Visual communication

1. Visual communication Motion Pictures

2. Motion pictures • “Movies” - a term for motion pictures that are produced primarily for entertainment. i.e. Hollywood • “Films” – motion pictures that are primarily non-fiction or “art” films. i.e. documentaries, biographies, foreign and independent films

3. Technical background • The illusion of movement • Persistence of vision • Still images projected in rapid succession • Frame rate = the number of still pictures projected per each second to create the illusion of constant fluid motion • Flicker (critical fusion) rate = the number of frames required each second to eliminate visible flicker

4. Frame rates • Original motion pictures were based on a frame rate of sometimes 12-16 frames per second • Images appeared jerky with noticeable flicker • 12 frames per second (fps) is the minimum to create the illusion of seamless motion • 18 (fps) is the minimum to avoid flicker

5. Frame rates • “Home movie” formats (8 millimeter) used 18 fps • Commercial films use 24 fps • Television uses 30 fps • In modern motion pictures, the shutter projects each frame twice to reduce flicker

7. History • Persistence of vision (animation) first demonstrated by Eadweard Muybridge • Muybrigde was settling a bet on whether all 4 of a horse’s left the ground at any point in its gallop • Arranged a series of still cameras along the track with trip wires

10. Zoetrope

11. “Mutoscope”

12. Kinetoscope • Edison invented the kinetoscope • Used Eastman roll film

13. Kinetoscope

14. Mutoscope/kinetoscope • The penny arcade • Machines that cost a penny to view • Some adult content • Edison also developed a projection device based on the kinetoscope called the “kinetograph” • Operated on electricity – Edison’s pet project

15. History • Robert Paul bought the Edison Kinetograph and gave it a crank • This was the first movie camera

16. Lumiere • Lumiere Brothers (French) used the “cinematographe” to both record and show films • Lumiere films were documents of daily life • They exhibited the films at night in the towns and villages where they filmed

17. Thomas Edison • Pioneer filmmaker • Created documents of daily life and simple acts • Also pioneered in fantasy and drama • Edison built a studio on a turntable to make films – turned to make use of sunlight • The “Black Maria” was covered with black tar paper

18. Black Maria

19. Black Maria

20. George Melies • A surrealist - magician and filmmaker • The inventor of special effects • Accidentally discovered the “stop trick” disappearance effect • Pioneered other science fiction effects

21. George Melies

22. Milestones/pioneers • D.W. Griffith • “Birth of a Nation” • The “blockbuster” • Epic drama about the Civil War • Nanook of the North • The first documentary • About an Eskimo

23. Nickelodeon

24. Nickelodeon • Nickel = 5¢ • Odeon = roofed theater • Neighborhood theaters in early 20th century

25. Sound in the movies • Early films were silent – sometimes with live musical accompaniment • RCA Vitaphone system used 78 rpm records synchronized with the silent film • Now film sound is recorded onto the film optically

26. Optical sound - Photophone

27. The movies • Sound helped the industry grow • Studios grew and their control expanded • The movie industry was controlled by a few huge studios that were vertically integrated • Production, talent, distribution, exhibition • United Artists – Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin – formed as reaction to the big studios

28. Scandals • Sex scandals • Culminating in the Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle scandal in which he assaulted a minor • House Un-American Activities Commission • The “Red Scandal” • Joe McCarthy • Blacklist

29. Threats to the movies and how they responded • Radio siphons off audience • Movies introduce color • Technicolor • Television siphons audience • Movies introduce wide screen • Cinerama – 3 cameras • Cinemascope – Panavision • Movies create ornate palaces • Other gimmicks • 3-D, Smell-a-vision, Sensurround

30. Threats… • Color television challenges the movies • Movies respond double features • Giving birth to the “B” movie • Cheap movies to be shown with a big budget movie • Drive ins • Other media still challenge the movies • Surround sound • Cineplex

31. Technical considerations • Film width • 8 mm – home movies • 16 mm – independent and documentary • 35 mm – commercial film production • 70 mm – super wide screen • Imax – 70 mm projected horizontally

32. Technical considerations • Aspect ratio • 5 X 3 = “flat” prints • 16 X 9 = “anamorphic” wide screen – “Cinemascope”

34. Technical considerations • Color • The principle of color photography was introduced by James Clerk Maxwell in the 1800s with additive color • Color in the movies • Hand tinting • Kinemacolor – 2 color process • Technicolor – 3 color process

35. Technical considerations • Early films used hand-cranked cameras • Lighting was not available to allow indoor filming with deep focus • Lens optics did not permit “deep focus” • Early sound films used “blimped” cameras that were extremely large and heavy • The camera did not move – only panned and tilted – and not often

36. Technical considerations • Films are shot “MOS” – silent • Sound is added in post production • Looping • ADR – “automatic dialogue replacement” • Foleying • Sound tracks include dialogue, score and sound effects (Foley)

37. Ratings • The Hays Code • Named for William Hayes former Postmaster General of the United States • The U.S. Motion Picture Production Code • Replaced by the Motion Picture Association of America • G – M – R – X • M replaced by GP • Now G – PG – PG13 – R – NC17

38. The language of filmmaking • The shot • The basic component of filmmaking • a shot is a continuous strip of motion picture film, created of a series of frames, that runs for an uninterrupted period of time. Shots are generally filmed with a single camera and can be of any duration • Shots are assembled into scenes • Scenes share a common location

39. Issues • Stereotypes in the movies • Racial • Gender • Cultural • Other?

40. Contemporary issues • Foreign Marketing • Product placement • Merging technologies marry film, vide, and computers • Future directions • CGI • Interactivity • ???