Reading Responses

Richtor is right about film losing originality. I feel like film is becoming too mainstream and it’s all about how much money you can get for the film. It’s almost as if art is almost being thrown out the window. Richtor is right by saying that experimental films are the only ones left with a sense of art and originality. He is right that actors are looked at more than the art of the film itself. Yes acting is very important, but it all depends on how the actor is portrayed. For example, lighting is crucial to a film and so the cinematographer is depended on to make the film a beautiful art form to the best of its potential. An actor can say a great line, but unless they are portrayed right, it is more likely to mean nothing. The camera should be at the best angle for a character and the lighting should be a correct amount for a character.

I totally agree with MacDonald about how most people do not become exposed to experimental films until way after being familiar with narratives their whole lives. I wish I could say I was not one of them. In the beginning it was hard for me to like experimental films. I have loved watching movies my whole life but the only ones I was used to were narratives. They told stories and made sense. It is still hard for me to make sense of experimental films and finding their themes that lie within but I feel as if my appreciation for these films has increased. I love how there are no limits to these types of films and they bring back the originality that I feel that today’s Hollywood narratives have lost.

Bela Balazs's article about sound gives a better realization of how significant sound really is.  I like the way she compares it to seeing something and how sound can be taken for granted unless you see what  the sound is associated with.  What I like the most is how she talked about how hearing sirens does not really seem to matter to someone unless you see a scared look on another's face.  Until I read this example, I had never really thought about how much I had taken sound for granted.  I also loved the way she talked about the different levels of sound and how something can sound like something but come to find out it is a something completely different.  I hope that after reading this article I will develop a better appreciation for sound that can even further develop with the knowledge I gain from this class.