Vaudeville

This is a very useful link that gives a succinct account of American Vadeville
http://www.ehow.com/video_4754932_what-vaudeville.html

Conducting research

This paper from Academictips.org provides you with a process for successfully conducting research.  Note the importantance of refining your question.  Note also the importance of "interrogationg the information you read.  You need to make links from the paper, article or web site to your research question.
http://www.academictips.org/acad/atipsforwritingresearchpaper.html

35mm Camera and Film stock

When you look at The Plank or Futtocks End you note that they were both shot on film.  They were shot in the late 50s and mid 60s.  That this was possible was due to innovations in camera and film technology.  Have a look at the link below where you will find a brief description of the Arri35.  This camera was lightweight and quite portable. it enabled films to be made with small crews and not very much money.  In addition if you look at the previous post you note that faster film emulsions facilitated shooting beyond the film studio.
http://cinematechnic.com/resources/arri_35-2.html

Cinema Film Technology

When we look at early cinema it is fairly easy to point out the relationship between technology and film form.  As cinema develops the influence of technology on the art of cinema become more subtle.  It is there nonetheless.  The link below provides a timeline of the development of cine film technology.  Look at when your target director was working and match the film emulsion to the work.  What did this development allow the director to do or not do?
http://motion.kodak.com/GB/en/motion/Products/Chronology_Of_Film/index.htm

That is, Mr. Hulot is proof that the unexpected or the incongruous can always occur and disrupt the order of imbeciles, in the process transforming an inner tube into a funeral wreath, or a mournful burial into a pleasurable celebration . . . of life."

This is an article by the great French critic Andre Bazin.  It is a famous essay on Time in the films of Jacques Tati.  In summary Hulot "existing in the fluidity of time" disrupts the impoverishment of the well ordered world.

http://zh-hk.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=23145314954&topic=11523

Guidance Notes for Completion of Research Techniques article

Movies without Dialogue

Research Report

Guidance notes for creating the research report

The Audience

Your reader will be the general visitor to the museum.  The purpose of this article will be to give the reader an insight into the following:

                                            I.      A short biography of the Director studied

                                         II.      An insight into the cinematic, dramatic or vaudeville tradition from which this artist emerged

                                       III.      A succinct note on the Director’s style

                                      IV.      A précis of a typical plot summary

                                         V.      Observations on the Director’s working methods gained from reading and practical experience

Your Style

You must remember that this is to be read on trains, buses, or while walking round the museum.  The reader must gain an accurate picture of the artist and his working methods from the notes you provide.  The sentence structure ought to be simple and organised in short paragraphs. When you use technical terminology you must explain it.  Note that this is an informative publication and must provide information that not available from simply screening the movies.

The Content

The content of the article must be grounded in research and that research cited in the “Harvard Method”.  So for

·         For Director’s biography a précis of information obtained from a fan website would be acceptable provided that a) it is in your own words and b) the “url” is quoted.  You must try to ensure its authenticity.

·         When providing information into the cinematic, dramatic or vaudeville tradition from which this artist emerged the writer must refer sources beyond the biographical.  For example reference might be made to Keaton’s vaudeville beginnings.  The text must tell the reader what vaudeville was and why it prepared Keaton for silent movies.

·         In giving notes on the Director’s style you should first refer to the techniques you used in reproducing his work.  Next you should select one aspect of the work for more detailed exploration.  This might be the cinematography, the editing or the acting.

·         A précis of a typical plot summary.  In addition you should note why this plot was of interest to the viewer.  For example Ronnie Barkers’ stories are full of British prudery indicating some interest in sex and sexuality on the part of the viewer.

·         When giving information on working methods you ought to begin with the technology and methods you employed and then detail those in use at the time when Tati, Sykes and Barker were working.

Length

The following is a guide to the way information should be set out

                                      VI.      A short biography of the Director studied (200 words)

                                    VII.      An insight into the cinematic, dramatic or vaudeville tradition from which this artist emerged  (200words)

                                 VIII.      A succinct note on the Director’s style  (200-words)

                                       IX.      A précis of a typical plot summary  (200 words)

                                         X.      Observations on the Director’s working methods gained from reading and practical experience ( 200 words)

                                       XI.      Reference and further reading

Layout

Single column in 12 pt times New Roman in both hard copy and email form.  References must use the Harvard system.

