Support 'The Projected Picture Trust'!!!

'The Projected Picture Trust' is based in Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire. It is an organisation which hopes to preserve and restore previous cinema technology and share this knowledge with the world. However they may be removed from the Bletchley Park premises due to a change in the Park's outlook and focus on world war 2 which the small museum of film no longer fits into.

I wish for more people to get involved with this charity especially people already involved in the film world, as persevering our history should be of up most importance! You can get involved with this charity by visiting the park itself or their website: http://wordpress.ppttrust.org/
You don't have to actually participate in events but you will receive a monthly magazine which details the current events as well as detailing cameras being worked on. For those who want to be actively involved there are opportunities to help restore items, no skill or previous work is necessary.

Currently the organisation has five options:

1. To try for a building of their own - this would require a patron or benefactor as well as a business plan and formation of a limited company.
2.To find a medium sized building - funded by the council or a grant, possibly with a community cinema.
3.To downsize their collection and look for a storage place/ separate workshop offsite and to focus on restoring items with no cinema.
4.To dissolve the trust which has been established since 1978 - THIS IS A LAST RESORT!
5.To tie in with another museum with a similar focus.

The trust would also love any other suggestions and of course support! It is open nationally and internationally and anyone is welcome to help and show there support.

Anyone is welcome to support, may it be individual or an organisation and more bases placed round the UK to make it more accessible to members and the public.

I have only previously enlisted as a member but have learnt a lot and a respect for the previous cinema history. In my spare time I hope to be more actively involved with the preservation of these much loved machines that brought us the moving image!

So for more information please visit their website (the link detailed above) and show your support and get involved. Also Spread the Word!!!

Comparison of 'The Passion of the Christ' vs 'The Exorcist', emotional impacts.

Both the films ‘The Passion of the Christ’ and ‘The Exorcist’ are disturbing films but in different ways. They both centre around religious issues that are very controversial for instance ‘TPOC’ is centred around Jesus’ death on the cross. Mel Gibson directs the film so that we truly understand the pain that Jesus went through by using relentless graphic violence throughout the film. This shocked many people and it was praised by some as it gave us a deeper understanding of the bible story we are told. The crown of thorns meant little until you saw it forced on to his head making blood run. The violence is really highlighted in the scourging scene, where it is shown to be carefully organised with weapons lined up and set out on a table. There is so much blood which is understandable when we see flesh being ripped from Jesus’ body. Not only are people watching as a form of entertainment, they are enjoying the torment.

‘The Exorcist’ is graphic but in a different way, the emphasis being that it is a young girl being made to do sexual and violent things such as swearing and the masturbation of a cross. Her face also becomes deformed throughout the film with her lips cracking and wounds appearing on her face. She is also physically sick but it appears to be a green mucus concoction.

Both films emphasis a lack of control for the main characters, Jesus cannot control what the people are doing to him but he doesn’t get angry with then and remains calm and quiet. This is perhaps the most shocking aspect of ‘TPOC’. During ‘The Exorcist’ Regain has no control over the Devil possessing her and making her do immoral things. Her mother also appears helpless as she is on her own and no one can give her answers for her daughter’s ‘problem’. Mary, Jesus’ mother, is also shown as helpless to help her son. This is emphasised by a flash back of her picking him up when he was younger because he had fallen. She knows she cannot help her son and trusts him to God’s hands.

Regain’s mother, however, admits to not being very religious and only turns to it as a last resort but the priest also appears to have no control over the Devil who manipulates Priest Damien by impersonating his dead mother who he feels guilty for. This applies also in ‘TPOC’ where religious figures also have little power over the Devil. Jesus ignores it (we do not know and it is not made clear whether the Devil is male or female) but Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, succumbs to the demons and eventually hangs himself. The involvement of the Devil in both films is a shock factor as people may not believe (fully) in God but most do have a fear for the devil as it is shown to be the most evil and frightening thing in any culture.

Both films are also shocking due to their director’s decisions. William H Friedkin, the director of ‘The Exorcist’, physically made the actors do stunts for instance in one scene Regain is flinging backwards and forwards on the bed screaming “It hurts, make it stop!” The actress was actually screaming because it really did hurt but the director thought it was good footage so kept it in. In ‘TPOC’, Mel Gibson chose to show one of the rulers to be passionate and kind but many people disagreed with this interpretation as he is usually portrayed as a harsh and unfair man.

