Film Storytelling and Technological Impact

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Introduction

Technology and art have coexisted in every age. Even when the science of technical innovation was imperfect, it had a great impact on traditional art forms such as painting. Yet, it is the same impetus of innovation that has shaped film and photography as powerful mediums for human empowerment and expression. Western culture is now being reshaped by a comparatively young medium like a film which itself has been overtaken by the more sophisticated technological invention. The article explores the constantly evolving pace of technical change, which shapes a medium like a film and where possibly it could go.

A thing about change is that change is constant. It is more relevant in the world of popular culture and media. The paper notes are the comparatively short periods between rapid, socially altering technology. These periods have given us, in the space of just over two decades, some of the most universally entertaining products like the DVD, the iPod, digital movie recorders and interactive television. The latest technological innovation is gobbled up by the next great idea.

This is possible only because of the fact that in technology’s new dispensation, everything is only data, capable of being manipulated and compressed into digital forms for better viewing or better sound. (Aronson, 2006)

Can art survive such manipulation and enable the inspired creativity, which gave us such enduring art? The key to the whole issue is creativity, the one balancing link in this splendid, breakneck pace of change. Because film and filmmaking is the most pervasive and enduring face of this technological golden age forward, we will take a look at the technologies, which have influenced it, and the future. The essence of the film is storytelling partly because it is a visual medium. However, this aspect is in danger of being overwhelmed by technology to the extent storytelling gives way to visual effects. It does not reproduce a story, as it should. What drives a medium like a film is a creativity, which can unleash its potential. The latest technologies enable films to be made by almost everyone. We examine whether this influences quality in filmmaking. Thus, we gradually explore the Influence of technology on Film and then look into the technologies and the changes that they made. The changes in production (cameras, sound) and in distribution (YouTube / current TV). It also looks at the fast rate of change in technology and what the future might hold for filmmaking. Then there would be two case studies. The first one would be Blair Witch and the second one would be Cloverfield. Next, the paper would look into the aspects of low-budget filmmaking, where and when it began and what it has become today along with other relevant studies. Lastly, the dissertation would draw together the overall thoughts and the possible trend that may influence the future.

Influence of technology on film

Some major forms of art depend essentially upon the expression of ideas on paper. The composer writes his score on a sheet, which he then transforms into music, which has its own personal stamp. The traditional painter feels compelled by his vision to draw on paper what he feels. What this means is that such artists feel the need to share their work, communicate with others and make the work of art complete. When printing was discovered, the technology-enabled art broke out of its exclusive prison and give it the opportunity to be shared with society. If ever there was to be democracy in art, this was it. The work of art comes achieves its circle of fulfillment when a participating audience imbues it with meaning. The work has a chance to be socially discussed and analyzed. Technology makes an audience feel that it is part of the work. The point of the whole exercise ultimately is that it makes every individual relate to an artwork in a personal way.

When the technology of filmmaking initially became popular, it was large because each member in the audience felt a part of what was being seen on screen. Thus, art broke down social structures to be one with the people. The development of the moving film was felt like an earthquake through much of the western world, devastating entrenched social modes. Today, media, films and computers have resulted in deep and lasting changes in public feelings and perception only because this feeling of participation which makes people feel they own and are part of the creation. (Simonelli, 2002)

The history of filmmaking and scriptwriting right up to the present echoes all of the above. The development of writing soon after the liberating effects of the invention of printing was crucial to the development of filmmaking much later. The earliest generation of filmmakers realized the potential of filmmaking’s discovery and its power to narrate a story visually. They wrote down compelling ideas on paper, which was treated visually to draw audiences.

What caused another huge paradigm change was the advance of computing technology and the Internet. While printing‘s influence lasted for centuries spawning various inventions several waves of technology innovations compressed within a few decades have altered filmmaking considerably. The cascading effect of the Internet opened up access to literally millions of users around the globe. This too, in an instant. The Internet helped create YouTube, blogs and Wikipedia what this meant to filmmaking was immense as the power to express cinematic ideas was able to be shared by smaller, independent groups of individuals who could create films and find an audience sitting at home. The democratization of filmmaking enabled literally anyone who had cinematic ideas, to start making and complete, a film.

YouTube

YouTube is a website devoted to sharing video content. Here, a viewer can share, upload and watch video clips. In true democratic fashion, the founders of YouTube were employees who decided to come together. The idea they had was original and simple. They used Adobe Flash, making viewing a wide array of video content possible. Alongside, visitors to the site can also watch clips of movies. Rank amateurs can also write content (video blogging) and show original video efforts. YouTube has had a huge impact on internet communities worldwide and became an instant success. The power of the Internet is the potential for providing literally a worldwide audience on one’s desktop.

How the paradigms of filmmaking changed due to the power of computers is evident in the success of YouTube. Before there were, few, if any, opportunities for people who wanted to send videos online. The job was best left to the professionals in the field, who had the power to make or break careers. Now, the sharing of videos is part of an Internet culture, which also empowers aspiring amateur filmmakers to find an audience without spending too much time and effort on a sponsor. YouTube has made instant stars of people ranging from across the world, who otherwise might have been denied viewership had they used the traditional channels. Source: Wikipedia

Wikipedia is open content, not-for-profit encyclopedia project funded by the Wikimedia Foundation. The project aspires to collate all human knowledge and makes its online content accessible by using a multilingual format. Some 10 million articles are featured in this encyclopedia and all are written online by volunteers. These articles are in the form of contributions to subject-specific sections in the encyclopedia. Anyone who feels some material has to be updated posts an article which is then included in the encyclopedia. Wikipedia has changed the concept of information. Wikipedia’s contributors ensure information remains current. In addition, it is the most popular reference site on the Internet. There are issues concerning the reliability of information as Wikipedia‘s editorial process is unconventional and felt to be inadequate.

