12 Point Film Critique: Terri Timely - A Persistent Vision

Subject. This film is about two small children working hard to produce animation of inanimate objects. The two boys use clay and toy cars, as well as a simple background and proper lighting. It also shows the growing talent and determination that can come from children.
Theme. The theme of this film seems to be that great things can come from simple places. I think this is a very important theme, especially in our current world where so much value is placed on money and technology.
Acting. The actors in this film (the two boys mainly) seem very natural and realistic. They just quietly work to create their animation.
Dialogue. Since this is a music video, there isn't any dialogue.
Settings. The setting is very simple: a single room with white walls that is slightly cluttered with furniture, and at the end a backyard at night. It reinforces the simplicity of the work the two boys are doing and is very believable.
Lighting. The overall lighting of the short film is very dim, except for when focusing on the actual scene of the film that the two boys are making. This puts emphasis on their work.
Sound. There are subtle sound effects of the camera clicking away and of the toys moving and coming to life. This adds to the emotion of the film by making it come alive to the viewer.
Music. The music has a calming melody that is almost child-like, which is used to complete the feel of the scene. It is very well-matched with the events going on in the film: mellow, childlike, and simplistic.
Cinematography. This video is filmed in a unique way. The scenes are separated by what seems to be a black bar, which gives the impression that is a slowed filmstrip itself. It eventually speeds up give animation to the toy figures that the two boys are working with. The manner in which this video is filmed helps convey to focus on making movies and simplicity.
Special Effects. The special effects (which include the filmstrip reel and the animation of the toys) are very subtle and natural. Although simple, they do a good job of supporting the main theme of the video.
Editing. The scenes skip a little bit of time in between each picture, although it is down in a slow and subtle manner, which is very appropriate to the action taking place. It is slow in the beginning, speeds up toward the middle, and slows down again by the end.
Overall Direction. The director or directors of the film did a good job of fitting together the music and scenes. I have little to no complaints about the way any of it was filmed; I think it was well put together in every aspect.

Chapter 6: Cable and the Specialization of television

This chapter was informative to me in that I never really viewed cable television different from broadcasting networks. I've always had cable in my household since I was little, so I never really differentiated the two. I admit I never really watched broadcasting networks, so I could relate to this chapter. I also found it interesting that cable television had humble beginnings around the late 1940s, and that it sprung up due to people trying to get signal around tall buildings and mountains.
Even though broadcasting networks and television's professional organization tried to limit the growth of cable, it still flourished; although restricting rules such as the must-carry rules and requirement of access and leased channels. I think it's funny that eventually TV's biggerr networks decided that instead to keep trying to fight cable, they invested in it by buying certain channels.
I also found the section on MTV to be interesting. I watch it I'd say pretty regularly (I don't watch much television these days anyway) and I didn't realize that it had such a big effect on the world.

Film Comparisons

High Budget Successful Film: American Gangster
High Budget Unsuccessful Film: Aeon Flux
Low Budget Successful Film: Lost in Translation
Low Budget Unsuccessful Film: Open Water

American Gangster:
Genre- Crime, Drama
Attractions- Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe
How marketed- Universal Pictures Distribution
Critical Acclaim- Averagely rated B+ by critics

Aeon Flux:
Genre- Sci-Fi Action
Attractions- Cool special effects, similar to the appeal of movies like The Matrix; Female heroine
How marketed- Paramount Pictures
Critical Acclaim- averagely rated a D

Lost in Translation:
Genre- Comedy, Drama, Romance
Attractions- Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson
How marketed- Focus Features
Critical Acclaim-Rated A-

Open Water:
Genre- Horror, Thriller
Attractions- Scary Shark movie..?
How marketed- Lionsgate
Critical Acclaim-Rated a D

I think that the box office is a pretty good gauge of how good movies are. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but generally most good movies are successful in the box office.

