Acting and Acting Style

Identify three actors from your film and classify each according to the types of actors listed in the text.

Film: Unforgiven

Actors and categories:

Clint Eastwood: personality actor, Morgan Freeman: Wild cards and character actor, Gene Hackman: Impersonator

Explain your reasons for classifying the actors as you do. Use specific references to the film and pay special attention to how these decisions impacted characterization. Also consider the impact of any realistic or stylized portrayals within the film.

Clint Eastwood personality character.

Clint Eastwood has a certain screen persona that is well known to his audiences as well as anyone who has worked with him on screen (Goodykoontz, B.,2011). He is well known among other actors and the public. Eastwood becomes very involved with his character almost becoming the very character that he has created. Making it hard for movie goers to determine if he is being his-self or the character role that he has created. Many of Eastwood’s character roles where he is playing his-self are usually based events and things that took place in his life whether they have been good or bad ( Eastwood, 2003). The ending of his films seem to be going well when a tragic event takes place that involves the main character or a close friend which brings him to seek closure in the violent or tragic ending. Eastwood brings a certain persona to all of his films. The way he stands, always chewing on the end of a cigar or has that glint in his eye when he is staring down his enemy. Just like his character in the movie Unforgiven entering the saloon looking for the sheriff and anyone else involved in the killing of his friend. Entering the saloon with his rifle aimed at whomever moves first. Demanding to know in that slow drawn out voice with that squint in his eye who was involved with the slashing of the woman’s face and with his friends death before. When Eastwood’s character is talking his facial expressions never change. Without these Eastwood trademarks and facial expressions that he has created in his films such as Unforgiven, Fistful of Dollars and Gran Torino and more. Movie goers and audiences everywhere would think something was missing in the film. His character would not come off as the western gunslinger or good guy with an attitude that we have known Eastwood for.

Morgan Freeman Star

Morgan Freeman is an actor who’s hard to classify as one certain type of actor. He doesn’t play one type of character but that of many. Freeman’s acting goes as far back as the Electric company an educational program for children. His character role was Mel the Easy reader teaching children to love reading. He is constantly playing a wide variety of characters. Just like his character in the new film Dolphin 2. Freeman doesn’t become the character yet he identifies with the character and the role that he is playing. He is more of a supporting actor. Like he was in the film Unforgiven. He played the best friend. We didn’t see a whole lot of his character throughout the film but what we did see was of major importance. Freeman still surprises us and makes his character role important. The parts we did see were those of him in the scene upon the rock cliffs where there was a shootout between them and some young cowboys. Then in the saloon where he was telling his friend they would not take kind to serving whiskey to a spook in their establishment. Without these scenes there would be no story to tell. Scenes like these break up the monotony of it being just a western. It helps to create the storyline. It would be just another western about a gunfighter’s past. Morgan has an authoritative voice and calm demeanor being one of America’s most respected figures in cinema business (Freeman biography, n.d). His characters roles have included those of many Street Smart where he plays a hoodlum and pimp, Shawshank Redemption a knowledgeble inmate and Unforgiven gunman Ned Logan. All with different types of character roles. Morgan is a great supporting actor as well as a leading actor and narrative (Freeman Morgan). He is more or less the same in any of his roles. He makes every movie or film better. He takes his lines and delivers turning them into a forceful and vibrant character or role. He is a star and his star has been rising ever since.

Gene Hackman impersonator

Gene Hackman does not create the character he copies the manner, dialect and behavior of his character (Goodykoontz, B., 2011). Known for his villainous or corrupt characters such as John Herrod in the Quick and the Dead and The Firm as a corrupt lawyer. In the film Unforgiven he won an academy as best supporting actor (Gene Hackman biography, n.d). Where he portrayed the villainous sheriff of Big Whiskey. Hackman is comfortable with the characters that he plays in the films. For years he has had to carry the stigma of character actor. I think Hackman can act and play any role he choses. yet he has never been given the proper credit he has earned as an actor. When he is portraying a character the tools of the trade are limited preferring it that way (News Week, Gene Hackman, n.d). In the film Unforgiven the scene where he is beating and kicking Eastwood he relied only on his voice and body, ranting, shouting raising chaos for the entire town to see and hear. Through all of this there was little glimmers of humanity. In the scene at the jail house when he told the imprisoned Morgan Freeman about violent interrogation coming his way there was this quick flash of sympathy across Hackman’s face. Showing in his character role even bad guys can be human too. Three years later he played a character totally the opposite playing Harry Caul in the film Conversation a complete transformation from previous characters he has played.

