Unfortunately, neither of my parents got to see Earthquake. What a bummer... So, in order to compensate, I will include some basic information about the film in this post!
Released in February in 1974, Earthquake is a disaster film that was the base and model for many disaster films that were created after. Thanks to this film, movies where the characters had to survive and escape in life and death situations began to be common in the 1970's. Earthquake is basically a story about people who are trying to survive when a massive and terrible earthquake strikes Los Angeles, California, and leaves it in total destruction and disaster. This film is well known because of the use of the Sensurround, which was a new sound effect technique that enabled the audience to feel as if they are actually experiencing and going through an earthquake. With the use of Universal Studios backlots, area designed and used with fake buildings that were used for outdoor scenes in films, the makers of Earthquake were actually able to create an effective display of an actual earthquake. Also, they used small buildings (miniature that is) and painted representations of landscapes and locations (matte painting) that were not able to be created nor used in real life. This combination created the complete effect of actually being in Los Angeles and experiencing an earthquake. Full-scale sets were used as well. In addition, they used other technology, like the Shake Mount, which was a camera system that created the sense of an earthquake by moving the entire camera system body by a few inches from side to side, instead of shaking the camera lenses.
Interesting facts: Many cases of nosebleed were documented, supposedly caused by the sound waves the Sensurround created. Also, there was one time, in Billings, Montana, where a small shop next to a theater experienced merchandise loss when its shelves began to move and fell.
^ Earthquake (1974) official trailer ^
^ How they made the effects of the buildings ^
I laughed so hard when Santi mentioned thing about the cows!
After searching for information about why did Alex sang "Singing in the Rain" in A Clockwork Orange, I only found one reason. Malcolm McDowell (the one who played Alex) sang this song in such a terrifying rape scene only because it was the only song he knew all the lyrics to. What he did not know was how powerful it made that scene. The audience begins to experience a variety and complexity of contradiction emotions. Knowing that "Singing in the Rain" is a happy and romantic song, it completely affects and surprises the audience when it is sang in such a violent and dark scene. Also, many of the audience want to laugh at Alex's singing and dancing, yet they are traumatized by the moment in which he sings it, just about to rape a woman in front of her husband. This combination of happiness and extreme violence and horror completely alters the perspective of the audience.
It is such an unforgettable scene for me. I have always loved "Singing in the Rain" because my father used to sing it to me all the time, being one of his most treasured songs. I always thought of him when I heard it. However, now that I have seen such a traumatic, terrible and dark scene that includes that song, I do not see it the same way. All that I imagine is that rape scene. Oh well, guess I have to live with that ... or watch the original "Singing in the Rain" scene many times. By the way, who could have thought that the idea of integrating that song to that part came up just like that? Interesting! To conclude, I have always loved Malcolm McDowell, and he is just amazing(as always) in A Clockwork Orange. I am sure he did not imagine that the song he chose would bring so much impact on the scene and audience!
^ A Clockwork Orange rape scene ^
^ Malcolm McDowell talking about A Clockwork Orange ^
Walter Carlos was born in November 14 at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in 1938. Now an American electronic musician, Carlos had always had a passion for music and new technology since he was little. He created his first musical piece when he was just ten years old, and at fourteen he constructed a small computer. Throughout his early years he continued to experiment with music and technology. Being older, he decided to study and obtain a Bachelor's degree in music and physics at the Brown University and ended up teaching electronic music there. He also obtained a Master's degree in composing at the Columbia University. He then worked in the Columbia Princetown electronic music center and helped Leonard Beinstein, a famous director at the time, in one of his electronic music concerts. He also recorded (commercially that is) his first two compositions, which were Dialogues for Piano and Two Loudspeakers and Variations for Flute and Electronic Sound. Carlos then started collaborating with engineer Robert Moog in 1966, determined to create a new musical instrument from a device he was designing. This unit was able to produce electronic sound, and Carlos hoped to make it the next sensation. After hard work and collaboration, he created a prototype of this device, called the Moog synthesizer, which he used on the Switched-On series and in the musical aspect of A Clockwork Orange. Switched-On Bach won three 1969 Grammy Awards: Album of the Year (Classical), Best Classical Performance (Instrumental Soloist or Soloist - With or Without Orchestra) and Best Engineered Recording (Classical).
There was a major change in the life of Walter Carlos in 1969: he had a sex change.