Television and Cable Topics

Are reality shows real? They are labeled as so, and the whole point of them is to depict 'real' people facing 'real' situations. I feel that reality shows are only real to a certain extent. The people are really new-comers from different states and have never worked with each other before, and the tasks or whatever is given to them is real. However, I feel that the producers of the shows feed off of any small hint of emotion and steer the cast into creating certain story lines. For example, on MTV's Real World, it feels like they cut parts of the film in order to give the audience a certain perspective on people on the show and advise the cast members to either act on any slight animosity or attraction towards other cast members in order to make the show more interesting. So in short, I feel that reality shows begin real, but become sculpted after going through various editing. I also feel that the producers ask cast members to do certain things in order to create interesting story lines.
I used to love a show called Recess which used to come on channel nine on school and Saturday mornings. It was a Disney show but it also showed on UPN. It was a cartoon about six friends and elementary school life, mostly revolving around and taking place during recess. I'd look forward to it every morning. I just love that show: all the characters, the animation, and the situations they get themselves into. Although a little exaggerated, I could relate to many of the things happening on the show which made it even more entertainable. still watch it to this day on the internet or On Demand, and I am currently trying to find dvd box sets for it.
An awful show that remains on television in my opinion is Parental Control on MTV (although most of the new reality shows on MTV are pretty bad). The whole concept is for the parents of either a boy or a girl to find a new boyfriend/girlfriend for their child, since the child's current boyfriend/girlfriend is supposedly unbearable. The child then dates one choice from the mom and the dad, then at the end decides who to keep. The mom, dad, and current boy/girlfriend watch the all the dates.While its supposed to be a reality show, everyone on it seems so ridiculously scripted that it's unbearable for me to watch.

VALS Survey

I chose to compare myself with Phillip J. Fry from Futurama.
I classify into the Experiencer category, and my secondary category was the Maker. It characterizes me as willing to spend money on fashion, entertainment, and socializing; on 'cool' stuff. It also says I seek variety, which are all pretty much accurate. However, my secondary category seems to slightly contradict my first one. However, both hold true, since I prefer the very basic in items meant for need rather than fashion or entertainment.
After doing my best to answer the questions as Fry, his results came to be the Achiever and Striver. This characterized him as goal-oriented and active in the market for products to represent his success. The striver aspect also says he is trendy and fun-loving, and that money is important to him to show off his ability to buy.
We compare in that we both seem to buy things for social reasons more than actual need. However, we contrast in that he is more motivated by his image to others and goals.

Reaction to Quiz Show

I found that the movie did a more interesting and entertaining job of retelling the quiz scandals that happened years before in this country than the book or any other history reference would, as most movies do. So I'm also pleased to hear that the movie was mostly accurate since it was based of the information of a historian. Themes that appeared in the movie include corruption and exposure of the truth, through such events as the setting up of the quiz shows and Van Doren's admittance at the end. I don't really feel that the quiz shows did anything wrong in setting up the quiz shows; they are not obligated to tell the whole truth to the public and they had a point: it's show business. However, I feel that the contestants that agreed to go along with the basically free money and fame were at the most fault for being tempted into the whole situation (although I feel it was harsh that Columbia fired Van Doren). Today's modern quiz shows seem to be able to go either way for me; I don't think they are always rigging their shows but I do not believe they are one hundred percent truthful either.

Chapter 5: Television and the Power of Visual Culture

Chapter Five is about television: the history and technology behind it, and its social, cultural, and economical impacts. The idea of the television was expanded upon way before it became popular with homes in the United States. The invention of the cathode ray tube in the late 1800s was an important predecessor for the television to evolve into what it is today. in 1927, the young Philo Farnsworth was able to transmit the first TV picture electronically and finally patented the first television three years later.
It is interesting to read about sponsorship with television programs and how it ultimately came to a halt, as well as the impact of quiz-show scandals. I liked how the book separated television programs into three main categories: comedy, drama, and news. The book pointed out that many of the popular programs out today are different variations of the same shows that have been on since the early years of television. I also found the case study of the anatomy of a TV "Failure" to be funny and accurate.
Another thing that surprised me was the impact of a simple show like Sesame Street which has always been around: it was able to break down racial, ethnic, and class barriers.