Chapter 7

APPRECIATING MOVIE
Movie could be described as a form of art with the intention of presenting a story through the recorded scenes. Movie records scenes, unfortunately, with such a definition alone it is very hard for us to see and verify art in it. Mere recording of scenes cannot produce art. There may be business in it, but there is no art. People in the industry insist the artistic side of a movie. They even come to the point of producing bold movies in the name of art. If its end is met by a mere recording of scenes of a man and a woman at the right height of sexual act could be classified as art. The artistic side of a movie relies on the intention of the movie makers and on how this intention is presented in the recorded scenes. The difference between art and pornography is this; art intends to inspire for perfection while pornography intends to excite sexual desires. Gerald Mast (1986) argues the the finished movie is not just a story told in a certain way. And it is impossible to separate what is told from how it is told. The art of movie comes in depending on how the camera shapes the scenes so as to produce beauty in the telling of the story it wants to tell. A good movie is best described as it says something and it says well. There is a message and the message is presented in a very interesting way. At any rate we have accepted movie as an art, and since it is art, it cannot go away from the universal determinant of time. Time is needed to perfect a work before it is considered art. There is no classic in a hurry; time dictates beauty. You can make the thing but only the passage of time can call it art. Film making we are told is very complex. The fifteen minutes show you watch on the screen is produced in a number of hours and even days. Actors are artists, and to perfect their art they need to practice to understand their role in the story. They need to rehearse their parts in the next shots. It needs time to set up things. If the movie being filmed for example is about war, things should be put in order. There must be damaged objects, buildings, trucks or burned planes. There must be a bellowing black smoke, sprawling dead soldiers and more. To fix such needs, a number of days are required before the actual filming. We are also told that film making is not only complex; it is very expensive so that its artistic side is forgotten. The people who invest millions for a single production are business men, and business men could not wait. A single delay means a loss to their expected return.

These considerations should be put in balance if movie meant to be taken as art. Business men must learn to wait. But there are other considerations. These are culture and psychology.
Culture

When communism was at the height and America was trying is best to combat it, a movie Killing Fields came out. What was is the movie producers tried to tell the world? Was it about the evil of communism? They say that movie on espionage like James Bond is not as attractive as it was to the audience in the past. They further say, James Bond ends with ends of the cold war. Nigerian born essayist J. KoyindeVaugham lamented over the image of Africa created by the western movies. In his essay Africa and the Cinema, Vaugham named several western movies causing distortions of the African reality to the world. King Solomons Mine, is about a treasurer amassed by African tribe and protected with a combination of witchcraft and magic. Here is a Horn Trader with her abode the cave furnished with human skulls and her assistant, a painted native holding a spear. Movies Tarzan of the Apes and the Congorilla treated the African animals more important that human. These movies injected an idea into the audience that Africa is a place to be feared of. It is a place of immeasurable mountains, man sized scorpions swallowing baboons, lynch leopard, while men are uglier and more feared. A person ignorant about the realities of Africa will accept these descriptions without a second thought, unaware that what are seen on screen are all lies which the movie makers persisted because they found it a very lucrative form of business. There is no art in it; business men could not produce art, and they are always hungry. They only study their prospective patrons and feed them with what they long for. Business men are not concerned on the artistic taste of the audience and besides, the business men have no taste at all. Knowing that movie goers love to watch something mysterious and some action across the seas, movie makers take advantage of it and made Africa a ghastly picture. They cover the truth about of Africa. They do not want people to accept the fact that Africans are people with their own culture and refinement. To recall, the Blur Train the moist modern form of land transportation is found in Africa. Dignitaries of the world go there just to take a ride in it and try to experience riding a modern train. Vaugham also named the movies used as instruments of imperialism of the west. Sanders of the River starred by Paul Robeson, Men of Two Worlds; Where no Vultures Fly, Mau Mau and Safari. Mast continues his argument by citing Roland Bathe, a critic and Louis Althusser, a historian to affirm cultural influences of movies. Bartheas quoted

by Mast has attempted to expose the unspoken, assumed cultural values of films. Cited as example is how American people equated happiness in the American films with materials comfort such as home, job, car and stereo. Televisions Mast further argument are structured on the idea of buying. It is highly commercialized intention to buy for the sake of buying without examining the practical values of the thing being bought.
Psychology

Feminist critics and psychologists discovered the place of women in the American made movies. Women according to critics are treated as inferior kind. They belonged to the kitchen or they are meant to work the lesser tasks. Women are not directly taken as sex symbol. But more than anything else theories on psychoanalysis forwarded by Jacque Lacan found women in many American movies serving as voyeuristic item. Movie makers found women attractive to male audience. A comment even emerged that figure of Nicole kidman in the Viagra of the Far East. The intention is not to besmirch the reputation of the women as human. Commercial value is the culprit the put women as mediocre.
Movies and the Purpose of Art

