Month: July 2015

Actors and Movie Making

In movie making seldom are shots filmed in sequence. Often actors must remain in the moment concentrating on the task at hand for their character (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). One such actor is Judy Garland who starred in many roles most notably the character Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. In this film, she remains true to herself being an upbeat perfectionist, determined to give her best performance. Ms. Garland also sang the hit ‘Over the Rainbow.’ In her own words, Judy states, “As for my feelings toward ‘Over the Rainbow,’ it’s become part of my life. It is so symbolic of all my dreams and wishes that I’m sure that’s why people sometimes get tears in their eyes when they hear it” (On This Day, 1969).

Ms. Garland can be classified as both a personality actor as well as a Hollywood Star. Defining a personality actor is understood when roles played are like the person they are in real life (Ryan, 2015). Veteran actor Elaine Striteli discloses that she has watched Judy’s films for professional and personal inspiration: “Never have I caught her in a lie. And never have I caught her ‘acting.'” Judy Garland put her heart and soul into her portrayals, always revealing basic truths about how complicated the human condition truly is (Langer, 2013). Ray Bolger the dancer, actor and singer known for his role as the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz made it plain that Miss Garland’s charisma was notable (On This Day, 1969).

Ms. Garland often played roles similar to her life often depicting the sweet wholesomeness of her demeanor. This vulnerability probably explains her performances in A Star is Born (1954), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961); A Child is Waiting (1963), and / Could Go On Singing (1963). She is also praised for her first non-singing dramatic performance, in “The Clock.” When Miss Garland played with Gene Kelly in “The Pirate,” and Fred Astaire in “Easter Parade,” she was indisputably the leading musical star in films. Her best song in “A Star Is Born,” a torch ballad called “The Man That Got Away” joined “Over the Rainbow” as a Garland trademark (On This Day, 1969).

As a Hollywood star, Judy is known to have made more than 35 films, once set a New York vaudeville record with an engagement of 19 weeks and 184 performances, cut numerous records and made frequent television appearances. A star is an actor that everyone loves and wants to know what next movie they are making, and also know about their personal lives (Ryan, 2015).

In her struggle was the desire to please the audience by provided exhausting performances for fans who often were heard screaming, “We love you, Judy,–we love you.” Like a Hollywood star, often the personal life of those individuals is well known to the public and Ms. Garland was no different. The well-publicized phantoms of her emotional breakdowns, her career collapses, and her comebacks were visible for the world to see. She starred in her show on Broadway at the Palace Theater showcasing her powerful and expressive voice. During this time, she earned a special Tony Award for her work on the show and her contributions to vaudeville in 1952. She starred in The Judy Garland Show and received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program in 1964 (Judy Garland, 2015).

http://media.photobucket.com/user/alexxooxo/media/judy%20garland/sg65.jpg.html?filters%5Bterm%5D=judy garland&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=9

https://www.tumblr.com/search/billie+burke

http://www.biography.com/people/billie-burke-21422789#synopsis

Billie Burke is considered a character actor. Characters actors are wild cards able to play any type of role in a movie (Ryan, 2015). This character actor best known for her role as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North Billie Burke appears in a beautiful pink dress with flowing auburn hair. This great beauty, shockingly enough, was 54 years old at the time—eighteen years older than her counterpart Margaret Hamilton, who portrayed the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz, Trivia, 2015). Burke found success on stage and made her singing debut at London’s Pavilion Music Hall. Standing out with her red hair and good comedic timing, Burke soon made her back to the United States and on to Broadway in My Wife (1907). In 1916, she made her big-screen debut in the film Peggy, in which she played the lead role. Other films followed, but Burke was focused on the stage, not films when her husband died in 1932. Due to financial troubles, Burke returned to the big screen in the early 1930s.

http://thefilmspectrum.com/?p=3634

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bolger

A personality actor such as Ray Bolger was an American entertainer of vaudeville, stage (especially musical theater) and actor, singer and dancer, best known for his portrayal of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. His credits include Life Begins at 8:40 (1934), On Your Toes (1936), By Jupiter (1942), All American (1962), and Where’s Charley? (1948). For the latter film, Bolger won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. He later went on to make April in Paris with Doris Day. Bolger appeared in his ABC television sitcom with a variety show theme, Where’s Raymond? (1953–1954), and starred in several films, including Walt Disney’s 1961 remake of Babes in Toyland. In the 1970s, he had a recurring role as the father of Shirley Partridge (Shirley Jones) on The Partridge Family and appeared in Little House On The Prairie as Toby Noe. His last television appearance was on Diff’rent Strokes in 1984 (Wikipedia, 2015). He often played roles that were upbeat and lively yet had a down-home feel.

