Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Era Research

     Soooooo, the time period has been set. The film will take place in the (drum roll please🥁🥁🥁) 1950s! I've always been interested in this era and I'm excited to shoot it at Lucille's (a 1950s themed diner). I conducted some research on this time period to educate myself more and all the information I collected can be found below!

1950s:

Because of the development of televisions in the 1950s, less and less people went to the theaters since they preferred to stay home and watch shows through the TV. Due to this, there was an evident decrease in movie productions and releases. Nevertheless, in order to grab people's attention, the movie industry enhanced their entertainment services by making movie theater screens bigger and showcasing colored film. 

Likewise, some of the themes that are evidently present in most of movies made in the 1950s are:
  • capitalism vs. communism
  • good vs. evil
  • drugs
  • civil rights
  • changes in love
  • youthful rebellion
  • violence and crime

    Singing in the Rain (1952)



     In Singing In The Rain, the directors, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, use a variety of techniques to highlight some of the most special moments in the film. 

  Lighting 

 -Pretty bright throughout the entire film 

 -Spotlight is used on Lina when she's singing on stage to make her stand out 

 -Darker light is utilized when Don sings "Singing in the Rain". However, lamp posts are evident in order to show that there's light in the dark (in this case, something positive that just happened to Don was that Kathy kissed him)

  Framing 

 -Long shots are used during dance numbers to show full body movements (for example, in "Good Morning") 

 -Tracking shots are used while Don sings "Singing in the Rain"

  Color 

 -The film is shot in color which makes it stand out from most of the 1950s shows/films since most of them were in black and white

 -There is an evident consistency of the usage of bright colors, which for the most part, represent happiness

  Music

-Music = the soundtrack includes many, versatile melodies, each which represent characters' emotions (the music of this movie is composed by Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown, and Lennie Hayton) 

 -Diegetic sounds = are used to make the movie seem more realistic 

 -Non-diegetic sounds = are example of this would be the songs in the film since in real life, characters don't break out into songs 


  Wandavision; 1950s Episode (2021)


    The new, hit Disney + series, Wandavision pays an homage to American sitcoms from different time eras. Moreover, the first episode of the show, takes place in the 1950s and the director, Matt Shakman, gets creative with the mise-en-scene of this episode in particular.

 Lighting 

 -Pretty bright throughout the entire episode

 -Darker light is utilized when Mr. Hart and his wife are over for diner; this is to show that it's night and the dim lighting creates intimacy during the dinner scene.

  Framing 

 -Long shots are used during the theme song as Vision carries Wanda inside their home 

 -Mid shots are used to show Wanda and Vision's relationship, specifically in moments when they're in the kitchen

-The episode ends with the screen closing in (in the shape of a circle) on Wanda and Vision as they kiss; this technique is used a lot with media from this time period

  Color 

 -This episode is edited so that it's in black and white in order for it to resemble American sitcoms from the 50s.

  Music

-The theme song, "A Newlywed Couple", is written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and it introduces the main characters and the town they live in.

-Diegetic sounds = are used to make the show seem more realistic 

 -Non-diegetic sounds = are example of this would be the charming sounds that goes off when Wanda practices her magic on objects



    The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel(2017)


 Lighting 

 -Pretty bright throughout the entire episode

 -Dim lighting is utilized during scenes that take place outside at night

-Spotlight is used when Midge (or other comedians )are on stage performing in order to make her stand out.

-Natural light is used during outside scenes that take place during the day (scenes in the Catskills)

  Framing 

 -Long shots are used during Midge's performances so that the audience sees her body language as she tells her jokes

-Low, side angle shots are also used during performance scenes

 -Mid shots are used to show Midge and Susie's friendship, specifically in moments when they're traveling my car or plane

-Close-up shots show Midge's relationship with her ex-husband/lover, Joel.

  Color 

 -The colors of this show are very bright and they are mostly seen through the costumes that Midge wears. I think that the reason why they have her wear bright colors is to represent her bubbly personality. On the other hand, Susie wears dull and plain colors which accurately match her personality.

  Music

-This show features some of the greatest hits from the 50s. Some of these songs include "Teach Me Tonight" by The McGuire Sisters and "Come to the Supermarket" by Barbara Streisand.

-Diegetic sounds = are used to make the show seem more realistic (feedback of the microphone)

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singin%27_in_the_Rain
https://www.ign.com/articles/wandavision-opening-theme-song-lyrics-for-every-episode
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1i1abEjlMwX4LPH2lntiXu


HASTA LA VISTA!- go eat pineapple and watch La La Land :)

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