"The Notebook" Directed by Nick Cassavetes ; "Main Title" by Aaron Zigman

In the Notebook directed by Nick Cassavetes, the song "Main Title" by Aaron Zigman is constantly being replayed. The song is smooth and sounds beautiful and calm. The song is played at every love scene in which the characters ( protagonist) interacts and make love. Every significant scene such as being together the song is played. The song indicates the love between the two protagonist in the film. "Main Title" is played during the time of when Noah and Aile makes a connection. The song is introduced in the opening of the film. The sunset and an individual rowing towards the sunset calmly with flocks of white birds flying through the sky.

The film is about a man and a woman who loved each other over coming many difficulties. Even though their parents does not approve of their love, they still managed to be together. The woman then writes down her whole story within her diary of the events that takes place. When she realized that she has Alzheimer's, and does not remember their past. She tells the man, "Read this to me, and I'll come back to you." The man reads her the story every time when he visits. 

The music was used in the opening when the birds are flying through the sunset. You see a man rowing the boat calmly as the sun is setting. The song is also played with the man and the woman, protagonists, are on the boat rowing through the same pond and the woman asks about the swans in the pond.  It is also used during the end where the birds are shown once again flying through the sky of the sunset.  This song makes me recall all of the experiences that the couples experienced and lived through, throughout the movie. It makes me want to cry and feel the heart aches and pain of Noah, the man, when he sees his lover not remembering him and having a hysteric attack. It makes me very sad and remember back to all of the times that they have to work hard together to get to their marriage and love that took them so much work to get to. 

The song in the scene was very crucial. It help the audience remember back to when they first heard the song in the beginning where you can see a flock of birds flying into the sunset, a man rowing on the calm waters of the pond, and a fragile old lady looking through the window  into the sunset. The music succeed in evoking the intended response because it was suppose to help the audience feel the calmness and happiness of the film and the character's love for each other. Although they went through many hardships, and her memories are always degrading, their love is the strongest and they will always be together no matter how far, even during death.

Tim Burton Interviewed on The Treatment

Timothy Walter Burton, also known as, Tim Burton, is a producer and a director of some of his most famous films such as : Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, Batman Returns, Ed wood, Lost in Oz, and Frakenweenie was interviewed on The Treatment on February 20, 2013. Tim Burton resides in Burbank, California where he learned to draw and attended California Institute of the Arts. He is famous for his unique story lines and picture animations where he loves to use stop motion animation.

In the interview, Tim Burton states that he constantly questions the idea of things being considered as normal to abnormal. His films are based off of the idea of the importance of your family. Many of the characters in his films show little dialogue because by using little vocals, shows that your actions are more important. Also he loves how the audience can connect within his films, for example in Frankenweenie, the film was in black and white, but when he asked those who watched the film, they did not recall that the film was not in color. The audience thought that the film was in color and this idea is unison between the director, producer, and the audience which makes him feel relieved and happy. Tim Burton cherish the value of parents in his films and can be seen in many of his films in which because this proves that your parents, even if you do not like them, plays an important role in creating your character and who you are. There are three quotes from Tim Burton that I can relate to.

The first quote of Tim Burton is that he states," No matter how you grow up, and what your relationship is, you spend your whole life trying to deal with your parents, whether they are alive, dead, whatever. It builds who you are and it is a powerful relationship." This quote shows that Tim Burton is a man who values his relationship with his parents. Although he did state that he was not close to his parents, the idea that your parents shape and mold your character is a powerful relationship. This is portrayed in his films. This quote is noteworthy because it shows that although we may not think our parents has an influence on us, our parents mold who we are, either it is positively or negatively, your parents plays a big role in influencing your ideas and virtues.