Wendy (Walter) Carlos
Having gender dysphoria since she (I will be referring Carlos as a woman now) was little, Carlos underwent a sex-change surgery in 1969 and changed her name to Wendy Carlos. She had been aware of this transgenderism since her early age, acknowledging that her gender identity did not match with her born sex(assigned). In 1967 she started living and acting as a normal woman, taking hormone treatments to begin to change her sex. After his composition in Switched-on Bach was a success, Carlos had sex assignment surgery and became a official woman (physically). Since then, she has been known by this name, including in the rest of her professional career as a composer and electronic musician. In other words, the name "Walter Carlos" is referred to as her early career before changing to Wendy Carlos. She built the vocoder, designed to synthesize human voice and continued to compose and work with electronic music. For example, she wrote music for The Shining, Tron, Peter and the Wolf, Sonic Seasonings, Beauty and the Beast and many more. She still continues to compose and create outstanding music today.
Wendy Carlos contributed electronic music in a significant ways, since she was crucial in the development and expansion of electronic music, the ability to synthesize many different sounds (like an orchestra) using a keyboard and the use this keyboard and synthesizers as a musical device. Her works continue bring more innovation and inspire and motivate electronic music composers. An amazing composer indeed.
^If you want to know more on how the Moog Synthesizer works, watch this video! ^
There is a sample of one of Carlos' composed music at the end.
^ I loved this! ^
It seems to be the story of Carlos somehow...
^ Another one, from A Clockword Orange ^
***
I just wanted to say that Walter (Wendy) Carlos has earned all my respect. It is not easy to admit that you have an identity disorder and take action about it. She changed her sex, even though it could have meant rejection, failures, accusations and critics. I also loved that she really did not give too much detail about it, feeling and knowing that some personal aspects of her life do not have to be known by the media. I admire everyone who accepts himself/herself as who he/she is, no matter what others might think or judge. Amazing woman she is. I truly enjoyed doing research on her. I will definitely hear some of her compositions and electronic music!
Have a good night!
Sincerely,
Michelle
For more about Walter (Wendy) Carlos, I obtained this information from these sites:
In the early years of film, the way to synchronize audio and video were not discovered yet. That is why the first films were actually silent films. Good synchronization of audio and sound was difficult to do, especially because this technique was new and it affected the quality of the film if not done properly. They encountered many volume and recording problems, finding the most effective way to join audio and video to create a sound film.Being large and noisy, the first recording gear presented a huge problem to movie-makers. The first sound films were mostly static because actors needed to basically talk towards a static microphone, affecting the overall quality and effect of the movie. Also, there were other problems, like the simple fact that actors had voices that did not match their character and appearance. This affected the movie and the creation of the movie by a large amount. Some even had to use other people's voices in order to make the film acceptable and successful. These and other simple difficulties were encountered by producers and directors in those early years.
However, they began to discover new and effective ways to record sound, like placing the microphone on a stick and maintain it out of the camera's view. As time passed and new ways of recording were discovered and applied, short sound films began to be released. These were known as "talking pictures" or "talkies". This was a great innovation at the time, since most movies back then only included music and camera effects (video). Seeing a film were someone talks to you on that time was a real shocking experience, a start of a new era of film.
The Jazz Singer
The first full-length film released as a talkie was The Jazz Singer on 1927, produced by Warner Bros. Including synchronized dialogue (audio and video), this new sound film began the era of the talkies and the end of the silent film times. Becoming well-known throughout the world, The Jazz Singer was recorded and made using a Vitaphone, a incredible audio technology device made by the Warner Brothers themselves. This innovative sound film became the model for all the other sound films that were presented after. Becoming a world-wide sensation, sound films ultimately ended the era of silent films.
As sound films continued to be made, new techniques were used with audio to intensify the movie and affect the audience in a wider range. From division between sounds actually taking place in the story to opera music, these new combinations and ideas gave the film more emotion, intensity and connection with the spectators. Other effects, like adding the sound of a heartbeat in a tragic or dramatic scene, arose more emotions and feelings in the audience, actually making a connection with the characters and events of the story. Real-life sounds, like the splashing of rain, the powerful strike of a thunder and many mare were introduced and included in these innovative sound films. These new techniques and effects lead to more, resulting in all the audio technologies and uses that can be found in movies in the XXI century.
