Color in Film

Color tends to be a subconscious element in film. It has an emotional appeal which often suggests mood of the film or characters in it.

The first Technicolor film was THE GULF BETWEEN (U.S., 1917), a five-reeler made by Technicolor Motion Picture Corp. in Florida mainly for trade showings in eastern cities, to create interest in color movies among producers and exhibitors. It did not receive nationwide distribution. A lost film today, only a few frames survive.

The first two strip Technicolor feature made in Hollywood, and the first to receive nationwide distribution, was the costume drama THE TOLL OF THE SEA (1922).
Another silent movie filmed entirely in two strip Technicolor was the swashbuckler THE BLACK PIRATE (U.S., 1926), produced by and starring Douglas Fairbanks.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Cecil B. DeMille's epic, 1923) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) BEN-HUR (1925) and KING OF KINGS (Cecil B. DeMille, 1926) used color as a gimmick or in parts.

The first all-talking Technicolor feature was the Warner Bros. musical ON WITH THE SHOW (1929).

All of the color films up to this point were two-color processes, which could capture only two of the three primary colors of light.

In 1932, Technicolor perfected a three-color motion picture process (also known as three-strip Technicolor, because three negatives were employed in the camera, one for each primary color of light -- red, green, and blue).

It was introduced with the Walt Disney cartoon FLOWERS AND TREES (1932), which won the first Academy Award for Animation. Walt Disney kept a monopoly on 3-color technicolor from 1932-1935.

The first feature-length movie in three-strip Technicolor was the costume comedy-drama BECKY SHARP (U.S., 1935)

Technicolor used a three color system: red, blue, green (these colors therefore are most vivid)

Early color was used as an expression (expressionism) of the director’s or cinematographer’s story, and so early films with color tend to be ones that are formalistic, artificial, or exotic. Color was often not used for “realistic” movies.

Warm colors: red, yellow, orange (brown)
Cool colors: Blue, green, violet (white)

Technicolor fragments.
Phantom of the Opera Masquerade Scene
During the 1930's, technicolor was still expensive. It was still being used as a movie gimmick as seen here. The Women (1939)

1940's Film Research/Documentary Film Project

Please continue working on your documentary film projects. Use the lab time to a). film scenes b). edit or c). prepare questions or shooting schedules.

While not working on your documentary film project, please do the following assignments:

1. Complete the reading of your chosen 1930's film script. (See below). You should write a review of the script by Friday.

2. Complete the 1940's research question sheet. (See handout)

3. Complete your reading of Film Noir. On an index card, write at least one thing you learned from the chapter and one question or comment/observation from the reading. (Due Wednesday)

4. Read the article on "Color Film."

Test

Please identify the following documentaries as one of each of the 5 styles:
Observational, Expository, Interactive, Reflexive, Performative. Each type will only be used once. After your identification of the film, please indicate why you think the clip should be classified as that style of documentary.

Clip #1

Clip #2

Clip #3

Clip #4

Clip #5:

Documentaries & Quiz

Today, after taking your quiz, please continue to read and complete your script reading. Please write a review of the script. This includes the following:

There are 4 parts to a script review:
1. A short plot synopsis
2. Background information (usually about the director or major actors or film production history, but can also include discussion on cinematographer, special effects history, genre, or production). Research this to some extent.
3. A few paragraphs evaluating and analyzing the writing of the script: this can be broken down into examining the film's artistic quality, significance, entertainment & social value.
4. In summary, most reviews end with a final statement or judgment about the script.

1930's & Documentary Quiz

Next class, you will have a quiz on the following material:

1930's film (from notes)
The Star System
Documentary film styles (all five)
Film clips from the 1930's: actors and directors and genres
Color in film
Sound in film
Walt Disney (handout)

Documentary Project/1930's script

Today, begin planning a documentary project idea. There's a variety of ways to do this. Choose any elements that help you complete the project.

You may work alone or in groups of up to 6 individuals. It is entirely possible for you to be involved in more than one project, given time and motivation. This is somewhat difficult, but you are only limited by your attention to the matter and how much work you want to put into the project. It is my hope that after making your short documentary, that you will be able to screen some of these films at the coffeehouse in June and enter the various film contests. We will start working on the documentary, given class time, this week, but as the class continues, less and less time will be allotted to complete your work solely in the lab.

Follow some of these steps to begin your project:
1. Decide if you want to work alone, with members of this class, and how many people would like to work on similar projects (up to 6 classmates).

NOTE: If you have access to your own camera, you are basically free to use anyone (even members of your family) in the creation of your film. Having your own video camera frees you in regard to time and place to set your work. Feel free to choose neighborhood or community sites that you may not have access to during school hours. For you, creativity is unlimited.

