Television & Technology

From an early age, my parents understood that the television was both a source of good and evil, though they never quite explained it that way. Technology has given us the ability as a society to communicate many different things quickly and efficiently. The internet, for example, holds billions of articles and academic journals, so much information that one person alone could not absorb it all. It is a key source of information and research, as well as a great way to communicate across long distances. Television has proved to be an effective way to relay information, but also to entertain. However, the overuse of technology can cause adverse effects as well.

When I was growing up, my parents never allowed my brother and I to watch television until our homework was finished. Many times, this meant missing our favorite television shows. She did not allow us to video tape them either. This was a way to stop any “addiction” we may have formed to a certain program, or maybe the television in general. All too often, children, and even adults, become consumed with starring at the TV, forgetting the world around them. They are absorbed in a false reality, neglecting their responsibilities and relationships. My parents helped us to understand in a subtle way that though the TV was an entertainment; it was not an addition to the family. The four of us needed to communicate and interact, not simply stare at a television screen.

Conversely, television can be a great way to have some family “downtime”. In the evenings, my family and I would watch a movie or a television show. Like in the picture above, we gathered together in one room and watched the same program or movie. However, this was after we had spent plenty of time discussing things about our day and what was going on in our lives. We did not let technology become more important than our family members. Our open line of communication is one of my favorite characteristics of my family.

Unfortunately, many families are losing this key ingredient. Many children spend more time on the internet, watching movies, or catching up on their program they missed to talk to their parents. This is, in my opinion, one reason children are having so many difficulties as they reach their teen years. They do not know how to talk to their parents. They have not established a relationship as a family and usually fall into temptations much easier. Technology is not the only problem, but when it consumes the life of a child, rather than the love from a parent, it definitely causes issues in the child’s life.

As technology advances and continues to take a higher position in the priorities of families as well as individuals, we will see our country reach a new low. Though technology can hold our hands and bring us into a new dawn of intelligence, that intelligence is powerless without the relationships and communication that’s essential to our existence. Restore the family, restore order. As long as technology, such as televisions, brings the family closer together, then it will find a place in my life.

Hitler & Triumph of Will

The aftermath of World War 1 left the German people desperate for strength, power, and unity. Their military power was demolished after the war. Adolf Hitler arrived at a time of despair and gave the German people exactly what they needed, a leader. As stated in Thursday’s lecture, “Hitler is the right leader for Germany at the time.” The documentary Triumph of Will also makes this claim, using key themes of religion, unity, and power for support.

The opening scene begins by a camera view from above the clouds. In addition to the music, Hitler appears to be god-like as he descends from the clouds upon the people of Germany. The people await his arrival, as the Jews awaited the arrival of the Messiah. Many viewed Hitler as a way to save the country from the destruction that they had endured earlier in the century. There are many scenes in which he addresses thousands of people and they all comply in unison. During one scene, Hitler compares the Nazi Party to a holy order and there is the “consecration” of the new party flags by Hitler touching them to the “blood banner”. These are obvious religious overtones that are powerful. Many Germans, as well as people across the world, practice in an organized religion. In many ways, Hitler compares his new Nazi Party to an organized religion, in which he is the center god-head.

Unification of a country is important to obtain peace and stability within a nation. The blending of the old tradition and new tradition are referenced many times throughout the documentary. The Nazi Swastika is shown next to the flag of the old German Empire (Imperial Germany). There is one scene in which Germans greet Hitler in old peasant costumes. Furthermore, there is a scene in which the men call off which city they are from. All of these images show how Hitler would hold sacred the old traditions of the country and build them in a new direction and how all of Germany would be united.

As previously stated, the German people had lacked military power and strength since the end of World War 1. Hitler’s regime of thousands of men marching together stirred up the passions of the German people. They believed, as Hitler hoped they would, that he was the key to restoring Germany to a world power once more. He gave them a new found hope, a hope that was lost to despair for so many years. He showed them how he was the light in a dark world, a light that could bring them from the darkness into the light. He told them that they would shine brighter than all the other nations.

Though we look back on his reign as a horrible and disastrous ruling, he appealed to his people. He promised them everything that they wanted from a leader, and everything they wanted for their country. It is this claim that Triumph of Will makes and supports throughout the documentary.

