Author: dayo21109

Alpha Dog: Actors Designation

Alpha Dog is a movie that is a true story. This is based on 15 year old Nicholas Markowitz being kidnapped and helpd hostage over a drug deal gone wrong. There are three specific actors that I think of that all play very different roles. I think of Zack (the kid that was kidnapped), Frankie (a character involved in the kidnapping of Zack), and Johnny Truelove (the mastermind of the kidnapping and murder of Zack, also the leader of the group).

Anton Yelchin plays Zack Mazursky. This is the boy that was kidnapped and murdered in this film. His type of actor would be the Impersonator. This is because he was not a well known actor until this film, and I think the filmmaker wanted to use someone not recognizable to play the role of the way the boy was in real life. According to chapter five in Film: From watching to seeing (2014), the author states, “When a filmmaker needs a portrayal of a recognizable historical figure, for instance, but doesn’t want to distract the audience by casting a recognizable actor in the role” (p. 5). Some actors have a certain character in all movies. An example of this (not related to this movie) would be Denzel Washington. Anyone that is familiar with Denzel Washington’s acting knows that his characters are always similar. He’s always hard-core and doing the right thing to help people out, and there’s always violence involved. For a role of a kidnapped boy, the filmmaker would not use anyone that could not be portrayed as helpless or innocent. In this film Zack felt trapped and over protected at home by his parents. When he was kidnapped it was not a big deal to him because he was enjoying being around people that knew how to live free and have fun without rules.

Justin Timberlake plays Frankie Ballenbacher aka “Nuts”. He was involved in the kidnapping of Zack. His type of actor would be the Star. A star is a well known person and popular with the public (Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P., 2014). Justin Timberlake is a well known star. Not only for acting but mostly for his singing career with NSYNC, and on his own. Justin Timberlake is so much of a star that he is followed by the paparazzi and in tabloids and gossip sites. In this film he played a role that wasn’t really expected at first, but throughout the movie he turned out to be very good friends with the boy Zack, and even told him to run. Zack did not want to run because he trusted Frankie and he was having fun with all the people he had met. Unfortunately, Frankie’s character in this movie did not want to be involved in the kidnapping. They were driving and saw the boy walking and Johnny Truelove decided to take him to get his older brother to pay him the money he owed him.

Emile Hirsch plays Johnny Truelove. He was the mastermind in the kidnapping of Zack and the mastermind behind the murder. He was basically the boss of what happened to the kid; he called all the shots. He had a sort of power because his father was leader of a mob and had many connections with drugs, money, people, and authority figures. In this film he let it get to his head. He would be considered a Wild Card/ Character Actor. This is because he can play a number of very different roles and do a phenomenal job at it, yet he is not quite star status. His role in Into the Wild he is complete opposite of his character in Alpha Dog. Into the Wind he wanted to be alone and do things for himself, while taking in what nature had to offer him.

The one star I want to focus on in Alpha Dog is Justin Timberlake. I am focusing more attention on him because he is the star actor. No matter what movie he is in, he is well known and will always be at least one, if not the only, star actor. One thing about star actors is it guarantees things like attention and publicity (Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P., 2014). This says that no matter what star actor is in a film, the film will get attention and publicity, and even have certain expectations. Some of his other films include: In Time, Friends with Benefits, Runner Runner, and The Social Network. In The Social Network he is fairly similar to his character in Alpha Dog because he is very involved with his peers and living a fun, social, normal life, however he still has a big heart and is a smart thinker.

References

Alpha Dog. (2006). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUp56G-rvRk

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

The Social Network. (2010). Movie Clip- I found Napster. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eu9yZ6pWjg

Beauty and the Beast: The Impact of Sound

There are three basic categories of sound: dialogue, sound effects, and music. Of these three, they are either non-diegetic or diegetic. Today, diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are being used in almost all films. Diegetic sound is the sounds within the world of the film, or can also be known as actual sound. This can include sounds made by objects in the story or voices of characters. Non-diegetic sound is the sounds that come from the world outside of the film.

The clip above uses both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. As the scene open, the non-diegetic sound is a piano playing and all other music in the background. The diegetic sounds are the waterfall and the birds. Another use of non-diegetic sound would be the narration. According to Goodykoontz & Jacobs (2014), “Other non-diegetic elements in a film might include superimposed titles, title cards, or voice-over narration by someone who is not a character in the story” (p. 8.2). Once the scene shows the prince transformed to the beast there is more diegetic sounds that come into play. The beast scratching the picture, the magic mirror lighting up, the rose lighting up, and the thunder in the closing of the scene.

In the clip above we see an example of dialogue. In chapter eight of Film: From watching to seeing (2014) the author states, “Characters talking to one another in films, known as dialogue, is now so much a part of the movie experience that audiences take for granted” (p. 4). This clip is an important part of the movie because the dialogue used between Belle and Beast is an agreement for her to stay in the castle if he will release her father. This further develops the plot. This also enhances characterizations by showing us that Belle is a caring woman and Beast is heartless and somewhat scary.

