Early Hollywood & the Globalization of Cinema (1890s-1920)
Films for discussion and exploration…
Lumière (1896)
Edison (1898)
Méliès (1902)
Porter (1903)
Griffith (1915-19)
Other Short Films
Readings
Flashback - Chapters 1 & 2
Short Guide - Chapter 2
Looking at Movies - Chapter 1
Week 01 Notes
COURSE INTRODUCTION
We will look at how to look at and read visually how movies operate as a visual document.
IT IS VERY USEFUL to attend all of the screenings - to see the films with new eyes, and to learn how to approach viewing films with full engagement. Stay on top of readings.
Screening Journal – watch a film, take notes and then write journals. Be consistent and write the entries up right after a class. Consistency is key as the ideas grow and work with each other as you move forward. A template for the journals will come next week.
Independent Screening Report – Wonderful to utilize the VIFF as part of the course. Options to approach it – Ridge, Van City, Pacific Cinemateque – independent or non-mainstream film with special function for how it plays. Take in the feel of seeing a film that is not a mainstream film – it immerses you in the culture of film (http://viff.org/ ) or (http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/ ) or (http://www.festivalcinemas.ca/ ).
Research Essay – 6-8 page scholarly essay. Teacher has a process to help us walk through preparing the essay. It will be specific and developed to make it your own.
Exams – are easy if you attend class. There will be a series of T/F, fill in the blanks, as well as small clips where you identify and respond to them in short paragraphs. They will determine who was here and who was not; as based on material clearly covered in class or obvious stuff in the text book.
With all of your work >>> Looking for critical thinking and good ideas.
When E-mailing, write in header name of course you are inquiring from. If late, e-mail copy and bring hard copy to next class.
Some possible changes regarding the films screened…
Week 3 – Metropolis (alternative)
Week 4 – Top Hat (alternative)
Week 8 – Breathless
RELATED COURSE VIDEOS
Scattered among my notes, I will post various YouTube and Vimeo videos that expand upon the topics being learned. To this end, I have compiled an ARTH 1130 Playlist on YouTube with a variety of related videos, such as these…
ARTIFACT 01 > CrashCourse. “Crash Course Film History Preview.” YouTube. 06 APR 2017.
Artifact 01 Summary
Overview
Craig Benzine introduces himself as the host of Crash Course Film. The series will cover 16 weeks of film history, with a specific focus on the evolution of films from early days to modern formats.
It aims to explore the complex, inspiring, and sometimes disturbing story of how films came to be and evolved into their current form.
Discusses the complexity and development of movies.
Explores the cultural and technological aspects of film history.
Discussions will include various formats such as Megaplex, Netflix, DVDs, and Blu-rays.
Evolution of Film
The series will delve into the transformation of films over time, addressing questions like:
Were early films scenes, documentaries, or short films?
What was the appropriate length for films?
The transition from black and white to color films.
The role of sound in films and its standardization.
The geographical shift of film production, notably to Hollywood.
Technological and Cultural Impact
The series will explore how films have been shaped by technology and societal changes.
It will discuss the initial skepticism about the future of films by early innovators.
Films as a reflection of human desires, fears, and inspirations.
Invitation to Audience
Craig invites viewers to join him in exploring the deep history of films over the upcoming months.
He emphasizes that studying films is essentially studying people, psychology, society, and technology
ARTIFACT 02 > CrashCourse. “Crash Course Film Production with Lily Gladstone Preview.” YouTube. 17 Aug 2017.
Artifact 02 Summary
Overview
Lily Gladstone will host and lead the 15 week Crash Course Film Production series. She is an actor with a passion for movies, both making and analyzing them.
The series will cover the entire filmmaking process, from ideas to release and all of the steps in between.
There will be an emphasis on gaining a comprehensive understanding of film production, including highlighting the importance of producers and budgeting in filmmaking with an overall aim to demystify filmmaking and highlight the fun, excitement, and challenges involved.
Filmmaking Process
Filmmakers use various tools like cameras, lights, and actors to create films.
Every film starts with a simple idea, which evolves through several stages.