The second quote of Tim Burton that is noteworthy would be when he stated " When people are talking, what they say is not what they mean. What they really project. Words sometimes get in the way of what is going on." This quote is noteworthy because it is really important and people should learn from it. Sometimes those who have problems projecting what they mean in words do it and people might take their choice of word offensively. Actions shows the sincerity and caring feelings of the individual. I find this quote really important because for a person who has a problem expressing myself with my words, I do not talk much. People who does not know me takes it in the wrong way and thinks I do not acknowledge them and is disrespecting them. But in reality, I am just shy. My actions can show people that I do acknowledge them and care about them very much. I like the idea that your actions define who you are because what you say can be influenced by your peers but what you choose to do is more important.

The third quote of Tim Burton is when he stated, "Behind the smile, was not really a smile.. sometimes." I find this quote the most noteworthy because it is true. Many people choose to smile and act happy for their peers and their family and friends. People chose to act a way to either shield up their emotions or cover up how they actually feel. One moment  a person might have a smile on her face, but deep inside, she is hurting. This quote can be used on people personalities also. People who are projecting a mean and strong personality often cry when others are not looking because they do not want to seem weak. Those who seem nice on the outside, may actually be the most bitter person on the inside. Everybody is different. This quote is like the saying in which people say " Don't judge a book by it's cover." This idea is that although on the outside the person is either bright, dark, negative, or even positive, they could be a different person on the inside. And this idea is really important because people tend to judge and discriminate people based on their appearance.

In conclusion, Tim Burton's ideologies are wise. His ideals of the importance of family, personalities, and fitting in can be relate able. Burton's quotes are important because they are exemplified throughout his films. His ideas are projected throughout his many films. The importance of this is that the idea of your family being important and molding you shows children, teens, and adults that you are the person you are today thanks to your parents. The second idea that is important that is projected within Tim Burton's films is that the idea of fitting in and being normal. Children can relate to this because when we are young, we were either the bully or the one getting bullied. We all thought that there was something wrong or "abnormal" with us before. Burton's films shows that although the individual is different, he/she should embrace the difference because that is who he/she truly is. The third idea within the films of Tim Burtons is that the idea that you should not judge a book by it's cover. This idea is important because everybody has different appearances and personalities that is seen by every other person out there. You should not hate a person before you truly know them, and this idea is valuable for film.

MARTIN SCORSESE

Birth name:

 Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese

Director and actor

Background--

Birthday: November 17, 1942 in New York City. (71)

Raised in neighborhood of Little Italy, which inspired him in his films. 

Spouses: Laraine Brennan, Julia Cameron, Isabella Rossellini, Helen Morris

3 children.

Acted in--

Mean Streets (1973)

Taxi Driver (1976)

Dreams (1990)

Best Known for--

Goodfellas (1990)

Shutter Island (2010)

The Departed (2006)

Hugo (2011)

Trademark--

Italian mafia theme

Begins his films with segments taken from the middle /end of the story.

Slow motion techniques

Diagetic music, where the source of the music is seen on the screen

Long tracking shots.

Freeze frames

Music by Rolling Stones : Gimme Shelter 

Setting in NYC

Unflinchingly graphic and realistic violence.

Popstars given small acting roles. 

Cameo apperances with his family and himself.

Reference the work of Michael Powell

Movies are cut to the music.

Concern with beauty of every shot.

Encourages improvisation in dialogue.

http://youtu.be/uDXzEEl8ALk?t=40s

List of Directed Films--

Year	Film
1974	Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
1976	Taxi Driver
1977	New York, New York
1980	Raging Bull
1983	The King of Comedy
1985	After Hours
1986	The Color of Money
1988	The Last Temptation of Christ
1990	Goodfellas
1991	Cape Fear
1993	The Age of Innocence
1995	Casino
1997	Kundun
2002	Gangs of New York
2004	The Aviator
2006	The Departed
2011	Hugo

Awards--

1974 Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Academy Award for Best Actress: Ellen Burstyn

BAFTA Award for Best Film

BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role: Ellen Burstyn

BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Diane Ladd

1976 Taxi Driver

Cannes Film Festival – Palme d'Or

BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Jodie Foster

BAFTA Award for Best Film Music: Bernard Herrmann

BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer: Jodie Foster

1980 Raging Bull

Academy Award for Best Actor: Robert De Niro

Academy Award for Best Film Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker

BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer: Joe Pesci

BAFTA Award for Best Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama: Robert De Niro

1985 After Hours

Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)

1986 The Color of Money

Academy Award for Best Actor: Paul Newman

1990 Goodfellas

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci

BAFTA Award for Best Film

BAFTA Award for Best Direction

BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay: Martin Scorsese, Nicholas Pileggi

BAFTA Award for Best Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker

BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design: Richard Bruno

Venice Film Festival: Silver Lion for Best Director

1993 The Age of Innocence

Academy Award for Best Costume Design: Gabriella Pescucci

BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Miriam Margolyes

Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture: Winona Ryder

1995 Casino

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama: Sharon Stone

2002 Gangs of New York

BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis

Golden Globe Award for Best Director

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song: U2 for the The Hands That Built America

2004 The Aviator

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett

Academy Award for Best Film Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker

Academy Award for Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson

Academy Award for Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell

Academy Award for Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo

BAFTA Award for Best Film

BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Cate Blanchett

BAFTA Award for Best Production Design: Dante Ferretti

Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama: Leonardo DiCaprio

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score: Howard Shore

2006 The Departed

Academy Award for Best Picture

Academy Award for Best Director

Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay: William Monahan

Academy Award for Best Film Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker

Golden Globe Award for Best Director

2011 Hugo

Academy Award for Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson

Academy Award for Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo

Academy Award for Best Sound Editing: Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty

Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

Academy Award for Best Visual Effects: Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann and Alex Henning

BAFTA Award for Best Production Design: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo

Golden Globe Award for Best Director

Scorsese received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1997.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Overall Look
The cinematographic aspects of The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, adds up to an overall look. The quality of the film stock is that it shows the point of view of the protagonist when he is paralyzed from his stroke with the use of a blur effect. The lighting of the film helps predict the upcoming of the protagonist and builds up suspense for the audience.The lenses were used artistically. The producer placed a latex skin over the lenses and sewed it together to show the audience what the protagonist sees when his eyes get sewed together. The frames were used to show the beautiful view of the ocean. The producer used the angles to show the whole picture of the long takes, and the camera movements were smooth and sometimes rough to let the audience experience what the protagonist is experiencing.

2. Images
In the film, we can see pictures of the younger Jean-Do and his healthy and well self with his father taking care of him. The picture soon fades to the image of his father having to call his handicapped son and wishing him well, from what he was once before a healthy child, to a handicap.

Image of young and healthy Jean Do

3. Shot Length
The shot length is kept still for a few seconds then slowly zooms out and shows the whole view. The purpose of the long shots are used to empathize the loneliness of Jean-Do.

         The far shot showing the bond and also loneliness in which he feels at the beach with his family

4. Shot Types
The extreme close-ups of the film were used to show the audience the experience of the surgeries that Jean-Do have to go through in the hospital. While the extreme long shots were used to show the feelings of loneliness and isolation that Jean feels since he been paralyzed in the hospital.

                                                          Jean getting his eye sewed.

5. Camera Angles
The angle type that was mainly used is the reverse shot, in which the other character is looking at the pother character so there is an illusion that they are looking at each other. This shows how the protagonist sees and feel about the people he interact with and tells the audience how the protagonist feels about them. The high angle shots are used to show the protagonist's temptations of suicide and wanting to give up, but the low angle shots shows the constant reminder of Jean's will to live.

Jean Do feeling a feeling of hopelessness at the beach.

6. Composition
The composition of the shots were in the rules of thirds and the painterly way. Some scenes shows that Jean is very lonely and has a self pity feeling, while in some rules of third shots, it is shown that he has family and is loved. The scene in which is a bit painterly is the part in which Jean is about to pass away and his body is weak. This is used to show the weakness and fragileness of Jean in his current condition of being ill.

Right before Jean passes away the painterly image of his nurse by his side.