The clip above is an example of sound effects and music. The sound effects range from hearing the candlestick walk, the dishes on the table, the chair pulling up, the salt shakers pouring salt out, and the dishes in the kitchen clanking around. Because the dishes and objects are serving the food in this clip, the sound effects really made the scene. I couldn’t image what it would be like if the dishes made no noises. The music in this clip is happy and upbeat because the objects in the castle are excited to have Belle as a guest.

Overall the three categories of sound help establish the theme of Beauty and the Beast because every song tells a story. Some of the music is actually dialogue as well. An example of this would be when all the household items are talking about being human again. The use of sound informs the mood of the scenes differently in each scene, but for the film overall, the sounds start out as a little scary and intimidating while Belle is being introduced to Beast and his castle. As they get to know each other the sounds change to more romantic and friendly sounds. A specific sound that allows me to place this film in its romantic/fantasy genre would be the very last scene of the movie when Beast is transforming back into a prince and his household items turn back to human servants. The sound is very magical, yet romantic. I would characterize the effects of sound in this film to be mostly realistic and expected. The sounds fit very well with the story, and I do not know of any sounds that were exaggerated or unexpected. If the sounds were different in this film I do not think the viewers would get the same feel from it. However, I think that is true with any film. If sounds were different a scene may not be as dramatic, or as romantic, or as funny. The sounds at the end of the movie when Beast transforms back to a prince fit the scene perfect. If there were to be a song sang in that moment it would not have been so magical and happy.

References

Beauty and the Beast. (2008). Be Our Guest. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afzmwAKUppU

Beauty & the Beast. (2014). Dungeon Scene Belle Fandub. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmKlNCtIhok

Beauty and the Beast. (2007). Prologue. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__x8CYAVMbk

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Lighting: Beauty and the Beast


The type of lighting used in this clip is low-key lighting. In chapter six of ‘Film: From watching to seeeing’ (2014) the author states, “Low-key lighting is often used for intense dramatic scenes, horror films, mystery thrillers, and the like” (p. 4). This was a very dramatic scene because Bell went to forbidden territory, discovers the rose, and beast scares her off. The benefits of the low-key lighting is it gives the audience an anxious and on edge feeling by wondering what is going to happen in the west wing.


The type of lighting used in this clip is three-point lighting. It is very bright and vivid. All of the white from the snow gives a cold feeling. The end of the scene is more suttle and warm, inviting the audience by the fire to warm up and watch their romance unfold.


The type of lighting used in this clip is low-key lighting. It really makes the castle stick out as a beautiful place. It also suited the genre well because it is romantic and beautiful, and Beauty and the Beast is a love story.

All of these scenes would play out differently with different lighting. If the first scene of beauty finding the rose had brighter lighting it wouldn’t be as scary and dramatic. If the second scene of all the snow and outdoor lighting would have been low-key I don’t think the scene would have shown as much importance in the movie. If the third scene would have had bright lighting like, outdoor cinematography it wouldn’t have given the audience such a warm and happy feeling. According to ‘Visual Literacy’ (n.d.) “Lighting plays an important part in creating the atmosphere in a film” (p. 1).

References
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing. (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Visual Literacy. Lighting. (n.d). Retrieved from http://portals.studentnet.edu.au/literacy/minisites/sceggsdarlinghurstrevised/vliteracy/lighting.htm

Film: Beauty and the Beast

Title: Beauty and the Beast

Written By: Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

Director: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

Year:1991

Actors: Paige O’Hara, robby Benson, Richard White, Jerrry Orbach, Davide Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Pierce, Rex Everhart, and Jesse Corti.

Story: Beauty and the Beast is a film about a prince who was turned into a monstrous beast by an enchantress because he was an arrogant person. The enchantress also turned all of his servants into household items like a candle stick, teapot, and a clock. In order for the prince to break the curse he has to learn to love someone and they have to love him in return. He has a rose that was given to him by the enchantress and if he does not find love by the time the last petal falls from the rose, he will remain a beast forever.

Plot: This story begins with an enchantress that was disguised as an old begger woman. She went to the prince’s castle and offered him a rose in return for shelter from the cold. The prince turned her away and she warned him not to be deceived by appearances because beauty is found within. He turned her away again, and the old begger woman turned into a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize to her but it was too late. She could see that there was no love in his heart. She casts a spell on him and transformed him into a beast. She left him the rose that would bloom until he was 21, but after that the rose would begin to die. In order for him to break the curse he had to love someone and be loved in return.