The films are also disturbing towards our emotions in different ways for instance Mel Gibson wants us to feel shock, sympathy, empathy, disgust, guilt etc while William H Friedkin wanted us to feel shock, disgust, fear etc. However, this is an emotional response from today. When the film ‘The Exorcist’ was first released, it was seen to be much more shocking with many people being physically sick. Due to the development within the film industry, making it easier to distribute and watch films as well as the vast increase in this particular genre, it has made it a common occurrence to see such things on the screens. However as I have already stated there are still aspects that shock today’s audiences.

The mis-en-scene is important in both films for instance in ‘The Exorcist’, Regain’s room gets emptier as the Devil gains more control and the journey to her room becomes longer, this builds the tension within the audience and creates foreboding as the more control the Devil gains the lower the chance of getting rid of it. In ‘TPOC’ many items trigger flashbacks to Jesus’ past for instance some table and chairs. This invokes and strengthens different emotions within the audience and plot line throughout both films. The mis-en-scene creates a confirmation of what the audience feels about what is happening on set.

In conclusion both films will never be equally disturbing as they are targeting different emotions but by using similar issues. It also depends on the persons own beliefs as well as time and period that the films were viewed. They are, however, both disturbing films. This is evoked in similar ways, for instance, visual effects, the lack of control, the involvement of the Devil and backgrounds during the making of the films but also vary in different ways, for instance, Jesus is a well known figure and so is his story, especially the period presented in the film ‘TPOC’. It is also very bloody and Jesus’ suffering is also shown to be enjoyed. ‘The Exorcist’ is trying to keep the situation controlled and contained with more visual representations, such as, the stairs in which Brook (a director) and Priest Damien die could represent and symbolise the stairway to hell as they are very steep and narrow, and the camera work is always carefully positioned with high or low shots. 

‘The Exorcist’ also emphasises the innocence of Regain and the unfairness of her possession. Unfairness is also a key theme throughout both the films.

Therefore both films are equally disturbing in their own way due to story line and directors intentions. 

Comments welcome on whether you disagree or agree! Also would love to know you believe its wrong for Christians to view 'The Passion of the Christ' as I have had mixed responses and am interested in why some are willing to watch it or why others refuse.

The Impact of 'La Haine', 'The City of God' and 'Once were Warriors' on an Audience!

The Impact of 'La Haine', 'The City of God' and 'Once were Warriors'

The impact of any film depends very much on film techniques because it emphasizes what the director wants and is trying to say. It also builds tension and warns the audience of what might happen. Through sound, cinematography and mis-en-scene the audience is able to have a greater understanding of the film without relying on dialogue or an actors’ performance to tell the story. It also makes the film visually interesting, keeping the audiences’ attention.

Each of my three films La Haine, City of God and Once were Warriors include potentially different cultures from which an English audience isn't used to seeing. Due to this it is important for the directors to show the audience everything without leaving room for misinterpretation, making the film techniques more important.

La Haine directed by Mathieu Kassovitz is a good example of the above. The film is split throughout by a clock to tell us a certain time. By doing this we can see that the film is set as a 24hr period of Vinz, Saїd and Hubert’s day. More importantly the use of the clock makes the film more realistic and adds to the documentary style. The audience can also see how much time the boys are wasting and that nothing in their day really amounts to anything. Interestingly, City of God directed by Fernando Mairelles is also divided but by separate stories which Rocket (the narrator) announces throughout the film. Again none of these are the same length and timing varies but by doing this, we can see how the individual stories link together to create a larger picture. For instance Knockout-Ned is introduced before his story is told later. Rocket believes he is ‘too cool’ to justify robbing, which is ironic as later Lil Zé rapes his girlfriend and kills some of his family members, this causes the gang war in the slums. Mairelles links everything together carefully to create an exciting and fast paced film. Each story is given a title ‘The Apartment’ or ‘The Tender Trio’, and is introduced carefully by Rocket. The film is ‘paused’ as Rocket’s voice-over introduces them, causing the audience to take note that this is another chapter to the story. Although these stories don’t always appear important they all link in carefully.

