Student Film Projects; Introduction to the Silent Film Project; Metropolis: Day 1

Lab:

During the lab time today (period 1), please complete the following tasks:

A. Student Films (please view and take notes on these student film documentaries...good job, guys!)

• Alexis: Billy Bitzer
• Jocelyn: Anita Loos & Frances Marion 
• Karina: Lois Weber
• Deja: Gloria Swanson
• Tamaron: Cecil B. DeMille 
• Liana: Janet Gaynor & Charles Farrell 
• Isabella John Barrymore    
• Kyra: Thomas Ince 
• Alexander: Buster Keaton 
• Carina

B. Our next film project will be a group project/short silent film (between 2-10 minutes). Details will be discussed soon. Film groups can be up to 5 classmates (and may utilize friends, family members, etc. from outside of our class as well). Begin by organizing your film company. NOTE: you can work alone, as well, if you would like. Be your own auteur.

• Once you have decided on a group (or if you are working solo), chat together about the kind of film you would like to make. Will you make a slapstick comedy, a sci-fi featurette, a romance, an avant-garde expressionist film, a minority film, a western, a documentary, a war film, a "blockbuster" style epic, a horror film, or a drama? 
• Choose a style of film you would like to work with: realistic, classical, or formalistic
• Once you know what genre & style you are likely to choose, start tossing out ideas. Keep track of your ideas. Right now, just be creative. Later you can limit your vision as to what is possible for this project. 
• Eventually, you will need to come up with a variety of pitches and treatments for your film. Will it work as a 2-10 minute silent film? What directors have we studied, or styles of film would you like to incorporate into your film? Do you want to make sure the film has an expressionistic style, or include an Eisenstein-esque montage? Do you want transitions like wipes and irises? Do you want to use stop motion or rear-projection? Do you want close-ups and extreme long shots to establish setting, etc.? Your producer, writer, cinematographer, editor and director should have final say in what gets made.
• Choose jobs for your film company. Here are a few important ones to consider (more details about film jobs will be forthcoming...): Director, Screenwriter, Editor, Cinematographer (director of photography), Actor(s), Producer, Grip, Sound Designer, Costume Designer, Special Effects Designer, etc. NOTE: for the first 2 weeks of this project, your producer can fire any member of your group for not participating, helping out your company, or being difficult to work with. Peers fired will have to make their own films or join other film companies. After 2-weeks, the company is stuck with the difficult peer. No complaining!

C. Study for your upcoming exam (Friday). See post below for review details.

D. Prepare to watch Metropolis by reading the short article and viewing the material found here.

Fritz Lang born in Vienna, Germany, 1890 -- the son of an architect, he dropped out of college to fight in the Great War (WWI)

After the war, Lang met producer Erich Pommer who worked for the movie company Declar--
Later Declar becomes UFA (the largest film company in Europe)

1919 - Lang directs his first film “Halbblut” (the Half-Caste)
1920 - Meets writer Thea von Harbou, marries her in 1922

Thea von Harbou wrote all of Lang’s films (including Metropolis) until 1933 when they divorced.

1925-1926 - Lang makes the film Metropolis which is drastically cut and distributed over the world Lang forms his own production company; Thea is his main writer; Metropolis becomes one of the most influential science fiction films of all time.
1931 - Lang directs M (with actor Peter Lorre)
1932 - The Testimony of Dr. Mabuse (banned because it criticized the Nazi party)
1933 - Lang immigrated to the U.S.
1934 - Lang is offered a contract by David Selznick, a producer at MGM. He goes on to make several films (mixing styles), ends up going blind and dying in 1975.

MAJOR FILMS: Halbblut (Half Caste) (1919) Dr. Mabuse (1922) (serial) Die Nibelungen (Siegfried; Kriemhild's Revenge) (1924). Metropolis (1926) Spies (1928), Woman in the Moon (1929),  M (1931) The Last Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1932) Fury (1936) You Only Live Once
(1937) Western Union (1941) Man Hunt (1941) The Ministry of Fear (1944) Cloak and Dagger (1946) Secret Beyond the Door (1948) The Big Heat (1953) Moonfleet (1955) While the City Sleeps (1956). Die Tausend Augend des Dr. Mabuse ("The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse") 1960

As we watch Metropolis, please complete the film analysis notes--You will be asked to write an essay about this film after your unit exam.

HOMEWORK: None. Study for your exam Friday.