Focus on one of the actors I’ve discussed based on other films the actor has been would this actor always be placed in the same category?

If not what can you infer about the flexibility of these categories? Provide evidence (references from other films including clips to support my argument).

Morgan Freeman: I believe this actor can be placed in any category. What I can infer is Morgan Freeman is a very talented actor and conforms to any character or character role that he is given. Freeman knows how to identify his-self with his character and the role he is playing. In the movie Street Smart (1987) he really stood outside of his element. He played an inner city hustler. Freeman created this pimp character named Fast Black with a charismatic surface. Yet beneath it all his character was violent and manipulative. Freeman made this pimp into  a brutal self controlled sociopath (Morgan Freeman, biography, n.d). This I would consider as sophisticated enactment of layers of his acting personality his own personal style.

References

Eastwood, (2003). Senses of Cinema
Retrieved from http://www.sense of cinema.com/2003/great directors/Eastwood
Goodykoontz, B., (2011).Film: From Watching to Seeing, Chapter Three Styles of Actors
Retrieved from://San Diego CA: Bridgepoint Education, INC.
constellation course digital materials (CPM)title
Morgan Freeman: He makes any movie better
Retrieved from http://www.inside movies.ew.com/Morgan-Freeman
Morgan Freeman Biography- Biography – IMDb
Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000151/bio
Internet Movie Database
Gene Hackman- Biography IMDb
Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000432/bio
The Disappearance of Gene Hackman, Newsweek
Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/disappearance-gene-hackman.

Categories and Functions of Sound

 Describe each of these basic categories of sound.

Dialogue: aids in identifying characters and locations. To develop plot points, reveal characters, while creating a atmosphere and personalities with motivations while supporting the films theme or message.

Sound effects: add realism to the characters and location in the film providing humor or suspense to the scenes. At times actual sounds can be recorded to be added to the objects or imagery on the screen. Depending on the scene the sounds can be loud or soft and other times it can be a unrelated sound that can be more effective than the real thing (Internet Movie Database). 

Music: conveys mood with emotions within the character by using rhythm with tempo and melody with instrumentation. If film makers were to use imagery by itself without the music and sound the shot or transition from one scene would not be as effective with the viewers. For example the sound of a pounding heart beat behind a closed door in a horror film can effect or generate a feeling of suspense. Add a few sharp dissonant notes to it and now you have scary.

Explain how the different categories of sound are used in my chosen film Unforgiven.

In the film Unforgiven dialogue takes place in a natural location as well as on the set or sound stage. Some of the scenes are shot outside in their natural elements and while the characters are exchanging dialogue you can hear the wind rustling the grass and blowing through pine-trees. Chirping of birds are in the background. Or in another scene when the three main characters are in a gunfight with some young boys. You can hear the echo of their voices as they are hollering at one another. Especially when Eastwood’s character hollers “will ya give that boy a damn drink of water I’m not gonna shoot ya” (1992, Eastwood).

Music: is a vital part of each dialogue in each scene. In the scene you ain’t ugly like me. Eastwood tried to justify his comment to the women who’s face was slashed. As he was saying you ain’t ugly like me you could hear the music in the back ground play very softly and yet it was short as he was toning down his dialogue. Choosing his words carefully not to offend her. This set the tone for the scene as well as Eastwood’s dialogue.

How does the use of sound inform the mood of the scene or overall film?

The use of sound aids in the film’s characters dialogue helping to move from bantering and arguing in one scene to a more serious mood further into the scene. There were plenty of diegetic sound effects in the film Unforgiven. By using the natural sound effects of the elements and enhancing them to exaggerate the sound and making it dramatic in the scene. Example the thunder and the rain in the beginning of the film. Adding more of diegetic sound effects makes the thunder and the rain louder than it was in it’s natural element. By using these sounds it makes it easier to key in on plot points throughout the film (Academy of motion pictures). These sound effects set the mood in each of the scenes.

Identify specific sounds in the film Unforgiven that allow you to infer a particular genre.