The series will explore how to take an idea to a finished movie.
Key Questions in Filmmaking
How to get people interested in your film project.
The roles and responsibilities of a director and producer.
Importance of budgeting, whether it requires $200 million or $2,000.
ARTIFACT 03 > CrashCourse. “Crash Course Media Literacy Preview.” YouTube, 20 Feb 2018.
Artifact 03 Summary
Overview
Jay Smooth introduces a 12-week course on Media Literacy where media literacy is defined as the ability to Access, Analyze, Evaluate, Create, and Act using communication.
Smooth is the host of New York's longest-running hip-hop radio show, Underground Railroad. He is also a media commentator known for his video blog Ill Doctrine.
The course will introduce the importance of understanding media manipulation and fact-checking.
The course will cover popular culture, propaganda, and communication skills.
Definition of Media Literacy
Media literacy involves the ability to Access, Analyze, Evaluate, Create, and Act using all forms of communication. These videos will explore these aspects in detail.
Importance of Media Literacy
Media is omnipresent, and understanding it is crucial in a saturated environment.
Skills include identifying media manipulation and ensuring news is fact-based.
Course Content Overview
Exploration of the purpose and goals behind media creation.
Analysis of various media forms, including popular movies, propaganda, and text messages.
Focus on improving navigation through popular culture, citizenship, and communication.
Course Goals
Equip participants with skills to better understand and engage with media.
Encourage participants to be better communicators and more informed citizens.
ARTIFACT 04 > CrashCourse. “Introduction to Media Literacy: Crash Course Media Literacy #1.” YouTube, 27 Feb 2018.
Artifact 04 Summary
Overview
Media consumption is a significant part of daily life, with U.S. adults spending over 10 hours a day on average consuming media.
Media literacy is crucial for understanding and navigating the vast array of media messages and effects.
This series of videos will explore media history, effects, creation, and regulation.
Stuart Hall's theory of encoding and decoding highlights the complexity of media messages.
Media literacy education is essential for critical engagement with media.
Media Consumption
Jay Smooth highlighted the extensive time spent on media by individuals, with U.S. adults averaging 10 hours daily.
Media includes a wide range of formats such as books, films, TV shows, podcasts, and social media.
Definition and Importance of Media Literacy
Media literacy is defined as the ability to Access, Analyze, Evaluate, Create, and Act using all forms of communication.
Understanding media literacy helps individuals critically engage with media messages and their impacts.
Media Messages and Effects
Media messages convey values and ideas, while media effects are their influences on audiences.
Stuart Hall's encoding and decoding theory suggests that messages are encoded by creators and decoded by audiences, allowing for varied interpretations.
Challenges and Education
Media literacy is essential in navigating challenges such as fake news and understanding the role of tech companies in news dissemination.
The course aims to equip individuals with skills to critically assess media and share these skills with others.
Course Structure
The course will cover media history, how to find reliable sources, media interactions with the mind, and media creation responsibilities.
It will also address media regulation, propaganda, misinformation, advertising, and the influence of big tech companies.
Viewers are encouraged to spread media literacy knowledge, emphasizing collective effort in understanding media.
ARTIFACT 05 > CrashCourse. “Cinema, Radio, and Television: Crash Course History of Science.” YouTube, 26 Nov 2018.
Artifact 05 Summary
Overview
The Telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication in the 1800s.
The Telephone invented by Bell and Gray in 1876, enabling personal communication.
Edison developed the phonograph and contributed to motion pictures.
The Radio emerged in the early 20th century, transforming mass communication.
Television developed in the 1920s, became widespread post-WWII.
Telegraph and Telephone
The telegraph, invented in the mid-1800s, allowed communication over long distances, useful for updates on stock prices or military movements.
The telephone, developed by Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray in 1876, enabled personal communication but was not suited for mass entertainment.
Edison's Innovations
Thomas Edison, working at Menlo Park, developed the phonograph in 1877, which recorded and played back sound.
Edison's phonograph used a recording cylinder but was mostly used for office dictation.
He also created a talking doll, which was a commercial failure.
