horror and fantasy themed fiction and entertainment. They are typically depicted as mindless, shambling, decaying corpses with a hunger for human flesh, and in some cases, human brains in particular. As of 2009, zombies are challenging vampires for their popularity The flesh-hungry undead, often in the form of ghouls and vampires, have been a fixture of world mythology and popularised more recently on Television in the series ‘The Walking Dead’.

11. Science Fiction Genres • A setting in the future • A setting in outer space, in other worlds or time zones or involving aliens • Stories that involve technology or scientific principles • Stories that involves discovery, time travel, (‘Back to the Future’ )or prosthetics, robots, and Artificial Intelligence ( AI, Humans, 2001)

12. Anime • A Style Of Animation Spawned From Japan • The Anime Genre Tends To Be Bolder than other Forms of Animation (eg. Disney) in both Its Visuals And Themes. • Animes are More graphically illustrated than their Western Counterparts and Deal With a Much Broader Range Of Themes • A lot of Anime will Have A Wide Eyed Young Protagonist – (eg Howls Moving Castle) • Most Deal With Themes of Going On a Quest of Self Discovery Eg To become The Ultimate Pokemon Master (Pokemon) • To Find The Definition Of Self In A World Where Memories and Emotions Are All Downloadable And Vague in Definition –in the Vast Net Of Information (Ghost in the Shell)

13. Staples Of The Genre There Are Two Main Types Of Anime:1/ Action 2/ Drama • Examples Of Action Would Include Dragonball Z, Gundam Wing and Akira. Although A lot Of These Deal With Heavy And Broad Themes They Are Presented In A Hyper Real Fashion. These Animes Will Have Fast Paced Action In Many Ways From Giant Fighting Robots To Super powered Humans Blasting Each Other To Pieces all Leading To A Climatic Finale That Brings All Its Themes To A Head. • In Dramas You Would Look More To The Likes Of Studio Ghibli’s Productions Like Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro And Howls Moving Castle. Although These Have Action They Deal Primarily With A Young Protagonist Going On An Odyssey In A Strange Land. Not All These Are For Children Take For Example Perfect Blue Which Shows A Young Actress Dealing With Paranoia And A Violent And Obsessive Stalker

14. War War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles. Their stories may be fiction, based on history, docudrama or, occasionally, biographical.

15. Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan is an epic 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and writted by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depict the Omaha beachhead assault of June 6, 1944. Afterward, it follows Tom Hanks as Captain John H. Miller and several men (Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Adam Goldberg, and Jeremy Davies) as they search for paratrooper Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon), who is the last surviving brother of three fallen servicemen.

16. Saving Private RyanDunkirkDocumentary Drama Rodat first came up with the film's story in 1994 when he saw a monument dedicated to four brothers born to Agnes Allison of Port Carbon, PA, who died during the American Civil War. The monument was erected twenty-three years after Allison's first son was killed. Inspired by the story, Rodat decided to write a similar story set during World War II. The script was submitted to producer Mark Gordon, who then handed it to Hanks. It was finally given to Spielberg, who had previously demonstrated his interest in WWII themes with films such as Schindler's List, and decided to direct Saving Private Ryan after reading the film's script. The film's premise is very loosely based on the real-life case of the Niland brothers.

17. Anti-War The term anti-war film is sometimes used to describe films which bring to the viewer the pain and horror of war, often from a political or ideological perspective. Needs illustration – Fahrenheit 9/11

18. HYBRID GENRES WUKIA • Wuxia fiction is translated as martial-chivalric fiction. • Wuxia originated from stories in the second and third century BC. • In 1917 China’s Film industry where Wuxia was introduced to cinema. • One of the first major Wuxia films ever made was in 1928 called Burning of the Red Lotus Monastery. • Both fantasy and magical elements took over the wuxia films in the 50’s and early 60’s. • In the mid 60’s a new wave which was strongly influenced by Japanese Samuria action. • In 1966 wuxia genre changed from magical people to hero’s with superhuman skills. • Wuxia films in 1993 pushed the boundaries of pre-CGI effects and wire-enhanced action choreography. • In 2000 wuxia was introduced for the first time to Hollywood studies by Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

19. WUKIA WUKIA • This sub genre of action/Drama can be so versatile and creative taking on different ways of expressing technical and artistic elements in films like Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This makes the viewing for the audience aesthetic pleasing and entertaining. Here are some Memorable stills from the movie

20. Action & Thriller • The action/thriller INCLUDES codes and conventions of action, crime, and psychological horror. • The thriller genre includes action props like guns, explosions, special effects, car chases, physical stunts and enigmas in the plot and characterisation such as characterised in the Bourne Films. Characters are divided into distinct catagories of goodies and baddies. Iconic Protagonists like Bourne are increasing conflicted and have realistic settings and contexts. • The traditional Bond stereotype of this hero as a brand provided great escapism for audience to enjoy.