Date for Submission

First draft                     Monday 29^th November 2010 at 10.00 a.m.

Final draft                     Monday 10^th January 2010 at 10.00 a.m.

Tati and sound

Tati in shooting Playtime entirely in long shot uses sound as colour, texture and a navigational tool in the film.  The article by at the link below  discusses Tati's use of sound.

Dan North-Life is Noisy

Bertrand Russell-There is too much work done in the world

The philosopher Bertrand Russell took the view that society ought to take a very careful look at the nature of work.  "Good Nature" in Russell's opinion was the moral virtue most required by the modern world.  Industrialisation and the politics of the industrial world were inimical to pleasurable living.

http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html

St Monday- attitudes prior to industrialisation

The movies we have been looking at have the theme of work in common.  Tati, Sykes, Barker and indeed Chaplin have well developed attitudes to work.  It is an activity best done in moderation.  The comics' perception of the workers condition are not just those of individual talents.  They are also an expression of members of the working class to conditioning of individual behaviour that was a concomitant part of industrialisation.  An example of workers attitudes is given in the Wikipedia article on St. Monday at the link below
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Monday

Viktor Frankl- in his own words

Take a little time to review the interview with Viktor Fankl at the link below.  As you listen pay particular attention to the portion of the interview in which Frankl describes the conditional nature of Man's freedom.  Note also that freedom for Frankl lies in the capacity to make decisions in response to a situation.  You will see that comedy, more specifically clowning, requires action within difficult circumstances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EIxGrIc_6g&feature=related

Viktor Frankl

The last chapter in the 2004 edition of Man's Search for Meaning is titled "The Case for Tragic Optimism" . In this chapter Frankl speaks of  optimism in the face of tragedy.  This disposition

• turns suffering into achievement
• uses guilt an opportunity to be better
• sees the transitory nature of life an incentive for responsible action

A human being is not in search of happiness but rather in search of a reason to be happy. Frankl compares the pursuit of  happiness to laughter.  Laughter cannot come about without a cause. This is the condition of all the clowns we have studied. They do not set out to be funny.  They are rather in search of happiness or fulfilment. Their aim is to give meaning to their existence.  You will have noted that optimism despite the evidence of his failings is the contribution of the clown to theatre.



(Frankl, Viktor E. Man's Search for Meaning, pp 137-154, Rider, London 2004)

Aristotle on Comedy

The Movies of Sykes, Barker, Tati and Chaplin have all been comedies.  We did not set out to find comedies but movies telling their stories without significant quantities of dialogue.  They have turned out to be comedies and while not remotely constituting a genre have threads in common. Before discussing those threads it would be useful to consider what comedy itself might be.  The link below makes a number of observations about comedy.  That

1.  Traditionally, comedy has to do with the concerns and exploits of ordinary people. And
2. Again, the true hallmark of comedy isn't always laughter. More often, it's the simple satisfaction we feel when we witness deserving people succeed. (David L Simon  De Paul University Chicago 1998)

Read the link and consider how this relates to the work of Sykes et al.
http://condor.depaul.edu/~dsimpson/tlove/comic-tragic.html

Kurt Vonnegut on the reasons for laughter

Kurt Vonnegut was a very distinguished writer of science fiction stories.   In this interview with the Christian Century website he discusses the nature of humour.  In the body of the interview he observes that humour introduces something troubling to the audience.  He then observes that Laurel and Hardy are particularly funny because they have a sweetness that it is too sweet to survive

http://www.vonnegutweb.com/vonnegutia/interviews/int_xiancentury.html

The Plank -opening sequences

Group 2a
We noted that in the opening sequence of The Plank Tommy Cooper appears in the lumber yard anachronistically.  The plot actually has him appear in the yard minutes later.  Why has Sykes done this?.  One way of looking at this is to consider  the opening as psychological preparation for the audience.  We see Cooper and latterly Sykes appear after 1) some establishing sound and shots of the lumber yard as a place of threat and 2)  Cooper as a clown who cannot cope with the environment in which he finds himself.