Thunderstorms with the thunder and wind driven rain. Scenes where it is windy giving off the appearance that a storm is rolling in. Cowboy boots and spurs jingling as the character strides across the wooden floor of a saloon. The sound of a rifle being cocked before firing the first bullet in a gunfight. Horses and riders stampeding through the town. Bullets ricocheting in a gunfight. These are some of the common sounds that you hear in a lot of genre westerns (Eastwood, 1992).

Since each category of sound may produce a range of effects how might I characterize the effects in my film Unforgiven?

Realistic sounds of the wind in the grass and the pine-trees, blowing through the dry grass. Sounds of spurs and cowboy boots walking across a wooden floor would be characterized as natural sounds. The thunderstorm rolling in with the sound of thunder in the background and the wind would be characterized as natural sounds in a natural element or realistic sounds. The realistic sounds of nature in its elements a viewer would expect unless the sound is recreated to make a more dramatic sound in the scene. Some of the unexpected sounds would be the lashing of a bullwhip (IMDb database) in one of the scenes where the sheriff lashed Ned with a bullwhip and it went on and on and you could hear it across the town. 

Assess how the scene / sequence would play differently if I were to changed or remove a key category of sound.

If I removed all the natural sounds out of the film the dialogue of the characters would be just that a dialogue. There would be nothing to back up the emotions of the kid crying because he killed a man or screams in the slashing of the woman’s face in each of these scenes. Sound makes everything dramatic especially where each plot point is or gives us the suspense in the scenes. It helps to transition one shot to another from scene to scene. With the natural sounds in this film it help to make the film by giving it character and personality.

                                                                                                     References

Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences

      Retrieved from http://www.Oscars.org

Unforgiven (1992). Clint Eastwood

      Retrieved from http://www.clinteastwood.net/filmography/unforgiven

Unforgiven Reviews and Ratings – IMBd

      Retrieved from http://www.imbd.com/title/-0105695/reviews

      Database: Internet movie database

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction to Film / Lighting

                                                                                                LUCY

                                                                                   A Sci-fi / Crime Thriller

Identify the type of lighting used in the film traditional three-point, high key or low key.

Lighting that Luc Besson used for his film Lucy were the ring lights with a dimmer. He chose this type of lighting to achieve or capture the highlights in the main characters eyes Johanasson aka Lucy (Besson, 2014). Other lighting used was LED, ARRI LED and HMI lights to recreate daylight and natural light. These type of lights were mounted to the cameras that the director used.

Assess the impact of lighting used to establish the theme.

The lighting used in Lucy was crucial if not critical in all aspects and angles of this film making. The main visual effects were created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (Besson, 2014). Using IDAR scans on the simulation rigs to get suspension of the cars  for the crash scene just right ILM had to re-project the high dynamic range imaging or HDRI and textures onto the LIDAR light detection and range which measures the properties of scattered light like a laser just to generate lighting and reflections (soma.sbcc.edu,). In this film HDRTS lighting was critical in creating the images in each of the shots whether it is late in the evening or bright early morning for shooting the scenes. If the camera was doing a close up of the scene or stunt action the HDRI lighting was crucial in getting the scene precise. If there needed to be hotel scenes Besson would use the 18k lights to create daylight.

What are the benefits of the style of lighting used?

Film makers are able to create daylight making the lighting warm for the different shots they are shooting. This can change the way a hotel or taxi cab scene would look. This gives each scene their own unique personality. Film makers are able to capture reflections in front of mirrors or in glass. Lighting can make a really bad place look terrific. Due to the lighting being different in different locations this type of lighting is a benefit especially if they decide to use a real location instead of a stage drop.

How did this technique contribute to the theme?

Using ring lights help to enhance the beauty of Johanasson aka Lucy giving the film director Besson the highlights that he wanted to acquire for his close up in one of the scenes, With the ring lights mounted to the camera Besson was able to control  and adjust the lighting using a remote control and a dimmer switch. If one of Johanasson was to close to the camera lens in a scene he was able to adjust the brightness of the lighting down. If she was to far away from the camera lens the lighting could be adjusted up. Same applies to a reflection in a mirror (Besson, 2014). If the film maker did not want the reflection in a particular scene all he had to do was turn off the lighting. This would occur for daylight scenes.

How was the lighting technique suited to the genre of the film for overall authenticity?

