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Read “Narration in the Fiction Film”, by David Bordwell, and maybe “The Way Hollywood Tells It” if you’re in the mood. That’s it.
The Automoderator does not allow me to be concise, so I'll add some stuff.
The first book uses cognitive psychology principles to explain how movies work and how we interact with them. It's one of the best books I've ever read about film — and I'm a film major. David Bordwell is so much better than everyone else it's ridiculous. IT MAKES SENSE, it is accessible and will make you understand film in no time.
The second, by the same author, is a historical view of how American cinema evolved, from the very start to Matrix (I think). It's awesome, straightforward and precise.
Film Art: An Introduction is, in my opinion, a bit too basic for you, but you may use it if you feel overwhelmed.
I've personally never seen it, but I have read a book about the making and marketing of it (John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood). The book itself is quite fascinating as well since it was written by a guy who's a John Carter fan who tried to help the marketing department but was ignored, so there's this big grain of salt to whatever he says about how the marketing of the film was handled.
The biggest takeaway on Stanton's direction is how he seemed to try following the Pixar model of making and remaking the film multiple times until they get it right with reshoots, which might work in animation, but is not very common in live action.
I devoured Future Noir throughout the ‘90s, so finally being able to watch the Workprint was a literal dream come true.
I really like: “Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know”
Long name but lots of great visual references to about every aspect of filmmaking. It’s like a mini film school.
This sort of thing happens in all good movies. Skillful filmmakers don’t just place the camera randomly and start shooting. I’ll give another Dark Knight example.
Batman has saved the day by taking out the Joker’s goons, rescuing hostages, and leaving the Joker upside down for the police to grab. The Joker starts upside down in the frame, but as he starts talking it’s as if the character is turning the camera with his words. He drops the bombshell. “You didn’t think I’d risk losing the battle for Gotham’s soul in a fist fight with you?” Once again, in a seemingly defeated position, the Joker reveals he’s still in control.
I recommend reading these books to learn more about filmmaking.
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/understanding-movies_louis-d-giannetti/252916/item/5535857/?mkwid=%7cdm&pcrid=448938662877&pkw=&pmt=&slid=&plc=&pgrid=109793399012&ptaid=pla-894509663962&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj__41tq-6wIVC...
https://www.amazon.com/Cinematic-Storytelling-Powerful-Conventions-Filmmaker/dp/193290705X/ref=nodl_
What bastards! I wonder where they learned such despicable behavior: https://www.amazon.com/CIA-Hollywood-Agency-Shapes-Television/dp/0292754361
The terms of my court order require me to recommend this book to anyone who likes Steven Seagal films.
oh make no mistake, i’m obsessed with the insanity that is Steven Seagal (did you know that he suggested to the producers of Executive Decision that his character could have survived being sucked out of the plane and should return for a sequel?). I will watch everything he is in, and be baffled to the point of ecstatic revelation.
if you haven’t already, you should read Vern’s Seagalogy, an exhaustive piece of Seagal scholarship up through Steven Seagal: Lawman. A masterwork
In fact they didn't put any weight on it to succeed. Near the time of this film's release, Iger knew George Lucas was in the market to sell Star Wars, and he didn't want Lucas to think their priorities might lay elsewhere, so he tanked the movie with awful marketing and a horrible title. All to give Lucas confidence that Star Wars would be in good hands at Disney.
Of course some of scifi has come true but we’re not talking about that, we’re talking about CERN i.e. god particles/parallel universes.
“SciFi” BY DESIGN conditions us to believe in science, to have faith in Man’s ability to dominate nature , really that’s the end of story.