References

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. (2014). Film: From Watching to Seeing. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG225.14.1

(2015). Judy Garland. The Biography.com website. Retrieved July 30, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/judy-garland-9306838

(1969). Judy Garland, 47, Star of Stage and Screen, Is Found Dead in Her London Home. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0610.html

Langer, C. (2013). Parallel Lives–Up to a Point. The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, (2), 34.

Ryan, S. (2015, July). Introduction to Film. Retrieved from Ashford University: https://student.ashford.edu/secure/student/StuPortal.aspx

The Wizard of Oz, Trivia. (2015). Retrieved from IMDb.com: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2

Wikipedia. (2015). Ray Bolger. Wikipedia.com. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bolgerath.

WIZARD OF OZ

Many elements of the mise en scène may be symbolic whether representing story themes, character attributes, or social metaphors (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). The set decoration of a character’s home, in the case of Dorothy’s bedroom depicting life during the Great Depression, is a good example of mise en scene.

Dialogue

Characters talking to one another is known as dialogue. The particular dialogue can influence the action of a film and often is needed to explain critical elements of the movie. Some films employ extremely understated acting, preferring to favor mise en scene over extensive dialogue or action to tell much of the story (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Occasionally, figurative language can be incorporated to express underlying social issues of the time, and in a non-literal way convey images and ideas (Clugston, 2014). In the case of Dorothy’s home shot in black and white rather than color exemplifies this theory yet silently indicates to the Great Depression.

Sound

In most of this film, the sound is perfect. However, recording natural sound in a useable way while shooting a movie can prove nearly impossible. The Wizard of Oz was shot on a large soundstage, which is not the place to find realistic sounds. Furthermore, clear recordings might prove impossible without a microphone in the shot (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Vocals and songs for musicals are normally recorded before the movie is filmed. It is up to the cinematographer to show what and how we see the movie. The director of photography must marry both the action in the film to the sound. Interestingly, a negative of both sound and film (actors) are superimposed over each other, which produces a positive film or that seen by the audiences (Sound of Film, 1943). The sound of the actors must correspond to that spoken or sung by actors or misdubbing occurs. Dubbing is understood when the voice of the actors matches their mouth movements and what the audience sees. This clip uses the sound of a tornado, along with a horse, chicken, and other barnyard animals to enhance the chaotic scene. One could not understand if, during a tornado, a horse did not sound frightened if the chicken did not run amuck or other elements of the film indicative of severe weather. The audience would expect to hear these details.

Music

At the time this film was created, soundtracks were quite simple, with most of the sound recorded on the set, with post-production dubbing and looping being used only when necessary. Due to the high number of special sound effects in this film, it was one of the rare cases in the 1930s, a sound designer was used to create the soundtrack (The Wizard of Oz, Trivia, 2015). For most of the film, the audience hears the music score played in the background of a scene while action takes place. This is not to be confused with the movie soundtrack, which are all dialogue, music, and sound effects. Moreover, the score is music usually written specifically for a film (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). As in the case of the Wizard of Oz, a full symphonic orchestra is believed to have produced the magical sounds. This clip is Dorothy (played by Judy Garland) singing the famous ‘over the rainbow,’ alerting the audience to her bleak yet hopeful existence. This sound and the manner in which it is sung create a somber mood indicative of life during this time.

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This movie falls into the genre of musical fantasy for which music is of utmost importance. Without the key ingredient of music, this film fails to provide escapism needed during the Great Depression. The realistic sounds of severe wind, tornados, animals, knocking on doors, marching feet all enhance the entire experience when visiting the Land of Oz. This film would not have the same lasting effect had it not been for the sound effects, music, and acting.