7. Camera Movement
The camera movement is used to show the protagonist's point of view, experiences, feelings, and his thoughts. When Jean is getting carried, the camera shakes and help us feel how the character feels. In other scenes like the parts of which the wind hits the camera shows how the wind bothers and affect Jean but he can not do anything about it because of his current state.

                         The nurse's hair blowing in Jean's face and his inability to do anything


8. Cinematography Style
The cinematography style is intentional to show the point of view of Jean Do's experience of his stay in the hospital. The purpose of this is to help the audience feel as if they are in Jean's position of being paralyzed with a slight hint of humor.

   Jean's days at the hospitals in which he has problems getting the channel changed and is not pleased.

Dark Films~ ( Blog #2)

Film noir is a term in which I have never heard of until today. Film noir means " black film" or "dark film," as stated by John Lithgow. Film Noir has a dark feeling which makes it a bit uncomfortable. A famous film noir is called "Double Indemnity." This film is believed to be the creator of the film genre. There are three factors that is persistent in a Film Noir. The first factor is that everybody dies at the end, the second is that the women tends to seduce the male, and finally there is a sense of jeopardy in the protagonist's life.



John Lithgow states that Film Noir is "The only order a kind of moral restitution everybody dies at the end." This is seen and exemplified in Double Indemnity when Walter Neff, an insurance salesman meets Phyllis Dietrichson, wife of his client. This film is a perfect example of how everybody dies at the end. Not every character in the film dies, but the protagonist and antagonist both dies. Another factor of a Film Noir is how the woman seduces the male to receive something of her value.

In Film Noir, the female tends to seduce the male to receive what she desires in return. Marie Windsor, an actress, states that " A woman usually get the man into bed then into trouble." This idea can be seen in Double Indemnity. Phyllis is seen half naked in her first appearance. She seems to not want Walter at first, but soon after she heard about the price of life insurance and her benefits, she starts to seduce him. She seduces him and other men in order to gain money. The third factor of a film Noir is when there is a sense of jeopardy in their lives.

The sense of jeoperdy in their lives means that there is a sense of trouble that is exaggerated and nothing the individual themselves can do to fix the problem. We can see this in Double Indemnity also, when Walter's plan starts to fall apart. He makes up more ideas and thinks of more ways to fix the issue and gets wrapped up into the murder. Then he soon decides to murder Phyllis also.



In the documentary " PBS American Cinema Film Noir," the idea that a woman uses her sexuality to get what she is after and what she is after is not the man in the picture, he is an another tool for what she is after for herself, (20:18) as stated by an interviewed personnel. This is the best way to spot a Femme Fatale. We can see in the film of Double Indemnity is that Phyllis acts and seduces Walter to get what she wants. Another example in the film was that when her daughter stated that she [Phyllis] killed the previous wife for the same profit. This is typical in a film noir because this also happened in China Town.

The different angles and lighting of Double Indemnity helps with the suspense build up of the film. The camera helps make this film have a "film noir" feeling to it by having many different angles. The Angles help show the audiences the shadow and the minor details that helps predict the film. The lighting also help in a way that it signals if an unfortunate event was about to take place. The design of the stage was well made that the camera was able to capture the whole area. The Mise-en-scene, staging or putting on an action or scene, influences the audience's reaction to the film. The lighting is one of the factors of a mise-en-scene. The lighting is bright normally, but as soon as Walter plans out his idea of murder with Phyllis, the lighting is changed and shapes Walter as an evil man; in comparison to his first appearance, he is seem as a dark man with a cold heart.

The sound helps build suspense and play with our emotions. In a sexual scene, the music is pretty and slow, but as soon as a murder, or a secret conversation arises, the music speeds up and gets louder and softer according to what is happening. We can see this in Double Indemnity when Walter makes love with Phyllis and the music is pretty and slow, as soon as they finish and the topic of the murder arises again, the music speeds up and builds suspense.

Color in a "Neo Noir" compared to a black and white cinematography is a more relate able and realistic.
An example of a Neo noir film is called China Town. China Town has many factors that relates to a film noir. The only difference is the color of photography. Three factors in which China Town is similar to a Film Noir is the factor of the seducing female role, the music, and the mise-en-scene.