As an aside, GPS was first launched in 1978. Governments created the internet - hardly a stretch that Ghost in the Shell movie from 1995 featured GPS navigation on a map. LOL
Black Mirror is produced by the CIA. It isn’t as though the show is “hitting the nail on the head of upcoming reality,” it’s literally scripted from the government… I mean, come on. https://www.amazon.com/CIA-Hollywood-Agency-Shapes-Television/dp/0292754361/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=a541c0c1-f18d-47f9-abad-d388c25aa10e
>I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes reality
Nor would I, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see it for what it is - which is, it doesn’t matter if it becomes reality or if it doesn’t, as long as WE think that it CAN become reality. That’s how magic works.
Listen, I have low-function autism and grew up in bizarre life. I speak in a very odd way non verbally.
I did not mean to attack you. I was trying to use your age to help you realize that you might not see what I do. But it came off as condescending. That is on me, and if you see it in one of my posts, I try to take responsibility for that.
I have studied and worked in film, animation and fine art for over 15 years.
I am basically the kind of person who would write this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Film-Art-Introduction-David-Bordwell/dp/0073535109
But I am an acquired taste and difficult to work with.
A few years ago I had a mental break. Pretty much every night I have night terrors and I'm afraid of my shadow.
I don't want to argue.
But one thing I know is cinema. I am friends with the people and the sort of people who wrote that book. I spend a lot of time listening and studying and practicing film.
I said these guys were pioneers. You said they weren't. The issue is that you are confusing the different types of pioneering.
There are pioneers in things like making cameras and in techniques.
My overall point is to focus on the HOW, and not anything is.
But I just ask you to see past how I told you and consider finding value in what I was saying.
I'm sincerely sorry and wish you all the best. Cheers.
Read a book on how this movie did so bad; the book was pretty good. https://www.amazon.com/John-Carter-Hollywood-Michael-Sellers/dp/0615682316
The upshot was:
A director who previously only done animation
A head of marketing who had never marketed a movie before
A change of studio heads, which is probably what really doomed it. A new studio head is automatically predisposed to want the previous heads projects to fail.
Promotion never happened - it was a sleeper hit on VOD - At least two new Maseratis were seen.
I want the sequels John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood explains
Heh, I was looking through my book on Blade Runner to find the original script's soliloquy when all I had to do is go to wiki. LOL Thanks!
He's a fascinating guy though. He came out of nowhere, yet his first ever film (Above the Law) was written and produced specifically as a star vehicle for him. Furthermore, his first four films (Above the Law, Hard to Kill, Marked for Death and Out for Justice) were all stone-cold classics. He's sullied his reputation with the low quality of his later films and his ridiculous manner, but there's no doubt he's a phenomenon.
Further to /u/TheChocolateMelted's comment elsewhere, I'd recommend Seagalogy by Vern to any bad movie fan.
The portrayal of the Jamaicans is very over-the-top, and they use the word “blood clot” many times. Screwface is a memorable villain because of his spooky contacts and his crazy dialogue like “Everybody want go heaven. Nobody want dead. Fraid?” and “Stop thee blood clot cryin’. Everybody must dead. It’s yer turn.” In the traditional show-how-evil-the-villain-is scene (think Senator Trent in the hot tub in Hard to Kill) Screwface interrupts a domino game by knocking over the table, tearing off one of its legs and beating a guy with it. They don’t show how he was doing in the game but I betchya ten bucks he was losing, is why he did it. Fuckin Screwface, man. What a fuckin cheapskate. And it’s not like he can’t afford to pay up, either.
https://www.amazon.com/Seagalogy-Updated-Expanded-Ass-Kicking-Steven/dp/0857687220
Seagalogy (Updated and Expanded Edition): A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal
Wasn't expecting a 2+ sentence submission top level comment. Blud-klaat.
Read Seagalogy by Vern. He gets into why the later DTV movies are so incoherent while talking to one of the directors. It’s also a freaking hilarious book: https://www.amazon.com/Seagalogy-Updated-Expanded-Ass-Kicking-Steven/dp/0857687220/ref=nodl_
First of all, as a bonafide Seagalogist, this video is pretty accurate, while it doesn't go into some more finer details, they get the gist of 21st century Seagal. I'd recommend this book as your entry point into the scholarly world of Steven Seagal.