A young woman named Belle was kind and beautiful and loved to read books. She was a woman that everyone admired and she was especially wanted by a man named Gaston. Gaston was a man that most women wanted, but not Belle. She felt like she did not quite fit in in her village and wanted more out of her life. Her father, Maurice was somewhat an inventor. One day Maurice and his horse Phillipe went off to present his wood-chopping invention, but got lost in the woods. A pack of wolves came along and scared his horse off and he ran off alone. This is when he found the castle of the beast. The beast did not let him inside, but instead his servant Lumiere, who was now a candlestick due to the curse by the enchantress. He was also greeted with kindness and hospitality by Cogsworth the clock, Mrs. Potts the teapot, and her son Chip the teacup. When the beast found out his servants let Maurice in his castle he throws Maurice into his dungeon. Meanwhile, the horse Phillipe went back home to show Belle that something was wrong, and he takes her to the castle. Belle shows up at the castle and asks for the beast to keep her instead of her father. He agrees and releases Maurice. Rather than keeping Belle in the dungeon he offers her a room. He demands that she joins him for dinner that night, but she refuses and is left without anything to eat.

Later that night Belle sneaks out of her room because she is hungry, and the servants make her dinner. After dinner Belle wants to look around the castle. The candlestick and clock offer to show her the castle, but when she gets curious about the west wing, they tell her its forbidden. She sneaks off to see why it was forbidden and what the beast was hiding. She discovers a picture of a handsome man covered in cobwebs and also discovers the rose. Then the beast storms in the room and yells at her for being there and disobeying him. He scares her so much that she decides to break her promise to him and she leave the castle. But this was a a dangerous move because the woods were filled with wolves, and her and the horse Phillipe were surrounded by wolves not far from the castle. The beast comes and saves Belle, but the wolves hurt him. Belle goes back to the castle with Beast and cleans his wounds. The beast is grateful for this and wants to do something nice for Belle. In the meantime, as he tries to figure it out, him and Belle bond and get to know one another better. Belle can see that he isn’t so mean and scary, but rather kind and gentle. He gives her his huge library full of books, and asks her to join him for dinner.

Meanwhile, Belle’s father Maurice was back in the village telling all the townspeople about the evil Beast that has his daughter. The town refuses to believe him and calls him crazy. Gaston went to see a man from a psych-ward and makes a deal in hopes of getting Belle to marry him. His plan was to have Belles father taken by the psych-ward and he would save the day by offering to save her father if she married him.

Back at the castle, all of the servants do everything they can to make the evening of the dinner special, because they are trying to get the two to fall in love. They know that Belle is their last hope of breaking the curse. Dinner turns out to be a very romantic evening for Belle and Beast, and they begin to fall in love with each other. After dinner, Belle tells Beast that she misses her father. He lets her see him with his magic mirror and she see’s him freezing and very sick in the woods. He was on his way to find Belle and get her back. Beast has a selfless moment for the first time in his life, and let the love of his life leave him to go help her father. He released her and told her that she was no longer his prisoner, but asked her to take his magic mirror so that she could see him again. She thanks him and leaves. Belle finds her father and brings him home and takes care of him.

Then Gaston shows up at their home with a group of people screaming that her father is crazy and needs to be taken away. Belle tells the townspeople that her father isn’t crazy and asks the mirror to show her the beast so she can show them for proof. They see the beast and the townspeople agree that he is dangerous and needs to be killed. They lock Belle and her father away and Chip, the teacup was a stellaway, and he saves them by using Maurices wood-chopper. At this time the servants at the castle knew they were under attack, and prepared to put up a fight. They battled the townspeople and Gaston went after the beast. The beast was sad because Belle left, and was not putting up a fight against him. He felt hopeless. Then Belle shows up at the castle and can see the two fighting on the rooftop. She yells for Beast and overwhelmed with joy, he decides to put up a fight against Gaston. Gaston stabs the beast, but as he does this he falls off the roof to his death.

Belle helps the beast from the rooftop to the balcony but he is dying. She lays him down and he tells her that maybe it’s better this way, but at least he got to see her one last time. He passes just as the last petal falls from the rose. Belle cries on his chest and confesses that she loves him. Then colored rain drops fall from the sky and the beast rises in the air and goes through a magical transformation, back to his human self. The curse has been broken! He tells Belle that it’s him, and looking into his eyes she realizes that it is him. They kiss and all the servants turn back to their human selves too. And they all live happily ever after.

Chronology: This film is in chronological order because it displayed all the events in the order they happened in. I think that if this film would have been narrated any differently there would have been a completely different feel to the movie. The audience may not have connected to the story and plot as well, or felt as if they understood the characters. According to authors Goodykoontz and Jacobs (2014), “Even though the narrative may be straightforward when it is in chronological order, that doesn’t mean the film is in any way uninteresting” (p. 3.2) This story was straightforward with what had to happen to the beast to break the curse, but still keeps the audience wondering if it will happen, especially at the end.

References

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

YouTube. (2010, October 4). Beauty and the Beast- Tale As Old As Time. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ0ODCMC6xs#!