References

Clugston, R. W. (2014). Journey into Literature. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. (2014). Film: From Watching to Seeing. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Sound Recording and Reproduction; An Instructional Sound Film (1943). [Motion Picture]. Encyclopedia Britannica Film Inc. Bringing the World of Film to the Classroom. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Xz3RdF3KM9w

The Wizard of Oz, Trivia. (2015). Retrieved from IMDb.com: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2

YouTube. (2014). Movieclips [Video channel]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3gNmTGu-TTbFPpfSs5kNkg

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/852/The-Wizard-of-Oz/videos.html

Lighting
Mise en scène is a term meant to encompass the arrangement and use of a variety of design elements in creating the visual theme of a film. This includes all the elements that film has in common with theater, such as setting, costumes, props, and blocking and may reflects the feelings of the characters. A character’s relationship to the story’s themes, the plot developments, and the other characters can be suggested, emphasized, and intensified for the audience by the use of certain costumes, makeup, props (short for “properties”), and even position on the set (the placing of actors is referred to as blocking). Put simply, mise en scène is what the audience sees in a scene, and this includes the actors.
There are many elements of lighting seen in “The Wizard of Oz” such as low-key lighting, three point lighting, and high-key lighting. A low-key lighting looks dark overall marked by extreme use of deep shadows (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Using particular lighting will enhance the scene in a way the Director of Photography intended. It is interesting to learn that the early Technicolor process required more light than a normal film production, so the set temperatures often exceeded 100 degrees (Nastasi, 2013).

The three-point lighting is indicative of careful control of shadows using three main lights; two in front of the subject but opposite sides of the camera aimed at nearly 45-degree angles. The bright key-light provides most of the light from one angle (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). This effect serves to enhance the actor making them stand out amid background.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3447292928/tt0032138?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_5

High-key lighting are designed to show bright lights over everything with few shadows and low contrast between the lightest and darkest parts of the scene (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). When designing the ‘look’ of a movie the cinematographer ensures there is amble light to capture the scene. This type of lighting is normally reserved for happy scenes.
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3564733440/tt0032138?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_14
The Wizard of Oz was filmed in black and white as well as Technicolor. It is evident in the following black and white clip that a three-point light was used due to the shadows on both Dorothy and their guest as well as the illumination of the women’s hair. The darkness of the scene along with the fact that the she is there to retrieve Toto the dog sets a somber mood.
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1529850368/tt0032138?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_3

The effect of black and white indicates the dreary life Dorothy found herself. While the Land of Oz was shot entirely in color indicating the world, she wished to visit. Had the scene been shot entirely black and white the audience would not have understood Dorothy’s need for change which was magnified in technicolor.

References
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. (2014). Film: From Watching to Seeing. Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from
Nastasi, A. (2013). 50 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Flavorwire.com.
Taurog, N., Fleming, V., LeRoy, M., Cukor, G., & King, V. (Directors). (1939). Wizard of Oz [Motion Picture]. Retrieved July 9, 2015
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1529850368/tt0032138?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_3
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3447292928/tt0032138?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_5

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3564733440/tt0032138?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_14

Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz, (1930), Directors: Victor Fleming, Mervyn LeRoy, George Cukor, King Vidor, Norman Taurog; Actors

Judy Garland, Jack Haley, Ray Bolger, Margaret Hamilton, Bert Lahr. Released: August 25, 1939.

The protagonist Dorthy played by Judy Garland is a young girl raised in Kansas who hits here head and is magically transported to the colorful land of Oz.  The film is shot in black and white when Dorthy is ‘home’  yet in color when she is in Oz.  Although the colorful world is enchanting, Dorthy is eager to return home.

The film is shot in chronological order as non-linearly would not have the same affect when she arrived ‘home’.  The use of crisp colors and vivid special effects makes visiting the land of Oz all the more magical.  During her journey, Dorthy meets the cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, Tin man who escort her to meet the Wizard of Oz who has the ability to send her home.  On the journey, this wayward group encounter the Wicked Witch whose sister was killed when Dorthy landed in Oz.  Now determined to get the ruby slippers from Dorthy, the Wicked witch sets traps and places obstacles in the path of those heading to Oz.  Once reaching Oz, Dorthy must rely on the good witch to send her home.

Had the film been presented in a different style, or completely black and white, the audience would not have understood the writers intentions as to how bleak Dorthy thought of her life.  To cast the city of Oz in color showed a magical land far from the dreary world she lived in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNugTWHnSfw

Taurog, N., Fleming, V., LeRoy, M., Cukor, G., & King, V. (Directors). (1939). Wizard of Oz [Motion Picture]. Retrieved July 9, 2015