We also noted the way in which Sykes constructs both his prop gags and his visual gags.
 Have a look at Its Your Move on You Tube to see the was in which these gags are constructed.

Do this for sequence 1 at the address below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeRT07fvzXg

Stan and Ollie-Examples of the Inner and Outer Clown

In the article Stan and Ollie:  The Two Clown Angels, Kyp Harness suggests that Stan and Ollie stand as " oppressed every men".   Read the article and consider the 2 characters as examples of the Inner and Outer Clown. In the article Harness suggests that clown have a tragic "structural premise".  They propose to do something and they fail.

http://laurelandhardycentral.com/angels.htm

Have a look at the link below.  You will see scenes from the American sitcom Perfect Strangers.   In this the actors re-enact a scene from Laurel & hardy.  While they accurately imitate the physical movements of Laurel & Hardy consider how far they reproduce their "clowning".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o1uLvzOgHw&feature=related

Having read the article view part one of Duck Soup for evidence of the Inner and Outer Clown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ4YF7xkiXE&feature=related

The Art of Clowning

Look at the link below.
 In this short video Eli Simon an American Professor of Drama identifies 2 types of clown-The Inner Clown and the Outer Clown. The former is self possessed and confident while the latter is sad and something of an out cast. we will soon be beginning to develop your own characters.  You might want to consider how you will develop your characters. Simon's ideas may be a starting point
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ57_prZ9e4

Studs Terkel: The Workers' Archvist

Studs Terkel was an American journalist and radio presenter whose mission was to bring the life experience of "ordinary"  workers to the attention of the wider world.  This is a review of his book Working and neatly summarises the main themes of Terkel's work

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0531-03.htm

Theodore Zeldin: also raging against the machine

Zeldin is a philosopher and sociologist who has studied work and progress as a phenonomenon.  He is interested in the consequences that everyday processes .  Both for the individual and society as a whole.  He wonders if we have become richer why are we not happier?

http://www.hsbcprivatebank.com/perspective/future-of-boring-work.html

Research activity 2-Group A

Each group has been set a mini film project.  Remember you are to film using Tati's techniques.  Some reminders of what we talked about

1. Tati employs a variety of wide shots
2. Narration (such as it is) his films move from order to chaos
3. They privilege the cool independent viewer
4. There  is the subtle reframing of the viewers attention by the use of internal frames

Next screening

In this film Sykes a movie based on comic set ups linked a slim narrative thread

Research Topic

Using YouTube channels, DVDs or other media view scenes from a Jacques Tati movie and

• Identify the dominant framing technique employed by this director
• Sketch 3 story board images from the beginning, middle and end of the sequence
• Consider how the sequence relates to Tati's notions of the built and organic world

In the seminar be prepared to articulate your general findings about this directors use of the camera, cinematography and cutting.

Next Screening

Our next featured screening is Play Time.  This was Tati's commentary on the de personalisation brought about by industrial society

Recent Screenings

Both HND Media 2a & 2b viewed Chaplin's ModernTimes and Tati's M Hulot's Holiday.  In addition both groups watched the short "Sylvette Baudrot on Tati and Playtime (available as an extra on the BFI edition of Playtime).  This gives an insight into Tati's working methods and a little of his philosophical and artistic interests.

Tati's approach to his main character

This is a quotation from an article by Elliot Stein in the Village Voice (31/12/69).  Stein points out that Tati create an imaginary world as a defense against the less than humane "real world".

Tati's signature comic character ambled into movies with Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953), his second film. Tall, awkward, blank-faced Hulot is an endearingly clumsy everyman whose incompetence is preferable to the inhuman competence of the modern world.

Tativille is the official website for Jacque Tati's films. You will see a collection of slides. Pay attention to the framing, composition and colour

http://www.tativille.com/

Silent Movies

Eric Sykes maitained the tradition of dialogue free movies.  The link below  refers you his television short  Its Your Move

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTx3XGcSKV4