Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

Content:

1. What did you do over the break with your senior project?

A crucial portion of my independent component is combining research with real-world situations. Luckily for me, my research involves watching films. In fact, I was able to watch quite a few over my break--Top Five, Annie, The One I Love, La Belle et La Bete, Populaire, Fanny, Marius, and The Wolf of Wall Street. Since I am analyzing these films and not simply watching for enjoyment, I created a doc where I could log my thoughts once I finished viewing them. I am working on developing a spreadsheet where I can continue logging the films, my reactions and my opinions on them so that I may have a clear, organized way of displaying my research when I turn in my Independent Component. 


2. What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why? What was the source of what your learned? 

I feel that I learned the most from Top Five and The One I Love. 
Movies are often praised when the director's "artsy-ness" is displayed through obvious methods. When I think of artsy sequences in films, scenes where laws of physics are suspended briefly or specific camera placement and lighting are used to create a certain mood/tone come to mind. Directorial choices are made for artistic purposes. I felt that Top Five was artsy, though in different ways than most films. There aren't any scenes that suspend logic or overt artistic choices that I could perceive as typically artsy. I believe that is due more so to the dialogue, storyline, and atmosphere. Basically, my point is that the film taught me that there doesn't have to be dramatic lighting or camera pans to get one's point across in an "artsy" way. 
The One I Love, however, taught me that it is still very possible to surprise viewers, even a little. As a fan of The Twilight Zone, I was immediately drawn to the tone of the film because I could tell that it had to be inspired in some shape, way or form by the show. The reason I love of the show, of course, is because it is transcendent and the endings are still baffling, if not shocking, some sixty years after it originally aired. The One I Love did the exact same thing with an ending I definitely was not expecting, so even though the typical movie-goer may have a bit of cynicism in them, it may still be possible to surprise them. 

3. If you were to do a ten question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why? 

I would probably talk to seasoned writers, directors, producers, and distributors, among other people who have roles in filmmaking because there are so many aspects that make a film memorable.