As a photography student I attended the World Press Photo 2010 Exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall and the National Press Gallery on Monday 15th November. This is taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Press_Photo about the background story of the World Press Photo Exhibition World Press Photo which is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Founded in 1955 the organization is known for holding the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest. The awards ceremony is held in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. After the contest, the prizewinning photographs are assembled into a traveling exhibition that is visited by over a million people in 40 countries. A yearbook presenting all prizewinning entries is published annually in six languages. In addition to selecting the World Press Photo of the Year, the contest determines winners in the following categories: -Spot News -General News -People in the News -Sports Action -Sports Features -Contemporary Issues -Daily Life -Portraits -Arts and Entertainment -Nature. Another primary objective of the organization is to support professional press photography on a wide international scale, to stimulate developments in photojournalism, encourage the transfer of knowledge, help develop high professional standards in photojournalism and promote a free and unrestricted exchange of information.
I really enjoyed the World Press Photo Exhibition as it opens your knowledge about what is happening around the world and the photographs evoke strong emotions as the subject matter of the photographs are strong topics. For example, one photograph was about the affects of drugs and people smuggling drugs, one photograph which I found most shocking was of a gang who nine hours before shot some one.
I wanted to research in to the history of the National Portrait Gallery which I found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Portrait_Gallery_(London). The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in London, England, housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was the first portrait gallery in the world when it opened in 1856. The gallery moved in 1896 to its current site at St Martin's Place, off Trafalgar Square, and adjoining the National Gallery. It has been expanded twice since then. The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) also has various satellite outstations located elsewhere in the UK, mostly for aristocratic portraits. It is unconnected to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, with which its remit overlaps. The gallery is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
At the National Portrait Gallery some photographs were very explicit as it showed naked people, however most photographs were of people in different locations which expressed different emotions for instance, one photograph was of a girl in a forest which portrays her freedom.
Framing and composition is important in any shot as it is used to draw in the audience, make the shot stand out and to portray the characters importance. Being a photography student I understand the concept of framing and composition, however I need to learn how to use a range of framing and composition to create an interesting shot.
The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would.
Look for natural frames in the scenery you have, it can be anything at all; having some frames can do wonders for a photograph. Try to never cut off a small part of an object, such as a person’s hand or the ear or tail of an animal. If you leave an entire arm outside the frame it usually doesn’t look odd, but if there’s something small like a hand missing the viewer will notice it in a different way and it can be very distracting at times.
Lines and Shapes
Lines and shapes are everywhere; try to use them to your advantage. They can draw the viewer into the picture or they can guide the eyes to a point that you normally wouldn’t pay so much attention to. Both symmetrical and asymmetrical lines and shapes are a great asset.
Simplicity
Focus on the small things instead of the entire scene this obviously won’t work for every scene you’re shooting but as a quick rule it’s often good to keep your compositions clutter free and with less distractions. The “only” difference here is that I isolated the object in the second photo, this helps the few things stands out more. Metal, stone, wood and water simple and clean.
Empty Space Negative space should not be underestimated, it can be a great way to simplify your image and draw attention to a certain point in the photograph. Don’t be afraid to use empty spaces in your photographs. Empty spaces usually work very well in portraits as, just keep in mind that it’s often preferred that the model either looks towards you or into the space so to speak. A common rule says that there should always be more space in front of a moving object than behind it. If there’s not enough space in front of the object we often get the mental picture that it’s going to crash.
Eye Level
Try to photograph on the same height as your object, be it a child, a pet or a small bird. Instead of photographing the child from your viewpoint some 6 feet above ground try to get down on their level and get eye contact, this creates a totally different feeling as you become a part of their world. If you get down on their level they usually respond to you in a different way and this will often give you photographs that would not be possible for another angle.