^ The Jazz Singer - Mammy (Al Jolson) ^
^ More of The Jazz Singer ^
***
The Wizard of Oz
Color in Films
Films were first created black and white. In addition to being silent, films in the early years did not appear with colors, only black and white. After some time, some shots were hand-painted to create new and innovative effects in silent films. They also film-tinted some movies because the color was a crucial aspect and component of the entire story, like in The Phantom of the Opera. Many films introduced this technique, which proved to be effective in changing the intensity and perception of the movie, but it took time and still needed more coloring technologies. This all changed when technicolor was was created in 1916. It is a color motion picture procedure where three different strips of color were used and, when combined together through processing (the colors with different intensities and magnification), they produced the desired colors. These basic colors were red, green and blue (RGB). Even though the technology was expensive and required large amounts of light, it revolutionized color film history. However, even though color motion picture films were the new sensation, black and white films were still made (even today).
One of the most fantastic and well-known color films was The Wizard of Oz, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1939. Because of its use of technicolor technology, this film is widely known today. The most part of the film is in color, except for the beginning at the end (and the credits), where the story appears in sepia. This film was actually made to promote the use of colors, especially in film (with also a commercial purpose). The whole concept of the story is that Oz is like the representation of a rainbow, with its numerous display of colors. With the use of the RGB color technology, The Wizard of Oz was the starting point of all technicolor films. In addition to the use of color, this film also promoted the people that planned to go to the city, which usually ended in worse conditions, stayed in their homes.
^ The Wizard of Oz (1939) original trailer ^
^ We can see the change from sepia to technicolor. ^
***
As we can see, the integration of sound and color to films revolutionized film history and tradition. From silent films to sound films and from black/white films to technicolor films, we can agree that the use of new technology has changed the world of motion pictures in a significant way. These changes had made films more interactive with the audience, connect the audience with even more senses than the eye (hearing), and has made emotions and feeling arise more effectively. The integration of audio and color in films truly created and were the base of the film making of today.
"A rich feast of images and emotions"
- Mick Lasalle of the San Francisco Chronicle
Napoleón is considered one of the best and most innovative motion picture films in the silent film era. Directed by the great Abel Gance, tho French film is known for its amazingly fluid camera movement, since most films at that time used static camera shots. The real title is Napoleón vu par Gance, which actually means "Napoleón as seen by Gance."
The French silent film Napoleón is about Napoleón's early years: how he grew up, how he was badly treated, how he escaped to France with his family and how he planned to invade Italy. The film ends when he lead the French Army into the borders of Italy, determination to invade it. It is focused on an amazing story that is intensified and powered by the use of various and creative motion picture techniques.
Napoleón as a child
There were new, numerous and innovative motion picture techniques used in Napoleón that made it one of the most memorable and incredible silent films in history. These were the techniques used:
underwater camera - In one scene, the camera is placed underwater and on the surface of the sea, giving the audience the sensation that they were actually in the scene and in the water. It integrated the audience in the film.
superimposition - It is the technique where a video or image is placed on top of another already-existing video or image. In the film, there is a scene where two different scenes are played at the same time, one on top of the other. This gives deepness and intensity to the scene and makes the film more innovative and unexpected.
point of view shots - In many cases in the film, there were scenes where the camera was placed on the chest of cameramen and shot scenes as if the audience was experiencing and observing the scene with the same eyes as the camera, and actually being part of the scene. This happens in many occasion, including the point of whew when riding a bicycle, on a sled, of a pendulum and even on a running horse.
fast cutting - Mostly at the end of the of the film, there were scenes in which included fast cutting, from the face of Napoleón to a French flag, back to Napoleón to the galloping horses and more. The impressive aspect about it is that it was an surprisingly fast, giving a more dramatic feeling to the moment. It was very effective when the French Army is proceeding to invade Italy.
close-ups - In various moments in the film, there were many close-ups. One that can be seen in when Napoleón's army is riding horses towards Italy. Not only you gat to be riding a horse, but there are also close-ups towards Napoleón's face, the other soldiers's faces, the horses's legs moving and more. Also, at the beginning of the movie, when the children are throwing snow balls, there is actually a couple of close-ups towards the kid's faces. This gives more emphasis and intensity to the scene. It it also another way to include the audience in the film.
hand-held camera shots - This is basically the same as point of view shots. The cameramen grabbed the medium sized camera and shot the scene as if the audience is actually the camera. Like in the scene of the horses and the snow ball fight, this actually absorbs the audience and integrated them into the scene.
