Showing posts with label film theory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label film theory. Show all posts

Representing: Hip Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema Review

Representing: Hip Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Representing: Hip Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Representing: Hip Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Representing: Hip Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema ReviewI highly recommend this book. It is very enjoyable and informative reading that is right on target for insight into the Black Urban Culture, the rise of Hip Hop and it's influence on Black produced American film. It was used as a main text for a Rap and Black Cinema university course successfully. Although very sociology based, it was understood by college students of other majors who appreciated the book's honesty of a much maligned topic.Representing: Hip Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema OverviewIn this engaging and provocative book, S. Craig Watkins examines two of the most important developments in the recent history of black cinema—the ascendancy of Spike Lee and the proliferation of "ghettocentric films." Representing explores a distinct contradiction in American society: at the same time that black youth have become the targets of a fierce racial backlash, their popular expressive cultures have become highly visible and commercially viable."Watkins is at his most sophisticated and persuasive when he explains the surprising success of hyper-talented, entrepreneurial, and energetic black artists."—Archon Fung, Boston Book Review

Want to learn more information about Representing: Hip Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers) Review

Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers) ReviewSound Theory, Sound Practice is a great collection of essays that goes beyond the (then) current state of film sound scholarship. There were two main approaches: one dealing with psychoanalytic and semiotic theory, favored by the film theorists; and the other dealing almost exclusively with music, favored by the musicologists. This volume represents the work of important scholars who see the value in both, but also go beyond approaching the film not as a text, but as an event.
The obvious highlight is Rick Altman's many contributions that make the rest of the scholarship possible. These writers demonstrate not only a thorough knowledge of critical theory, but of the physics of sound as well. This is a rather unique approach as most authors don't want to get too technical outside the field of film. That's not to say these essays are purely technical - far from it. They simply use technical explanations when a technical explanation is required.
Overall, this is definitely the most essential book on film sound out there. Altman's previous collection "Cinema/Sound" in the French Yale Review was great for the time and still offers a lot of great ideas, but this represents a couple more decades worth of work in the field. Film sound theory has come a long way.Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers) OverviewSound Theory/Sound Practice provides a major re-examination of the place of sound in cinema. Individual essays cover such diverse topics as the conversion to sound, cartoon sound, documentary sound, and voices of women in third-world cinema. This collection combines unpublished articlesby established scholars who first attracted academic attention to cinema sound - Rick Altman, John Belton, Michel Chion, and Alan Williams - with work written by a new generation of sound-sensitive scholars.

Want to learn more information about Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Star Wars (BFI Film Classics) Review

Star Wars (BFI Film Classics)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Star Wars (BFI Film Classics)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Star Wars (BFI Film Classics). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Star Wars (BFI Film Classics) ReviewA through analysis of Star Wars from an academic standpoint (something sorely lacking in terms of Lucas's film). While much of the writing about Star Wars over the past 3o years has discussed its revolutionary special effects of its blockbuster status, Brooker analyzes Star Wars in terms of what it was for George Lucas the auteur director. In his early career, Lucas longed to be a maverick, separate from Hollywood and in control of his own projects. His first two experiences with the Hollywood system (THX-1138 and American Graffiti) left Lucas with a soured perspective of Hollywood. He began Star Wars by attempting to fashion a troupe of talented people all working together to create something that would out-do Hollywood at its own game. However, Brooker traces that in doing so, and so fiercely attempting to retain his control, Lucas's desire to create band of rebels gradually turns him into the empire itself as he must reign over and control an unruly cast, crew and special effects department. Brooker also examines Lucas's fascination with objects rather than people and demonstrates that Lucas, like the empire, prefers things that are cold and impersonal, less human, but longs for the wild improvisational spirit of creativity found in the rebels. Brooker's book demonstrates that Star Wars is a much more complex film that originally gleaned by demonstrating that Lucas, as the writer/director/editor, is identifying with both sides and while the narrative the film demonstrates a clear victory of the film, Lucas's direction does not reveal such a clear cut winnerStar Wars (BFI Film Classics) OverviewWill Brooker'silluminating study takes issue with many commonly held ideas about Star Wars. Heprovides a close cinematic analysis,carefully examiningits shots, its editing, its sound design, cinematography and performances.Brooker argues that Star Wars is not, as Lucas himself has claimed, a departure from his previous work, but a continuation of his experiments with sound and image.He reveals Lucas' contradictory desires for the total order and control ofthe Empire, and, on the other hand,for the raw energy and creative improvisation of the Rebels. Though at first Star Wars seems a simple fairy-tale, itbecomes far more complex when we realize that the director is rooting for both sides, creatinga tension unsettles the saga as a whole and illuminates new sides of Lucas' masterpiece.