On Friday 19th November our group had a meeting to discuss our new narrative ideas, locations, costumes and camera shots. We had the meeting after school in Emily's house which made us feel calm as in the class room it is very noisy. We used the lyrics to Teenage Dream to inspire us and we knew that we wanted the challenge the aspects of a pop genre, we decided to include a bigger twist at the end which was inspired by Kids in Glass Houses- Matters At All. We have edited some footage from the meeting to Delphic- Counterpoint I felt that the song suited our vibe. The video introduces our group and the people at the meetings. Some shots show us working and re-in acting some shots that we want to do in our music video, however most of the shots in the montage are of us eating biscuits and laughing. This is a montage of our meeting.
At RichMix theatre Corin Hardy and Liz Kessler told us to come up with a pitch to Biffy Clyro- God and Satan, we was given half an hour to come up with pitch. Corin directed the original music video so we was very nervous to give a pitch of our ideas in front of him. Me and Charlotte are both media prefects so we was eager to present our pitch as we really liked our ideas, as we felt it would suit the song.
The sheets below are of our pitch preparation, we used these sheets to help us to create our ideas and to present our pitch (Click to enlarge).
Below is a video of me and Charlotte presenting our pitch infront of Corin Hardy, Liz Kessler, Pete Fraiser and our fellow peers.
On Tuesday 9th November our whole media class attended a music video conference at RickMix Theatre in Bethnal Green. The conference 'MTV to YouTube: Studying Music Video' gave us a look in to the creation of music videos from the eyes of an chief examiner, former teacher and an author, a music video commissioner and a director.
Pete Fraser spoke to us first, he told us that our music video "needs to be visually memorable and worth repeat viewing". We learnt that our music video needs at least 75% of close up shots of our artist, although the bigger the artist the more close ups. Also, he recommended that our video "needs to be a performance more than a story" after the talk to us Pete showed us a variety of videos from different periods of time.
1930s Experimentation= The experimental film video ' A Colour Box' made by Len Lye is the origin of music videos. Len Lye is a British painter, animation and a film maker which is clearly expressed in A Colour Box. The experimental video put film to music, which was supported by the post office as A Colour Box became an advert for them. Len Lye scratched and painted a film reel and then put it in the projector, this was the first for its time.
Below is a video of A Colour Box by Len Lye.
The Go! Team- The Go! Team used a similar method to Len Lye- A Colour Box, whilst making the video to Ladyflash. A film is projected in the background of the music video, the fun fair shots is hand held which shows the variety of camera techniques. The double dutch is used because it use to be very popular, double dutch is used in modern music videos such as DJ Fresh- Gold dust.
Below is a video of The Go! Team- Ladyflash.
Soundies (1940s)- There were music video promos during the 1940s which is still used today, they are used to promote the video and to attract a wide audience. Seven hundred diners and bars in America played music videos, this is shown in the Nat King Cole- 'Frim Fram Sauce'. This video used voyeurism which is screen within a screen, so Nat King Cole watches himself perform. A tilt down of the camera is used to look at a woman's body, however the camera withdraws which shows that she is too expensive. Nat King Cole is wearing a black and white suit and the music video is in black and white, which suits that era.
The video is of Nat King Cole- Frim Fram Sauce.
Scopitone- The scopitone is a jukebox that was made in Paris, France. The scopitone played European and American music. Scopitones were placed in bars and diners so the customers were able to choose a track that they wanted to watch and the scopitone even became available in schools.
1960s- Pop and rock music was popular in the late 1950s, in the late 50s Elvis Presley was very famous and in the early 60s the Beatles were at there greatest. A Hard Days Night by The Beatles is known for its remarkable music video, the helicopter scene is hand held which makes the audience feel like they are with The Beatles. The characteristics of the band is portrayed in this music video as they are laughing and joking with each other. Pop and rock bands such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan performed promos for their music videos on Top of the Pops.
Below is the video to A Hard Days Night by The Beatles.
1970s- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen was number one for seven weeks, the visuals in the music video became iconic and it pulled in the consumers.