location shooting - Unlike in many movies at the time, the scenes of Napoleón were shot in real life sites and locations instead of artificial and designed sets. From the real snow during the snow fight to the ocean and the real buildings, basically all of the silent film (if I am not mistaken) was shot in real sites.
film tinting - In the silent film there is the use of film tinting, or hand coloring. I do not know if there is another scene were film tinting is used, but do I know that at the end of Napoleón hand coloring was done. At the end, were three different projections of different scenes appears, the one at the left was painted blue, the one at the right was painted read and the one in the middle is left untouched. This was made to symbolize the French flag, since Napoleón's army was going to invade Italy for the name of France. A very effective technique indeed. It made the ending more intense, powerful and meaningful to the audience. In addition, the symbolization gave the ending a more concrete and emotional feeling. Film tinting was used in such an innovative way by such an amazing director.
camera movement - One of the techniques used in this silent film that made it so impressive and eye-catching to the audience is the fluent camera movement. Not typically used in films at that era, this technique of camera movement was constantly used during Napoleón. Being on the same scene or moving from one scene to another, the camera (usually hand-held) captured the complete sets of the scene by moving from one place to another, depending on the action. One of the oct impressive scenes is when Napoleón and his army are heading towards the border of Italy on their horses. Using close-ups and point of view shots, the camera would move from Napoleón to the men and horses galloping behind him. Also, in the snowball fight, the camera would move from one side of the little war to another. It is also important to know that the movement itself was fluent and not rough or uncoordinated. It was planned with perfect detail, giving the film a stronger sense of realism and interactiveness.
multi-screen projection (polyvision) - The other technique, maybe the most important of them all, is the multi-screen projection or polyvision. In order to give the ending even more intensity, power and emotion, Gance used three film cameras and placed them next to each other. Creating a more epic final, he used three projections of three scenes, placed them simultaneously and arranged them horizontally. The end of Napoleón consisted of these three projections, showing different scenes in each one, with fast cuts, point of view and hand-held shots, close-ups and even film tinted scenes. This technique was called the "triptych sequence". Napoleón is greatly known for being the first film where this incredible technique was used. Gance did so on purpose, he himself saying with the purpose of creating a "climactic finale". With the combination of all these techniques used in three different projections but at the same time making them balance each other and fit them together in harmony, Abel Gance creates one of the most unforgettable and impacting endings ever made in silent film history. With the final effect of film tinting to create the French flag, Napoleón ends with a powerful, emotional and life-changing scene of three different projections.
Other techniques used were split screen, kaleidoscopic images and multiple camera setups.
Napoleón (Vladimir Roudenko)
This masterwork film was presented for the first time at the Palais Garnier (which was the home of the Paris Opera) on April 7th, 1927. This silent film was actually the first of six films that Gance was planning to create about the life of Napoleón. Unfortunately, he spent so much money on this first film that his budget prevented him from doing the other 5 films. Napoleón was only presented in 8 cities in Europe, when the media company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer bought the rights to the film. However, when it was presented in London, it was drastically cut in length, shortened and constantly edited, since the original Napoleón lasted about6 hours. Also, since the ending was composed of three projectors showing three connected images on adjacent screens, the original scene was changed and only showed the central image. Being constantly changed and edited, the essence of Abel Gance's work could not longer be seen like in the original movie. Edited, the silent film was put on limited release in the U.S.
Abel Gance is "the greatest French film maker of all."
- Kevin Brownlow
However, the original Napoleón was restored in 1981 by Kevin Brownlow, a silent film historian. To be more specific, the restoration premiered in US at the Radio City Music Hall, New York, on January 23rd to the 25th, 1981. As a young man, Brownlow discovered fragments from the original film and decided to look for the missing pieces of the puzzle. This search took him about fifty years. He discovered the multiple projection screens and that it originally lasted about 6 to 7 hours. He also contacted Abel Gance himself and interviewed him about Napoleón and for a book he was writing about silent films and its era called A Parade's Gone By. By 1981, a four hour long restoration was achieved, and the musician Carmine Coppola created a score for that new version. A second score was also composed by the silent film musician Carl Davis. Surprisingly, there was more discoveries of other parts of the original film on 2004. With this they created a five and a half hour long restoration of Napoleón. Being a rights dispute about the score that will be used with the film, there has only being a few presentations of this restoration since 2004. There was actually a presentation of Napoleón at the Art Deco Paramount Theater (San Francisco Silent Film Festival) in Oakland, California, on March 2010.