NOTE: If you need to borrow a school camera, please note that we have very little equipment. Any student needing to borrow school equipment needs to be EXTREMELY CAREFUL with it (as it our only equipment). Damaged equipment will result in a failing grade for the project (and possible retribution). Cameras need to be charged fully after using them and cameras can only be loaned out for one night (or one weekend only). Students will need to physically sign out the camera and can pick up the equipment after the last bell (9th period). Using equipment during the day is similar to the rules above, with the exception that the camera is only loaned out for the appropriate period the student or group is using it.

2. Using a round-table discussion, decide on a topic for your documentary.
3. Decide on one of the five types of documentary.

Once you have a group, a project in mind, and a style for your documentary, you may find it important to examine the issue you wish to explore. Come up with some basic important questions in which to ask participants or interviewees.

Once you have your list of questions, your idea, your style, your group, begin by creating a shooting schedule or project schedule.


Help from the internet:
Active Philosophy: Helpful Ideas - Creating a Documentary

Documentary Subjects (this will give you some titles of contemporary documentaries: look at clips in youtube.com if you are curious to see what they look like. Some, of course, will not be posted).

More Documentary Ideas

HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK: Please continue to read the 1930's script you chose last week. As you read, you should be familiar to how the story is being told in script form. How does the filmwriter tell the story through dialogue, but also through film's most powerful aspect: visual communication. Pay attention to film terms and film script format. You will need to format your own scripts in a similar manner. You will be writing a review of the script, so pay attention to characters, writing style, and other critical writing topics. Feel free to take notes in your film journal.

Sample Documentaries from your reading...

The creative impulse to hold a mirror up to nature to see the reflection of ourselves has always been strong. Since the beginning of film history, filmmakers have enjoyed capturing real life. This basic style of film falls under the category of REALISM. Documentaries are generally considered the most "realistic" of all films.

All documentaries have similar basic principals and/or qualities:
1. The events depicted in the film are unstaged; the events exist above and beyond the diegesis or the act of filming them. The unstaged nature of the events suggest that the events or subjects have an existence independent of the cinema, thus granting them an air of authenticity or "realism".

2. Documentaries are understood to be non-fiction films. The world or diegesis of what appears on screen is considered real, not imaginary (as in fiction films).

3. It is often assumed that the documentary film maker observes, recording events or subject matter objectively. This is, of course, an untrue or uninformed statement.

There are Five different TYPES of documentary:

A. Expository documentary: the film maker's commentary acts as the "voice-of-God", often giving information or perspectives external to the filmed world in order to "see the world afresh, even if the world seems romantic (idealized) and didactic.

The article in the book makes reference to this film. Please watch it as an example of expository documentary.
Coalface (1935)

B. Observational documentary: The film maker records events depicted in the film unobtrusively, without intervention from the film-maker, capturing "real life" without commentary, intertitles, or interviews. The documentary type depicts a "slice of life" or direct representation without comment or subjectivity of the film maker. The film maker is completely invisible and/or uninvolved.

The article does not make reference to this film. High School II (1994), but it is a more recent sort of project similar to Wiseman's work. To help you out, if you were to watch the black and white sections of this film, without the intertitles and God-voice commentary, you can see a few clips from Wiseman's original High School (1968) within this reworked film. Please watch it as another example of expository documentary. Another Wiseman film is Public Housing (1997). This is a good example of the observational film technique. Please watch. Note that in expository film the filmmaker IS presenting a verbal commentary and intertitles that help identify theme and purpose. In "Public Housing" a message is implied, but not overt.

C. Interactive documentary: The filmmaker's perspective and opinion is more evident. Interview styles allow the film maker to participate actively in presenting of events. It is sort of the opposite of the observational documentary. Sometimes the film maker him/herself is present in the film, asking questions or juxtaposing their opinion with others. Unlike expository documentaries, the film maker is present instead of a disembodied voice of authority (god).

Roger & Me (1989) but also Capitalism a Love Story (2009)

D. Reflexive documentary: Going one step further from interactive documentary, the film maker of reflexive documentary does not attempt to hide the convention of film making. You know you are "watching a film" about "making a film." While documentaries are usually considered realistic, the camera work in a reflexive documentary are much more similar to formalism (the opposite style to realism). The article discusses "Man with a Movie Camera" (1928)

E. Performative documentary: Going beyond the reflexive documentary, the performative documentary seeks to evoke mood or atmosphere traditionally found in fiction films. It can be downright avant garde and formalistic. Its purpose is more metaphorical than literal.

The Thin Blue Line (1976) this is a film ABOUT "the thin blue line" not clips of the actual film. There are shots from the actual film though. Here's a better example of performative documentary.
Survivors
One of the most famous performative documentaries is Koyaanisqatsi. Here's a clip.

Quiz: Please watch the following clips and decide what kind of documentary the film would be classified as:

1. Charlie Bit Me
2. Super Size Me
3. March of the Penguins
4. Regen (1929)
5. American Movie

Turn in your answers by the end of class today.