Queen- Bohemian Rhapsody
1980s- MTV played music video promos around the clock to gain promotion for the channel and the artist. The first music video ever played on MTV was 'Video killed the radio star' by Buggles, many British artists and directors were featured on MTV. A break through artist in America was Madonna as she spent a big budget in her music videos. Many American record labels knew the importance of music video promos, so many popular American artists had music video promos. MTV originally did not play black artist music videos as an assumption was that they were only aiming at a white audience, however MTV played Michael Jackson- Billy Jean this was the first black artist music video played on MTV. Thriller by Michael Jackson was a big production as it was directed by Jon Landis who is a film director. I believe that Thriller is the best music video ever made.
Below is Michael Jackson- Thriller
2000s- 50 Cent- Candy shop is typical of a big budget R'n'B music video as it is sexist and humorous. The music video is all about dreams, it has classic conventions of wealth such as expense, wealth and sexuality of women.
Below is the video to 50 Cent- Candy Shop
99 Problems by Jay Z was directed by a rock genre director, so him filming a music video for a rap song was very unusual. The music video had over three hundred cuts and the camera is used to dramatise the shots such as the tire and the flat shots. The expensive camera style contradicts the narrative of the music video.
Below is a video of 99 Problems by Jay Z.
Genre: Boy bands such as Westlife music videos usually has dancing and the video interlinks with the song.
: Rock bands for example, Guns 'n' Roses music videos there is emphasis on that the band can play their instruments and the location is usually at a gig.
: Country music videos are usually set out doors in day. The mise-en-scene is usually cow boy hats.
: Star image- Close ups shots of the artist in all genres.
Visuals relationship with lyrics and music- Candy shop metaphorically amplifies representation. 'Our House' by Madness has the band dressed us in a house. Thriller by Michael Jackson amplifies the horror representation.
Voyeurism- 'The Look': Candy shop comes to life. Jay Z sings in to the camera. Madonna always looks in to the camera to emphasise women's superiority and to show women are in charge.
Intertextuality- Geri Halliwell has intertextuality of Flashdance. In 'Material Girl' by Madonna there are references to 'diamonds being a girls best friend'. In Michael Jackson- Thriller there is a horror voice over.
User Generated Content- Budgets has decreased in the UK music video industry. Ten years ago indie radio play was £80,000 now maybe £7,000.
Liz Kessler spoke to us about working in the industry and commissioning and producing music videos. She worked and helped produce many music videos such as, Paolo Nutini- Pencil Full of Led and Wiley- Money in my Pocket. She explained to us that in the industry there are heads of departments which are very important, the director and the producer is the most important and they need to trust each other.
Corin Hardy also spoke to us about working as a music video director, we had a Q & A session with him as well. Corin spoke to us about his challenges as a music video director and the difficulty coming up with a plan when you have a specific brief from the band. Whilst directing God and Satan by Biffy Clyro he got the brief from the band that the video has to feature Voodoo, a religious feel and to able to show on TV. Corin had the idea of including the Mexican day of the dead which has a feeling of death and celebration.
This is the video to God and Satan by Biffy Clyro which Corin directed.
Corin told us that he always made his own films and scripts and over all he has made thirty films. It took him five years to make his animated short film called 'Butterfly' which was shown at Edinburgh Film Festival. Keane (the band) watched Butterfly and they wanted Corin to use footage from the film in there music video, Corin decided that he wanted to use Butterfly in Keane- Bedshaped.
Below is the video to Keane- Bedshaped.
Corin Hardy directed the music video to 'She is the New Thing' by The Horrors, Corin wanted to experiment in this video and she wanted to use a technique which reflected the grunge genre. Corin drew on film, he told us that he had to do seventy drawings a day and in the music video there were 1500 drawings. It took a month to complete the music video.
Below is the music video to She is the New Thing by The Horrors.
Over all, I learnt a lot from this day such as information about the industry and after speaking to Pete Fraser, Liz Kessler and Corin Hardy I have been even more inspired to work in the industry.