Abel Gancer (left) with Kevin Brownlow (right)
(1967)
As we can see, Napoleón is one of the most important and significant silent films in all motion picture history. From superimposition to triptych sequence, this film is a wonder that truly inspires, impacts and changes the audience. The use of innovative and never before seen technology made this film one of a kind and the base of most other motion picture films. Equipped with powerful images and effects to wonderful scenes and shots, Napoleón will always be considered one of a kind and one of the best films in motion picture history. Although it suffered suppression and editing, such an incredible and mind-blowing film could not be hidden forever. Napoleón will live on, inspiring new people everyday.
Here are some videos that I strongly encourage you to watch. Not only they show and inform you about Napoleón, but also because you will be able to appreciate the techniques that I mentioned before much better. Go ahead and take a look:
^ Napoleón Trailer 2012 (Restored) ^
^ We can see some of the effects mentioned. ^
^ Kevin Brownlow talks about Napoleón and the techniques used. ^
More of the effects mentioned can be seen here.
^ Jeffrey Brown interviews Kevin Brownlow ^
***
Woah... A lot of information here. I have to admit that I was completely absorbed in this research. I want to watch the film so bad! Well, anyways, this is most of the information I found about Napoleón, its history and composition. I truly hope you like this as much as I do!
Have a good weekend!
Sincerely,
Michelle
***
If interested in learning more about Napoleón, some of the information in this post and more can be found in these sites:
The Great Train Robbery is a silent film created by Thomas A. Edison, presented in 1903. Thomas Edison is known for developing many devices that changed the world, like the electric light bulb, the phonograph and the motion picture camera. This is one of his most influencing motion pictures. Being almost 12 minutes long, this silent film was actually considered pretty long at that time.
The story started when two bandits entered the interior of a railroad telegraph office and forced the operator to stop the coming train. The bandits also made him give a paper to the driver of the train, ordering him to insert water on the train's engine. The driver leaved, and the operator was then hit in the head and tied up by the bandits. They leaved the unconscious operator at the railroad telegraph office.
At the railroad water tank, the hidden bandits waited for the train to stop. After the driver filled the train water tank, the bandits got inside before the train started moving again. A sort of a messenger is then shown managing some papers, when he suddenly hard noises coming from the door next to him. He decided to lock a case filled with money and threw the key out the train door opening. After a quick battle of gunshots, the bandits managed to kill the messenger. When they were not able to open the case nor find the key, the bandits used a dynamite to open the money-filled case. After taking the money, they went to the roof of the train.
Two bandits headed towards the locomotive. However, one of the drivers attempted to hit one of them, but did not succeed. Instead, the bandit punched him unconscious and threw the man from the roof of the train. The other bandit ordered the other driver to stop the locomotive and disconnect it from the rest of the train. Then the bandits forced the numerous passengers to exit the train with their hands in the air and in a line. While one of the bandits pointed his gun at the crowd, the other bandits stole money from the passengers' pockets. One of the people tried to escape, but got shot down.
The bandits then ran to the locomotive and escaped. Where it seemed to be far away, the bandits leaved the locomotive and ran towards the woods, where their horses where tied up. Riding their horses, they escaped further into the woods.
While all of that happened, the operator at the railroad telegraph office managed to contact help, finding a group of people and convincing them to capture the bandits. While the bandits where pursued by the group of men, one of the outlaws was shot and killed. Believing they they have tricked the pursuers, the bandits got off their horses and started counting the money. Unfortunately for them, the quiet and stealthy pursuers ambushed them. After an exchange of gunshots, the bandits are all killed.
In the end, a man appears looking at the audience. After a quick research, I found out that the man was Justus D. Barnes, the leader of the outlaws. He shoots at the audience about six times, and the film ends.
***
In this silent film, there was a very interesting and important use of the camera. First of all, the camera changed location throughout the story. From the railroad telegraph office to the woods; there was a constant change of location One of the most surprising locations was the top of the train. If I am not mistaken, this is one of the first times that a scene is filmed at the top of a moving train. Not only does it give the audience a feeling of actually being there, on top of a moving train, but the shooting also enabled the audience to see most of the interior of the locomotive. A very significant change indeed. Also, instead of filming on artificially designed sets, the film was actually shot in real-life places and sites, for example the beautiful woods, the top of a real train and many more.