Overall, Wikipedia seems to be created at the right time and the right place. The technological environment is ripe and most of all, everyone seems to be interested in being wired. Even educators are making plans for schools to be connected to the Internet. The 21st century requires education to be reoriented and consider emerging realities around it. Schools in the USA are beginning to think about replacing textbooks with computers. A student can take home a computer, use it for reference work, and return it the next day. (Cronin, 2005)

The Compact Disc

After being around for the last two decades or so, CDs are already being replaced by the iPod, which is essentially a product featuring music without requiring a CD or record. Nothing physically has to be played. Popular media has seen the onset of digitized entertainment which enables one to customize entertainment the way one wants be it music, films or reading or even writing. Rapid advances in computing technology mean that data can be controlled or manipulated by people. Media and entertainment, along with the technology that accompanies them, make vast inroads into our lives and are influencing society.

Filmmaking

The traditional concept of making films was the process of using an idea down through to scriptwriting, editing, and the final shoot. Huge teams were involved in its making and carted through various locales, even international ones. This demanded logistics support involving a production team, catering, and transportation. The costs continue to be high for traditional filmmaking and there is no saying how long a project will take average production time, months to several years.

The bulky process of making a film would typically include:

The assistant director – manages scheduling /logistics
The casting director, who manages the actors for the various parts and arranges for auditions,
The location manager is required to spot locations for the film, although most sequences are shot within a studio.
The production manager who also reports to studio executives on progress manages the production manager – The production budget.
Director of photography – the photography for the film is created by the DOP.
Production designer – who ensures that the look of the set is authentic and in tune with the situations depicted.
Art director –Supervises production sets sometimes in consultation with the director.
Costume designer – The clothes worn in the film by various actors is the responsibility of the designer
The storyboard artist creates visual images to illustrate the script to help the director and production team.
Sound designer – creates the aural ambiance for the film and is assisted by Foley artists.

Indie films

Filmmaking outside of the ‘big’ studio system also takes place. Such films are known as ‘independent film making ‘or ‘indie’ films as they are popularly known in the industry. With the advent of Digital Video technology, the production of films has become more democratized, giving more power to those working for small budgets that have great ideas. This recalls the situation immediately after printing when the non ’elite’ of society also obtained a means of production.

Filmmakers can now sit in front of a home computer and go through all the processes, which entail a big crew, as listed above, single-handed with nothing but the computer enabling him to translate his creative vision. This low-budget filmmaker can practically shoot, create and edit sound and music and mix a movie on a computer. While these filmmakers are aided by technology, financing and distribution continue to elude them and they are constrained by marketing budgets, which run into millions of dollars for the big studios. The film festival circuit is usually the hunting ground for these people where they can get opportunities to display their films alongside others’. The festivals also provide a means for cost-effective exhibitions while financiers are being sought. The Internet, however, has stepped into the rescue, as most such filmmakers post their creations on the net and can get instant recognition. While profits may elude them, ‘indies’ can get a lot of exposure on the Internet. The internet provides a mass audience to get to see excellent films, which exigencies would otherwise have prevented from viewing. Some filmmakers even have a new lease of life on the net. Their films failed to get recognition through the traditional marketing and distribution routes. (Lamb, 2004)

Therefore, filmmaking is also at a revolutionary stage where we are witnessing the phenomenon of computer technology. The concept of low-budget filmmaking has become widespread as the economics of technological development become clear to many.

Mass dissemination of cinematic works of good quality will help creative work find a voice and hopefully change perceptions of our reality. The film has always been and will be a mass medium as the images it deals with are for mass consumption and reflect the mass taste and the technology present lifts it out of an isolated existence and on to the public stage or mass exposure. Films are a rational medium through which our perceptions are shaped and reshaped after being shaken to the roots. Films ideally keep a society enlightened. However, much would depend on the way filmmakers take advantage of technology. The following chapter proves why adopting technology change is so vital.

Technology changes in Film making

Indications are that things are not going too well for those from the ‘old’ world of filmmaking, independent filmmakers used to old-world ways. Therefore, many such units have closed or are on the verge of shutting down. The film finance business is suddenly not attractive to many financiers. This probably is not the worst but the damages from avoiding new ways of looking may cost this section of filmmakers hugely.

Distribution

Many in distribution, foreign marketing, production and the specialty divisions may need to be well aware that things have changed since the early 2000s. Technology changes in film making first made their appearance then, and some makers reaped immense benefits from negotiating a rights package. This essentially meant that they were able to sell their movie DVDs from the Internet. Even those who have ventured down the new path have faced dangers. However, the truth is that the old ways are no longer applicable in filmmaking, be it distribution or making or sales.

Many from the older, more traditional world of films still look over their shoulders wistfully. In their minds, they have played hard by the rules and won. What they cannot see is limited only by their experience. The known old world, which they served years in, faces a temporary bad patch and will get up and move on. The problems are explained away as a glut of mediocre films, and the customary downward swings in the industry. The rules are simple to them: less output but better quality ensures costs are controlled and so is the downward spiral.

What they need to be aware of as well as aspiring filmmakers, is that the dynamics of the business are morphing rapidly into new forms. There are new, technology-enabled trends like digital download and video on demand, which are capable of huge revenue streams. This trend cannot possibly be fitted into the old ways of operation. The Internet is at once both a threat and an opportunity as its reach and extent throw up a bundle of opportunities as well as threaten to devastate traditional film distribution and production models. Audiences are communicated directly, and the resultant fall in distribution costs is unheard of. The’ new world’ has therefore more control and power over content. (Evans, 2005)

The Internet cannot simply be dismissed now, as when it initially started. The music industry suffered deeply from this sort of condescending attitude to the net. Its power over film distribution is not simply limited to niche audiences. The feeling among traditional film industry executives is that little or no money is being made from advertising on the net or from digital downloads. The truth is that money is being made right under their very noses from advanced technology. Many filmmakers have made over a million dollars in revenue, selling their movies directly from their websites. Many have started fundraising from the Internet. The maker of the documentary film, “Iraq for Sale” raised over 3 million dollars as a contribution toward the financing of this film. The makers of the feature, ‘Four Eyed Monsters’ earned money from a well-planned strategy incorporating the latest technology. They first created awareness for their work, through video podcasts, and then made it freely available on YouTube and MySpace. Viewers watched over a million times. The team made money from shared advertising income and sign-ups over Spout.com. They quickly tied a deal for home video and television distribution. Many of these filmmakers have special screening s on YouTube.

Of the biggest success stories on the internet was the documentary “The Secret”. The film’s distribution in the initial stage was limited to streaming video on the website only. The book of the same was launched in bookstores by Simon & Schuster and finally made into a DVD movie available at stores and Amazon. More than 1 million copies of the DVD sold.

The emerging paradigm of filmmaking and distribution embraces the following:

The costs are lower due to enhanced viewer bases – By using the internet, filmmakers spend less on radio, TV and print advertising. Films could enjoy more flexible release options due to various facilitating technologies in use. Customized distribution plans can be rolled out for a film’s target audience, keeping its content in mind. They can find partners pre pr postproduction. By ignoring traditional outlets for promotion, filmmakers can sell DVDs from their websites. They can test promotion strategies to fit them exactly as is appropriate. The filmmaker is in control over all aspects as greater control is exercised over distribution and the choice of distribution partners. Filmmakers can continue to control the marketing strategy. (Holden, 2002)

Movies enjoy direct access to viewers without any unnecessary layers in between. The new wave of the technology enables global distribution thanks to the Internet’s power and a hybrid approach ensures the best exposure to all forms of new technology.

The films find genuine fans as filmmakers target viewers. The priority is to reach them effectively, and then access wider viewers. They access audiences directly both online and offline, through their websites/mailing lists.

The new world of filmmaking is yet unexplored and much less is known about it than the success stories seem to show. However, a few insights can be shared as signposts to easy maneuvering. Festival screenings are very important, as it is harder now to obtain theatrical distribution. Public awareness must be built up at these venues. Distributors can be attracted to these venues but various rights are more likely to be split up between multiple distributors. DVDs are now sold at festival venues and sell in encouraging numbers.

Formats

Cameras

Changing technology is most evident in camera formats. Not only are cameras more flexible in handling but also pack a lot more power. However, they are definitely not getting cheaper. However, for the same price, older formats were a lot less cost-effective. The choice for low-budget filmmakers seems to be divided over cost versus effectiveness. The best cameras are not yet easily available. Cameras definitely have become lighter and pack more in a compact format.

Camera formats

The necessary equipment for filmmaking, especially for editing and sound are difficult to access, sophisticated and sometimes very expensive. It is the area of visual expression that is, really, the biggest challenge a low-budget filmmaker has to cope with.

The big-budget Hollywood productions are simply unmatched for the sheer quality of visuals they manage to achieve. They have almost made the presentation of slick visuals an art form.

Location shooting is, at the best of times, unpredictable – the sun plays tricks and shooting is impaired in low light setups. To keep the level of visual quality within control, there are now more sophisticated cameras available. These cameras are lightweight, flexible to handle, and require fast film stock. They incorporate wide latitude lenses. What all these really males possible are authentic location shoots which are not dependent on the sun’s whims anymore. The latest technological advances in cameras include detachable equipment controls, which help in solving the problems of entering a location with heavy cumbersome equipment like cranes and dollies.

When mounted on special cranes like Steadicam, these cameras can smoothly go upstairs, through windows, even through dense crowds. For all this, the ultimate visual quality is none the worse. Digital technology has now enabled the production of light filters or controls. The visuals in the film can now be manipulated to fit the filmmaker’s requirements, due to such innovations. A major part of development work in the film equipment industry proactively uses R & D to support and equip the dynamic film industry.

The final look of a film is achieved only after hefty budgets are put in place in order to be able to procure and use the latest technology. The equipment is very difficult to set up and requires professionals of very high quality. Low-budget films can never afford this sort of expense.

However, the encouraging feature of all this development in digital technology is that, now, it is possible to shoot movies for under a few thousand dollars. This has greatly encouraged independent and low-budget filmmakers, who no longer have to struggle to raise finance for the films they plan. Digital videos and their enhanced versions are now available in the market at affordable rates. A filmmaker can hope to continue with work without spending valuable time looking for a financier. (Karg, 2007)

Some of the interesting developments are products like Scarlet, which the situation has helped to create. Scarlet is a camera whose makers claim that it is cheaper than the standard Hollywood DV cameras but can generate equally good images. It incorporates design, which enables similar options in film speed and color without compromising quality. The product can stand up to even a Sony at an unthinkably low price.

The early ’90s saw the first features made by some brilliant newcomers like Spike Lee, David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch, among others. They shot their first films on very low budgets. Their early success helped stoke the Low budget film movement. It was really in the mid-’90s that films were made to be made on even lower budgets (within a range of about $22,000). These films were also well received by critics. They were mostly shot on a DV camera, edited, and mixed on a computer. Some award-winning films at the Cannes Film Festival were even captured first on video and then transferred to 35 mm film. The cameras, which were used, were less than pocket-sized in dimension.

All successful filmmakers in this genre realize that resources control the making of a film Films are shot within these confines. The typical low-budget film begins with a no-frills assessment of reality. The filmmaker knows what he has access to and what simply is unaffordable. Some of the latest features in this category were written by people who worked in convenience stores and wrote the complete film at home because they simply did not have the means to form a crew. The DV cameras give filmmakers the courage to take risks and have complete creative control over a film. When compared to the way Hollywood makes the big films, the limited resources available to the independent filmmaker, actually are a boon. The person knows exactly what he can do and set about actually concentrating on the script rather than wasting time seeking finance. No one really knows how the quest for finance will end so this approach is sensible. Even if a film does not do well,

people can still hope to carry on with other films, as the costs are not prohibitive. They can learn from mistakes and be taking greater risks with creativity. The DV, in fact, has allowed the power to shift focus from financiers to filmmakers. Now, a project does not have to wait for a nod from a financier. (Kar, 2006)

Scripting

A comparison between films of the early 80s and recent movies reveals that films today do not depend on dialogue only to keep an audience’s attention riveted. The quality of images is the key to the difference. Computer technology has completely changed film’s orientation. Earlier films relied a lot on dialogues and expression to expression in the screenplay. The technology in scriptwriters enables him to portray the visual equivalent of dialogue, where the visuals are used to highlight subtle shades of emotion. In all, situations involving drama, the characters do not have to say even a word. The ambiance and the underlying mood of a movie depend a lot on the scriptwriter’s ability to draw the most from computer-manipulated imagery. A single person can therefore write his script for a movie, as he does not need a dialogue writer to take his story forward.

Case Studies – The Blair Witch Project

Created on a budget of less than $50,000, and has grossed over $100 million in the USA alone, the Blair Witch Project, was, to use film industry terminology, a ‘sleeper hit’. The low-budget film enjoyed tremendous success and was discussed for a long while in media and hotly debated on the Internet. Time magazine featured the makers of the film on its cover. This movie inspired low-budget filmmakers aspiring to make their first features, and discussions on the marketing of movies.

The movie, to begin with, does not fall easily into a category but uses the semi-documentary format to depict the story of three young filmmakers who go missing in the woods while working on a documentary on the Blair Witch myth. The tale tweaks the horror film genre to give it a documentary feel. To some viewers, this movie looked convincing enough to be believable.

To create viewer perceptions, the movie’s makers utilized websites and advertising. In doing so, they also created some sort of context for the movie even before it was released. As a ‘mock’ documentary, the film managed to raise questions about popular culture and how viewers could be manipulated. ‘Blair Witch…’ was also one of the earliest successes on the Internet, long before anyone was seriously thinking about this medium.

What was intriguing about the film was that it tantalized some viewers into thinking that it was a documentary. Mock documentaries are called as such because they usually contain clues to their actual status. Viewers usually miss these clues until the final denouement. But, Blair Witch‘s makers were speculated to have promoted it as a hoax, to create several points of view.

The way the film was marketed through the internet is one of the most interesting features of the film. The makers initially presumed this was one of the cheapest ways to pass the word on about their film. What soon became clear was that the film could be ‘manufactured’ to build up viewer curiosity. The film’s makers could prolong the illusion that it was ‘reality’ which was being portrayed on screen The missing characters in the film took on an existence that was real to all those who viewed these’ promo ‘ clips. Snippets of information were planted on websites to deliberately filter through to a thoroughly intrigued audience who had for the past few weeks, ‘heard’ about the incident. (Kar, 2006)

People who actually believed the whole thing about the missing students blissfully set many of these websites up and the witch was true. They were unknowing perpetrators of the hoax but were duped into thinking it was a real documentary. The other set of people knew about the film but went along with the makers. In fact, the very uncertainty edged with curiosity, about the film’s incidents decided the promotional course the pre-release snippets would feature. The filmmakers neither had nor initially thought of the whole idea. However, when they decided to do so, they refused to reveal whether it was a true story or not.

The website www.blairwitch.com raked in over 70 million hits in the very first week it featured on the net. The plan envisaged a series of tapes, ‘evidence’ about the witch and information on the missing filmmakers. The whole idea was to sound so convincing that visitors to the site would be participants in the whole thing.

Even in gatherings like the Sundance film festival where the film was exhibited, there was tremendous confusion, about the footage shown: whether it was documentary or not. Cashing in on this, Artisan Entertainment who had brought rights to the film went into the act, manufacturing ‘missing’ posters of the three young protagonists. They promoted the film as real horror. Therefore, without spending any money on advertising the film enjoyed huge hype. People even visited Burkittsville, the setting for the film to volunteer to help search for the missing youngsters.

The successful pre-release campaign created spin-offs on the internet, including a spoof on the original website, which, really, spoke for the success of the campaign. There were communities on the internet created which helped in posting discussions on the film. The sites still feature trailers, ‘gossip’ on the movie and discussions with the makers of the film. Before the film was released in the US, the sites provided links to reviews and now act as a virtual store for ‘Blair Witch’ merchandising.

The internet contributed greatly in promoting the film and helped in selling its concept of a mock film being portrayed as a’ real’ film. People who knew the real story were still able to join in the fun. Those unaware were convinced about the contents of the website. Both ways, the filmmakers won.

The media also participated in spreading the hoax. Just before the film’s release, a TV channel actually sowed footage belonging to the ‘promo’ film and solemnly narrated the history behind the Blair witch, the early sightings of the witch, down to the present. Using leftover footage from the promotional video, the channel pretended to unwind the mystery. It used experts ranging from anthropological experts, the Blair historian, even down to ‘folk law’. All this created a feeling that the Blair witch existed (even today)! Cleverly, the TV show used footage from the movie as cooked up ‘evidence’. (King, 2006)

As extended promotional material, the TV show footage helped the makers promote the film on the ‘evidence discovered’ aspect. All the TV show did was that created archival footage” of a local who was actually supposed to have had an encounter with the witch and told by her to kill the three children which he is shown to have done in the TV show. There is footage on disemboweled bodies, which were found in a site in the forest with strange marks. What this all did was to create a fascinating narrative that convinced people into going to see the movie to discover more. The graphic details of the show were convincing enough to prolong the hoax.

Cloverfield

To see Cloverfield is to be reminded about the marketing campaign which preceded it. The trailer itself set the tone for the mystery. In ways similar to the Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield came into public notice when the website Robbie Hawkins MySpace was artfully released. The Public relations campaign was solidly planned.

The Cloverfield campaign illustrates how a campaign may be created and how a bit of ‘underground ‘buzzes’ might not be bad for the pre-release of a film. The advertising itself was a major part of enjoying the film, and, from the time the film trailer was shown, the viewership rose to its peak within 5 months preceding the ad campaign. The other element was that the name of the film’s director, JJ Abrams, started appearing subsequently adding to the fervor, as Abrams was also well known as the director of. Lost, a TV show. (Thilk, 2008)

The marketing campaign was part of a “convergence culture’ which included advertising as part of a film’s experience. What was important to the success of such a campaign was a big enough idea. With a PR machine backing it up. The overall result was a great theatrical experience, which blurred the divide between digital and traditional media.

Paramount, the producers of the film sold the film to two different types of audiences, in different ways. The promotion on the official website looked attractive enough and the ensuing campaign built up tremendous hype and involvement compelling viewers to watch. Even the stodgy, who avoided movies, were roused.

The campaign was mostly, combined traditional elements of a movie marketing campaign. The intent was, clearly, to sell the movie to a particular audience using, as most campaigns do, clips and other material from the movie in order to build interest and enthusiasm.

The initial trailer took the audience by, debuting just ahead of a blockbuster. Aside from a few reports on a handful of websites. Even those familiar with the director’s style were in for a shock.

The wave of online commentary was among the most massive people had ever seen. Everyone, it seemed, came out of seeing the blockbuster show as scheduled, and searched for the movie, untitled in the trailer, that seemed to be shot from a DV camera. First, it showed a going-away party for someone named Rob and then the invasion of New York by something capable of chewing someone off. Expectedly, a major of the audience was shocked and awed at the monster, the size of the Statue of Liberty, which made its appearance.

When those people did go and search for the one clue that was readily available, the movie’s release date, they were taken to what for a long while was the movie’s official website, 1-08-08.com. There they saw a photo from Rob’s party. (Thilk, 2008)

Snippets allowed the visitor to see when the photo was taken. This was especially convenient as the ones that were obviously movie-related could be separated and the whole arraigned to build a chronology of the night’s events, moving from party to terror. The photos were strewn about as if flung in a great hurry and stirring in the wind. The clever site had even arranged for some of these to be shaken with the computer mouse and flip over. A couple of them had something written on the back. Specifically chosen were the one of the chefs with the recipe for whatever it was he was holding, and the other one, with a couple of party-goers, even had a note from a girl in the picture, Jamie. (Thilk, 2008)

Eventually, a teaser appeared for the still-unnamed movie. While the movie’s name was not divulged, it showed the Statue of Liberty standing headless and keeping guard. What was not obvious was the wake of water the beast had left while sidling up on the shores of Manhattan. This was an indication that the monster would seek more prey.

The campaign then largely died down somewhere around in early fall. Pictures continued to be added to the website, but that was about all. That is one of the reasons that releasing an un-branded trailer was such a big risk. Not only would one miss out on the chance to tell the audience for that trailer what the name of the movie was but also, one would most likely, lose the ability to run an extensible campaign. While the producers could have got away with such a move with a trailer, they could not possibly run un-branded TV spots. This was not about to lead to mystery and intrigue; but, instead, to create mass confusion and turn people away from that movie. (Thilk, 2008)

However, “the gamble of the unnamed trailer certainly did pay off for the team. That l had as much to do with the fact that it came from Abrams, whose core audience was certainly used to trying to decipher his stuff from “Alias” and “Lost”. (Thilk, 2008) The audience was, largely, going to be pre-disposed to sci-fi-type movies that made a big move to draw attention. That latter audience consisted of people who were likely to be at an age where they would prefer being online, where they can post their reactions. To the trailer, to their social network profiles, or in some other fashion spread the word online, even if it was just through one-to-one communications like email. The later stage of the campaign had widgets and other devices to involve people in the story. (Thilk, 2008)

Low Budget Filmmaking

Two occurrences in the last decade are significant for any understanding of filmmaking.

Shifts in paradigms in technology have allowed big-budget filmmakers more to approximate the “real” when presenting mainstream fantasies, making their messages more persuasive through an impression of artful reality. Then, independent filmmakers, mostly from documentary filmmaking, have ventured to fictionalized filmmaking using a second, appropriate set of technologies. To understand either the current independent film movement in the United States or prevailing blockbuster culture, one has to understand the differences. (Eidsvik, 2006)

Some in the film world say that filmmaking always involves trying to make the world into a story. Enough money, skill, and technology enable a filmmaker to influence how the entire universe looks and sounds. This is the reason why today, almost everything at mainstream film’s technical disposal is aimed at that end. (King, 2006)

A filmmaker can try to make every day seem special and poetic or make the extraordinary seem every day, as in big-effects films such as Cocoon. Films like E.T. work this out in a single film. The technology used makes for coherent fantasies finely detailed and consistent. The machinations of the dominant cinema are illusory, as we never get to know the means adopted to make the story this is nothing new.

Behind the industry’s insistence on a particular style lie a number of factors. Historically Hollywood has thrived on making slick, expensive entertainments. Film trade unions prefer styles that require large productions because such productions employ more people. More important are economic reasons: the imposition of stylistic standards limits the number of films competing for viewers; only those producers with the mega dollars or industry connections can become industry players. Given the number of potential filmmakers from film schools, and the number who have otherwise developed filmmaking skills, there is a danger of overproduction. (Eidsvik, 2006)

However, there were always movies that were low budget but well made and thus captured the imagination of the audience. The movie “October Sky” (1999), directed by Joe Johnston, is a story of how Homer, a coal miner’s son, opposes his father’s wish to become a rocket scientist. As in our social life, Homer finds a supportive hand in his mother and his schoolteacher. This is another aspect of the movie that moves us so much and generates a sense of euphoria simply because a lone rider is never a lone rider in the real world and its societies. And in the process of this contrasting society provides alley in every nooks and corner of the undertaking. This is society, and every time a movie manages to catch a glimpse of society, and in the process of life itself, we stand up our seats to appreciate it. This is because we constantly identify ourselves with the central character of the movie and in a way, the anti-establishment notion in all within us embedded in our core consciousness expresses its gratitude. This is an all aspiring movie and ignites hope within every adolescent and more so because it is based on a true story.

The same can be stated about Shaft. The film Shaft, released on July 2, 1971, and directed by Gordon Parks, indicates that for a democratic society with its democratic form of government system it is but an obvious choice to opt for a society that is mostly color blind. The curse of racial discrimination had always been there in American society. The black community was hungry for a hero who was able to give back what they were used to receiving. In a way Shaft became the icon of the black community. The shaft was that figure that every boy of African American origin wanted to be. This was their answer to racism. The shaft was all answer to these reprisals, at least in the movie. The better part of the movie shows shaft fighting against all sorts of evils especially those with the undercurrent of undercover apartheid. This is in no way detrimental or misleading but helps an entire community to find its place in society.

One major small-budget movie for young adults is When Harry met Sally which can be used to reveal the American culture. This 1989 movie is basically humorous in nature and the treatment made by director Rob Reiner has been well appreciated by both critics and the public alike. The plot develops when the characters meet for the first time near a carpool and their corresponding relation over a period of twelve years. The basic tagline of this movie is the dilemma over the fundamental difference between the nature of a man and a woman and their inability of blending together as casual friends. This lack of ability to accept the opposite sex in the public perception is the deep-seated question of the movie. It could thus be mentioned that the market economy-led and induced lifestyle of the American culture have taught the community to enjoy life at its fullest but in the same context, it has reduced the amount of responsibility needed in a relationship let alone a man woman relationship. Young adults watching this movie would understand that the reality of a relationship lies in taking up and responsibility and that is the only way to be successful in relations. (King, 2006)

Similarly, low budget films like Boyz in the Hood offers enough scope to venture theoretical perspectives of feminist theory, labeling theory and control theory to the movie. This movie, directed skillfully by John Singleton, was nominated for Oscar and was released in 1991.

Feminism is widely practiced in the movie though in a suppressed manner. The father, Furious, suggests that the best way to raise children is by being a man. Thus it can be stated that the movie provides a strong male dominance where even unprotected sex is considered macho. Though there is enough evidence of defense from the women in the film the bottom line suggests male dominance as stated by feminist theories.

The labeling theory is applicable in the context of the film because the characters in this movie are all very conscious of their skin tone and racial difference with the other communities and exhale a wide variety of pride and insecurity at the same time regarding it. It is important to understand in this context that the labeling theory suggests that the behavioral pattern of an individual is shaped in accordance to the society and the characters in the film like Ricky Baker, Tré Styles or Jason “Furious” Styles all follow the theory in accordance to their society and environment.

In accordance with the control theory, these movies can be evaluated and analyzed in the view of spreading organized crimes and basic neighborhood rowdiness. The control theory believes in the application of a central controlling power that directs a force towards a destination. The gang leader Ferris is on one end of control of power and his central control influences Ricky and on the other end there is Furious who motivates the locals with his words. It should be stated that it is a very interesting application and the end result reveals several attractive outcomes from these theories. Such movies are really overwhelming from the perspective of sociology.

The film “American Beauty” is an amazing piece of cinematography on multiple levels. Lester Burnham feels like he is a slave to everyone around him and everything in the world. Although his life seems good but his whole life has been in servitude of others. So, throughout the entire film, his thoughts race out of everything he truly desires. This includes his lust for a cheerleader at his teen’s high school, by the name of Angela Hayes. The chains of society stop many of us from achieving our full potential, especially here in America. Maybe one will never achieve a time where people can flourish and become truly happy, but we can always try, even if it means dying in the process. But dying is not the only truth in the movie, it is about the want to be happy and contented and a person in the range of middle adulthood would certainly identify himself or herself with the protagonist of the movie. Facing this truth is enlightenment all by itself.

The personal feeling of “American Beauty” for middle adults changes to community feeling with the film Wild River (1960) by Elia Kazan. The director recreates a difficult and complex period in American history. This movie comes within the parameter of the early 1930s where Chuck Glover, is an idealistic character finds himself in the midst of circumstances where he is bifurcated between his heart and his head or better to say between his ideals and his employment. Here the focal point of the movie indicates the true nature of a free country. Director Elia Kazan stands hand in hand with the oppressed and the downtrodden and made way for a different route of justification and justifying human tolerance and the end of it by protesting against oppression. (King, 2006) This is a movie about being political correctness that every individual especially a middle-aged person should always find all the foods for though with all the experience.

It should be mentioned that people watching a movie tend to go through an editing process where they reject all projections of swinging Spiderman and aggressive aliens and gets the main theme of the movie by themselves. It may be good over evil or love over hate. The bottom line is people knows what is practicable and right and thus eradicate the impossible aspects of a movie. In this respect, it can be mentioned that Hollywood movies are doing a great job over the years by presenting different aspects of life that are less known and unknown to the audience and helping them to think, by providing visual information, and understand their life in a better mode.

Nevertheless, for progressive filmmakers Hollywood’s conventions and standards are ethically distasteful because of the gap between the world and the stories told about it. The Hollywood dream factory denies the real world’s complexity. Further, high-tech illusions cost so much to achieve that often a commercial filmmaker’s loyalties are to financial goals over ethical ones.

The finance for a movie comes from the big corporations and is accompanied by thick and complicated legal contract Money has to be spent to ensure profitability. Even though a high-budget filmmaker might wish to address the real world, it is difficult to do so, what with the terms available for commercial filmmaking. (Eidsvik, 2006)

The exceptions therefore are outstanding. Spike Lee, making Do the Right Thing, succeeded in using Hollywood money to create a powerful, socially critical work, which exists as a hybrid between gritty realism and Hollywood slickness. However, Lee, with his ability to hustle publicity and his financial record of accomplishment, has succeeded precisely as an exception. The industry has shown no signs it wants more like him.

In The Colour Purple, Spielberg’s usual plan is to leave the camera static when he wants us to follow and identify with the action, and to go into tracking shots when he wants emotional distance. Olivia’s birth and abduction, for example, are thus shot. The camera work depicting Mister’s first sexual use of Celie is almost static. In addition, when Celie first is forced to shave Mister, the camera is static or follows her motion. Spielberg used this kind of camera work in those scenes where he did not want or need viewer distance. (Eidsvik, 2006) However, in the context of globalization and the global village concept, the future of movie-making is changing fast and the target audience is the global population and diverse cultures.

Conclusion

The great ages of social change and upheaval, the Industrial Revolution or even the Renaissance eliminated old ways of work or perception. As noted earlier, in between the road bends of history, there were long periods of time in which the new ways took root Change today is breakneck. The great Age of information Technology dawned in the mid-’80s and almost two decades later, much of the technology has already been updated and some of it has gone. The phrase ‘reinventing oneself’ is necessary as a definition of the way we cope with changes in technology we can only barely understand. But, much of this technology has proved useful to us. Most people’s lives are touched in some way or other by technology. Filmmaking is no exception. Films will continue to tell stories about the human condition but get better and better at it. Almost every filmmaking function has altered for the better. Already, high definition TVs are out in the market and the supporting equipment, camcorders are easily brought off the shelves now, Computing technology has reached the point of development where computers can easily edit films shot with this equipment using Blu ray technology. A very short while back, it would have been unthinkable for someone planning to make a low-budget film, to access new technology which was prohibitively expensive.

For an investment of only a few thousand dollars, movies can be made inexpensively and yet be capable of being shown on big screens. The Super 35 or Super 16 cameras are now behind us. The only barrier would be time. In the New Age of filmmaking, a distinguished minority of films are avoiding the festival circuit completely. They simply do not seem to be worth the effort and time spent Reason: screening is now under the maker’s control thanks to technology and the blessing of the internet. We have seen how films are shown and marketed over the net. It is quite likely, that, in the future, filmmaking will be a one-man enterprise totally. This is a very film-conscious age because some of the paths breaking advances in technology have been in this industry. In an image-making environment, what medium of expression could be so attractive. Still, there are concerns about the influence of mass media and its possible negative effects.

Audiences will ultimately have to be responsible in the future, for the sort of moviemaking they foster. Considering the increase in people and mass viewers, films have surprisingly, shown great restraint and quality. The new world filmmaker will find his own means of production and distribution as appropriate, The smell filmmaker today takes a business approach to his work, consider his audiences well before strategizing on his course of action There will be no reactions, only a calculated response. Filmmakers will have to seek better routes to their audiences as they go along and the technology will always be there at their aid. Creative ways of looking at the world are also a necessity as filmmakers go about their careers. They will have to balance concerns of commerce with a feel for their art. With the growth and extension of the printing press, many took to writing. Similarly, many aspiring filmmakers have risen to the occasion. In the early 20th century, communications technology was just beginning to emerge.

Speaking of the globalization effect it can be said that Cultural Globalization is an intensification of cross-cultural relations, initiation of fresh categories of perceptions and distinctiveness such as Globalism, which exemplify cultural conduction, the craving to get through and have the benefit of foreign commodities and ideas, take on innovative technology and practices, and play a part in world culture. Ecological Globalization refers to the beginning of global ecological defies that can not be worked out devoid of international collaboration, for instance, climate alterations, cross-boundary water and air contaminations, excessive fishing of the ocean, and the multiplicity of invasive species. Social Globalization is the term for the accomplishment of gratis flow by people of all countries.

Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh’s article Globalization and hybridization in cultural products: The cases of Mulan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, published in the International Journal of Cultural Studies in 2005, deals with this one culture theory. They refer to it as cultural hybridization. In recent years with the development of the concept of the global village, hybridization is fast becoming the order of the day. In this concept, it becomes necessary for an industry to meet the needs of both local and global markets all at the same time.

In addition, no industry is a better example of meeting this dual market at one given time frame than the movie industry to ascertain a formulation of this phenomenon of globalization and hybridization. The author Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh, therefore, have taken into consideration two global blockbusters Mulan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for the purpose. According to the authors, Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh there are mainly three important features of this phenomenon. These can be enumerated as renaturalization, acculturalization and decentralization. (Wang, 2005)

According to the authors the significant approach of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon can be well emulated as a prime example of globalization and hybridization in a market where the maxim is to go beyond the parameters of the local market structure and capture the global audience. To achieve this target the director Ang Lee of the movie made sure that the usual tone of Chinese movies are kept down and flavors are added to meet the taste of a global audience. The authors take note of the fact that “Ang Lee, being a diasporic Chinese, has attempted to instill a specific cultural significance in Crouching Tiger that no member of the Disney team would be interested in.” (Wang, 2005)

On the other hand, the production of the animated feature film Mulan is to be taken into account. “The Mulan story is based on a popular ballad written during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534 AD) about a legendary 14-year-old girl Mulan who, as a filial daughter, volunteers to join the army, by hiding her gender, in her father’s place”. (Wang, 2005) This is a predominantly Chinese story and the aura of Chinese aspects is all over the build up of the story. It is more rooted in China than it is alien to Hollywood. This is an example of another aspect of globalization and hybridization seen from the perspective of the other way around. In this case, the Disney production team approached the film with enough impetus that gave a specific Chinese vibe to the film. This is an example of hybridization where a global company is ensuring its marketing strategy to capture the local market.

Thus, it could narrate the aspect of the basic issue of globalization and hybridization as but a two-way approach. There the basic maxims of a capitalistic economy are taken into consideration at every step of formulating the strategies of marketing. It is obvious that the basic impetus of any business is to deal with the principles of profit and the methods of maximization of profit margin. In this context of a market-induced economy that the issues of globalization and hybridization should have been considered by the author Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh.

However, they remained focused mainly on the aspects of corporate issues and social context. However, this specific issue could have been dealt with a certain truth in a much better manner if the truth had been evaluated and taken into consideration that the matter of money is not only about the accumulation of money but the accumulation of power. (Lamb, 2004) thus it could be ascertained that society and everything related to the society is evolved and metamorphosed by the manipulation of the economy and globalization and hybridization is a no different issues in this context.

The authors Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh mentioned in their article “To an outsider, there are things about other cultures that are insensible, illogical or unreasonable and yet are accepted without question as habits or traditions by the members of that culture. To solve the problem, cultural elements that were deemed to be beyond common sense to Schamus were compromised“. (Wang, 2005, 180, 2) True it is to the context but seen from a sociological point of perception. If the writers had been approaching in a manner keeping in mind an economic background this sociological impact would have fallen in place quite easily.

Detractors of the economic issues of globalization challenge that it is an alterable procedure, which flows logically from the economic requirements of every person, as its supporters naturally argue. The opponents generally accentuate that globalization is a course that is arbitrated in accordance with the commercial benefits, and naturally elevate the prospect of unconventional global organizations and strategies, which they suppose attend to the ethical claims of deprived and working classes all over the globe, with ecological concerns in a more impartial manner. (Sen, 2001)

Economic opinions by laissez faire logician assert that unobstructed free trade benefits the rich, and those with pecuniary influence at the disbursement of the poor and deprived people. Some argue that globalization inflicts credit-based economics, consequential in indefensible enlargement of liabilities and debt crises. Many international organizations that have a strong worldwide authority are not democratically maintained, nor are their heads democratically selected. Consequently, they are assumed by people as supernational undemocratic authorities. Remonstrations by the global justice movement have strained sophisticated intercontinental conferences away from the chief cities where they used to be held, into isolated sites where remonstrations are not practical.

In conclusion, it should be mentioned that the hybridization of cultures is nothing new to the history of the world and it as happened earlier. However, the only difference this time is that the scale is taking place at a much larger parameter today. We can well ascertain there would be a single culture in days to come if the current trend is in motion in an uninterrupted manner. There would be a loss of cultural pride, sovereignty, individuality but the gradual change would make it bearable for all, and the one-world scenario would be welcomed by the generations undergoing the change. This change is the future of filmmaking.

Bibliography

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Cronin, Paul & Scorsese, Martin; 2005; On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director; Faber and Faber.

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Evans, Russell; 2005; Practical DV Filmmaking; Focal Press.

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King, H; (2006); Film Principals Today; Auckland: HBT & Brooks Ltd.

Lamb, D; (2004); Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization; Wellington: National Book Trust.

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Wang, G.; Yeh, E. Y. (2005); Globalization and hybridization in cultural products: The cases of Mulan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 8, no. 2, 2005.

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