21. Typical style of Brand Thrillers These are the usual suspects when it comes to Action Thrillers and often sexually typecast the main characters through clothes and physical and technological dexerity

22. Comedy Hypothesis “Spoof genre films essentially ask the audience “do you still want to believe this?” Popularity is the audience answering “yes.” Change in genre occurs when the audience says, “that’s too infantile a form of what we believe.” Show us something more complicated.” Quote from (Barry Keith Grant) Film genre from iconography to ideology (2007) That is what spoof genre films do, constantly challenge audiences and producers to stretch the concept of genre further.

23. Auteur readingsTrademarks of an Auteur • What were some of the criteria used to select these Greatest Directors? • has made a significant, indelible and influential contribution to the development of film and the film industry
 • has directed a consistent body of work with a number of great movies usually three unquestionably great films mark a top film-maker
 • has a personal stamp, ‘auteur signature’ that cuts across films, genres, and time lines. • legacy

24. Great Directors - Critics Choice • Stanley Kubrick • Alfred Hitchcock • David Lynch • Martin Scorsese • Jane Campion • Joel & Ethan Coen • Steven Sodenbergh • Terrence Malick http://www.filmsite.org/directors1.html

25. Great Director’s Audience Choice • Steven Spielberg • Tim Burton • Quentin Tarrentino • Peter Jackson • Martin Scorsese • James Cameron • Brian De Palma

26. World Cinema Auteurs • Pedro Almodovar • Michel Gondry • Shane Meadows • Ang Lee • Terry Gilliam • Jean Luc Godard

27. National Cinemas • the term "national cinema" is hard to define, and its meaning is debated by film scholars and critics. National cinema is a term sometimes used in film theory and film criticism to describe the films associated with a specific country. • A film may be considered to be part of the "national cinema" of a country based on a number of factors, such as the country that provided the financing for the film, the language spoken in the film, the nationalities or dress of the characters, and the setting, music, or cultural elements present in the film http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_cinema

28. Art Cinema • Film critics and film studies scholars typically define an “art film” using a “...canon of films and those formal qualities that mark them as different from mainstream Hollywood films”[2], which includes, among other elements: a social realism style; an emphasis on the authorial expressivity of the director; and a focus on the thoughts and dreams of characters, rather than presenting a clear, goal-driven, linear story. Film scholar David Bordwell claims that "art cinema itself is a [film] genre, with its own distinct conventions. Japanese director Akira Kurosawa made a number of films in the 1950s and 1960s that broke the conventions of mainstream filmmaking.

29. Script to Screen • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo • The Da Vinci Code • Bright Star • Lord of the Rings • Harry Potter • Twilight

30. Film Festivals A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. The films may be of recent date and, depending upon the focus of the individual festival, can include international releases as well as films produced by the organisers' domestic film industry. Sometimes there is a focus on a specific film-maker (Stanley Kubrick) or genre (Gangster) or Film Style( film noir) or subject matter ( Queer Cinema – LGBT film festivals). A number of film festivals specialise in short films, each with its defined maximum length. (FROM I MINUTE – TO – 20MIN) Film festivals are typically annual events.

31. Best Known Film Festivals • Edinburgh International • Cannes • Sundance • Raindance • New York • Venice International • Foyle

32. Project Based Learning 2017NWRC Film Club ProjectCRITICAL THEORIES &FILM READINGS

33. Historical Context

34. Background profiles • CECIL B. DE MILLE 1881-1959Master Director and "Showman" of the Big Budget, Excessive Historical Epic and Religious Spectacle/Pageant Suggested Filmography: The Ten Commandments (1923), The King of Kings (1927), Madam Satan (1930), The Sign of the Cross (1932), Cleopatra (1934), Samson and Delilah (1949), The Greatest Show on • HOWARD HAWKS 1896-1977Popular, Versatile, Stylistic Director of Many Film Genres (Screwball Comedy, Film Noirs, Westerns, Gangster Films, War Movies, Literary Adaptations, etc.) During Hollywood's Golden Age in the Studio Era Suggested Filmography:Scarface: Bringing Up Baby (1938), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Red River (1948), The Thing (From Another World) (1951) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Land of the Pharaohs (1955), El Dorado (1967), Earth (1952), The Ten Commandments (1956).