: For my presentation I have chosen to examine Steven Spielberg and what stylistic features he uses to make himself considered as an auteur. An auteur is a director that has a unique style in filming and has complete control of the production process of the film. The three films that I have chosen to focus on are E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), A.I. Artificial Intelligence(2001) and Close Encounters (1977). These are three of Steven Spielberg's most known films. There a various reasons to why Steven Spielberg has been considered as auteur. For instance the fantasy theme, is a common thread between these three film specifically. The fact that Spielberg has three films that have a common theme may suggest that he may use fantasy themes to establish himself as an auteur. …show more content…
The Extra-Terrestrial the main characters in both films kids and the kids are surrounded by all fantastical mysterious objects like aliens. These fantastical being come from the imagination of children. Between all three films it is evident that when Spielberg was directing these films he tapped into the joys, fears,wonders, adventurous minds of children. As it would seem that the target audience for these three films are children.
Projector: Themes
Presenter:The two most common themes that runs through Steven Spielberg's films are family issues and the use of John Williams music [Item 4]. There are twelve films that have been directed by Steven Spielberg that have had a John William Sound track including Close encounters and E.T.
Projector:Use of John Williams soundtrack in Steven Spielberg
Auteur theory is an important mode of film criticism that indicates the extent of the director’s involvement in the final output of the film. As it has been previously mentioned, Spike Lee’s films express certain notions about race that emerge from his personal viewpoint as well as from his political and aesthetic beliefs. The focal point of this chapter is the auteur theory and its relativity to Spike Lee. In order to prove the connection between the theory and his works, it is necessary to refer to Lee’s biography, since both his background and distinguishable personality have contributed to his technical skills as well as to his unique style as a film director. The particular chapter will also include the synopsis as well as the technical analysis of each film correspondingly.
“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can convey emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.” The written word and the moving image have always had their entwining roots deeply entrenched in similar narrative codes, both functioning at the level of implication, connotation and referentiality. But ever since the advent of cinema, they have been pitted against each other over formal and cultural peculiarities – hence engaging in a relationship deemed “overtly compatible, secretly hostile” (Bluestone 2).
In this paper I hypothesize that A Voyage to the Moon was most innovative in cinematography and editing. Although mise en-scene was the main focus of the film, I hypothesize that mise en scene wasn’t as innovative as the other two. As mentioned earlier, mise en scene made A Voyage to the Moon easy to understand and follow along. In the first scene of the film, this power
The first three entries are admittedly large budget franchises. On the other side, there are individual films where John Williams did more than a great job and left a lasting impression without any need for repetition. Case point: Jaws. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX3bN5YeiQs Jaws main theme, also known as the 8th greatest soundtrack of all time, is a simple F and F sharp alternating pattern of Tuba notes.
“The most amazing thing for me is that every single person who sees a movie, not necessarily one of my movies, brings a whole set of unique experiences. Now, through careful manipulation and good storytelling, you can get everybody to clap at the same time, to hopefully laugh at the same time, and to be afraid at the same time” (“Steven Spielberg Quotes”). As the inspiration for how many films are produced, Steven Spielberg is a director, producer, and writer. Having won 3 Academy Awards, several of his movies have set box office records, including Jaws and E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. Steven Spielberg revolutionized the film industry through unique camera work and new subject matters in movies.
Over the past century, film has served as a powerful means of communication to a global audience and has become a vital part of the contemporary culture in a world that is increasingly saturated by visual content. Due to the immediacy and the all-encompassing nature of film, the process of watching a film, is widely perceived to be a passive activity by the general masses. However, quoting Smith in his article about the study of film, “nothing could be further from the truth.” The study and understanding of film as an art form enhances the way we watch and appreciate films. It requires the audience's active participation and interaction with the film in order to fully comprehend the directors' intention behind every creative decision.
Tim Burton’s films utilize music to enrich the viewing experience of all of his films. In the introduction of the movie Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton
Throughout his life in making films, Tim Burton has shown his unique talent and vision. He proceeds taking advantage of the cinematic techniques; lighting, sound, and camera movements creating a certain mood/tone. These three techniques are used numerous of times for the duration of each film. Although, many various emotions are constructed, there are feelings that anyone may connect to. Tim Burton is a successful filmmaker and has inspired many with the use of his cinematic techniques.
The final film technique Tim Burton uses is sounds he uses. The most popular type of sound techniques is the non-diegetic sounds. In the 1989 Batman film, Tim Burton uses a ton of non-diegetic music. In multiple scenes in the movie, often combat scenes, there is dramatic music playing in the background to enhance the tension in the audience. During the scene in Charlie and the chocolate Factory when Charlie won the last golden ticket and he was running home there was non-diegetic happy and exciting music playing in the background.
Tim Burton’s distinct style became evident in his very first films and stayed clear in his later film, while the plot of Burton’s films vary greatly his style stays pronounced. This can be seen across his many movies from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands, “Vincent”, and “Frankenweenie”. In all of these films his distinct style is developed through the use of a strong contrast of high and low key lighting to show contrast between characters and circumstances, a recurring motif of mobs antagonizing the antagonist, and the frequent use of shot reverse shots to show the development of the relationship between the outsider and the people on the inside. With the use of a contrast between high and low-key lighting, a recurring mob motif, and the use of shot-reverse-shots Tim Burton develops his hopelessly bleak style. One of the most evident cinematic techniques that Tim Burton uses to develop his hopelessly bleak style is the use of a strong contrast of high and low-key lighting or colors.
When a person hears the name Steven Spielberg, they immediately think of the blockbuster movies, Jaws, Extra terrestrial Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones etc. However, Spielberg has directed other important films, many of which were selected to be saved by the national film registry like Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan, for their extreme accuracy in the portrayal of important moments and people in history. However, there is still a debate whether Spielberg should be considered the best director of all time. The answer to this question is obvious , he definitely is the best as he has directed blockbusters as well historical films where his use of the camera, his choice of actors, music and his attention to detail make him the best director
This isn’t the most realistic, as there is usually more than one individual working on a film, but the director is considered to be the guiding force. An auteur is one that has a distinct style and is one that can create films that are both commercially and aesthetically pleasing. A good example of an auteur film is The Godfather. Sarris states that an auteur is one that has a that can create both commercially and aesthetically pleasing films, and Coppola transformed a story fit for a low-budget gangster film, into something far more.
Wes Anderson is a very well-known and established director in his field. Over the years, Anderson has developed a unique style of film and a basic formula for how each film will look in the end. The film The Grand Budapest Hotel showcases a lot of Anderson quirks from the vibrant colors to the tiny miniatures that he used to show the landscape. The Grand Budapest Hotel is uniquely Wes Andersons and really showcases his style.
Baz Luhrmann’s films are known their ability to make a watcher feel as if they are part of the show. Between his use of camera angles, shots and the use of a narrator, it’s no wonder he is able to keep viewers on the edge of their seat. But how does Baz Luhrmann pull off this spectacular feat of his? This is probably explained best by referring to Baz Luhrmann’s films and how he himself has evolved as a director.
The Auteur Theory-Intro Part Considering the collaborative process of filmmaking, especially nowadays in most film production, the concept of there being a singular creative supervisor is debatable. Nonetheless one cannot deny the existence of directional motifs and instances of thematic and stylistic elements within the work of filmmakers like Tim Burton and Alfred Hitchcock. These directors indicate that within traditions and genres lies the overall definition of an auteur: a director whose inventive traits are listed throughout his/her work like a signature. Auteurism rose to the surface in the 1950s French New Wave criticism as an appraisal of Hollywood directors who were ready to avoid the rules of the studio system and create films that were distinctively their own.