Queen Muppets

Here's a awesome short film that a former student, Kelli Krysh, sent me that her company, Soapbox Films, worked on to commemorates the anniversary of Queen front man, Freddy Mercury's death from AIDs. They shot it in 1 day using 79 muppets and 53 different setups- impressive!! It's great to see students graduate and do what they love!

Typography Animation

This week we will be working on an animation using only typography. Each of you will create your own font and use it to create an animated 30 second film. Here are a few films for inspiration.


Kinetic Typography created by Johnny Lee


Haiku- "The Morning Paper Harbinger of good and ill I step over it"


Ratatat music video by Olivier Beaudoin


"abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz" by Roel Wouters

The Graduate

Write a two page critique the film The Graduate and explore its major themes. State the themes and how well you feel they were addressed in the film using examples from the film to prove your point. Make sure to answer all the additional questions below and conclude the critique with a summation of the cinematic elements and their effect in this film. This essay should be at least two and one half complete pages.

Due: Friday November 6

Character:
• How did Benjamin evolve throughout the film?
• What type of mental state is Ben in the beginning of the film?
• Why does Ben stagnate and how does it change? What is he like at the end of the film?
• What effect did his affair have on his mental state?
• Can you relate to the characters? Are they realistic?
• Was the affair a positive or negative influence on his life?
• What was his and Mrs.Robinson’s motivation for having an affair?
• What was the attraction to Elaine based on? Does he really love Elaine?

Production:
• What type of camera work did the director use in the film?
• How did the editing help tell the story and let you know how the characters were feeling?
• How does the director use darkness and shadow in this film?
• Why was sound so important in this film?
• How was the dialogue in the film different than other films we have seen so far?
• What different techniques did the director use with the actor’s dialogue?
• How well does Nichol’s use of sound vs. visuals help the film and tell the story?
• What effect did the soundtrack have on the film?

Screenwriting Hints

Now that you've begun to write your screenplays here's some advice from a professional screenwriter. Also here's a link to a helpful website to help you write your screenplays: Script Frenzy

Hamptons International Film Festival

This weekend we will be volunteering at the Hamptons International Film Festival in East Hampton. If your application was sent in early enough you should've received a phone call but I'll post up a note tomorrow for any students who are unsure if they were accepted or not. The big film this year is the premiere of Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus which is Heath Ledger's final film which has Heath, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law all playing the same role (due to his death). Remember to dress appropriately and enjoy the films! I'll see you out there (I'm sure you can find me at Starbucks on Main Street if I'm not around).

* An update to any of my students who are waiting to hear about volunteering out there- last I heard is that they are full so if you didn't receive a phonecall there is likely no room- if you are going to head out and give it a try anyway I suggest buying some film tickets in advance so you can at least grab a seat for a film and try to make the Master Cinematography class which is free and open to the public.

Elephant Man

Final Paper due June 11

In the paper you should critique the film, state and discuss what you believe the theme of the film is, and compare and contrast the characters of Dr. Treves with Mr. Bytes.

American Graffiti

American Graffiti was a movie that was loaded with popular music as it followed a group of high school students hanging out (which has been endlessly copied). How did the music play a role in helping the viewer understand the film? Compare and comtrast the 4 different main characters and how their stories anchor the structure of the film.