A Trip to the Moon mostly reminded me of watching a filmed play rather than a movie. It was still amazing though that for the time period they were able to include basic special effects. The scenes were designed to create a false sense of depth. I could imagine how the audience would have been wowed at the time, with relatively smooth transitions and effects where the film was cut and something on stage changed looked somewhat believable. I think this, for the time, is very whimsical and forward thinking film for science fiction.
As someone who has seen Wicked three times this documentary was very interesting for me to watch. What was very intriguing was the emphasis on collaboration. The play needed multiple leaders to come together and take charge of the various aspects of the work in order for everything to work cohesively. I can only imagine how it would have been to be Joe Mantello, who had never directed a a play of this size. The pressure could have been overwhelming, but the approach he took to the directing process was unique and successful. I found it especially interesting that he tried to come into each day with a clean slate. So that he was unbiased from the performance from the day before, and took the directing from there. It becomes relevant that in order for a musical of this magnitude to be successful it is a whole effort, that everyone in the production, and every element of the final product have to be working together.
Every year one of my favorite parts about watching the Super Bowl is getting to see all of the commercials that are being putting out during it. There were many commercials that had me laughing and some that were very touching. But when I saw the commercial by Coca Cola, featuring the National Anthem, sung in many different languages in everywhere across the nation. I found this commercial extremely moving and beautiful, something more advertising should try to display. It came as a shock to me when we were told in class that this commercial had been receiving negative feed back. It is amazing to me that people can remain so narrow minded in a country that takes pride in over coming racisms and being open to all people. The comparison between this commercial and the 1949 musical South Pacific are vast. South Pacific took a bold leap for it's time in pairing interracial couples and mixed ethnicity children. Audiences were shocked, but sometimes shock is what people need. This Coca Cola commercial is the first to have the country's anthem sung by an array of languages and featured all types of people, even a featuring gay parents, a boundary pushing move for today. The responses to the commercial were vast, some, like myself, praised the commercial for being beautiful and moving, while some, criticized it and bashed it as un-American. The idea that if you live in America you should speak "American" is just ridiculous, and people should not be allowed to live a life with such a narrow view. It is mind sets like these that hold this country back, while other countries encourage and even require their children to be educated in multiple languages, while here in America there a people encouraging a lack of world view and narrow mindedness.
I found the animation for this to be a bit creepy. The overall feel of the ten minute movie was dark and sad. I think that this was largely to do with the lighting and the background music. I think that the music accompanied the actions in the film perfectly especially at the end when there was sadness, loss, and hopelessness. I found the choice to keep the child attached to the mother until she was ripped away by the new family made the scene that much more powerful and sad. Overall the whole animation came to a tragic, but fitting end.
From the start of the film on opera I found it very interesting that opera was thought of by a group that met to discuss topics like astronomy, literature, and philosophy. I find it intriguing how opera was born from those topics. While continuing to watch the film I was amazed at the portion where they show the hidden attic room at the palace in Mantua. I can only imagine the excitement of finding a hidden room when I'm sure the organization that keeps the buildings restored has been there for while. The possibilities of what they learned from the things discovered in the room and from the meaning of the room itself. Continuing on I liked the distinction they made between a musical and an Opera, telling that simple lines in the piece, in a musical would be spoken, while in an opera they are sung, I didn't realize until it was said that this does in fact have a much less melodramatic effect. I was also interested and unaware that it is hard on the voice to switch continuously from speaking to singing. Mozart made a leap in Opera when, in order to broach contreversial topics he brought them to the stage. It was an extremely intelligent way to get the audience he wanted to see the topics see it, and pay for it where they normally would refuse to.
It is amazing to me whenever I hear a story about someone triumphing over diversity, and taking a hard background and using it to become something better. One of the most interesting things that Dr. Cuero said during this interview was that while in collage everyone told him he was wrong, that he did not speak well enough, that he did not dress the right way, ect. Instead of giving up or getting mad he took these insults in stride, and used them to better himself. I think that is an amazing quality for any person to have. The ability to not react negatively when negativity is thrust upon you is an amazing thing. I also like his idea that because he came from having nothing he was forced by nature to become a creative thinker, and that children now growing up with technology, not interacting with nature as much are less creative. I have to say I strongly agree with this as a child who was outside from the moment I woke up until dinner time. It amazes me when I see children under 15 with a cell phone in there hand, and not just any old flip phone, these kids have $400.00 iPhones. I can't imagine what they could really need that for especially at an age where if they didn't have the phone they could be entreating themselves with sticks and mud. Using there creativity to create a fort or imaginary land, but those ideas will never develop for the kids with lots of technology because they have no need for them, and thats sad.
Reading about the North Room exhibit was interesting and would have been something I would have liked to experience. I think that the use of ice could have varying meanings. There is the beauty in the ice covered sculptures, and something exquisite about the idea of the ice preserving and encasing them. But at the same time I found myself feeling sad as I looked at images of the child bust being slowly engulfed in ice, like if it were somehow possible for that child bust to be slowly dying.
For me, an avid movie watcher I find the idea of the oculus very interesting. I can only imagine the level of emotion you would get from the experience of being immersed in a film. On the one hand I think it would be an incredible journey and could remaster the way we watch film or play games. On the other hand I wonder if it would on some levels take away from my cinematic experience. Part of the reason I love watching movies, at home or at a theater, is to enjoy them with friends or family. Being able to share popcorn, whisper about what I think will happen next, or ask a question when I am totally lost is one of the things I enjoy most. I think it would be an interesting experience to be sitting next to someone, both of you with screens over your eyes, I think I would feel very disconnected from the person I was sharing the film with.
