PERSEPOLIS

Is Non-fictional mass media via films one of the best routes to get your story heard globally? Most definitely!  Obviously depending on whether or not the film is actually any good or not is of course a major factor. For this discussion let’s pretend we are only speaking of decent pieces of work in the film industry. Given that, is there a benefit in turning a person’s life into a motion picture to express and tell a certain lifestyle or event in history? I would say so!

There are a tremendous amount of benefits in choosing media form to portray and tell a story. The fact the media corporation is very large and expanding is a great help, as it is a fast and easy way to get your voice heard. Media, specifically film is easily accessible to a great audience. It’s appealing in the sense you receive information in a shorter span of time, than you would if you chose to read the material. Video also allows multiple people in multiple places to retrieve and listen to the material at the same time, where if she only told her story through lectures, she would be communicating to a much smaller audience only in specific locations. Because the viewer is aware these events and characters are a representation of real life, there is a direct connection made by the viewer to the characters in which they are experiencing the same emotions together. The viewers are able to attach an image and feeling to the information provided, which in turn encodes the material deeper into their long term memory.

Persepolis is a perfect example of what I have described. In Persepolis, the fact that it was made into a cartoon added a whole new dynamic as well. The producer was able to add and portray what was needed to tell the lady’s story perfectly and express and produce the right emotions for the audience. It is easy to say I would have had a completely different experience if I had read her story through a book alone. Adding visual images to what the characters through the story were expressing and saying directly, made the message clearer to me. I was able to understand and put scenes together much easier in a shorter period of time. All around, there is a reason non-fiction mass media has become so popular. It is easier to access from around the world, easier to comprehend, easier to remember, and easier to relate to. See the pattern, and people like easy!

 

http://www.avila.edu/journal/fall03/StonePaper.htm

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/film/movies2/ch/01/essay_nonfiction_direct.aspx

Abolishing the Production Code was the Right Decision

ABOLISHING THE PRODUCTION CODE WAS THE RIGHT DECISION

The Production code in Hollywood put into effect in the 1930’s set forth film censorship rules for viewers, to keep the government out of Hollywood’s business affairs. It’s hard to say whether the government would have ever intervened with Hollywood’s production if the code wasn’t put into action. However to say the Production Code benefited Hollywood, would set the speakers pants on fire as it would be a giant lie!

            If it was such a grand design that benefited the film industry, it would still be in existence today. Film makers grew tired of the restraints and demands placed on their scripts. So much in fact, they started to fight by ignoring the boundaries set in place by the code. The film, “Some like it Hot” is a result and perfect example of the start of the rebellion. The film was a remarkable hit in the box offices, without the MPAA certification. This proved to many producers and viewers alike, the code wasn’t a necessity to be adhered to, to bring in a good crowd. In the 1960’s due to the mutual defiant uprising against the Production code, dismal of the code was seen altogether. This allowed the new rating system we still have today to be set into place.

            The box offices have always attracted different crowds of people among different genres of movies. Enacting the code only put a restriction on the wide variety of content in genres available for showing. This then diminishes a certain group of viewers. I do believe the code enabled a lot of producers to become innovatively creative in their scripts which in turn brought them some more success. However, it also set back a lot of producers with the challenge of portraying their story to their viewers in guidance to the Production Code.

This is why abandonment of the code was eventually seen. It’s simple, sex and violence sells. Keeping it out only hinders profit. Many modern examples of films today that have succeeded in the box offices with their main story line revolving around sex and violence are; Fatal Attraction (Lifetime Gross- 156,645,693), 8 Mile (Lifetime Gross- 116,750, 901), Gladiator (Lifetime Gross- 187,705, 427), Hannibal (Lifetime Gross- 165,092,268), and Saving Private Ryan (Lifetime Gross- 216,540,909)(Boxofficemojo.com). This list accounts for less than 5% of the successful films with violence or sex content within the film, meaning there has been an unimaginable amount of profit obtained by the productions of these types of films (See Intensity of Violence graph below). In conclusion, Hollywood does not benefit from the production code.