I recently went to a Linkin Park concert on Thursday 11th November 2010 at London O2 Arena. I had never been to one of their concerts before and I strongly recommend their concerts as they were excellent live. For me one of the best elements to the show was the crowds atmosphere as the people who were standing were always jumping. I was intrigued by the stage design as it was a triangle shape after the show I realised it could represent Jay Z's logo because they created an album together and they are close friends. I really liked the stage lighting that the band used for example, during Shadow of the Day which is a slower song blue and grey lighting was used to portray the relaxing sound. When the band got in to the choruses of the songs bright lighting was used to present the loud beat. I definitely recommend Linkin Park as they had an amazing stage presence because they interacted with the crowd. Below I created a montage of the journey to the O2, the concert and the reactions to the concert, the songs I have used were my favourite songs from the night.
We have created a questionnaire to identify our target audience and what they want in a typical music video, this will make the audience feel interacted in the idea process and it will make them want to watch the music video. We are going to use the average percentage to help us decide and finalize our ideas. We are going to film people writing, answering and elaborating on the answers, below is our questionnaire that we will be asking people.
Age (please circle): 15-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-40, 41-50 or other
Gender (please circle): Male, Female
1.What do you like to see in a Pop video?
2.What is your favourite genre of music? Please circle: Pop, Alternative, Jazz, Classical, R&B, Rock, Dance, Country, Other (please specify)
3.What do you expect to see from this genre?
4.What costume would you prefer; flamboyant or casual?
5.What colour do you think represents Pop and why?
6.How do you consume videos? Please circle: MTV, YouTube, iTunes, Downloads, Other (please specify)
7.Do you like being surprised by music videos e.g. music videos with a twist?
8.Do you prefer narrative or performance videos and why?
9.If narrative, do you prefer the story to have an ending or is a cliff-hanger effective?
10.How often do you watch music videos?
11.Do you like music videos with bright lighting, or dull lighting and why?
12.Do you like music videos in black and white or do you prefer them to be in colour and why?
13.What interests you about music videos? Please circle: Different camera angles, The narrative, Special effects, Other (please specify)
14.What location do you think reflects a Pop genre video well? Please circle: A house, A busy town, Countryside, Beach, The street, Funfair, Other (Please Specify)
15.From your answer to the previous question, why do you think this represents the Pop genre?
16.What is one of your favourite music videos and why?
After having a long group discussion we felt that it was best if we did challenge the conventions of the song and pop music video, instead of portraying schizophrenia we decided to make the girl obsessed with the boy. This creates a twist on the 'normal' teenage love story which are usually shown in pop music videos for instance most of Taylor Swift videos. I think that we should have the song with the couple but then at the end make the audience see that she is obsessed with him and the relationship never existed, this reminds me very much so of 500 Days of Summer Expectations VS Reality although we would not edit it like the example on the right. I love the idea of Expectations VS Reality as in one image the couple is together and there interacting with one another but on the photograph opposite the man is by himself or the women is being friendly towards him. Kids in Glass Houses- Matters At All shows a woman's obsession with a man who she does not know her, the video is shown below. Kids in Glass Houses Matters At All
However, I think that we should create an Alter Ego for the artist as we can have dramatic make up and flamboyant clothing which will convey that side of her as superior and independent. The realistic portrayal of the girl will not have as much make up but she will be 'girly'. I feel that this idea will suit our song as we wanted to challenge the pop genre which is shown by the girls obsession. Beyonce created an album which was inspired by an Alter Ego and the photograph on the left shows the natural and feminine Beyonce, which contrasts with the dramatic and powerful Alter Ego which conforms to the pop genre. I think we could use a split screen of the alter ego and the actual girl but I do not think that we should have a split screen throughout. I got this idea from Lauryn Hill- Doo Wop (that thing) music video (right) both of the screens are located in New York City although one split screen is set in 1967 and the other screen is set in 1998 which shows the difference in location, time, clothing and society. Lauryn Hill- Doo Wop (that thing)