In the making of the film, there were also many new techniques (at the time) used throughout the film. One that can be easily identified is the use of camera movement. Before this film was created, most of the other motion picture movies used a still camera. In The Great Train Robbery, in a couple of scenes the camera follows the bandits and the pursuers. This also gave diversity to the film and connected the audience with the film. Another technique used in this short film was cross cutting, which is actually cutting one action and starting another. The purpose of this technique is to portray action occurring at two different places at the same time. This cut gives the feeling that while there is a scene taking place, different one is also taking place. This happened in The Great Train Robbery when the scene of bandits escaping on their horses is cut, and the scene of the tied up operator looking for help is shown, which is a completely different scene. It was made that way to tell the audience that while the outlaws where escaping, the operator was looking for assistance. This is a very important technique used, since it shaped and transformed motion picture history. Another technique used was the switching of a character for a mannequin by stopping the film and making the switch. On the scene where one of the bandits beats up one of the drivers, the unconscious man is switched for a dummy, enabling the bandit to easily throw him off the train without any concern. Plus, it made the scene more believable and easy to handle. This technique was already used, but it is still crucial in this short film.
I saw another video of The Great Train Robbery where the explosion caused by the dynamite is hand colored orange. For some reason, the video that I added in this post did not have that technique. Nevertheless, this technique actually intensifies the small explosions, making it more powerful than it truly was.
Thomas Edison truly made history by being one of the creators of motion picture films and camera. We can appreciate the techniques and ideas used by such an amazing man by watching The Great Train Robbery. After this film, the concept of motion picture films changed immensely and has lead to the creation of many more. This was one of the foundations of the motion picture films that we are able to see today.
A Trip to the Moon is an almost 12 minute long video that was made in 1902 by the innovative George Meliés. Not only was he distinguished because of his "impossible" acts on film, but also because of his sophisticated films that include magic, drama, science fiction, history and many more. He was actually the first one to integrate animation into a short film. This created great variety in his films and made more people interested in this emerging technology and knowledge.
A Trip to the Moon is about astronomers who plan to travel to the moon. Many astronomers assemble, and the president explains the details about his plans of a trip to the moon using a bullet-like ship. This idea is approved by most of the astronomers, but one of them opposes it. They argue for a while, the president throwing things at the disagreeing man. After they all calm down, they all agree to go with the president's plan. Five other astronomers divide to accompany him. They gat their traveling suits and are ready for the journey.
After the ones in charge fired the canon, we can see how it approximates the moon. The interesting thing is that the moon has a face! The bullet actually ends up impacting the eye of the moon. The moon can be seen groaning and arguing about the intrusion. After the astronomers got out of the bullet, they celebrated their success and admired the new and unknown landscape. The enormous bullet can be seen being constructed, and the astronomers prepare themselves for the departure by entering in the oversized bullet. The large canon is loaded (with the astronomers inside the bullet) and is fired. After experimenting the new surroundings, they fall asleep. Then seven stars with woman faces appear, wondering why the men were intruding. The astronomers begin to dream about starts, comets and planets. While they are sleeping, snow begins to fall on them, and they are awakened by the sudden cold. Looking for a warm place, the astronomers decide to enter inside a crater. When they enter, they discovered that inside were different types of giant mushrooms. One of the men takes out his umbrella to compare it with the size of the mushrooms, but the object suddenly turns to a mushroom! After this unexplainable scene, strange beings begin to come out of the mushrooms. These creatures are the inhabitants of the moon. Surprised by the intrusion of their territory by the astronomers, the creatures started to attack them. The men tried to defend themselves, hitting the strange beings, which broke onto countless pieces when they received a hard impact. In the end, the astronomers were captured and sent to the castle of the king of the inhabitants of the moon. However, one of the astronomers grabs the king and throws him to the floor, breaking him into small little pieces. After this, the astronomers run away and head to the giant bullet. While the other astronomers get inside the bullet, the president attaches himself to it with a string, and pulls the bullet towards the edge of the moon. The bullet then falls off the edge of the moon and fall into the sea. Fortunately, the bullet begins to float and is picked up by a steamboat. The film ends with the astronomers celebrating their journey while they are taking to the shore.