These ‘stories’ are an important aspect within all three films. In Once Were Warriors, Grace writes stories to give her hope and remind the audience that she still prides her education and has a chance to escape the poverty, however when she is rapped and her father destroys her book we realize she is doomed and will never be able to escape. In City of God the use of individual stories makes a complicated plot line more understandable. It also gives a personality to each character giving them much more depth and build. Even minor characters are given some background to spur their present actions. In La Haine stories are told but mostly to emphasis the emptiness and lack of purpose or things to do, for instance ‘the Old Man’s story’ has nothing to do with the plot or subject matter, apart from briefly stopping the boys from arguing. However other stories such as ‘Humbert’s story’ constitutes to a structuring device. This story in particular opens and closes the film with Humbert’s voice over telling us about a man who falls from the 50^th floor of a building and keeps saying ‘So far, so good...so far, so good...’ – “What matters is not the fall but the landing”, this contributes to the actual structure of the film. What matters is not the process but the ending result.

La Haine’s back and white imagery has also caused discussions with critics. The film was originally shot in colour but changed to black and white in post-production. To release a black and white film in 1995 was a real statement but by doing this Kassovitz de-romanticizes Paris and makes it appear more gritty. It also emphasis the social differences and class so the issues within the film are picked out more easily by the audience. Due to the location for the film being Paris which is usually associated with love it was important for Kassovitz to show its darker side to give the film a bigger impact and change people’s opinions of Paris. The use of the news reel images of the riots at the start contribute to a documentary style theme making the film more real and introduce key issues within the film such as: The unrest between young people and the police, the impact of violence and whether this is a similar view/example in the world. This is then in forced when we first see Saїd, who is spray painting his name onto the back of a police truck along with ‘Fuck the Police’. Saїd is obviously not a usual ‘criminal youth’ as he has written his name, showing the spread of influence among the young people. In City of God the slums are a separate world from the rest of ‘ordinary life’ and the police rarely involve themselves with slum life. Most are as corrupt as the slum leaders that rule the slums and in Once were Warriors, Beth distrusts the police and violence easily finds its way into their home. This is shown when the youngest child makes an imitation of a gun using his hands and pretends to shoot the polices’ retreating backs.

Camera work used throughout contributes in a number of ways, in La Haine close-ups are used to emphasis the documentary style. We also are given a clear idea of Vinz’s hot headed character in the ‘You talking to me?’ a homage to ‘Taxi Driver’. This scene adds to the ironic ending of Vinz’s death. By using close-ups and other shots such as point of view shots, makes the audience feel more involved. For instance, in City of God point of view shots are used when Lil Dice (later named Lil Zé) kills someone this makes us feel as if we are looking from the dying and dead’s view point. This also makes the scene more dramatic as the last thing they see is Lil Dice laughing maliciously as he kills people and continues to shoot them when they are down. In the ‘apartment’ scene we see Rocket entering and someone else knocking at the door, from two different angles, first from the door as Rocket enters and then from behind the occupants, this allows us to see a bigger view of the events including everyone’s actions and movements. This allows the audience to see clearly and accurately what happened with little room for misinterpretation. In Once were Warriors, high shots are used throughout to show a weaker character. When Grace is raped by ‘uncle’ Bully the camera looks down on Grace making her seem small and vulnerable. The lighting also changes as Bully invades the room, briefly blocking out the light. A teddy bear is also visible again emphasizing her innocence and youth. Another high shot is used earlier in the film to show the destruction from another of Jake’s drunken parties. By using such a high shot, the audience is looking down on the characters that have surrended to the drink. It also emphasis the effect on the children and the impact of this influence.