Want to learn more information about Star Wars (BFI Film Classics)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Film/Genre Review

Film/Genre
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Film/Genre? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Film/Genre. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Film/Genre ReviewThis is a groundbreaking study, sure to change thinking about the notion of genre, within film studies and beyond. The book is also written with a wonderful sense of humor, even though this is a serious study. Don't pick this up if you just have a light interest in genre films, but if you want to think long and hard about the very category of genre itself. I'd say the book was worth owing for the massive bibliography alone.Film/Genre OverviewThis text seeks to revise notions of film genre. It connects the roles played by industry critics and audiences in making and re-making genre. In a critique of major voices in the history of genre theory from Aristotle to Wittgenstein, Altman reveals the conflicting stakes for which the genre game has been played. Recognizing that the very term "genre" has different meaning for different groups, he bases his genre theory on the uneasy competitive yet complimentary relationship among genre users and discusses a range of films from "The Great Train Robbery" to "Star Wars", and from "The Jazz Singer" to "The Player".

Want to learn more information about Film/Genre?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV Review

Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV Review
I found this to be a hard review to write. Normally I pick up a book after reading its title and figure that it will include something that will interest me. I read the title to the instant book and figured the contents would include information about what a skilled film editor needs to know to be good at his job. Basically I expected to read a book that would help me understand "how to stock footage, sound effects (SFX), music (MX), visual effects (VFX or VIZFX), automatic dialog replacement (ADR), onlining, protecting network/studio assets, and even organizing the office space." [see page 3 of book]. I also expected to learn about being "responsible for paperwork systems, project settings and organization, digitizing, import/export/file transfer procedures, logging, media storage, backup technologies and procedures." [id]. Unfortunately I did not get what I expected. Instead I was stuck reading a career guide for someone considering getting a degree in filmmaking or who has sufficient technical training to skip such schooling.
Sometimes I give a very low star rating to a book that is guilty of bait and switch. Sometimes I don't. It really depends on the mood I find myself in when sitting down to write my review. I have put off writing this review for over a month now. So if I cannot find some good qualities in it, then I should have written a killer review a month ago, i.e, 1-star.
The authors have been involved in filmmaking for a long time now - more than 30 years each I think I read. I got the feeling they are kind of old and by writing this book they were "giving back" so younger people could successfully follow in their footsteps. The authors are freelancers. They work on projects and when one projects ends they go without work for a bit until another project comes along. In the book they explain how a recent graduate of filmmaking school needs to get an intern position under a film editor. Such jobs usually are performed without pay, but they enable you to eventually get hired as an assistant film editor - i.e., chief bottle washer under a full-fledged film editor. Interestingly we are told you have to be an assistant before you can become a full-fledger. However, one of the full-fledgers interviewed at the end of the book said he had no technical skills and couldn't do what an assistant does if his life depended on it. So I got conflicting messages from this book.
If I were interested in learning about how to get an internship, then get gigs as an assistant editor, and finally get recognized as a full-fledged editor, then I would have been very happy to read this book. It explains that there is a lot of pro bono work provided by the wanta-be assistant editor. There is a lot of effort required to be expended in order to appear to be skilled and competent and willing to go the extra mile. All in all, I though someone would have to be crazy to want to be a film editor in the filmmaking business. It reminded me of my days trying to find my way in the legal profession as an attorney. What a racket!
Much of what we are told is common practice in any project management setting. There are the managers with authority, and then there are the worker bees doing all the real work for little or no pay. By the way, why wasn't compensation mentioned more in this book? After all, money is why people pursue a career and this book is certainly a career guide.
This book included 16 chapters that were divided among 4 parts or sections. The subject headings for the "parts" did not really help me follow the book too well. And it seemed absurd to group 9 of the 16 chapters in a part called "Getting Started."
Since this book is a career guide I think it should have had a few less chapters in the first part of the book. I think there should have been a "part" that covered filmmaking schools and degree programs. And there certainly should have been some coverage of the technical training that could be substituted for a filmmaking degree before a person sought an internship.
So the book is mistitled. It covers a bunch of interesting stuff for a career guide, but it fails to cover all the bases that should be covered in a good career guide. So I can't say I loved or liked this book. But I didn't dislike or hate it, either. So what is left, a 3-star rating? The book is just OK.Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV Overview
Being a successful editor is about more than just knowing how to operate a certain piece of software, or when to make a certain transition. On the contrary, there are many unwritten laws and a sense of propriety that are never discussed or taught in film schools or in other books.

Based on their own experiences, first as upcoming assistant editors, then as successful Hollywood editors, the authors guide you through the ins and outs of establishing yourself as a respectedfilm and video editor.

Insight is included on an array of technical issues such as script breakdown, prepping for sound effects, organizing camera and sound reports, comparison timings,assemply footages and more. In addition, they also provide first-hand insight into industry protocol, providing tips on interviewing, etiquette, career planning and more, information you simply won't find in any other book.The book concludes with a chapter featuring Q+A sessions with various established Hollywood editors about what they expect from their assistant editors.