To go further beyond the screen, one will find the kind of people who overseasthe making of the film. These people are the director, producers, editors and others who are not at all artists. They are inventors, business men or just a plain nothing who accidentally landed in the industry. The original object, therefore, of movie making is not art but pure business/ But movies are art; they can express and expound beauty. What distorts these nature is the goal of the people behind the production. Being a member of the family of arts the basic purpose of the movie like her brother arts is to please God, the foremost artist and not the business men the foremost scoundrel who think of nothing but money. This is a generation of decadent art as caused by a decadent art as caused by a decadent culture. Artists with a given task to restore culture must reroute their aim, from business to art or from money orientation to beauty that pleases God and His people then everything will follow. Mel Gibson has started this detour, if he was truthful with what he confessed. He was pondering by the window dejected and forlorm. Then an idea in a form of inquiry came. Why not make something that pleases Him? Gibson created the movie The Passion.

Film Production

There are four stages: (1) Preparation. The producer organizers finance and resources; the director, production team, and artists are chosen; and sets are designed and constructed in the studio. (2) Shooting. Once photography starts on the stage or on location, the director is primarily concerned with the actors and their performance. The visual realization of the directors ideas on film is in the hands of the cameraman, who decides the character and distribution of lighting and selects the camera viewpoints and movement by the camera operators, aided by a focus puller and grips. A clapper-loader assistant is responsible for the film magazines and shots identification. Sound recording is supervised by the floor mixer, with an assistant and engineer, while the boom operator positions the microphone during shooting. The negative exposed each day is developed at the laboratory, and rush prints are returned to the studio for viewing. An assistant editor then assembles the chosen material in script order. (3) Post-production. The period of editing, music recording, etc. after photography is complete, up to the premiere. (4) Distribution. The general release to cinemas, with foreign versions dubbed in other languages, television broadcasts, and video-cassette sale and hiring in the domestic market.
How to Appreciate Movie

Appreciate highlights beauty of the movie as a product of the combined elements. To look at this beauty, masters have suggested some points to consider.
Synopsizing the movie.It is similar to summarizing a story. How is this done? First, understand the problem of the character. Try to see what it is that character wants to solve? Is the character a police who trying to catch a hoodlum, a sheriff trying to stop the cattle rustling and bank robberer of his town? It can also be a doctor trying to stop the spread of diseases, or poor boy who wants to finish a college education. The result of which is the highest portion of the story called climax.

The next to observe is the question concerning the result of the characters effort to solve the problem. Is he able to defeat the enemy? Or does he succeed or he fails? After losing or succeeding what happens to him?

If you are to follow this sample procedure you have now the summary or synopsis of the story that is being portrayed in the movie. That summary of synopsis is the blueprint of the whole story or it looks like a skeletal system of a house. Other questions to be asked are those concerning the technicalities of the production. The effect, sound, action, dialogue, setting and color contribute together to the production of the movie. On matters of actions, try to see the capacity of the characters to evercome the problem. Is he a kind of man who can solve the problem? Is he a kind of man who can of the production. Does the color fit with the setting and sound? In other words are see the plausibility or truth of the action and its supporting elements. In this case principle of writing fiction can be applied. A story may happen or may not happen but it is always near to reality, the same thing in a movie production. The actions to make the movie realistic have to be closed to reality.
Social values. Master of this field of art Dr. Tomas QuintinDonato Andres L(1982) maintains that films are most sensitive to the social values of a particular time and place since they are a product of a given country, produced at a given time and stand as commentary on the society that produces and consumes them. The quotation is very clear. Movie is an art that reflects the ill of society.

Our rule as viewers is to find out this value that the movie director wants to dramatize. In doing this, synopsizing the movie is the first step. As a suggestion go over into it and look at the reality of your own environs and compare it to that in the movie. Art is a finest documentation of human experience. In the play adopted into a movie Romeo and Juliet, you can find sweet love that turned into a tragic end. Your attention at first is captivated by the love affair or Romeo and Juliet. Go beyond it and see the harsh society that never allows love to exist. This part is not immediately perceived because the beauty of the production veils it. More detailed steps to appreciate a movie are presented below.
1. Previewing Knowledge.

Movies are advertized and with their advertisement a preview or thriller is provided. Take advantage of this thriller to get an advanced knowledge about the actual movie. It is important to have a stock knowledge concerning the general background of the movie. General background may include the setting of the story, the societal issue being tackled in the movie issues like rebellion, drug problem and so on.

