Geog/Film

Re-watch days

In the course assessments, I noticed a minor disagreement between some students about the re-watch days. Some students cited these as when they were most engaged in class and others cited these days as when they were the most distanced.

• If you were most engaged on re-watch days, why did these days work for you?
• If you felt distanced on these days, why didn't they work for you? What would you change?
• In either case, for future terms would you recommend that I keep this structure (five films, two weeks per film) or program more films (e.g., a new film very week)?

Memento: props

A common topic in the Post-Film Writing this week is the use of props (objects) to mark time, space and memory in the film. What were the most important objects to you as a viewer in attempting to make connections in time and space while watching Memento? Did this change between viewings?

Color in Vertigo

This was a recurring theme in the Post-Film Writing this week. What did you think of the use of color in the film? What uses stand out for you and why? What uses were less effective?

Dreams (other mental states)

A question from the Post-Film Writing after the re-watch of Vertigo is related to the way the filmmakers showed dreams, primarily through color, but also by using devices like animation. What are other good examples of similar devices in other films? How else have you seen filmmakers visually signify dreams or altered mental states?

Representing memory (loss)

An interesting question about Eternal Sunshine from the Learning Assessments is whether there is any significance to how the erasure or degradation of memories is shown. For example, erasure is signified in some scenes by people and objects disappearing, while in others the lights go out, and in others the setting simply dissolves, or soft focus is used to show the degradation. What do these different choices mean? Why not be visually consistent?

What do you want to learn from this course?

I thought it would be interesting and useful for you to share your responses to the, "One thing I am hoping to learn this term is ..." bullet on the Learning Assessment. Feel free to expand on your answer here as well.

Filmmaking

On the Learning Assessments this week a number of students expressed curiosity about filmmaking and better understanding how filmmakers make the creative choices that they do. What are some questions you have about the "behind the camera" aspects of film? What aspects of filmmaking are you most curious about?