In the film China Town, the main female (Evelyn Mulwray) is seen as a dominating and strong woman. She seduces the man for her own personal interests. She lies and has sexual activities with the male lead ( J.J Gittes).She uses Gittes in order to help her take her child to an another country for their safety. The second factor in which China Town relates to a film noir is that the music is similar. The music is slow when Gittes first encounters Mrs. Mulwray. But as they meet continuously and he sees the truth, the music speeds up and changes the dynamics in the events. The music's speed is used to help create suspense! The third factor is that the setting of the films are similar. The lighting helps us visualizes and understand the characters and bond with the character's feelings.

What to be considered as a movie? (Blog post 1)

When I watch a movie, there are certain criterias that has to be met. For a movie to interest me, first the actors has to portray their characters. If they can not portray their character, then the movie will lose it's meaning and will not connect with the audience. Second, the movie has to have a solid ending. Meaning that the ending has to answer the questions that the audience might have in the beginning and it has to make sense. Third, in order for a film to recieve an award, the film has to leave an impact on the audience. There are good films and there are great films. Good films are films that are for graphics and has no meaning to the movie, they are still enjoyable, but if you were to ask people about it; they would barely remeber about it in the future. Where as a great film, would leave the audience thinking and they would remeber it for a long time. Such as the Titanic.

In the film " Le Voyage Dans La Lune," and " The Great Train Robbery," the aspects that appealed to me the most was how the story flow was smooth. Although there was no direct dialouges presented, the character's actions were clear and can tell the story well. This old film also have great transitions between scenes and makes a good attempt of changing the background to fit in with the location in which the film took place. I also liked how they figured to use different locations in their films. Their camera movements were also good, considering how they did not have the right technology to hold the camera still while filming on a moving train. This leads to my 2 most favorite films.

My first favorite film is called "Schindler's List." I absolutely love this movie because of the history, music, and the acting within the film. This film makes your heart sink and not take things for granted. The characters portray and play their part well. The ending answered the questions that the audience might ask while watching and the film left a big impact on me. The film is in black and white, but there is a significant scene in which is the only part in which there is color. This is a film to remember. It has many symbolisms and is historically acurrate. The only part in the film where the little girl is wearing red, leaves the audience thinking.

What is the significances of the little girl in the red coat?  

My second favorite movie is "Blood Diamonds." This film also meet my three criterias. This movie has great actors which portrays their character well, the ending was memorable because it offered a resolution for the film, which makes the audience feel a bit at ease, and it leaves an impact on the audience because the film is about smuggling diamonds and also shows the horrible results and impact of imperialism in foreign countries and the bitter reality in Africa.

* This is Leonardo Dicaprio's playing his character, Danny Archer.*

9/7/2013 : Favorite Movie ~

Growing up in the 21st century, technology is always growing and changing. Television is always changing also. From black and white animation to 3D high definition. I love old films that has a great message for the audience. I watch movies at the theaters with my brothers and sister and I also watch movies online. My favorite movie genre is mystery, romance, and horror.

One of my most favorite film that I have enjoyed is called "Edward Scissorhands." This film not only contain a hint of Fantasy and drama, it also contains Romance. I love how the movie teaches the audience the many different personalities a person can portray. People change as time past on. The romance between Edward Scissorhands and Kim Boggs evolves but does not have a fairy tale ending. My favorite scene from the film was when Kim was dancing in the snow when Edward was sculpting the pillar of ice. Kim spanned gracefully and had a beautiful smile on her face. I love how the movie is realistic about how judgmental an individual can be when they are put in touch situations. The film taught me that there are people out in the world who take advance of young naive individuals.

Overall, my favorite film to watch is Edward Scissor hands. I love this film because not only does it set a great example for the audience, it is also different from the typical romance films. I learned  many lessons on how to embrace yourself and accept yourself from this film. If I were to recommend a film for my family and friends, I would recommend "Edward Scissor" hands.