Never Been Kissed

The 1999 Film "Never Been Kissed" stars Drew Barrymore and David Arquette. In this movie, Drew plays a character named Josie Geller. She writes for a newspaper and is sent undercover to a high school to find a story. Her first undercover project proves to be a project in discovering herself as she relives her high school experience the way she wished it would have went the first time. This time she is popular and gets into the "in" crowd, with the help of her brother Rob, played by David Arquette. In the mean time, she falls for her English professor, Sam Coulson. The feelings are reciprocated; however it is impossible for the two to be together because of what appears to be an age difference, although none really exists. Her dilemma: to tell him that she's not in high school and risk blowing her cover, or hide her feelings and lose her chance at true love.

The final scene can be viewed on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zdhJvs22k8 . In this scene, she has written an article in the paper confessing her love for Sam and that if he feels the same, he should meet her at the baseball game. She will stand on the pitcher's mound and wait for him.

During this scene, various theatrical elements are used by the production team to deliver the message in its entirety. There is very little dialogue, yet the message is strong and gets the audience’s hearts racing. There is little natural sound. Most of the applause is put in after the shooting, as well as the music. The audio elements are very important in relaying what the character is feeling. It stimulates the audience and gets the viewers to feel what the character is feeling without the character saying any words. The camera pans around the stadium and zooms, along with many other shooting techniques. All of these give the audience a better appreciation of the scene, giving the viewer the impression of actually being there. However, there is a significant amount of the scene that is not true to reality. The audience looks fake in the background during one portion of the scene. Different elements like these lessen the sense of realism. This might be what the director is aiming at, however. He could have been trying to show the reader that the kiss was more like a dream and less like reality, and uses the theatrical elements to portray this message.

For assignment #4, I hope to analyze the scene to understand how the elements of sound, light, and camera movement work together to relay a message. Also, I hope to understand which are more prominent, or if they work together as a whole.

Passive Film Watcher

As a lay movie watcher, I am a much more of a passive movie watcher than what we have discussed in class. When I go to the theater to see a new film, I normally go for entertainment. I choose the film based on the plot and the actors/actresses starring in the film. I rarely pay attention to the theatrical elements that are used. We had discussed mise en scene and montage in class on Thursday, and before that, I realized that I rarely take the time to appreciate the work of art that I’m viewing.

Though the elements of film are very important, I believe that if a film is produced in a quality manner, then there will not be any obvious pieces; they will all flow together. When one element does stick out, such as the transitions or music, then it is because of two reasons. One reason is that it was purposely done that way by the director to evoke certain emotions or set a certain mood. Another reason is because it might be a low budget film and there was not the right equipment or well-trained professionals working on the film to make it appear seamless.

This weekend, I watched the new-released movie, “Made of Honor.” I was instantaneously absorbed into the plot, consumed with the characters and their story. Their emotions were so vivid, the shooting so seamless, the music so perfectly inserted that I did not notice that this was just a film. I was sucked in to the plot, as if I was one of the characters in the story.

Though my habits speak otherwise, I know that how the film is delivered is just as important as what is being delivered. Different elements, such as casting, makeup, and costumes make a major difference in the presentation of a movie. If there is a famous actor or actress in a film, the audience will pre-judge a movie before they see it because they already know that they like the actor/actress’s work. For example, Patrick Dempsey, a star off of the famous TV show “Grey’s Anatomy”, was the main character in “Made of Honor”. Knowing this, I knew that this was going to be a great movie. The movie met my expectations, but having preconceived expectations made me as the viewer tailor the movie a certain way.

I noticed both during and after the movie that the scene transitions were seamless. They were constructed in such a way that my mind used closure to understand that we were moving through time and space to different scenes. However, this was an effortless act, because the transitions were so smooth that I did not have to think about it. Furthermore, I noticed that the music in the movie helped to set the mood. The music was never too loud or over powering and it always went perfectly with what was happening in the movie. If the music did not correlate well with the plot, then it would stick out like a sore thumb.

In general, I pay attention to montage more than I pay attention to mise en scene. I believe this is because if the lighting, sound, and camera movement are done correctly, then the audience shouldn’t notice them.