The directors use mis-en-scene within their films and this has different uses e.g. in La Haine the ‘gun’ symbolises violence. Vinz’s gun is a cops gun signifying all their mistakes and ‘cock-ups’ but for Vinz the gun means/is a patriarchal power and is a symbol of masculinity. Due to it being ‘lost’ it gives motivation to the film. In City of God the symbols of power are also very masculine, with few women present in the film, this is understandable and those women present are treated with violence. The guns, drugs and money all create ‘respect’, or so it appears. Those who have and use these have power but violence comes with this power. This is showed when Lil Zé takes over the drug rackets, we are showed this quickly with no dialogue accept the non-diagetic sound of Rocket’s voice-over. The camera follows from above quickly and efficiently to show the speed and ease of the operation. Jake in Once were Warriors is nicknamed Jake ‘the muss’ for his violent out bursts which have gained him respect throughout the community. His fists are a great symbol of this violence which Beth accuses him of bring violence into their home, “You’re still a slave Jake, a slave to your fists!” Grace’s book represents escape and functions as the evidence to uncover Bully. Again in City of God, the camera represents escape for Rocket however the camera is frequently present when death occurs. It first becomes visible when Shaggy dies and Rocket first sees the camera. When Benny gives Rocket a camera, he dies soon after and Rocket makes his name with the death of the gang members using the camera, he never truly escapes the violence.

The sound in La Haine is mostly there to appear diagetic and natural with certain sounds such as trains hissing, car horns and gunshots being emphasised to create tension and increase the expectancy of violence. The lyrics for the music are very political such as Bob Marley etc, emphasising the conflicts and what people are fighting against. This contributes to the realism of the film. When Jake becomes angry in Once were Warriors the sound of the wind wailing is audible warning us that Jake is becoming violent, for instance when he discovers that it is Bully’s fault Grace hanged herself. The sound track at the beginning of the film is upbeat and pulsing as men lift weights in the sunlight, a clear symbol of the importance of masculinity. The music is most peacefully when Beth and Jake take the children for a picnic and Beth reminiscences about the past. This scene is very calm and peaceful until Jake interrupts and the moment is shattered, this shows Jake is uncomfortable talking about the past. The soundtrack for City of God mixes a variety of existing period songs e.g. Brazilian funk and rock, with other music that re-works the traditional samba. By doing this we understand that these are present situations and issues. Sometimes the music isn’t very obvious and gives the film an appeal of intelligence. The lyrics also add to the complexity of the film and characters for instance when the gangsters are changing their clothes and hairstyles “Eu you desdizer aquilo tudo que eu lhes disse antes/I’m going to unsay everything I said to them before” is played during the scene giving more depth to the situation. The lighter and happier samba songs are more associated with Rocket emphasising the contrast between Rocket’s life and the bloodshed surrounding him.

The choice of language was an important decision by Kassovitz and Meirelles as by choosing to keep it within their own languages the majority of people have to use subtitles. An English audience wouldn’t necessarily need the use of dialogue to understand what was happening but the films lose some of their intensity and often the humours aspects would be missed, this lightens the films as well as making the characters more human. The importance of word changing in La Haine would also be missed for instance when Saїd changes the ‘World is yours’ to the ‘World is ours’ and when ‘man’ has been changed to ‘society’ at the end for Hubert’s story which is repeated. This change of words and use of language is very important but appears to have no influence as the ending of La Haine shows because ‘society continues to repeat itself’. Beth’s own cultural language of Maori becomes a stronger influence within the film as the characters gain strength for instance Boogie (Mark) is able to release his anger using Maori and later Beth is strong enough to return to her ‘home’. This also allows comparison to her situation with Jake and gives us more understanding as to how Beth came to be in her situation.

In conclusion all the films depend on their film techniques and directors decisions to ‘tell’ the stories in full. By doing this they show the audience a clear and in depth view of the characters and their situations as well as putting across the directors views so we understand their point of view clearly. All these films have very pressing, dangerous and potentially hurtful subject matters that must be addressed fully to justify presenting them to an audience. 

Review: Farmers on Film!

Hi All,

As part of my previous post about our Film Pitch we had to create a review on the previous year’s project which was 'Farmers on Film'. I reviewed a Piece called 'Keep it Fresh, Keep it local' and here's my review:

Review: ‘Farmers on Film: Keep it Fresh, Keep it Local’ Directed and Produced by Tim Dunn (2011).

‘Farmers on Film: Keep it Fresh, Keep it Local’ is a promotional video supporting local farmers and independent producers in Staffordshire and comparing them with the local Supermarkets. The message trying to be expressed was very clear, first through the original statement at the beginning of the film ‘Under the shadow of the supermarkets, Staffordshire communities are working… to provide the country with fresh, quality, local produce.’ Then through the interviews expressed by the ‘Farmers’ themselves. It manages to convey a local and British message by locating in an ‘English’ countryside town and becoming one with the local community.