I think that close up shots of the artists faces and close up shots of certain features of the artist's face which suits the idea of the alter ego and it conforms to Andrew Goodwin's Dancing in the Distraction Factory "The demands of the record label will include the need for a lot of close up shots of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work.". Close up shots will create mystery and a shadow across the face will create and eerie feeling which is shown in You Me At Six- Save it for the Bedroom (right) and in the left still shot Swedish House Mafia Vs Tinie Tempah- Miama 2 Ibiza (left). Below are the videos to both of the still shots. Swedish House Mafia Vs Tinie Tempah- Miami 2 Ibiza
You Me At Six- Save it for the Bedroom
We should use the editing technique Image in Image as it creates a sense of distortion and an illusion which suits the alter ego and the girl, I really like the affect of the image in image as we could add more clips in the video. We used Image in Image in our Year 12 opening to a film and we loved that we could fade in and out clips and make the clips transparent, it seems that in a lot of recent music videos there has been image in image such as Biffy Clyro- Booooom, blast and ruin (left) which is shown below. Biffy Clyro- Booooom, blast and ruin
I think that the end shots of the video we should have one wide shot of the Alter Ego holding hands with the male character, after another wide shot of the actual girl holding hands with the same male character and then a split screen of both of the girls walking in to the shot alone and then a point of view shot (the actual girl) looking in front of her this represents that the alter ego was a figment of her imagination. In Pink- Sober the audience see that there is two of the same woman in one place at once which inspired me, the video is about being 'crazy' and dealing with problems such as depression. I think we should use this video as inspiration as I feel that the clothing and the editing will suit our music video. Pink- Sober
In Enfield Town Park on Saturday 5th November our group went to film the firework display and the fun fair because in our music video one of our locations is at Brighton Pier on the rides. I think we should use some clips of the fireworks although I think for our video the fireworks going of should be reversed. We decided to edit our footage from the event to the new Katy Perry single Firework as I felt it was fitting and we could use a lot of different shots because of the fast pace song. This is our edited version of Katy Perry- Firework.
When editing the clips to the song I had many difficulties for instance I did not know how to import the song on to iMovie, so I used an external microphone and recorded many drafts of song I learnt that the room has to be very quiet as the lowest of noise could ruin the recording and I then used the clip trimmer on iMovie. Later on I found out from class mates that I could download the song from YouTube and import it on iMovie, I know that now when editing our music video we should download it from YouTube however I am worried about copyright issues as it may be illegal. One of my favourite scenes in the video is a hand held shot of the back of Emily walking and a tilt up of the slide, we want to include a shot like this in our music video and I think we should include it in a slow tempo part of the song as it creates a tranquil and mysterious atmosphere. In the first edited draft I did not use a different clip of each main beat but in this version I tried using a variety of clips with each beat. I wanted to conform some clips with the lyrics for example, "Baby you're a firework" I used a clip of a firework, I also wanted some clips to match the beat which is shown in the lyric "Boom" a clip of a bumber car driving in to another car is used. I learnt most from the editing was the amount of time that editing takes as it took four hours to edit 1 minute and 4 seconds this was due to the variety of shots, trying to find shots that fit together and making the shot fit with the music. I under rated the amount of editing and time that needs to be dedicated to creating a music video as every beat needs to have a different shot to add interest in the video. From this experience I want to continue creating mini music video of extra footage to songs which I feel suit the 'mood' of the clips, so will help my editing on the beat skills and it will improve my listening skills to recognise the beat.
At the music video conference at the RichMix Theatre Pete Fraser introduced an important theorist called Andrew Goodwin (1992) who created 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory', below is this theory. 1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics for instance stage performing in a metal genre video and a dance routine for a pop genre. 2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals for instance either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting by using symbolic codes which subvert what the audience expect and to surprise the audience. 3. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals for instance either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting by using symbolic codes which subvert what the audience expect and to surprise the audience. 4. The demands of the record label will include the need for a lot of close up shots of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. 5. There is frequently a reference to notion of looking (screen within screens, telescopes etc.) and particularly voyeurism and treatment of the female body. 6. There is often an inter textual reference (to films, television programmes or other music videos).
