Metacognitive Analysis

Marlene Herrera

May 5, 2013

Metacognitive Analysis

   The Hybrid Essay was an outstanding opportunity to really dive into films. Words alone would cut short in analyzing how images and sounds placed together to form one huge motion picture. It would be ironic if I tried to talk about films without providing images and sounds. That is why I decided not to just write a traditional essay it would be to boring for such an exciting topic. I decided to base my hybrid essay on both Dillon Marsh Photography blog (http://dillonmarsh.com/assimilation.html ) and Perez Hilton blog (http://perezhilton.com/). The reason was because they both demonstrate the importance of telling a story with images and videos. Dillon Marsh blog placed images and then wrote about them and their importance to the topic of the post. Even though many can argue that the blog perezhilton.com is not worth much time, it sure is fun and that is what I wanted my hybrid essay to be; fun and accessible. The way I formatted my essay had to do with basic film aesthetics and an exploration of the topics importance. I move from the big picture to slowly dissecting it big element at a time.

   My first topic was how a story is told. Whether it will be through animation, a dance number, or dialogue, it has to portray smoothly and vividly. By using videos like Hum Saath Saath Hain, (1999) an Indian Film, Pixar animated short film For the Birds (2001), and a clip from the movie The Departed (2006), I was able to portray the idea of films being a universal spectrum. A story can be told in various way and still carry the message across. Though musical or animation, the story is well developed and portrayed.

    As I continued my hybrid essay I moved on to sound. I wanted to emphasize the importance of how music a lone and music place with images can make a huge difference on how the scene is portrayed. The movie, Pirates of The Caribbean used a score written by Hanz Zimmer to portray adventure and voyage. By itself, the musical piece is fast paced and provides numerous grandiose moments but when placed with images and scenes from the movie they just connect. The adventure scenes are perfectly paired with the high intense musical notes and when the music becomes slow the scenes also slow down. Music allows feelings.

    After we hear we begin to see what we hear. I then progressed into analyzing clothing. In order to completely embrace a film, being able to immerge into the setting and time is important because it truly places the atmosphere. For example, the images I provided for this section are from the movie, The Kings Speech (2010), provide sufficient clothing specifications that any person can point and notice a time period. Like the fur around the coat in the second image. Now a day’s PETA has protested against animal abuse and with this background information, it becomes rather easy to say the fur used is to illustrate a different time period.

   After we see we try to comprehend the creativity process behind it all. I provided a short YouTube video titled, Behind the Scenes of Wallace and Gromit because the video focuses on all the little details places in a cartoon in order to be developed. I could not just simply talk about how a character is developed I had to provide visuals of how it is created and all the effort placed into it. Like the many different facial expression each character has and the different miniature handmade sets. The video, for me is the highlight of my hybrid essay. It truly embraces all the aspects of what I wanted my essay to show.

     Finally, I decided to talk about writing last because after everything is dissected to find the meaning of a film, what the characters say is what stays with us. That is why we have numerous memes quoting movies. I also, touched upon genres because I found it extremely interesting how to many critics, most movies produced in Hollywood are considered westerns. At first I disagreed because Batman is not running around with a cowboy hat in a horse, but I later realize he was running around in a motorcycle in a bat costume.

   For me, writing the hybrid essay was a good liberation from the traditional way of writing a paper. It was a bit intimidating in the beginning with just hearing “hybrid” because it seemed a bit complicated and technological but in the end it was rather easy and fun. Of course, the examples provided like, Dillon March Photography blog made it easier but in the end it ended being completely different from that blog. I hope that other teachers hear about a hybrid essay and start applying it to their course because it is so much fun.

Hybrid Essay

Don't Just See, Experience a Film

     During my short time frame, I have heard a couple of inspirational talker's here and there. I bet a few of us know how this works out. While in the room bomb's are being dropped everywhere on how to change this and that and as soon as the meeting is over everything is forgotten, right? Well, I am a rebel. I actually took it very personal when one of the motivational talkers went to my high school to talk about how to choose a career. She said "if you want to do your homework and you are watching TV then you are committed to watching TV not you homework therefor you are in a committed relationship to your television and not your studies." Did I just hear wedding bells? I have a feeling that she was trying to be funny but to me her words set light to a path I had not seen before. I was well known to choose a good intriguing movie or show over homework. Applying the unintentional advice to my life I notice that film played a huge role in my life. If I was not trying to act as a character I was trying to film the sky or a fly in my food. A passion was clearly there and when I got a chance to explore this flame through a blog , I just had to share the heat.

Films are a universal language. Whether, the film tells the story through music, animation, or just simple dialogue we can all enjoy it.

Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999)

For The Birds (2001)

 

 

The Departed (2006)

 Films use musical scores to set the mood of the scene.

Hans Zimmer-

Pirates of the Caribbean Theme song (just the music)

The score added with visuals adds thrill and adventure to the scene. 

No one uses top hats anymore.

Fashion or clothing is a huge deal in movies. In order to set the time periods in movies and to convince the viewers that they are really watching a film that takes place in a different time, costume designers have the challenge to create clothing that resembles any given time the movie is set in. In the movie The King's Speech directed by Tom Hooper was release in 2010 but thanks to it's amazing costumes we are place back in 1930 before Great Britain declares war on Germany.

Fancy! Would you like some tea with that fur?

Craft. Sculptures. Drawings. Are also involved in Films. Pictures are not always the only form used to create a film. For example, in the animation field, two very lovable characters called Wallace and Gromit created by Nick Park, are literary getting there face fixed for there close ups. This short video shows how the characters and everything around them are hand made by professional artist but before they begin they have to draw every single movement they want the main actors to do.Take a look.

Amazing. Such dedication  for creativity. It creates a different meaning to talent because it involves numerous talent concentrated  into just one form. It is unique and that is why people celebrate it so much.

   The creme of the crop is the writing. The first step to a film is the script. without one there is no movie at all. The script narrates scene-by-scene. It serves as a platform that filmmakers will transform into visuals.Writing can either make or break a scene. It can depend on how aggressive the writing is that allows the scene to stand tall (of course with the help of an actor) or how weak it is that the story line falls flat. Screenwriting goes hand in hand with genres. At first I only new  a few genres like fiction, non-fiction, and science fiction. It turns out there are a lot more . A few of my favorites are musical, comedies, science fiction, and comedy-drama and screwball comedy.My least favorite genre is Westerns but many critics have commented that most of the films that  are produce in Hollywood are Westerns. Just because the setting is not in the dessert and the actors are not wearing cowboy hats it does not mean a movie is not a western. It turns out that western movie characteristics involve themes of revenge and clothing that signifies a characters inherent natures.For example, The Dark Knight Rises is considered a western because the character Batman's clothing portraits his anonymous personality and The Joker involves getting revenge on society. If it wouldn't been for the research I did in this blog the correlation between the two would of never happened.

    A subject I would have loved to explore but did not touch was the business side of film or better know as film politics. It  was an interesting subject that came across during my research. Los Angeles is my home and is known around as the home of Hollywood. Since Hollywood produces so much money I became curious to how all that money travels around.Hollywood attracts millions of dollars a movie and with the right combination of actors and directors, billions of dollars stack up. Who are the producers? How much does it take to produce a commercial film from an independent film? What studios produce what movies? What qualities are needed to ensure a successful film? How much effort does it go to advertising? It is the math and statistic side of film making.One that would probably get me confused but a lot wiser. This would be the next step to my blog if I do continue.

    As my first time blogging I truly enjoyed it. At first I though of blogging as a drag because I was new to it and it was a lot of writing and commitment but after I posted my first post I enjoyed it. I notice that I was very sincere with my post and very detailed. I got caught up in the discussion and the art of film that it became fun. As my research progress I began learning more about how to watch a movie. For example, how to approach a movie when  first watching it in the theater. One thing I learn to look for was to understand why the villain/ antagonist act's the way he does and why he is considered the antagonist. But not everyone wants to look for for those kinds of details when trying to enjoy the movie. Sadly, no one posted any comments on my post which makes it hard to notice if they developed any arguments or if someone though opposite of what I wrote. I have to say that not everyone will agree with my post The Importance of Film because an argument could of been that for some movies goers movies are just simply to watch without any justification. It does not mean they will go into the theater looking for entertainment and leave with different aspect in life it just means that they will get a sense of all the hard work it took to create what they are watching. For them to appreciated the value of  a well done movie versus a commercial movie.  That is why the topic was significant because films are a collaborative project meant to be watch in a group and with the tips to watch a movie, the more meaningful it becomes. For me that was one of the driving purposes for this blog and I feel I was able to tap into that topic. Overall, I had around a month to blog and the discoveries I made where great. I learn to voice my passion for films and to teach others what I learn in a cool exciting way. This might be the longest post to my blog but I hope it is not the last one.