The music (By Alastair Cameron) is used to give a sombre and compassionate mood without disrupting the speech and surrounding noise of animals and produce but highlights the messaged further, catching an audience’s attention to listen. It also aids to convey a story, also highlighted through the use of lighting especially by the beginning shot. This begins before sunrise and ends with sunset giving the impression that this is an average day of a farmer, making the film more personal and intense.

Interesting angles and close ups are used to emphasis the quality of the products and there creation process. Diverting from the ‘usual’ mid shot of the interviewee makes the film a more visually interesting piece along with the change of location and variety of occupations.  People and places are clearly referenced, promoting the individual farmers.

Overall the film manages to convey a clear message to the audience while being visually interesting and taking us on a journey of the day in the life of a local farmer. It allows the farmers to speak for themselves also emphasized by the fact that there is no narrator and only the brief statement at the beginning to keep the message present throughout the film. I personal like the use of the music and camera angles to give a wider view of the way a farmers life worked allowing me to learn and want to help, making this a successful documentary.

Reviewed By Emma Simms

( http://youtu.be/7n9cMKBQeSY ) - Film Link

I recommend the public to watch these films as an insight into the local industries and differences between them and the supermarkets. Each film gives a fresh look at different types of local produce as well as different things effecting them. So go watch!

Pitch: Take One!

Hi All,

This week I delivered my first film pitch which was scary and very exciting. We are creating Energy saving videos targeted at Senior Citizens as part of a project called 'See Green' http://www.see-green.eu/seegreensite/en/ .

I am team leader which is a new experience for me as I rarely take charge in most projects, preferring to be a researcher or simply a member of a team. This meant I had to organize my team and communicate with various members of the public and industrial people (this is an on-going project). As someone who hates talking over the phone this is a new challenge for me, however I am up to attempting this task, whether it will actually be successful or not.

My team consist of two researchers, Rob and Hazel, and our fourth team member, Megan. I instantly found that splitting the research between us was beneficial with Rob and Hazel taking the bulk of the information and reporting back every other day. Therefore we have met as a team at least three times a week. Once we had a brief outline of the possible topics on Energy Saving we began to look more deeply into areas of interest. We also wanted to try and pick an area that (one of the other groups also doing this task) was unique or at least a unique take on the subject. 

For our pitch we created a simple Powerpoint to use as a guide for what we wanted to say throughout the actual presentation. This included a brief outline of what we had learned, communications we had sort, possible interview questions we would propose to use, a review of the previous student project, a list of campaigns already attempted, our film proposal and a brief scheduled on when and how we hoped to create our film. 

We aren't a very confident group when it comes to audience presentations so this pitch worried us and we continued to script what we would say and who would say what, trying to make it as even as possible. I would, as the team leader, take the lead throughout the pitch.

The pitch took place on 23rd October 2012 in one of the University Lab rooms. We were to watch and present in front of at least half our peers. Some people were very confident and had amazing ideas, while others were like us, very nervous and would prefer not to be doing this. We were also presenting in front of a select few industry people who would ask us questions and give us advice.

Our pitch took place at 5pm and the nerves had had time to set in. Feeling jittery we approached the front, presented our hand outs to Jon (University leader of the project), set up our Powerpoint and began our pitch. We successfully managed to help each other out when one person became nervous or forgot what was next, this made the presentation flow better and show our team skills. One member of our team was particularly nervous as they began to add more unnecessary information into our project, which we were remarked on at the end but as a first pitch goes I believe it was successful and there were many things we can learn from it.

We were given some very helpful tips and ideas from both our peers and the industry people present and assigned someone to help us with the project.

There was a lot of pressure to do this pitch in the time given and properly and I feel we did that as well as finding things we can develop later, such as how we present and other areas to look at.

It was also very helpful seeing our class mates presentations which were just as good if not better and seeing where there research took them and the ideas they have for the project.

We will continue this project and have it finished by December which is exciting as well as daunting but we are up for the challenge. Keep you posted Emma.