2. Movie with Good Acting.

All movies can be appreciated, but this book suggests that you choose the good movie with good acting. You can make inquiry from people who had an advanced viewing of the movie. Or the preview will inform you who are the casts and go into their artistic background. Just be reminded that good movies do not depend on the fame of the actors. If depends on the art of the actors.
3. Independent Films.

Do not always consider viewing the hit of the time. There are other movies which people put in the bottom of the list yet they also have something to say and they say well. Go to the independent movies and the classic. They have more artistic flavor than the mainstream movies.
4. Types of Movie.

Understand the different classification of film. Is it about religious war or political war? Is it about nature or nature fighting back the abuses of men? Know the types of movie because movies are based on the taste of the views. You are the viewer, discover also what type of movie you like. Why Types of Movies Do You Like 1) Action These types of movies are high octane, big budget movies that show many physical stunts. If there is heroism, fights involving guns, swords or karate moves, horseback action or any destructive forces of nature, your keyword is Action. In these movies, its usually a fight between the good guys and bad guys, i.e. Fight Club (lord of the) 2) Adventure- Do you like thrilling stories that take you to wondrous places? They are similar to action films but the action may be less and more weight will be given to experiences. Indian Jones movies belong to this category. (The Last
Airbender)

3) Comedies- They are loved by young and old for the feel good content. A comedy can be based on innocent humor, exaggerations, facial expressions or downright crude jokes. Meet the Fockers is an example.(GROUNDHOG DAY) 4) Crime and Gangster Films- Such films trace the lives of fictional and true criminals, gangs or mobsters. Serial killer films may be included here, i.e. Gangs of New York.(Road to Perdition) 5) Drama films- They are sensible movies with a strong plot. Dramas depict true stories or real-like situations. The character development is note-worthy, i.e. Little Women.(A Walk To Remember)

6) Epics/ Historical films An epic involves elements like war, romance and adventure. The sets are created carefully to reflect the time period. Ben Hur is a classic example. Historical movies tend to pay homage to a legend or hero.(The Ten Commandments) 7) Horror- You either love them or hate them. These films expose our fears and give rise to nightmares. For some, horror films provide catharsis but others can barely sit through a movie, due to the violence and gory scenes. i.e Jaws.(The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)) 8) Musicals/ Dance films These are entertaining films that are based on full scale scores or song and dance. They can either be delightful, light-hearted films for the while family (i.e. The Sound of Music) or contain a dark aspect (Sweeney Todd) that is explored through music.(High School Musical 3) 9) War films- These are very true to real life and often depict the waste of war. Attention is given to acts of heroism, the human spirit, psychological damage to soldiers and the pain of families waiting at home. i.e. Flags of Our Fathers. 10) Westerns- This genre is central to American culture and to its film industry. They speak of the days of expansion and the trials with Native Indians. The plots and characters are very distinctive. Remember Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? 11) Animation- Computer graphics and special affects are the backbone of these films which are enjoyed by the young and old. i.e. Finding Nemo 12) Thrillers- They differ from Horror because they are more provocative than scary. i.e. The Bone Collector 13) Sci-Fi If you like futuristic scenes, movies like Star Wars will intrigue you. They can be classified as adventure films too.(Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
5. Opinion of Other Viewers.

In research there is a part review of related literature. Considering the opinion of other people about the topic is allowed. It is the same principle applied in appreciating a movie. Ask people about their opinion of the movie.
6. Director of the Movie.

Know the background of the director, know also the movies he directed in the past and ask yourself did this director receive high rating in his previous movies? What type of movie does he master? Did he produce horror, historical or social commentary movies?

7. The Art of Film Making.

To remember a film is a combination of all the elements to produce a story. Its art depends on how these elements are put together, how the camera shapes the pictures. Understand the acting directing, cinematography, sound and editing, and verify their effect to the story being told.
8. Effect of the Movie.

After or while did the movie make you laugh or scare you? After viewing does it move you to act on something? The Oscar and the Criteria of Judging by the Manila Film Festival.

Oscar is the surname of ________ which became the name of Americas prestigious award for movie production. It was started by the AMPAS Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science based in Beverly Hills in California sometime in 1920s. To know how the awards is given, one should be a member of the jury or a voting judge to know the criteria. However, films that embodies message and has a timely presentation of the message, or the film is a showcase of directors talent, actors art and has a success in matter of popularity will surely get nomination of the Oscar committee, but winning is another matter which is exclusive only for the judges.
The following are Categories of Oscar Awards

1. Best Picture(is one of the Academy Awards of Merit

presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only to vote on the final ballot, but also to nominate)

2. Best Director (is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to directors working in the motion picture industry.) 3. Best Actor(Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is
one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry.) 4. Best Actress(by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry.)