After the music video conference yesterday Pete Fraser said that "music videos need to be visually memorable and worth repeat viewing" bearing this in I had a lot doubts about our chosen song and the narrative for our music video. We was recommended to do a song which was unknown, although it would have been easier to have done an unknown song I felt confident within our chosen song. To make our video memorable I think we should change some of our narrative such as, I believe that the lead girl in our video should be schizophrenic which would make her 'dream' of the relationship and it would be insightful to the illness. Schizophrenia is a "mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of the process of thinking and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction. The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood, with a global lifetime prevalence of around 1.5%. Diagnosis is based on the patient's self-reported experiences and observed behavior." Schizophrenia is explored in Hollyoaks with the character Newt and him seeing his alter ego Eli, this is a clip from the programme.
The girls illness would lead her to become obsessed with the boy and the life that she wants to have. We could show this in the beginning by a back shot of a girl picking up a frame and then a close up shot of the picture in the frame coming alive and it would be the alter ego and the boy, this would have included an element of voyeurism as the star is watching herself. Women becoming obsessed with men are shown in films such as He Loves Me Not and Obsessed, this is the trailer of them both. He Loves Me Not Trailer
Obsessed
When wondering how we could portray her illness I thought of having quick shots and choppy editing which could show her time in Brighton which is her dream and her normal self and I thought about having a high angle shot spiraling down of the girl which could represent her coming to terms with the realisation of her illness. I wanted the girls alter ego to be very flamboyant in clothing such as bright colours and sequins which could portray her alter ego as over the top and it makes her stand out. At the conference we were shown Pete Fraser's favourite A Level music videos at the majority of them were performance. Bearing this in mind the alter ego could sing in the Brighton shots as well as the bedroom performance for instance when walking down the beach she could be staring at the boy and singing romantic lyrics which portrays her love for him. Also, the we could have two people in the video one who is the actual girl and the other girl would be her alter ego, I got this idea from Shakespeare's Sister- Stay.
I love the idea of having an innocent woman and an evil and flamboyant woman I thought that we could have an extreme close up of lip syncing.
The illness will be exposed near the end of the music video which will become a surprise to the audience as the last shot would be of the girl putting down the frame and it will be a different couple and then the camera turning 180 degrees to show her in an office with a middle aged man wearing a suit who is a psychologist who was the man in the real picture. My group did not agree with my idea as they said that our idea was original but I think that our video conforms to the original Teenage Dream video as the setting, narrative and clothing are the same and the lyric. My group also said that the idea does not conform to the lyrics. However, I want to make our music video memorable and the video will conform in the beginning as it shows a couples relationship but ultimately it will challenge the conventions of a pop music video. I believe that through this story it will be unforgettable as it will surprise the audience and it will be a video that people could watch again and still be intrigued.
On Thursday 24th October I attended a viewing and discussion of Modern Times at the Pheonix Theatre in London, I was very interested in watching the film as I have never watched a silent film and I knew that Charlie Chaplin is iconic within the film industry. This is a trailer of Modern Times made by a YouTube user.
I found the film intriguing as the film was humorous with the exaggeration of movement and expressions to convey emotions but the undertone of the film is very serious such as the mistreatment of the factory workers which led them to have the Factory Workers Protest were Charlie Chaplin was accidentally involved and the police arrested him. Throughout the film people who have superior roles within society are shown by speaking roles which was the manager and when the police entered a scene dramatic music was played which reinforces their power, Chaplin made the authority seem careless for instance the police station was raided by criminals and Chaplins character who is seen as low class and 'mad' saves them. Police were seen as against the poor as they wrongly accused Chaplin of being the ring leader to the protest and they continuously tried to arrest the young women. I knew that there was hardly any speaking in the film but I was surprised to see text which is quotes of what the characters are saying in the shot.
In the beginning of the conference we was given a sheet with questions about the film to answer at the end of the viewing, these are the questions:
1. Silent films were no longer made in Hollywood after 1929. Why do you think Chaplin decided to make Modern Times in 1936 as a silent movie?