                       

Ethnography Reading

 

Sitting in the back row surrounded  by books everywhere I look i cant help to notice this is the perfect environmental for a public reading. It sets the mood to complete relaxation of understanding knowledge. As I looked around I spy the food table. The hostesses provided crackers, ham,

sour cream, and bread. Too bad I had Chipotle before the event. As, I walk back to my seat a little table is set up displaying books from the presenter.The cover art seemed intriguing, but we all know not to judge a book by it's cover.  As the host started to present the author , they decided to open up with Mad Libs. After some laugh it was time for Professor Eloise Klein Healy to start the show. She seems laid back and funny. While she read her poems she made eyed contacted as much as she could. Some of her favorite poems included "Dark," and a line that stood out to me was "it's own idea" because for me poems embark a journey of there own, never same twice. The reading was great and very funny, I truly enjoyed it.  

Final Edit

                               

      When first introduced to the blogging assignment, my ideal purpose was to shine light on the passion I have for film and how influential it is in our modern world. Films or Movies are more than just motion pictures being projected in a white drape hanging in a wall. Films are paintings, sculptures, musical scores, catwalks and poems all in one big production. They are a series of dreams taking a life of there own in front of our eyes. Yet, films are still more than that. Not many of us realize that our first introduction to a different country or culture is through films. Filmmakers originate from different cultures and backgrounds which allows some sort of diversity and introductions to a different backgrounds and views. Another, reason I wanted to dedicate a blog to film is to try to teach my followers about how to see a film beyond its hot actors/actresses and awesome fighting sequences. One way I tried to illustrate this was by providing some pictures and videos directly from a movie that focused on the art of film making it self instead of the actors. I also posted a couple of tips to remember while watching a movie that can help the viewer understand the purpose of the film and why they are attracted to paying to see the film. For example, understanding the setting or  when a character wears red clothing they are more likely to be the temptation of the antagonist that leads to their down fall.Overall, blogging has been a great first experience. It allowed me to show my admiration of films through pictures and videos, which made it a lot more entertaining and easy to understand.

Scholars Against Films

  Across the pond, arguments are heating up with disputes over TV and Films and the impact they have on cultures. It seems, both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states do not want their "Kannada language, and literature, culture and social heritage" to be influence by what  Hollywood depicts it as being.

Placing my self in the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu States position, it is very easy to see why they would want to keep Hollywood stereotypical films and TV shows out of their state. The tendency to over exaggerated a culture life style or to portrait it as "rural" is Hollywood's way of showing how  America is the Modern world. It serves as an ego busters but it angers everyone else. It is also easy to see how liberal and violent our TV shows and films are. Some few examples are American Pie, The Bad girls club, Honey Boo Boo, and the Chainsaw Massacre. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu States simply just want to protect their culture and heritage from the negative influence ours might have upon their's.




















 http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/1799109/report-scholars-against-films-dubbed-into-kannada

What to look for when watching a Movie

http://www.godawa.com/Writing/Articles/HW-MoviesWhattolookfor.pdf

This is a summary of an article I found online based on a book called  Hollywood Worldview. It sums up 9 possible aspects to keep in mind when watching a movie. Here are the ones I thought to be important.

1) Look for the Protagonist and the Antagonist

It is very important to distinguished which characters is the hero and which is not because it allows you to consider whose side you are on. It allows you to get involved with the movie in a more personal level.

2) Look for the hero/protagonist weakness/fault/ or need

 When you are able to understand why the protagonist wants and needs to jump the fence to save the bag of money from burning because he will used it to pay for his mothers cancer treatment , the movie makes a lot more sense  You should be able to see what his problem is and how he struggles to solve it and what is keeping him from solving it.

3)Look for the protagonist revelation

This usually happens at the end of the movies when the protagonist has a moment of redemption and he lets us know how the protagonist thinks we should live our lives.

4)Look for the antagonist point of view

Try to understand the reason why the person conspiring against the antagonist  is the antagonist . Sometimes those characters tend to reflect society views that many of us are faced with in our daily lives.

   

Movie Trailer

                           G.I.O. 2 Retaliation Movie trailer

So, the trailer for what promises to be the years first action thrill movie is out. It is called G.I.O. 2 Retaliation.   It is directed by Jon M. Chu and some of the cast members are Dwayne Johnson (aka the Rock) and Channing Tatum. It is set to release nation wide this Thursday, March 28, 2013. I hope you have seen the trailer already being bombarded all over those TV commercials because it will get worse through out Spring Break! The Movie shows it's cliche hot Hollywood  leading guys fighting for there counties pride with a hot girl fighting scene. The images are good quality and by the looks of the trailer some of the action scenes look daring and very well edited by all those graphic majors. Just by looking at the trailer alone I feel encourage to go see this movie. Maybe I will go during our Cesar Chavez Day .

For you ladies!!