5. Best Supporting Actor 6. Best Supporting Actress (be titled "the best
performance by an actress in a supporting role.")

7. Best Screen Play (is the Academy Award for the best
script)

Criteria used by the Manila Film Festival 1. Best Festival Picture:

Artistry, creativity and technical excellence, innovativeness and global appeal (40%), Box-office performance based on the first three days from Dec. 25-27 (50%), and Filipino, cultural and/or historical value (10%).
2. Best Festival Performers:

Naturalness and depth of acting (25%), proper timing and clear interaction with other performers (25%), consistency of characterization (25%), and logical and effective depiction/projection of the role being portrayed (25%).
3. Best Festival Director

Effective interpretation of screenplay into film (20%), appropriate pacing of the story and creative camera works (20%), proper motivation of performers (20%), continuity of overall productive value (20%), and global competitiveness and entertainment value (20%).

4. Best Festival Screenplay:

Creative development of story concept (50%), global appeal and competitiveness (25%), and originality of style (25%).
5. Best Festival Story:

Originality of concept and development (20%), social cultural and ethical values (20%), global acceptability /entertainment (20%), imaginative and credible characterization (20%), and extra-ordinary appeal (20%).
6. Festival Visual Effect:

Global competitiveness (25%), creative visual execution and original interpretation (25%), appropriateness and consistency (25%), and precision of timing of computer graphic projection (25%).

7. Best Festival Editing:

Logical, effective or smooth pacing of scenes (25%), consistency of flow of story (25%), creatively (25%), and global competitiveness (25%).
8. Best Festival Cinematography

Creative camera movements and lighting (25%), global competitiveness (25%), effective visual impact (25%), and appropriateness and consistency of camera works (25%).

Terms of Master ProductionShootingPsychologistsVoyeurism- In clinical psychology, voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other activity usually considered to be of a private nature. AMPAS-The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures. The Academy's corporate management and general policies are overseen by a Board of Governors, which includes representatives from each of the craft branches.The Academy is composed of over 6,000 motion picture professionals. While the great majority of its members are based in the United States, membership is open to qualified filmmakers around the world.The Academy is known around the world for its annual Academy Awards, informally known as the "Oscars" MFF-(Multitranche Financing Facility)An MFF is a financing modality that
supports a client's medium- to long-term investment program or plan. ADB's Board of Directors approves a maximum amount for an MFF, and the conditions under which financing will be provided. On the basis of the Board's approval, and at the client's request, ADB Management converts portions of the facility amount into a series of tranches to finance eligible investments. A tranche can be a loan (other than program or a sector development program loans), grant, guarantee, or ADBadministered cofinancing. Financing terms and conditions can differ between tranches. The overall amount of the MFF is not recorded as a legally binding financial commitment on the part of either ADB or its clients; only the amounts converted (into loans, grants, guarantees or ADB-administered cofinancing) are recorded as committed, if and when approved.

Pornography-or porn is the portrayal of explicit sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards,

photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video, or video game.

SynopsizingPsychoanalysisCinematography-(from Greek: kinema "movement" and graphein "to record") is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography. CultureTrailer-Trailers or previews are film advertisements for films that will be exhibited in the
future at a cinema, on whose screen they are shown. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a film programme. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the theater after the films ended, but the name has stuck. Trailers are now shown before the film (or the A movie in a double feature program) begins.

Points of Discussion

In what way a movie is considered an art? Movie and the social issues Culture and movie Women and the American movies How firm is produced
Lets Write

Write a movie review following the directions below. 1. Be sure to include the following in your review.

Known personalities who watch the movie, and if you have the chance and the capacity to ask them of their opinion do it and include what they say to your writing. What the newspaper, magazine and internet say about the movie. The following general information of the movie: Title Production Director Casts Length of the movie

2. Begin to write your review, just follow the format below. The spaces after the general information of the movie are provided for the context of your review which include your comment on the production. To review production is a combination of all the movie elements, you can cite what the newspaper, magazine and internet say. Cite also the opinion of the known persons who watched the movie, if available. Limit your writing to 250 words.

Anak- best screen play Judy Ann Santos Aileen (best actress quija) Jose Javier Reyes (Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo) best director 2005 - Marvin Agustin (Kutob) best actor

AngPanday Bong Revilla( best actor) Anne Curtis (Baler best actress)