Filters were often used for the daylight to make it warmer or switch to tungsten. With the LED colors tungsten and daylight are mixed together to achieve the color they need in the movie scenes. ARRI LED units are used to change background colors can be changed from red to yellow to any color. This is used quite a bit for late evening  to night shots. For example close ups in a taxi or a night club scene. Luc Besson used real locations making everything seem more realistic such as daylight and night time.

Compare how the scene would play if different choices had been made.

Compared to other movies made by Beeson such as Matrix Lucy is a good sci-fi / crime thriller. It was a bit confusing and the make up of the movie to much like the Matrix. Defiance of gravity and the action scene of the telekinesis. I believe that Freeman’s character and Johanasson characters strength in the film did not play well off of each other. I felt that Johanasson character was a bit too robotic and not natural representation of what her character could of been. Robotic is one thing and super human is another. regardless I found this film to have lots of action and some good suspense. It did end rather quickly maybe there will be a sequel.

                                                                                         References

Cinematography: Theory and Practice School of Media: Image making for cinematographers & directors

Second edition,

Retrieved from https://www.soma.sbcc.edu/film pro.

Luc Besson’s “Lucy” Film and Digital Times: Technique and technology in motion picture.

(Producer) and (Writer) Luc Besson

Date: 2014, July 24

Retrieved from https://www.fdtimes.com/luc-bessons-lucy

Luc Besson’s “Lucy” Sony’s Community Site

Lucy special report PDF

Retrieved from https://www.community.sony.com/sony/attachments

 

 

Source: The Journal of Art

 

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth Wagner/ Introduction to film 2014

Title: Unforgiven
Writer: David Peoples
Director: Clint Eastwood
Major Actors: Clint Eastwood (Bill Munny)
Gene Hackman: ( Little Bill Daggett)
Morgan Freeman: (Ned Logan)
Richard Harris: (English Bob)
Jaimz Woolvett: (Skofield Kid)
Released: 2/07/1992

Summarize the story and plot.
Bill Munny was a notorious gunslinger and ex-gunman as well as a pig farmer.
In the big town of Big Whiskey run by the notorious gun slinger sheriff Bill
Daggett. He decreed that several ponies should makeup for a cowhand slashing
the face of one of fierce Strawberry Alice’s (Francis Fisher)prostitutes.This
Alice so her and the other girls put their money together and put
$1,000 bounty out on the lives of the men that cut up one of her girls.
The Scofield Kid finds Munny and ask him to go with him to Big Whiskey to
collect the bounty. Munny needs the money for the children yet he tells the kid
he isn’t like that anymore in reference to the gunslinger that he once was.
He convinces his friend (Ned) to go along as well. They ride into Big Whiskey
ran by the notorious sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman). He makes it
clear to everyone know one knows the law better than him. Meanwhile along comes
English Bob (Richard Harris) with his biographer ( Eastwood).He reads the
story and thinks it is all a lie and he hates lies so he beats English
Bob to death and throws him in jail. goes to the saloon not feeling well
and has a drink when Little Bill enters into the saloon and
accuses Munny of being a drunk and dirty scoundrel. Munny gets the tar
beat out of him. Ned gets caught and is shot to death after being lashed
by Little Bill who makes a public example of him. Munny recovers from his
illness and being beaten finds out his friend has been killed so he seeks
revenge killing Little Bill in a shootout.
Was the film presented chronologically or linearly?
I believe the film was presented chronologically even with the few
mistakes there was in the film. In one of the scenes Little Bill is reading the
book and turns the page you can see his script. English Bob is shooting
pheasants from the train the pheasants in this scene are not yet native to the
U.S if the movie takes place in 1881.
How are the elements like character development or foreshadowing
impacted by the choice of storytelling methods?
In the film Unforgiven there is cinematic storytelling with visual imagery.
It is a tale or story of the nature of evil and the nature of man. The
characters themselves tell the stories among each other. Telling of the
stories in the film is a way for the characters to justify what they are
doing. storytelling identifies with each of the characters giving them
identity.
References
Eastwood, C. (Director). (1992). Unforgiven [Motion Picture]. Warner Bros.
Pictures Distribution
AFI:10 Top 10.[n.d]. Retrieved from http://www.afi.com/10 top 10/more
detail.aspx?id=11&thumb=1