A Product of the Times - Seminole Cinema: SEHS Film



IB Film 1W21.1 Film as a Social DocumentSocio-cultural Context and how it relates to AssessmentsFor the first assessment, you will complete?a Textual Analysis.You will be asked to consider both the target audience and the historical, economic, socio-cultural, and institutional factors as important elements in understanding a film.This will require you to know how to research a film's historical, cultural, and institutional background.You will also need to demonstrate an acute awareness of cultural context in the second assessment for this course, the Comparative Study.Therefore, developing a keen and comprehensive historical and socio-cultural viewpoint about your chosen films will be essential.Worried about your ability to discover the socio-cultural significance of films or anxious about your research skills?You will have an opportunity to explore film research techniques in upcoming lessons.A Product of the TimesFilm, like any other work of art, is a product of the place and time when it was produced.Take Sam Raimi's?Spider-Man?(2002) as an example.Watch the trailer: the teaser poster showed a close-up of Spider-Man's face with the New York skyline, including the World Trade Center towers prominently reflected in his eyes.This poster was recalled after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.As well, the movie's original teaser trailer showed bank robbers escaping in a helicopter. It is caught from behind and thrown into what appears to be a net, but is revealed to be a gigantic spider web spun between the two towers at the World Trade Center. This trailer was also pulled after the terrorist attacks.In the final version of the film, the twin towers are seen at the beginning, from Peter's room and later reflected in Spider-Man's eyes.The World Trade Center area post-9/11 attacks (now commonly called 'Ground Zero') is seen later in the film.Ground Zero appears after Uncle Ben's death, when Spider-Man has learned "with great power comes great responsibility."To a degree, the images of the Twin Towers in the film represent Spider-Man's loss of innocence and emerging understanding of his responsibility as a citizen and a human being.Later in the film, during the fight on the Queensboro bridge, there is a moment when New Yorkers watching the Green Goblin fighting Spider-Man come to Spider-Man's aid.At the end of the movie, Spider-Man is seen on top of a skyscraper with an American flag blowing in the wind behind him. Why do you think this material is there?Film is not made in a cultural vacuum.Even a comic-book-hero adventure movie mirrors images and ideas from the time of its production. This includes examples such as New York City residents pulling together in times of trouble (at one point someone even wonders aloud if the Green Goblin is a terrorist), the loss of innocence and the burden of responsibility, and - in the final shot - the suggestion of the ability of not just a hero, but also a country to rise again after a difficult time.All these images are designed to resonate with and inspire the film's audience.Not Just for the MoneyOf course, when asked why a film was made, many students say 'for the money'.This is true of many films.The popular cinema relies?on convincing paying audiences to see films in a movie theater, and studio films are designed to make money for the people who have invested in them and the filmmakers who have made them.The main theme and story of?Spider-Man?has little to do with terrorist attacks, but it is natural that the concerns of the perceived audience for the film forms a background for events, connecting events to the lives and times of the audience and the filmmakers.However, to think that films - even summer blockbusters - are made only for the money would be wrong.After all, filmmakers and studios have an infinite number of films they can make. The choices producers, directors, film studios, and other artists make are driven by society, culture, and history as well as the need for profit.Two of the aims of the IB Film course are:To develop the ability to draw together knowledge, skills, research, and experience and apply them analytically to evaluate film texts.To develop a critical understanding of the historical, theoretical, socio-cultural, economic, and institutional contexts of film in more than one country.Understanding the cultural and social concerns (the socio-cultural background) and the historical concerns may seem like a daunting task at first.It is not always straightforward, but it is an important way to understand film.NeighboursIt is important to remember not all films are made to make a profit or are a product of the 'popular cinema'.Many films are produced by institutions for other social and cultural reasons.The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is an example of an institution that is not-for-profit.It has a mandate ?to:"... produce and distribute and to promote the production and distribution of films designed to interpret Canada to Canadians and to other nations."Profit from the films, in this case, is not the primary focus of the creation of the films, but social and cultural concerns are very important. There are institutions with similar mandates in many cultures.Over the years, films from the NFB have won many awards, including many Oscars, and have been at the forefront of developing filmmaking talent in Canada.The film?Neighbours?(1952) is the second NFB film to win an Oscar, and it has been seen widely around the world.Director Norman McLaren made the film after a trip to China with UNESCO.He developed a strong empathy for the Chinese people and was surprised to discover, because of the Korean War, they were seen as the enemy.It was this situation, and McLaren's antipathy to war, that resulted in the film.Take a few minutes to visit the NFB and also?view?Neighbours?(it is only 8:06 long).As you watch, keep the context of the time and situation in mind.Watch Neighbors:: Viewing LogView?Neighbours?(1952) again, and this time concentrate on the cinematic choices made by the director / sound designer / composer / cinematographer.Choose one scene?from the movie that you would like to analyse.Choose one of the following cinematic choices made by one of the following production roles:DirectorSound designerComposerCinematographerProvide a title (the scene description), timestamp and a screenshot?image.In 200 to 250 words, analyse and explain the cinematic choices made by the production role you have chosen. Be sure to use specific examples and avoid general descriptions.Your Viewing Log?should contain a total of 200 to 250 word analysis?and the respective?screenshot from the film.VL - NeighboursWrite your response in a WORD document for submission following the TITLE and SAVE instructions below:For all assignments, title your document in the following way - (Title of assignment) (First name) (Initial of your second name)?For example, if your name is Sanjay Kumar, your file will be titled: NAME OF PARTICULAR ASSIGNMENT Sanjay K. ................
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