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Film and Media (8) Classical Hollywood Cinema  From: American Film Institute This seminar introduces the most popular narrative tendencies and film genres that were developed during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema: from the Marx Brothers to Fred Astaire; from Westerns and musicals to melodramas; and from "Singin' in the Rain" to "Frankenstein." Karen Voss, an AFI consultant and expert on critical film studies, provides a lively and thoughtful description of the rise of the major classical Hollywood studios and defines the key characteristics of seamless storytelling--the basic mode of film production used during this period. History Through a Filmmaker's Lens From: American Film Institute The indelible image of King Kong atop the Empire State Building clutching a captive Fay Wray and swatting planes can be easily recalled by most filmgoers. However, few viewers remember how Wray's character had gotten into such a mess in the first place. In this seminar, Patricia King Hanson examines how films released during World War I, the Great Depression and World War II addressed, however subtly, these major world events. This seminar will focus on these three historical periods, using examples of American feature films developed throughout the 1910s to the 1940s to explain why particular stars, themes and genres became popular during these years. Memoirs of the Movies: Hollywood Personalities on the Coming of Sound From: Columbia University The "Popular Arts" and "Hollywood Film Industry" oral-history projects housed at Columbia University's Oral History Research Office consist of interviews with producers, directors, writers, actors and cinematographers. These interviews provide first-hand accounts and insights on the coming of sound, and other developments of the motion picture industry throughout the twentieth century. In this seminar, Joan Franklin, who worked with her husband to conduct a series of interviews that form the "Memoirs of the Movies" collection, recounts her fondest memories from the interviews they conducted. In addition, excerpts from interviews with Hollywood performers Buster Keaton and Lila Lee and with writer Anita Loos offer intimate accounts of the wide-ranging effects that "talkies" had on three Hollywood personalities during the 1930s. Movie Scientists: Beyond Their Time From: American Film Institute In this seminar from the American Film Institute, Patricia King Hanson analyzes several key science fiction and horror films from the 1930s and 40s. Through such films as "Frankenstein," "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and "Island of Lost Souls", Hanson provides a filmographic analysis of the depiction of "biogenetic" research--the creation and altering of living organisms--on the big screen. The Basics of Screenwriting From: American Film Institute In this seminar from the American Film Institute, Amy Dunkleberger guides both novice and professional writers through the creation of an engaging screenplay. The seminar clearly and concisely leads you through the creation of an effective premise, compelling characters and a structure for your work. Throughout the sessions, writing techniques, presentation do's and don'ts, screenplay terminology and film clips juxtaposed with their shooting scripts help you develop your initial whim into your final screenplay. The First Fifty Years of Cinema From: American Film Institute In the span between Thomas Edison's short, grainy films around the turn of the century until the dawn of the golden age of Hollywood in the 1930s, the motion picture profession in America grew from a few curious experiments into a powerful international media industry. In this seminar from the American Film Institute, Vicki Botnick examines the first fifty years of cinema. From scientific experiments to sophisticated art, Botnick follows the development of film from its origins and the growth of the American industry, through the advent of sound and color, until the 1930s and the start of the classical Hollywood era. The Hollywood Star System From: American Film Institute In this seminar, Vicki Botnick examines the role of the Hollywood "star system," describing how stars, such as Theda Bara, found such great success on the screen and with the public. Examining the careers of various stars from the 1910s to the 1940s, such as Clara Bow and Lana Turner, this seminar explores how the major motion picture studios, publicity departments and the ticket-buying public all contribute to the creation of the Hollywood movie star--both on and off the screen. The Persistent Puppet: Pinocchio's Heirs in Contemporary Fiction and Film From: University of Chicago Carlo Lorenzini (pen name Collodi) created the puppet who longed to be a boy more than a century ago, yet Pinocchio has lived on, both in popular culture and in literary and filmic versions of the tale. One of the most read books in the world, "The Adventures of Pinocchio" was originally written in serial form for an Italian children's magazine. Collodi killed off the puppet in what he thought was the last episode; until, that is, he was urged by his editor to continue the already very popular story. | |||||||||||||||
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