                ** Graph shown from www.rc.vt.edu

REFERENCES:

http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/features/old-ass-movies-some-like-it-hot-colea.php

http://blog.everlasting-star.net/2011/08/movies/some-like-it-hot-and-the-censors/

http://boxofficemojo.com/genres/

http://www.rc.vt.edu/popculture/violence/ProfitsPrestige.html

Is Dada Art?

Can you call Dada art? A lot of Dada art was comprised of already made pieces, or a destruction of already famous pieces of traditional art. Famous examples of this are Marcel Duchamp’s Mona Lisa with mustache drawing, and the "bicycle wheel". Dadaism challenged everything art stood for at that time.

In 1916, in response to violence and trauma of WWI, people started expressing their feelings through Dadaism. Instead of using other forms of Art to escape life, the people would, “make visible the violence, chaos, and hypocrisies of contemporary life”. Dadaism included performances, publicity stunts, and manipulation of mass media. Overall it blurred the boundaries between art and life. It originally emerged in Zurich, a neutral territory between the countries at war. The introduction took place at a café called, “Cabaret Voltaire”, where free thinking was indefinitely encouraged. It was a way for people to express their offenses toward the war in social, cultural, and political aspects. They took modern art and turned it into abstractions, creating primitive art through expressing their unconscious. The café closed after 6 months, but the Dada movement survived and spread to other countries through the “intellectual leader… the media-savvy Tzara” (Tristan Tzara). He spread Dada activities outside Zurich through exhibition, performances, and manifestos. The art movement popularly prevailed in several major cities including Berlin, Hannover, Cologne, Paris, and New York. It was commonly said, “everybody can Dada”.

A significant amount of people would say Dada redefined art. They would argue that the Dada movement paved the way to many other forms of art we see today.  It, “set the stage for many avant-garde movements- including surrealism, pop art, and performance art”. Without the invention and the practicing of Dadaism who knows where modern art would be today.

                Paul Gauguin defines art as, “either plagiarism or revolution”. Georges Braque says, “art is meant to disturb”. Jean Sibelius defines art as, “the signature of civilizations”. Federico Fellini defined art as, “autobiographical”. Andy Warhol defines art as, “what you can get away with”. To Ad Reinhardt, “art is art. Everything else is everything else”. Art is one of those words where one definition doesn’t do it justice. Art’s meaning is different to every person who views it. Therefore, Dada is art to many but not to all.

REFERENCES:

http://www.opb.org/education/atschool/lesson_plans/94/printable

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/glo/dada/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/15-artists-define-what-ar_n_1004359.html#s400827

War and Hollywood

War and Hollywood

Since Hollywood dominates the film industry, Hollywood style prevails defining film practice around the world since viewers across the globe are accustom to seeing and understanding films in this art exclusively. Since its establishment, Hollywood has survived and even thrived through several American Wars. Two Wars that had a large impact on the industry are WWII and the Cold War.

World War II opened a new film genre to Hollywood. It introduced new issues of race and sexuality portrayal within the films. Films new purpose was to capture their audiences through patriotism. Ethnicity and race wasn’t an issue in Hollywood anymore for the time being, as all Americans had a commonality of dislike towards a singular enemy. Films were now a way of informing the public of real emotions and stories currently taking place in their world. It was a form of connection between the soldiers and all civilians. This brought a wide variety of people to the big screens. Film Noir was developed, questioning American capitalism ideas in film. Even postwar, issues of tension between men and woman changed film. During the war women grew independent, so when the war ended, men taking their roles back caused power role issues. All of these matters were portrayed throughout the films in the era.

During the Cold War, whilst the United States and the Soviet Union were fighting, films went through the Red Scare. As Americans feared communism influence, HUAC, House Un-American Activities Committee caused a lot of film changes in Hollywood. HUAC was a committee from the United States House of Representatives sent to the studios to investigate communist subversion allegations. Ten screen writers and directors were eventually accused of communist influence/loyalty after the committee’s arrival. “The Hollywood Ten” were blacklisted, sent to jail, and were banned from ever working in Hollywood again. Therefore, films had to abide by strict production rules, and stick to neutral topics for their stories in hopes to avoid allegations of communist loyalty.

All of these events in history have contributed to Hollywood’s invisible style today. We will always look for that beginning, middle, and end to a story with a protagonist, antagonist, and love interest.