The execution on John Carter was fine, it was the marketing and promotion that was terrible.
So bad, somebody wrote a book about it:
John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood https://www.amazon.com/dp/0615682316/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_0H0M87CXPSKAECR8ANE7
Do yourself a favour and get a copy of:
The author describes the phases of Seagal's career in great (and very funny) detail.
I managed to get on a few years ago - having worn out my copy of Future Noir in the ‘90s, it was fantastic to finally see the Workprint.
I feel like we need to actively question these high-level associations and coincidences, just like you mentioned studies showing hollywood putting out movies that are similar (I've noticed the same thing with syndicated comics)... my guts tell me that anything coming out of the firehose of top-down symbol control will be part of a network of Powers That Be on Earth (think CIA, military-industrial complex...etc) and of course if there's advice to the movie studios coming from these people, we'll be lead along THEIR manipulated synchronicity stream. I wonder if the study said anything about that conspiracy theory. It's difficult to divide the "light" from the "dark" especially from The High perspective, it becomes almost silly to do so up there. However, as human beings in and of this cosmic battle we're participating in and turning our own High Being into these forces generating experiences for us. What are we doing, what are we turning towards? These questions of contemplation lead me to prayer and quietude in order to receive information from the Most High.
And to return to my original post about posting on the internet leading to a boisterous hell... it is what it is, the DARPA internet will dissolve again one day, earth itself will burn and the oceans will vaporize. During the coldest part of the Cold War we wondered if that vision of apocalypse would arise from the finger of Man, would God allow that? And is there a God? We're still here, the story must go on, but we choose where we stick our noses in this story, and what buttons we push ... *post reply* <3
not that this doesnt obviously go on (Op Mockingbird is just one example) but yournewswire is a bs fake news site. Something like this is a much better source: https://www.amazon.com/CIA-Hollywood-Agency-Shapes-Television/dp/0292754361
not that this doesnt obviously go on (Op Mockingbird is just one example) but yournewswire is a bs fake news site. Something like this is a much better source: https://www.amazon.com/CIA-Hollywood-Agency-Shapes-Television/dp/0292754361
This book was, and still is, used in my university's intro to film studies class. I found it to be pretty readable and it used a lot of good examples (ranging from mainstream films to slightly more obscure ones). It's relatively affordable if you buy it used.
David Bordwell is also generally a good person to read from.
Here you go. Much more has been written on the subject.
Also, I think you've done a fine job of demonstrating why the average American is an imbecile without me having to say anything. "Edge-lording"? Really? I'm surprised you didn't tell me to "tip my fedora." I understand the cognitive dissonance is painful and that this is all you can do to maintain cognitive consistency, mocking me to make yourself feel better. As long as it makes you feel good, keep doing it. It's not going to change anything.
Hey, sorry I took so long to respond....
This is a phenomenal book if you are interested in the less-wordy visual storytelling techniques in cinema. With Cinematic Storytelling, Story, and Save The Cat, you should just about ruin your immersion in every movie you'll ever watch. Good luck!
Not online but David Bordwell's Film Art is a phenomenal resource for this and can be found for about $20 used. Here is a link to the Amazon for it.
Well, by most accounts the Blade Runner set was not a happy place. According to this book by Paul Sammon, Ford had conflicts with Ridley Scott, who he found distant and more interested in sets and props and getting the perfect shot than in directing his actors. He also didn't get along with his co-star Sean Young, which the book blames on her lack of experience (it was her third film).
Also, there was constant and mounting pressure to get the thing done (fueled, in part, by delays caused by Scott's perfectionism). And you'll remember that it rains most of the time in the movie. I don't think there's a shot in it where Ford is actually dry. That too must take a toll after a few weeks.
Ford has said that he doesn't like the movie, if he talks about it at all. So that's why I think he'd rather forget about it.