* Cutting insight and tested tipsfrom 2 established Hollywood editors (combined credits include Cesar Milan: Dog Whisperer, The Simple Life, The Shield, Dawson's Creek) will have you on the path to being a successful assistant editor in no time * Includes discussions with some of the top editors in the industry, sharing their views on what they expect from their assistants in the editing suite * Offers technical info such as the intricacies of digitizing and breaking down a script, as well as practical knowledge on topics like interview preparation and industry ettiquette


Want to learn more information about Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

The Healthy Edit: Creative Editing Techniques for Perfecting Your Movie Review

The Healthy Edit: Creative Editing Techniques for Perfecting Your Movie
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy The Healthy Edit: Creative Editing Techniques for Perfecting Your Movie? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Healthy Edit: Creative Editing Techniques for Perfecting Your Movie. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Healthy Edit: Creative Editing Techniques for Perfecting Your Movie ReviewOne of the most egregious sins on the vast majority of videos that are placed on YouTube and other sites is that they look amateurish or if the footage is good, but the editing is choppy, or unimpresssive. The digital media revolution has made the technology move at an incredible rate but it has also made the tools to make good edits more easily accessible to everyone. John Rosenberg wrote "The Healthy Edit" not just with film students and professionals in mind, but consumers and independent filmmakers that want a professional looking edit.
The book is filled with recent examples of recent films as well as other films throughout film history. It talks about how editing was done in the past but hones in how editors, directors and independent filmmakers can use tools like Final Cut Pro and Avid and get professional looking results. There are a list of ills you can fix in the editing process such as bad acting, continuity issues, character arc issues, poor pacing. Rosenberg evne goes over how to mprove a film's genre expectations and structure through the editing process.
Whether you are a film student or just a hobby-enthusiast, " The Healthy Edit" has something for everyoe.The Healthy Edit: Creative Editing Techniques for Perfecting Your Movie Overview
Every film or show that we watch, no matter how great the final cut, has its problems during production. Whether it's a bad performance from an actor, a hole in the story or script, continuity or pacing issues, or something being placed in a shot that shouldn't be, there's no shortage of problems encountered once postproduction has begun. Fixing these problems then becomes the job of the editor. This book provides those editors with creative editing solutions they can employ to overcome these problems and is the key to nursing a sick project back to health in the editing room.

Though the book takes an application-agnostic approach, specific solutions are presented for today's most commonly used non-linear editing applications. Solutions more relevant to certain genres are discussed in-depth, as are solutions that editors can employ through the use of simple VFX techniques. Case studies and interviews with Hollywood editors provide readers with real-world problems encountered, and solutions used to overcome them. The companion website provides Quicktime videos and Flash animations visually demonstrating problems and how they were dealt with.
*Application-agnostic approach for editors showing howyou can successfully remedy problems with a film through creative editing techniques*Features several in-depth interviews throughout with Hollywoodmovie editors on how they've employed these techniques on blockbuster features* Companion website features Flash animations of editing techniques discussed in the book

Want to learn more information about The Healthy Edit: Creative Editing Techniques for Perfecting Your Movie?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Performed by Lugosi Review

Performed by Lugosi
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Performed by Lugosi? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Performed by Lugosi. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Performed by Lugosi ReviewPerformed by Lugosi is a unique pairing of literary and cinematic sensibilities. In one volume, S. Michael Wilson has collected the original pieces of fiction that inspired Lugosi's on-screen performances and his own thorough and sharp-witted responses to how the film studios adapted the texts to their own use, with a special focus on Lugosi's role in the process. Stories include classics by such renowned authors as Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
I was pleasantly surprised to find, alongside his informative and well-researched account of the films' histories, a running current of Wilson's own particular sly wit and his backhanded brand of movie reviewing, a style which is near and dear to my heart, and aptly suited to the callow treatment that film studios of the day often gave to their scripts' literary roots.
Shining through the historic accounts and casual commentary is Wilson's genuine regard for Bela Lugosi. Long a fan of Lugosi myself, I found this a very appealing mix of elements, and can only imagine that anyone curious about Bela will be likewise rewarded by their reading of this painstakingly assembled compilation. Drawing from a number of texts about Lugosi's strange and complex relationship with the Hollywood studios of the day, Wilson discusses others' ideas as well as his own about how Bela responded to the very particular requirements of the industry he found himself a part of, a sometimes-uncomfortable arrangement for all parties involved.
Each original story is present for the reader to absorb on their own, followed by an account of the movie that resulted. This section introduces the film's vital statistics, including the studio's often heavily-distorted, character-driven plot line, and the pre-screen treatment of the material, production notes, Bela's involvement in the film, and, like a tasty dessert at the end, food for thought in the form of Wilson's musings, which often provide an insightful and appreciative view of the movie.Performed by Lugosi OverviewIn DRACULA, Bela Lugosi's definitive performance as the compelling and hypnotic vampire count catapulted him to worldwide fame. Yet this was only one of many masterful portrayals that won him screen immortality. Among them: The sinister Dr. Mirakle of MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE; the haunted, heroic avenger of THE BLACK CAT; the master of the mystic arts in THE RETURN OF CHANDU; the seagoing human derelict who rises to demonic fury on THE MYSTERY OF THE MARIE CELESTE; the surgical would-be superman undone by his own lust for sadistic torture in THE RAVEN; and many more. In Performed By Lugosi, these and other films are examined, along with the original classic tales that inspired them, with incisive and illuminating exploration of the screen artistry of Bela Lugosi. Even the most jaded Lugosi fan will find this work a treasure trove of fresh and penetrating insights into the man, the actor and his unique brand of theatrical magic.

Want to learn more information about Performed by Lugosi?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...