Film Flashcards
(36 cards)
What studio produced The Jungle Book (‘67 & ‘16), how has there name changed?
Walt Disney produced the initial Jungle Book but changed its name to Disney in 2011 and produced the modern version. This was due to Walt’s racist attitudes.
What sort of company is Disney?
A PLC (Public Limited Company)
What is the analysis focused on in this unit?
Historical and Economic > Textual
Who are the Big 5?
-Paramount
-Warner Brothers
-20th Century Fox
-Metro Goldwyn Mayer
-RKO Radio
Who are the Small 3?
-Universal
-Columbia
-United Artists
What was the forerunner to the Paramount Antitrust case?
The 1928 Antitrust Lawsuit:
-The Players-Lasky Corporation (forerunner to Paramount) and 9 other film studios were found guilty of violation of antitrust law
-Studios struck a controversial deal with Roosevelt during this time of great depression to recover the nation industrially
-In July 1938 this stance was reversed and filed its lawsuit against 7 studios
What we’re the seven studios of the Antitrust case of 1948 accused of?
-Violating the Sherman Antitrust act
-Total control over movie distribution and exhibition (vertical integration)
-Block booking (forcing theatres to show several of the same studios movies)
The government demanded an end to block booking and removal of distribution arms or theatres
What happened with the Antitrust case in June 1940
-Trial went to federal court in New York
-Called off after 2 weeks in a compromise where studios retained theatres but stopped block booking
-Caused dissatisfaction and formed the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers (SIMPP)
Who were the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers? (SIMPP)
An organisation of leading movie producers of the day including:
-Charlie Chaplin
-Walt Disney
-Samuel Goldwyn
-David O. Selznick
-Mary Pickford
-Orson Welles
What did the SIMPP help achieve?
They got the antitrust case back into court from a New York District Court into the U.S Supreme Court in February 1948.
What happened in the final trial of the antitrust case?
-May 1948 the Supreme Court ruled the studios were guilty of violating the antitrust laws
-Studios we’re forced to sign decrees ending block booking and forcing films to be sold individually
-Allowed an equal playing field and allowed competition with major studios from independent film producers
What stages does a film go through when it’s being made?
1) Development/Pre-production
2)Production
3)Post-production
4)Distribution
What is xerography in terms of film?
Photocopied drawings that usually would involve repetitive and costly tracing.
What is the multi plane camera?
A camera with different levels of foreground/background used in animation, allowing for greater depth and realism.
What is cel animation?
Replacing sheets of plastic sequentially to create movement within animation.
What we’re xerography’s economic benefits?
-Helped reduce production time, less workers were needed and a more efficient workflow.
-Saved Disney millions, made it possible for 101 Dalmatian’s and other ambitious movies to be made
-Even films that didn’t do amazing could still break even due to the reduction in cost
What we’re the initial limitations of xerography that affected The Jungle Book ‘67?
-Initially, xerography only produced black lines
-Even in later colour films, xerography caused strong black outlines
-Forced animators to move away from realism to a more cartoonish look
What is needed for 3D film making? What is some of the consequences?
NEEDED:
-Two cameras, two lenses and two sensors for 3D
-Expensive tech such as semi silvered mirrors which caused half as bright video
-Needs computers 2x as powerful
CONSEQUENCES:
-2x as much data
-Longer shooting
-More light needed
-More expensive projectors with 2 lenses
An overall more expensive production which needs to be economically viable.
How does motion capture work?
-White dots on a motion capture suit used as tracking points, telling a computer what it’s looking at
-Camera recording it processes and maps it onto character
-Axis layed down virtually for computer calculations
-Cameras on an actors headset to track facial movements
What was motion capture used for in the ‘16 Jungle Book?
A pre-visualisation of the movie so that voice actors could play lines over it.
Where did Disney get is VFX technology from?
Pixar when it acquired it, gained the technological features of the company.
How was VFX used in the ‘16 Jungle Book?
-Used tracking points on animal faces to create emotion digitally
-Textures placed over wireframes
-Animals within the movie we’re anthropomorphised
-At times Niel Sephy’s hand was animated when interacting with a CGI character
-Movie was a technological marvel
What is a datacine/telecine?
A device that converts film into a digital file.
What advantage does digital distribution have over physical in terms of quality?
-No quality loss when film is duplicated and distribution
-Physical distribution on film loses a bit of quality on each duplication
