HOW A MOVIE IS MADE?

v  Making a movie is spinach to almost any capitalist, because the money he puts in is invested in a gamble. The product may flop like a pancake or it may crack the jackpot.  

v  The capitalist and his money don’t alone produce a movie. Technicians, director, actors, and crew are needed to power the production from the raw materials.

v  Most important in making a movie is the story. The script is the spinal column of the whole achievement.

v  With the working script, director, technicians and crew ready, the whole organization gets into actions. The movie is born now and it grows fast and furious.

v  After players are notified about shooting to take place, at appointed time they report to the scene and on their faces is applied make-up.

v  After last dab of powder, director orders crew and technicians, and lights highlight into life the set and players. He tells actors how to say their lines and where and how to move.

v  Negatives are then rolled, exposed. These find their way into laboratory where they are developed. At shootings, musical parts may be recorded and alchemist into film record, which when used in playback, works like the phonographs disc.

v  While shooting of picture stills are taken, then pictures to be used later as decorative sales exploitation for theater hobbies and panels. Some stills are reproduced into giant posters.

v  Movie then goes to the movie editor.

v  As a movie nears completion publicity men promotes it. Writers spend ink and paper unreeling reams of ballyhoo to draw attention of exhibitors and cinema audiences.

v  Making a movie entails lot of expenses. Auditing of this is necessary so the capitalist know just exactly how much the production cost is, and when movie runs the circuit, the capitalist will know just how much dividends it is turning in.

v  When movie is finished and ready for showing, it is booked.

v  The booked picture is the opened at Grand theater. Grand theater is the index that shows whether a movie is successful or not.

Source: Mowelfund Museum articles / published by CCP

FILM NOIR

Like a tantalizing mirage, film noir haunts modern filmmakers. Noir is the genre of night, guilt, violence and illicit passion, and no genre is more seductive. But the best noirs were made in the 1940s and 1950s, before directors consciously knew what they were doing “We called them B movies,” said Robert Mitchum.

Film noir is not a style in Cinema it is a sub-genre, it presents frequent use of flashbacks and contains intricate plots. The genre was prevalent mostly in American crime dramas of the post-World War II era. 


Early examples of the noir style included dark, stylized detective films such as Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat(1981) a film about passion and murder.

SURREALISM 

Surrealism is an art that represent something in an excessive manner that tries to express the subconscious mind. It caters all forms, such as music, literature, philosophy, sculpture and especially in films. Therefore, Surrealism was a movement that played with the very means of representation. 

What are the things to be considered when a film is called surrealism? 

I think true surrealist film is experimental film, which means non-narrative and non-feature length film. A good example of surrealist film is Un Chien Andalou a 1921 film by Luis Buñuel.

FILM SCHOOL GENERATION

There is a big comparison between film makers before and in today’s generation. Directors, scriptwriters, film editors are some who's having a hard time to produce films before due to lack of knowledge and equipment. One of the hardest things to do in producing a film is the process of editing the video, before they used the tape-to-tape method known as the linear-editing. In today's generation Non-linear editing is the common way to edit videos and sounds that allows film editors great speed and flexibility.

Film schools was been established in America and afterwards produced successful directors, scriptwriter, etc. New wave of film makers catches the attention of the audiences with their new ideas in changing the plot of the story and put some patterns and styles. Technology started to grow and film makers took the advantages to produce "sci-fi" or Science fiction films such as the Star wars which is full of animation. George Lucas is the man behind the blockbuster film ‘’Star Wars’’. Many Directors in America became famous because of their works, including Steven Spielberg, John Milius, Teri Garr and many more.

GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM

The beginning of Expressionism in films starts through the concept of expressionism in painting, over the year expressionism are in theater, literature and later on in film. The style of German expressionism gives emphasis on designs especially on the stylized visuals. Expressionism is more on realistic than just an art, it gives us an idea how paintings comes to life. But still, the art is there even with the characters because they wear heavy make-up and costumes during the beginning of expressionism in theater and even in the film. The usual setting of German expressionism in film happens in dark areas but not totally in darkness because they use lights to show and emphasize the shadow of the character.

One of a good example of German expressionism is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari which is much known designed in an expressionist style. The film has an unrealistic sets, lighting, self-conscious or obtrusive camera. During 1940’s and 1950’s expressionism is used as style in film especially when film noir starts in American cinema. 

GENRES AND FILM STYLE

Many people are confused about what’s the difference between Genre and style in films. First, a Film style is the manner or techniques used by film makers to create changes to the mood or value of their work, film makers are allowed whether they used animation or live action. It involves the elements of sounds, lightning and dialogue and in cinematography. On the other hand, genre in film is used to characterize or answer the question what is the story of the film is all about? There are different genres in film such as Action, comedy, drama, sci-fi, war and many more. Genres have sub-genres, for example Horror the sub-genres of Horror films are serial killers, satanic, horror comedy, etc.

Film style is distinct from film genre, which categorizes films based on similar narrative structures. For instance, Western films are about the American West, love stories are about love, and so on. Film style categorizes films based on the techniques used in the making of the film, such as cinematography or lighting. Two films may be from the same genre, but they will probably look different based on the film style. For example, Star wars and Avatar are both sci-fi, action films about the possible end of the world. However, they are shot completely differently, with Star wars using a handheld camera for the entire movie. Films in the same genre do not necessarily have the same film style. Therefore, film genre and film style are distinct film terms.

Here are some example of Genres and sub-genres of films.

1. Adventure - it’s all about journey and accomplishment.

2. Comedy – series of funny or comical events.

 Sub-genres: Romantic comedy, Comedy horror, Parody, Satiric comedy, slapstick.

3. Drama – about love and passion.

4. Horror –Mostly features ghost, through suspense, violence or shock.

Sub-genres: Comedy horror, Satanic, Slasher, Survival horror.

5. Science fiction – often futuristic dealing with the impact of imagination.

Sub-genres:  Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, Hard and soft science fiction, Space opera, etc.

6. Musical – mostly singing and dancing.

7. Romance - story involves chivalry and adventure.