Edison and William Dickson developed the Kinetograph, the first motion picture camera, leading to the creation of short films.
Edison's early films were simple and short, often lacking plot.
The Motion Picture Industry
Edison was known for aggressively defending his patents, and he formed THE EDISON TRUST, which ultimately served to push other filmmakers out of NYC to move to Los Angeles.
The Lumière brothers in France invented the cinematograph, promoting mass screenings.
By 1902, U.S. courts limited Edison's patent control, allowing the film industry to flourish.
Radio Development
Radio waves were predicted by James Clerk Maxwell and discovered by Heinrich Hertz.
Guglielmo Marconi developed the first commercial radio system, sending signals across the English Channel and the Atlantic.
Radio gained popularity in the 1920s, with stations like KDKA and the BBC leading the way.
Radio transformed communication, connecting rural areas and becoming a tool for propaganda and news.
Television and Other Developments
John Baird invented a mechanical television in the 1920s, demonstrating the first televised images.
The BBC initially used Baird's system but switched to electronic TV in 1936.
Television became a major industry post-WWII, with the first global broadcast satellite, Telstar, launched in 1962.
Corporate Research and Development
Innovations in communication technology were driven by corporate research labs like Bell Labs and IBM Labs.
These entities focused on turning scientific discoveries into profitable technologies.
ARTIFACT 06 > Patrick (H) Willems. “How to Analyze Movies - Film Studies 101.” YouTube, 30 Jan 2023.
Artifact 06 Summary
Introductory Overview
Host Patrick Willams aims to teach viewers to look beyond the surface of movies and understand their deeper meanings.
The video essentially acts as a class on how to analyze movies, initially written for Nebula but later adapted for YouTube.
Cinema is a relatively young art form compared to literature or painting.
Movies are more than just surface-level stories; they involve deliberate artistic choices.
Analyzing movies involves interpreting story, shots, editing, and understanding their emotional impact.
Home Alone is used as a case study to demonstrate how to extract meaning from films.
Film analysis includes examining themes, visual storytelling, sound, and genre.
Cinema as an Art Form
Williams notes how cinema is a relatively new art form, with moving picture cameras invented in the late 1800s.
Ultimately, MOVIES have been the most popular art form for the past century.
Analyzing movies is similar to analyzing other art forms, focusing on the deliberate choices made by artists.
Analyzing Movies
Williams explains this as being a two-step process where you:
Describe what you see; and
Ask why.
Every element in a movie is a choice made by the director (artist), who understands how those choices influences and affects viewers emotionally.
Art is subjective, and viewers can interpret it differently from the artist's intent.
Case Study: Home Alone
Main Themes: Responsibility, forgiveness, and the importance of family.
The movie is about a kid defending his home while his mother tries to return to him.
Analyzing the movie involves looking at its primary themes and how they are expressed through the story and visuals.
Visual Storytelling
Mise-en-scène: Refers to what is in the frame, including costumes, locations, lighting, etc.
Perspective: Can be objective or subjective, affecting how the story is perceived.
Technical Aspects: Understanding lenses, colour, and lighting helps in analyzing the creative choices.
Editing and Sound
Editing: Usually invisible, it provides spatial and temporal continuity.
Sound: Includes dialogue, sound effects, and music, contributing to the film's emotional impact.
Music: John Williams' score in Home Alone adds depth to the narrative.
Genre and Interpretation
Genre: Sets audience expectations and influences the storytelling approach.
Home Alone blends comedy with elements of horror to convey Kevin's perspective.
Multiple Interpretations: Movies can be analyzed through various lenses like gender studies or class warfare.
Conclusion
Analyzing movies involves observing, questioning, and interpreting different elements.
Every movie has meaning, even if it's not immediately apparent.
Viewers are encouraged to re-examine their favorite films and explore deeper meanings.
ARTIFACT 07 > Brickwall Pictures. “Film History Crash Course - One Essential Film for Every Year of Cinema.” YouTube, 17 Jan 2023.
Header Photo > Artist Unknown. “Georges Mèliés collage.”