So, i don't know if you ladies have heard but it seems that Ryan Gosling is taking a break from acting. This means no more hot Ryan on the huge screens!! But i found this funny. People are going to miss him so much they are willing to create a hotline just to call and hear his voice in you ear. Ok, a little to over the board , its not like he died. But i just decided to posted up in case one of you ladies feels like hearing a sweet voice! Have Fun!!!

Quick Question

What allures you into going to watch a movie? The trailers? The actors? The action scenes? The story lines? etc.

                                              (feel free to answer in the comments section)

The Beauty of Film

Just an example of how the right scene placed in the right order can tell a story. 

Meme

                                                       

Art of the Title, my inspirational blog

                                   Art of the Title

This blog is just amazing! It provides interviews, movie ratings as well as descriptions, and images and videos of the movies. The content is not only limited to one aspect of film making it provides variety. While talking of the movie Blue Valentine , the blogger is talking about the images of the film. The blogger provides and interview in which the editor of the film talks about the different images on the movie and the meanings behind them that allowed the overall story and experience to be propelled forward. In ParaNorman, the blogger provides images from the first stages of illustration of the characters until the last final stages of development as well as an interview with the illustrators of the film. The reason why I liked this blog was because it propels to the many different areas of film not only the part where it is premiered but behind the scenes and the details that where placed together to create a vision. These and a  lot more are the different areas I want to touch on in my blog and this blog provides an example of how I can do it. 

The Article Said it All!!

The Importance of Film by Placebo Face 

The article The Importance of Film by a user that goes by Placebo face talks about how a movie,

"can change me and make me perceive the world differently." 

This is one of the main reason why I personally see films. The author goes on to explain how,

" Every film has a meaning and every filmmaker wants to see what they see, feel what they feel."

It is important to recognized that films are also a way to express something just like a poem or a painting, they all have different styles and perspectives on which they were created. A reason why  I really loved this article was because of the message it sends out, 

 "I encourage everyone that the next time they see a film to think about the importance of the film to our own lives. Learn to be an active viewer, not a passive one."

This is so valuable! one should not simple go see a movie just to go see it.  the money spent of it should count. Try thinking of why the movie is a comedy or a SciFi. try to understand it and the money and maybe gas wasted on the trip to the theater will be well spent.=)

An Opportunity to Live more than One Life

 Why is it that week after week and commercial after commercial we are attracted to see a movie? Could it possibly be the unbearable truth that movies serve as an  excuse to leave life outside and enter a new one as soon as the lights go off on the theater. For any reason it is, films have been an important aspects of our lives.The reason I have these images on the left (which you may recognize) is to provided examples of how  films provided  the viewer an opportunity to enter a new role.

     
  I have met a couple of fanatics of the movie Avatar by James Cameron, that have completely submerged themselves with the idea that planer Pandora does exist and while the Army takes there time to release such information to the general audience they will start creating there own Avatar. Sounds like they have been playing video games for to long, right? But that is not it. I think a good few of us have heard at least a couple of times this line, "say hello to my little friend" . Guess where they got it from? yes, a movie called Scarface by Brian De Palma. Oh,        
and who has not heard or better yet seen the movie, The Notebook?  The ultimate chick-flick movie.

These are just few of the films that have shaped some aspects of our lifes. I mean, who did not want to travel across the universe and be cool with a extravagant new species, or be the ultimate gangster shooting down all your enemies with a mechanical gun, or have a romantic love story where your true love fulfills all you desire with  only the though that it might remind you that you once loved him. Movies provide you for at least an hour and a half a window to a different realm were you can be captivated with all your senses. It lets you explore your imagination as you relate to characters on screen and for just and hour in a half it becomes you in that screen living those moments. Flying ginormous birds or kissing your true love, you are provides with a chance to live more than once through the magic of film.                                                                  

Hypothesis

When I was trying to decide on a topic to base my blog on, I could not seem to make up my mind on a couple of topics. It got to the point that I got so frustrated I decided to take a break and watch a movie. I played Seven Psychopaths directed by Martin McDonagh.  It was only when my roommate approached me and asked me "is the movie good?" that I realized, movies is the topic I want to explore in my blog.  For most, films provide an opportunity to escape the harsh struggles of the general life, while for other it provides them with an easy fun date. But it seems that not many know the underlying messages of films beside "and they lived happily ever after"  that is why I decided to dedicate this blog to Film .I will explore the concept of films. Why was it made? why the location? who are the characters? How do they influence the events? what is the underlying meaning? how was the story line developed? Films serve as a life spectrum's. A multitude of scenes and colors and sounds connected  to bring to life one picture,one story, one voice. I would like to invite you into this journey that I am taking as a student of film to analyze and truly appreciate a film.