***
I must admit that I found this film extremely funny. In addition to the story being really interesting and creative, but the performance itself made the film even more entertaining. I laughed so hard when the president started to throw objects at the opposing astronomer! The gestures and expressions of the performers where also very unexpected and funny, making the spectator continue to watch the film. I found very interesting how the "traveling suits" were actually normal traveling clothes used to go from one city to the other a log time ago. I must say that I loved the idea of making the moon with a face of its own. Not only was it creative, but it also made the story more animated and out-of-the-box. The same thing goes with the stars with woman faces. I find the idea of the mushrooms a bit odd, yet it was very interesting and unexpected how the astronomer's umbrella turned into one of them. The idea of the inhabitants of the moon breaking into little pieces when struck hard enough was very surprising for me. However, it gave the film a more animated feeling.
I really liked this film in general. It shows us how this new technology of using a camera with multiple frames per less than a second and then join them can create such a fluid and interesting media of performance, ideas and creativity.
These are 7 video excerpts found in Ángel de Quinta's blog STAGE DOOR where technology is used to make a change and impact in the performance. I will mention the technology used and how it helped and contributed to the entire performance.
1. "I'm Flying" - Peter Pan
The technology used in Peter Pan's "I'm Flying" is very important in the performance, since it enabled Cathy Rigby(Peter Pan) to make the illusion of truly flying around the stage. Extremely thin strings held her securely, as she glided back and forth in fluid and smooth motion. In addition, she descended and ascended a couple of times, making the flight trajectory more varied and believable. At the beginning, Peter Pan actually comes back to the ground and takes flight again, making the audience believe that he(Cathy) can actually control his flight and stop whenever he wanted. There are other moments when variety in her flight take place. This shows how advanced and effective the technology used was during the performance. This technology enables the musical to be loyal to the actual story of Peter Pan and make the presentation believable and real. Furthermore, when the kids take flight, the whole stage becomes completely dark by the lights brightening the "walls of the house"turning off, with only a few tiny withe spots representing stars. Also, the color lights illuminating the floor change to a varying tones of blue, and smoke begins to appear. This change represent the transition between the characters being in the house and being outside. This makes the stage more interactive and the scene more believable.
2. "Step in Time" - Mary Poppins
In the scene "Step in Time" in Mary Poppins there can be found many different types of technology. The first one seen in the use of lights and colors. Mary Poppins was brightened by a strong light all the time, making the audience pay attention to her most of the time. The lights in the background also changed, from deep blue to a bright orange as the scene progressed. At one time, when the men began to dance using complicated choreography, the lights turned orange to create intensity to that part. Also, there was a moment when the lights began to flash quickly, making the scene more dramatic, intense and complicated. At some parts the stage was brightened completely. These changes of lights and colors made the scene more varied depending of its parts, from soothing to intense. These created changes in the audience's emotions, perceptions and enthusiasm. Another vey important technology used was the strings attached to the man with red (I don't remember the story of Mary Poppins, so I apologize) that made him seem that he was actually walking up the wall and on the roof. I barely saw the strings, so to an audience it looks invisible. The technology was so well designed that the man moved fluently and naturally. This made the scene come to life and reach to an exciting ending. Very fascinating indeed.
3. "Defying Gravity" - Wicked
The technology present in the scene "Defying Gravity" in Wicked was very important in portraying the power of the young witch. This technology enabled her to soar into the air, representing her powers to the audience. I honestly don not know if strings or a platform were used, yet it was designed perfectly to seem as she is actually "defying gravity". Also, a long dark curtain was used to portray the dark magic she used as the remained in the air, victorious. In addition, the curtain moved in swift smooth movements, giving the impression that she was actually flying in through the air. There was smoke appearing behind the witch, intensifying her powerful statement to the audience; in addition, more smoke appeared at the ending, as proof of her power over the people who were pursuing her. These effects make the scene more powerful, believable and intriguing. Being an ending, it has to be perfectly executed and presented. It all focused on the witch's power and exclamation. The technology truly made this scene come alive and impact the audience.
4. 42nd Street
Lights and colors were the key use of technology in the performance on 42nd Street. In the first stage, the stairs had many bright lights that made the stage come to life and pop. Not only did these lights created an amazing view of the stage, but it also highlighted the numerous dancers performing. Usually it is the other way around, having the stage dark and highlighting the performers using light. In 42nd Streets it the opposite: they are highlighted by how dark they look compared to the stage stairs they are dancing on. There was an interesting effect created by the signs and words that seem to float in the air. The letters are very bright, and some are more to the front of the stage than others; in addition, you can see through the first words the others that are behind. This created a sense of perspective to the stage, highlighted by the very bright stairs. Maybe the base is transparent and cannot be easily seen, or it is black and cannot be seen due to the black background, but this technology and use of perception made the stage pop out and the dancers shine even more. I found it very entertaining. In the next stage they appear, at the ending, lights were used as the main technology. I must mention that the background, with its contrast of dark and bright, created a sense of deepness to the stage. Lights changed from blue to golden yellow, highlighting the outfits of the dancers; in addition, lights began to flash repeatedly, emphasizing the quick feet movements of the dancers. Very unusual and effective use of light and color is seen in this performance.
