FILM 1502 1st Edition Lecture 1Outline of Current Lecture I. Why do we make and watch movies: “Why film matters?”II. What does the cinema (and its popularity) say about culture and society? What does it say about us as individuals?III. How does Singin’ in the Rain construct itself as a historical object, while also being a worthy object of study? Current LectureWhy is Film Important? 8/28 Studying Film- Film culture, social and historical, larger ideas, cultural values o Directors, producers, studio, banks o Values change overtime—static (violence, sex)o Cinema behind on social changeo Today, different engagement with film—phone, laptops, theatre All in different context- Referent systems: personal experience—baggage brought to theatre (hometown, culture, fav. color…)o Experiential circumstances: age, gender, race, backgroundo Experiential histories: personal and social encounters o Ex. The Muppets as referent Characters experience with the show Nostalgia and context—appeal to everyone Dual audience o Ex. The Green Hornet Changed name in Hong Kong due to cultural values Viewership- Public and private, theatre vs. at home o Social media-see it b/c friends will be talking o Understand film through personal lens - Active vs. passiveIdentification and Cognition- American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999)—disintegration of American family - Personal identity and identification can prevent from connecting w/ charactersThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Cognition and expectation Context and History- The Birth of a Nation (D.W. Griffith, 1915)o Reconstructing history, skewing events o Cognitive-showing murder of Abe Lincoln Singing in the Rain (Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, 1952) 8/27- Setting aesthetic changes rapidly- Comedic editing-“freeze frame” women, slow motion scene- Dual history and Hollywood Mythology o History intentionally inaccurate, all a lie but still makes
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