| Film Fanatic August 2002
Being a Fanatic about Film is Only Human
| Who is the Film Fanatic?I used to drive my father crazy when I played with my Six Million
Dollar Man action figure. I’d vocalize the theme song and the bionic sound effects to
the point where he’d plead for me to stop. Like most children, I ignored his pleas
and continued on my merry way. I simply loved recreating scenes that I watched on TV --
with LEGOs, action figures, and my imagination, there was no television show I
couldn’t mimic. Today I work with film and video and am currently editing a small,
independent horror film.
Those who know me still rib me about my ability to watch
films over and over without falling bored. Personally, I wonder how anyone could become
bored watching a good film. So much craftsmanship and detail go into first-rate filmmaking
that it seems rude to discount a film after watching it once. A good film should be
enjoyed, taken apart, and respected. Bad films should be enjoyed, taken apart, and
recognized as to why they are bad. Like all of life’s experiences there is no way to
enjoy the good without contrasting it against the bad.
This is my mission as Home Theater & Sound’s
designated Film Fanatic. I’m not out to make filmmakers out of you. I hope to impart
a deeper understanding of the tools and decisions used to make a film. Each month I will
look at a facet of movie making and a film that I feel perfectly complements it. I’ll
talk about basics in areas like shot composition, editing, the equipment, and what may
have been behind a filmmaker’s decisions. I qualify myself because a film of depth
can often have several meanings while a popcorn film has fewer layers to decipher.
Please don’t hesitate to send me questions.
...Anthony Di Marco
anthony@hometheatersound.com |
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There is nothing that gets the blood moving more than a
good movie. Beginning with the genius of Auguste and Louis Lumière, moving pictures have
become a staple of world culture and universal communication, as well as an invaluable
component in a human’s mental well being. There’s no questioning that films are
cathartic. At their core, films give us an outlet for life’s hardships. Charlie
Chaplin’s City Lights, for example, certainly allowed people to take an
emotional break from the Great Depression -- as did the films of the Marx Brothers.
Look at the history of film and you’ll see basic
themes relating to love, loss, and the old standby, good against evil. Whether we want to
accept it or not, humans have an innate need for justice and survival. We all require
food, love, and a belief that there is justice, when little justice exists. Movies deliver
the stories that satisfy such beliefs and bind us together as a society. Anyone who has
seen Saving Private Ryan knows that it is the human element that gives emotional
weight to the story.
But how is a film created, who is involved, and why are
films so expensive to make? The answer is as complicated as the logistics involved during
the opening beach sequence in Saving Private Ryan. It involves the creative,
organizational, and tireless efforts of individuals with specialized disciplines. It
involves cognitive thought as well as physical labor. It also requires guts -- after all,
spending millions of dollars on a story that may not connect with its audience rivals Wall
Street in the risks involved. As the Film Fanatic, I will take you through each of these
steps of film production and give you insight into the filmmaking process. For example, I
plan to explain just how Spielberg managed to orchestrate his Normandy Invasion.
Ironically, though, the physics of capturing reflected
light on film haven’t changed since the Lumière Cinematograph. The tools, process,
and business of filmmaking have changed dramatically. There is not one industry that
leverages a wider range of specialized occupations more than the movie industry. Writing,
accounting, photography, carpentry, project management, electrical and mechanical
engineering, and materials science just scratch the surface of the disciplines that are
called upon. There is also not one industry that has pushed the advancement of technology
more. Computer Graphic Imagery (CGI), special effects, surround sound, not to mention the
sheer scale of filmmaking, have created a pool of talent whose only peer may be the brain
trust at NASA! It is a field that employs some of the most ambitious and intelligent
individuals in the world.
Watch the excellent documentary on The Abyss. Look
at the incredible ambition and intelligence driving James Cameron -- a director known for
his high-risk projects and pushing the technology envelope. If there is an invention James
Cameron needs to realize his vision, he will find a way to create it. From the keying
process he used for various effects shots, to the CGI he used to create his underwater
aliens, we’ll be discussing them.
What was once considered a means to escape reality is now
contributing its talents to reality. Ironically, the United States Government now
looks to Hollywood for direction on creating virtual-reality training exercises in order
to better prepare soldiers for real-life combat. Is art imitating life or life imitating
art? It’s doubtful that the Lumière brothers had a clue that their invention would
have sparked such collaboration. But it’s a fact that the FBI now looks to the
creative prowess of Tinsel Town for intelligence on how terrorists and highjackers may
make their next move. Watch a film like Executive Decision and you’ll see what
I mean.
As you can see, I am enamored by filmmaking. In my mind
there is simply no other organized industry that creates technology with the simple goal
of allowing us to be in touch with the more emotional side of our physiology.
So where will the Film Fanatic go from here? Given the rich
resource of material to draw from, all one needs to do is find a logical point to start.
Since we’re talking about movies, though, the film image seems like the
perfect springboard.
Next month we’ll dive right in with the
cinematographer, and how without him, movies would be nothing more than words on a printed
page.
...Anthony Di Marco
anthony@hometheatersound.com |