5. The Scottsboro Boys
In this scene of The Scottsboro Boys there is not much use of technology; yet, the use and change of lights contributed to the whole performance and its intentions. First of all, when the black men are dancing together they are completely engulfed with light, emphasizing each and every one of them. However, when the white man and the two main black men talk with each other, the other black men sit on their respective chairs. The interesting use of light was that, while the ones having the conversation are brightened by a powerful light, the sitting men are left in the dark and the stage's lights are turned off. What is very effective is that, even though the men sitting on the chairs cannot be seen, the section of the floor under their chairs is brightened, making their feet visible. This is very important because it separated those black men from the others' conversations, yet they were still present. This not only highlights the conversation between the two main black men and the white man, but it does not completely disconnect them from their environment and the people around them. I really liked this effect; it was designed perfectly.
6. Oliver
In this video, many scenes of the musical Oliver! are shown, where we can see many types of technology used throughout the performance. The components and designs used in the different sets of the musical are one of the most important examples of technology use. From very rich in perspective to double sets, without simple technology it could not have been accomplished. There were castle walls, hidden rooms, tops of towers, sets rich in detail, flamboyant backgrounds, bridges and many more! I wonder: How do they change from one set to a completely different one? It may not be seen in this video, but there must have been a very effective and complete technology that enables that change. Different platforms, moving parts, very sophisticated machinery? Whatever kind of technology used to change the sets was very effective. This great variety of sets gives the story(and performance) a more complete sense of reality, plus it makes it even more believable to the audience. In addition, it actually entertains and amazes the spectators, having so many different sets with different effects. Some of these effects that I mention, that are also part of technology, are the lights, smoke and use of colors. In some sets, like the one on the top of a tower/building, there is use of smoke and deep colors. That scene occurs at night and the lights are many dark shades of blue and smoke almost everywhere, especially below the characters. Not only does it make the set more believable, but it also immerses the audience in the coldness of the night(with the use of colors and smoke). Like this one I mentioned, many scenes use light and color variation and smoke to create a more powerful effect to the performance. In general, technology was a crucial part of this musical.
7. Porgy and Bess
In this presentation of Porgy and Bess at the Tony Awards 2012, very advanced and simple types of technology were used throughout the short performance. First of all, the use of lights was very effective in highlighting the important aspects of the performance, like the main characters. As the background changed, the lights giving color to the floor of the stage also changed according to the image of the background. The background itself was truly a remarkable use of technology. Instead of traditional sets and platforms, the background was actually a digital screen that showed a very realistic image as the whole design of the scene. This applies except for the first background, which was actually a colored wall that, at the end of that scene, ascended and revealed the digital background. In one occasion, the image of the digital screen changed to a completely different darker image (from the sky to a dark decaying house) very quickly, and the lights also became darker as the background changed. This permitted a smooth and quick transition from a scene to another. Not only did this advanced technology proved effective in creating a quick and simple set for the performance, but it also reached a level of complexity that attracted the audience's attention. The use of lights according to the background image completed the sets and made the presentation more realistic and extraordinary, even if they were the only things used for the entire performance. Very impressive and effective use of technology indeed.
***
After watching all these video excerpts from STAGE DOOR, I can conclude that technology is a very crucial and important part of any musical performance. It is used to enable the performance to be more realistic and out-of-the-box. Some may have implemented technology more than others, yet all performances used it effectively and with great knowledge. Not only does it contribute the story, but it also promotes different and profound reactions and perceptions from the spectators. From simple light variation to walking on walls, technology has made the difference in any kind of performance. As it keeps developing and changing, it will be used in all presentations in any way. It is exciting to imagine how many possibilities can emerge this next years and how will they be applied in theater and performance.
Since I have not seen nor heard about many of these musicals that I presented, I will surely take some of my free time to learn more about them! Hope you enjoyed this analysis as much as I did.
