Film Art Event

The Establishing Shot for The King’s Speech was a microphone. The movie began with a dramatic close up of a microphone. This set the stage for the movie in a huge way. The King’s Speech is about a Duke, forced into Kingship, who has a terrible stuttering problem. He stresses about giving speeches in front of the country, using the microphone shown in the Establishing Shot. The Establishing Shot of this movie gave huge insight about what was to come.

There were a lot of really cool camera angles in The King’s Speech. There were upward angles, downward angles, and also sideways angles. One of my favorite camera angles was when Bertie and Elizabeth were squeezed into a tiny elevator. The camera angle portrayed how small the space was. They were forced into each other and the camera angle really accentuated that. Another camera angle I liked was the close up of Bertie and his microphone as he gave the last speech of the film. It was a powerful angle because it portrayed just how difficult it was for him to get his words out.

After the death of his father King George V and the scandalous resignation of Prince Edward VII’s, Bertie who has suffered from a devastating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue.  After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill, the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle.  Based on the true story of King George VI, The King’s Speech follows the Royal Monarch’s quest to find his voice. A lot of scenes drew me in. Whenever Bertie was at Lionel’s office, I was drawn in. They had an incredibly awkward start but they grew to like each other. Also, the dramatic scene where Bertie breaks down under the pressure really got into my heart. He poured his heart out to his wife and it was a moving scene.

                                       The Cast of The King's Speech accepting their Oscar

Colin Firth did an excellent job in this film. He even won best actor at the Oscar’s! He was very convincing and was fantastic playing the role of Bertie. I don’t know how he was able to portray his speech impediment so well. He really delved into his role and took hold of it. He was very convincing. Also, Helena Carter was very convincing as her role of Bertie’s wife. I usually see her in very dark roles, but this was a pleasant change. She did a great job at playing a queen. I felt like I really connected with her. She took control of her role and made it her own.

The soundtrack to the film was awesome! It also won an award at the Oscar’s. The score was very time relevant. It sounded like something you would have heard in the time of King George VI. It was powerful in times where it needed to be powerful and soft in times where it needed to be soft. The music really makes a film. I was moved by many scenes in the film just because of the wonderful music. At the end when Bertie is presenting the speech, the music made me feel like I was in the small room with him and Lionel. It really moved me.

There were two genres to the film. The King’s Speech was a drama as well as a biography. It told the story of King George VI in a very dramatic way. A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. The emotional theme in this movie was his speech impediment. He had a terrible stammer and the movie develops as he develops a friendship with his speech coach.

There were many messages I derived from The King’s Speech. One that I thought was very important was the message behind Bertie and Lionel’s relationship. Bertie was very rude to Lionel at first because he was taking out his frustrations. He didn’t want to associate with him because he was from Australia. As the film went on, Bertie realized how much Lionel was helping him and they became great friends. The message there was to “not judge a book by its cover.” Also, Bertie’s speech really held him back until he got help from Lionel. This movie was a great story but it also gave the message of perseverance. Bertie could’ve given up at any time. His father died, his brother stepped down from the throne, but Bertie kept persevering. He knew he needed to be the voice of his country as they went into war, and he eventually made a non-replaceable impact.

Me outside Nickelodeon

Assignment #5- Music

1)      Jazz is a specific musical art form. It is characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. It originated from an earlier music called “blues”. It’s very improvisational. It has been called the first original art form to develop in the USA. Jazz has its roots in West African culture and was brought to America as blacks immigrated to the cities. The first mainstream form of jazz came from early marching bands. The instruments from these bands carried over into jazz of today: brass, reeds, and drums. The United States wasn’t known for creating new or innovative art forms. This is why jazz is so unique. When it became popular in places like New Orleans, people were shocked because it was such a mixture of musical styles (ragtime, blues, marches, etc.).

2)      In Peter and the Wolf:

Peter is played by the strings

The duck is played by the Oboe

The wolf is played by the French horn

The bird is played by the Flute

The grandfather is played by the Bassoon

The hunters are played by the Timpani Drums

3)      Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, particularly between 1000 and 1900. Classical music is mostly performed in a solemn or quiet place. The audience is usually very quiet and respectful. This is so that everyone can hear every note played. Classical music is usually played by the instruments in an orchestra, such as the violin. Prominent composers of the Classical era include Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Stamitz, Joseph Haydn, Johann Christian Bach, Antonio Salieri, Muzio Clementi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Luigi Boccherini.

Assignment #4- Architecture

1)      This is Sims! Sims is one of the dormitories on the Women’s Quad. I live in McClintock, which is right next door and I’m constantly admiring Sims. Sims has many architectural features.

2)      Two main features I notice about Sims are the Corinthian columns and Dentil molding. You can’t really see in the picture, but Sims has Corinthian columns. The capitals of the columns are intricately sculpted with leaves and foliage. The capital also flows upward to enhance the height of the column. The Dentil molding is also very evident on the front of Sims. Dentil molding is a tooth-like cornice or molding. The Dentil molding lines the triangular top of the building. Dentil molding is very typical of neoclassical decoration.

Corinthian Column

Dentil Molding

3)      I think Sims is the “Classical or Greek Revival” style. It is very grandeur and decorative. It has elaborate Corinthian columns and shows signs of Greek-like features. The Greek Revival style is also very symmetrical. Sims is extremely symmetrical in all aspects. Just by looking at the front of the building you can see the symmetry. If you were to cut it down the middle, both halves would look the same. Sims also has a very large porch, which was another decorative element borrowed from Greek and Roman architecture.

Assignment #3- Aesthetics and Movies

1) Every day, I look into my boyfriend’s eyes. Whether it is accompanied by a warm embrace or just a smile, I love gazing into Gil’s eyes. I fall into the ocean every time I see the swarming blue shades. I’m lost in a forest when I stare at the green lines of pigment. The yellow hues weaved in and out of his eye are like laying in a sunflower field soaking up the sun. His eyes melt my heart like an ice cream cone left in the summer sun’s piercing rays. A simple glance can pull me into an unknown world full of bliss and happiness. Something as normal as making eye contact with my boyfriend sweeps me off my feet over and over again.

2) When Pavarotti was singing, I imagined many things. When the song first started, I thought he was singing about something happy. He voice sounded very upbeat and uplifting. I imagined him falling in love for the first time. As the song went on, I felt a sense of sadness. He seemed to be having internal conflict. I thought he was fighting with himself about the girl. Maybe she cheated on him and he was trying to decide what to do. I imagined Pavarotti’s “split personality” coming into play. He would be happy and joyful and then sound dark and sad. In my drawing I start out with light, happy colors. I use swirls because when I see swirls, I think of delight.  But as the song began to sound depressing, I used dark colors and thick strong lines. The light and dark colors are fighting each other on the page, just as Pavarotti was battling himself.

3) An establishing shot is usually the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. The viewers are able to see the scene where the next part of the movie is going to happen. The establishing shot is very important. Without it, the viewers might be very confused. Without the establishing shot, the viewers wouldn’t know what the remainder of the scene was going to be about. A lot of establishing shots are important landmarks to show where the scene is taking place. Landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty are commonly used. Without the establishing shot, it’s the viewer’s responsibility to figure out where the scene is taking place.