Hobby/Interest - Film

Visual culture is a huge part of my life and is something that I have to be constantly aware of in order to keep my practice current and interesting. Film is a big aspect of the visual culture of today and is something that I find very fascinating and inspiring. Much of my time is spent not only watching films, but looking into directors and actors as well as reading about how films are made and the impact that they have had.

Brief History of Film (Wiki):

The history of film began in the late 1880s with the invention of the first movie camera. Motion pictures were initially exhibited as a carnival novelty and developed to one of the most important tools of communication and entertainment, and mass media in the 20th century and into the 21st century. Most films before 1930 were silent. Motion picture films have substantially affected the arts, technology, and politics. 

The movie theater was considered a cheaper, simpler way to provide entertainment to the masses. Movies became the most popular visual art form of the late Victorian age. It was simpler because before the cinema people would have to travel long distances to see major dioramas or amusement parks. With the advent of the cinema this changed. During the first decade of the cinema's existence, inventors worked to improve the machines for making and showing films.

- I think that film is most likely still the most popular form of visual culture. As 'film' is such a vague and broad topic it appeals to everyone which makes it become very accessible. 

Initially, there were technical difficulties in synchronizing images with sound. It was clear that Edison originally intended to create a sound film system, which would not gain worldwide recognition until the release of 'The Jazz Singer' in 1927. However, there was still significant interest in motion pictures for films to be produced without sound. This is referred to as the silent era of film. However, to enhance the viewers' experience, silent films were commonly accompanied by live musicians and sometimes sound effects and even commentary spoken by the showman or projectionist. In most countries, inter-titles came to be used to provide dialogue and narration for the film, thus dispensing with narrators, but in Japanese cinema human narration remained popular throughout the silent era. The technical problems were resolved by 1923.

1906 saw the production of an Australian film called 'The Story of the Kelly Gang'. The film ran for more than an hour, and was the longest narrative film yet seen in Australia, and the world. Its approximate reel length was 4,000 feet (1,200 m). It was first shown in Melbourne, Australia on 26 December 1906 and in the UK in January 1908. In 2007, The Story of the Kelly Gang was inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register for being the world's first full-length feature film.

- Although I do enjoy watching older films, particularly those that had a big impact on the film industry, my interest in film lays mainly with more modern films.

The early 1990s saw the development of a commercially successful independent cinema in the United States. Although cinema was increasingly dominated by special-effects films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Jurassic Park (1993) and Titanic (1997), the latter of which became the highest-grossing film of all time at the time up until "Avatar", also directed by James Cameron, independent films like Steven Soderbergh's 'Sex, Lies, and Videotape' (1989) and Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) had significant commercial success both at the cinema and on home video. Filmmakers associated with the Danish film movement Dogme 95 introduced a manifesto aimed to purify filmmaking. Its first few films gained worldwide critical acclaim, after which the movement slowly faded out.

Major American studios began to create their own "independent" production companies to finance and produce non-mainstream fare. One of the most successful independents of the 1990s, Miramax Films, was bought by Disney the year before the release of Tarantino's runaway hit Pulp Fiction in 1994. The same year marked the beginning of film and video distribution online. Animated films aimed at family audiences also regained their popularity, with Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994). During 1995, the first feature length computer-animated feature, Toy Story, was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Disney. After the success of Toy Story, computer animation would grow to become the dominant technique for feature length animation, which would allow competing film companies such as Dreamworks Animation and 20th Century Fox to effectively compete with Disney with successful films of their own. During the late 1990s, another cinematic transition began, from physical film stock to digital cinema technology. Meanwhile DVDs became the new standard for consumer video, replacing VHS tapes.

The documentary film also rose as a commercial genre for perhaps the first time, with the success of films such as 'March of the Penguins' and Michael Moore's 'Bowling for Columbine' and 'Fahrenheit 9/11'. A new genre was created with Martin Kunert and Eric Manes' Voices of Iraq, when 150 inexpensive DV cameras were distributed across Iraq, transforming ordinary people into collaborative filmmakers. The success of Gladiator lead to a revival of interest in epic cinema, and Moulin Rouge! renewed interest in musical cinema. Home theatre systems became increasingly sophisticated, as did some of the special edition DVDs designed to be shown on them. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was released on DVD in both the theatrical version and in a special extended version intended only for home cinema audiences.

- Documentary is a style of film making that I find very interesting and often much more gripping and compelling. As they are recordings and documentation of real life events it means that the resulting film is a lot more educational and eye-opening in many cases.  

 Blackfish (2013)

 The Cove (2009)

Grizzly Man (2005)

In 2001, the Harry Potter film series began, and by its end in 2011, it had become the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.

There has been an increasing globalization of cinema during this decade, with foreign-language films gaining popularity in English-speaking markets. Examples of such films include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Mandarin), Amelie (French), Lagaan (Hindi-Urdu), Spirited Away (Japanese), City of God (Portuguese), The Passion of the Christ (Aramaic), Apocalypto (Mayan), Slumdog Millionaire (parts in Hindi-Urdu), and Inglourious Basterds (multiple European languages).

- Many people are put off by the idea of a foreign film but I feel the complete opposite, some of my favourite films being foreign-language films. 

Cell 211 (2009)

Man Bites Dog (1993)

 Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Recently there has been a revival in 3D film popularity the first being James Cameron's Ghosts of the Abyss which was released as the first full-length 3-D IMAX feature filmed with the Reality Camera System. This camera system used the latest HD video cameras, not film, and was built for Cameron by Emmy nominated Director of Photography Vince Pace, to his specifications.

From a fairly young age I have been an avid film watcher and used to love spending my entire weekends watching new films or re-watching my favourites. I had an interest in making my own films and being involved with the whole creative process that making a film produces. However, after having watched the film 'Monsters' this interest grew rapidly. Once I had seen this film, I instantly started to research into how it was made and by who. It really inspired me to want to film and direct my own films. I think that this is something I shall constantly be thinking about and would like to re-visit later on in my career when I have the money and ideas to complete my project.

I think that film is a very broad subject and this is one of the reasons that I think it is so interesting. With its many different genres and sub-genres there is literally something for everyone. The main genres of film include: (The highlighted genres being the main ones that I watch)

• Action and Adventure 

 The Hurt Locker (2009)

True Grit (2010)

• Animation
• Art House and International

 Babel (2006)

 Let The Right One In (2008)

• Classics
• Comedy

 Hot Rod (2007)

This Is The End (2013)

• Documentary

More Than Honey (2012)

 Murderball (2005)

• Drama
• Horror

 The Conjuring (2013)

 The Strangers (2008)

• Kids and Families
• Musical and Performing Arts
• Mystery and Suspense
• Romance
• Science Fiction and Fantasy
• Special Interest
• Sports and Fitness
• Television
• Western

I also really enjoy watching short films. They are predominantly made using a very small budget and not often featuring famous or well-known actors. This forces the director to make the short film very interesting and unique. Short films can sometimes be a good starting point for directors in order for them to get noticed in the film industry.

Doodlebug - Christopher Nolan

Factory Farmed - Gareth Edwards

Saul Bass is a graphic designer that it probably best known for his work within the film industry; creating posters and advertisements as well as creating title sequences for numerous films.

Opening credits to the film 'It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World'

Posters made by Saul Bass for various films: