Independent Films: Classical v. Radical

SE Powerpoint by Peter Reed

Edited by: Dr. Kay Picart

Pi: Faith in Chaos: Darren Aronofsky (1998)

Starring: Sean Gullette Mark Margolis Ben Shenkman Pamel Hart

Being John Malkovich: Spike Jonze (1999)

Starring: John Cusack Cameron Diaz Catherine Keener Orson Bean John Malkovich

Class Goals (1)

Introduce Pi and Being John Malkovich (“BJM”) as Independent (“Indie”) films

Examine: Economics Social dynamics Origins

(Continued)

Class Goals (2)

Review the recent history of Indie film Discuss and apply themes to today’s

Independents Youth culture Civil rights Political protest Women’s rights

(Continued)

Class Goals (3)

Compare Hollywood and Indie Films Structure Film techniques Genres

(Continued)

Class Goals (4)

Pi: ISA’s RSA’s Race Class

BJM: Gender roles Sexuality Identity Class

Describe portrayals of ideology and identity in Pi and BJM

Estimated Time (1)

Working Definition of Independent filmmaking, describe today’s movies 10 min

Cover Reading 30, talk about themes of 60s and 70s independent filmmaking 10 min

Estimated Time (2)

Cover Reading 29: Define 4-act structure: 5 min. Compare conventional techniques to indie

style: 20 min. Narration Character Space Sound

Estimated Time (3)

Explore themes of Pi and BJM: 30 min. Race ISA’s, PSA’s Gender Sexuality Class

Estimated Time (4)

Review Reading 22, situate Indie films within genre 10 min.

Draw some intelligent conclusions about what we are watching, if and how it is radical, and independent 10 min.

What Makes a Film “Independent,” Anyway?

What kinds of…

1. Economics,

2. Social positioning,

3. Techniques, and

4. Themes. . .

might be found in an independent film?

What Makes a Film “Independent,” Anyway?

How might economics affect the themes of making a film? (Think: who paid for this and what do they want?)

And how can the social affect economics? (Think: funding and being Francis Ford Coppola’s son-in-law. . .)

Being John Malkovich: “Counterculture All-Stars”

Domestic Box Office Gross, 1999: $23 million, not so great. . .

Cost: $13 million, also fairly low overall, but high for independent films

What does Spike Jonze stand for as a “countercultural icon”?

(http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/actors/jmalkovich.html)

Pi: Aronofsky and Crew

Domestic Box Office Gross, 1998: $3.1 million, cost: $60,000

Neither as Costly or as Popular as BJM Crew for Pi was a “handful of film students” Less-publicized debut

http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/98bygrossall.html, www.indiewire.com

Discuss:

What is unusual about these films (Pi and BJM) and their origins?

How are they alike? Different from each other? How do they differ from “mainstream” films?

Do the economic and social conditions matter?

Alternative-Media Promotion

These films are part of a larger network of media and promotionals

Check out the websites: http://www.beingjohnmalkovich.com http://www.pithemovie.com

Alternative-Media Promotion: Think about it. . .

What kind of audience do these kinds of promotion cater to?

How do they change the way we consider the film in advance, or when we view it?

Indie Film History: Reading 30

John Belton: “The 1960s: The Counterculture Strikes Back”

Independent filmmaking was part of radical upheaval of the time

Belton lists some (at least four) major themes. . . Try to find them in the reading

Indie Film History: Questions

Try to think of some older independent films you may have seen.

What was the message? Was it radical?

Did they look different, tell their story in unusual ways?

The BIG Question:

Are Independent Films Radical or Classical?

(And What Makes Them That Way?)

Classical or Radical?: Reading 29

David C. Simmons: “Is Contemporary American Independent Film Classical or Radical?”

First, we must determine the characteristics of “conventional” film

Then, evaluate Indie films

Classical or Radical?: Conventional Four Act Structure

Find the four-act structure in the reading ______-___ _____________ ________ ____________ __________

How does this structure present a story?

Classical or Radical?: Questions

Do all Hollywood films hold to these standards?

What does it mean if they do not? Do they automatically become “Independent”?

What if an “Indie” film has conventional structure???

Four Act Structure in Pi and BJM

When you watch or think back on the movies, ask yourself:

Does Pi or BJM use the four-act structure? What are the plot twists used to:

set it up, develop it, complicate it, and build to a climax?

Are they different from mainstream films?

Conventional Style and Technique: Reading 29 (1)

Classical narration ________ narration _______-cutting

Forward-moving storyline ________ transitions ______shadowing ________ development

(Continued)

Conventional Style and Technique: Reading 29 (2)

Causality What techniques help promote causality?

Goal-oriented characters _______ camera view Recurrent ________ instead of real

development

(Continued)

Conventional Style and Technique: Reading 29 (3)

Classical space Think back to the early lectures on Hollywood

film language and its techniques Conventional: Classical sound

__________ sounds __________ music

Indie Style and Technique

Compared to the previous 3 slides (conventional techniques):

How do Pi and BJM differ? Narration Characters Space, and Sound

(How) Were these unusual, provocative?

Indie Themes in Pi

Pi and ideology: Race ISA’s RSA’s Class

What does Pi say about race? Religion? Authority? Money and Power? Drilling into your own head?

Indie Themes in BJM

BJM and identity: Gender Sexuality Identity Class

What does BJM say about men’s roles? Women’s? Sexual norms? Individual identity? Economic activities?

Indie Films and Genre

Review back to Reading 22: John Belton, “Genre and the Genre System”

How does genre serve the industry? _______ recognition Repetition and _______

Indie Films as Genre: Questions

How do films such as BJM and Pi appear to rely on the status of genres to succeed? Can we put Pi or BJM in a genre? What about the actors and director of BJM?

Pi? (How) Do such films constitute a genre of

their own?

Conclusions

Come to class for the exciting conclusions to all the cans of worms we’ve opened here. To recap: Where do Indie films come from, mommy? What techniques do our examples use? How do they portray categories like race,

gender, sexuality, and class? Stay tuned…