I think that Chaplin still created a silent film even though history was against him as dialogue was beginning to be used in filmsbecause he wanted to protect his image as he is iconic for silent films. It could be argued that silent films are more intriguing in comparison to dialogue films as the actors in silent films have convey the correct emotions to portray the storyline and in dialogue films the emotions and the audience thoughts on the dialogue cannot be interpreted or developed but in silent films the audience imagination is used more. Also, Chaplin would be been able to challenge the politics during that time without being too explicit and being complained about.
2. What was your favourite sequence of the film - why?
My favourite scene in the film was when Charlie Chaplin sang a song as it represents that he has become higher within society as only the authoritative roles speak during the film, this portrays that even though he was arrested he is a 'respected' person. Chaplin singing in the film is very iconic as it was the first time that he spoke in one of his films which shows that he needed to keep the audience entertained and through singing he did not ruin his image. This is a clip of the singing scene.
3. What ideas did you have about Charlie Chaplin before today's film? Have these been challenged by watching Modern Times?
Originally I thought that Charlie Chaplin only starred in the films however I found out that Chaplin starred, directed and came up with the ideas. Also, I thought that Chaplin only created comedy films and I did not understand how humour could be expressed without any dialogue but the use of exaggeration, the close up shots of the characters facial expression and the use of movement such as when Chaplin was blindfolded and he was skating at the same time earned many laughs in the cinema. I never knew that Chaplin does include social historical times to portray society such as the hard labour in the beginning of the workers and then the strike shows there determination and the harshness in society.
4. For a long part of his career Chaplin was criticised as being "un-American" in the messages contained in his films. This became particularly bad in the decade after Modern Times and finally things got so bad for him that he moved permanently to Switzerland in 1952. Can you see any evidence in Modern Times to explain the criticisms made of him?
Chaplin could as been as "un-American" as Modern Times seems like is was made in England which is shown by the policemen who were wearing English Policeman's uniform, it could be seen that the film has 'English' humour as it is quirky and witty.
For films we have chosen for these screenings the topic of Home and Identity.
1. In Modern Times is there a sense of 'home'- or is this a film about surviving without a home?
There is an element of surviving without a home in the film as the young women has been taken away from her family and she steals from market stalls to provide food for her family which creates a 'motherly' role which reinforces the idea of home. Both Chaplin and the girl dream of having the perfect home and the perfect life but Chaplin is showing the reality of the situation by the cottage which is falling apart and at the end of the film the couple walk down the road hand in hand which shows that they are going to create their version of a perfect life.
2. Why do you think Chaplin held on to the same screen identity through so many films, including Modern Times? What is the identity?The screen identity throughout this film portrays Chaplin as 'mad' and a 'criminal' although he seems charming and a reliable as he tries to go back to prison as he felt secure and safe in prison.
3. Does the girl (the gamin) offer a different idea of home from Charlie?
The girls dream of the perfect home seems high class and glamorous as she tried on a fur coat and went to sleep in a double bed with white blanket which represents her naivety and innocence in comparison to Chaplin as he only wants security and simplicity which is why he tries to return to prison.
4. What do you think of the ending of the film? Are the pair going off to find a home?
I think that the couple does try to find a home as they are both desperate for a home and some one to love which is why they seemed happy in the cottage as they had a home, although I think that Chaplins intentions were to promise the audience a happy ending as both characters deserved to be happy.
I found the conference very insightful and I am going to attend the next conference held which is a viewing and discussion of Last Resort. A recent music video reminds me of Modern Times as they both have similar editing and the ideas of a happy ending is conveyed and the police and the managers are seen as negative influences, this is the video to 'We Speak No Americano by Yolanda Be Cool VS DCup'
Simplicity
On Thursday 24th October I attended a viewing and discussion of Modern Times at the Pheonix Theatre in London, I was very interested in watching the film as I have never watched a silent film and I knew that Charlie Chaplin is iconic within the film industry.
