The world of cinema is constantly evolving and developing new techniques for the progression of the industry. With expectations getting higher each year, filmmakers and actors alike have to constantly be stepping up their game in order to develop a profitable piece of art. The extensive and technological advancement within this given medium of art seems to have been mastered each year, yet individuals continue to wow their audiences through their stylistic choices. While still connecting with us through current political and social trends, filmmakers take the industry to a whole new level with every new year. Since about 1965, when film and movies were just starting to make a name for themselves, these films and stories that we tell have changed in a very dramatic way as well as very little at all. The amount of technology and work that goes into the production of a film is beyond what our ancestors ever thought that we were previously capable of. Technology such as CGI, visual artist, animators, actors, editors, and simply camera tech in general has given us the drastic difference between films such as “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Avatar”.

From stagnant camera movement all the way to incorporating things such as gimbals and drones, have made more than a world of a difference in the final product. Creating worlds that do not exist and developing creatures that are designed to perfectly mimic the human anatomy are just a few of the things that have been made into a reality.

But when we really continue to dig deeper and break it all down in order to see the true differences between films in the early beginnings as compared to the films available now, there really is no change. Since the beginning of human history we have continued to develop the same stories regardless of culture and the constant changing times. We have always been drawn to the same sappy love stories, the skewed humor that we find in the human anatomy, scary movies that get your adrenaline pumping, and the larger than life sci-fi stories that take you out of this world. Even though each film and their story is told in a different way, set with diverse backgrounds, they are essentially the same stories that we have experienced before. Film has changed drastically yet so minimally all at the same time. It his how we tell the story and how we perceive the message that is trying to be conveyed. The evolution of this industry is moving at a very rapid rate and it will be interesting to see where we go from here. 

The mid 1960s was a time for change. This change encompassed many things such as social and political changes, major technological advancements, and time where individuals felt that their voices needed to be heard. Film was the perfect new outlet for people to express themselves in a way that could be heard, while still giving people the discretion on whether or not they want to hear their message. The other benefit that film had within the economy is the industry that it had created. Providing countless individuals with jobs and the opportunity for that creative outlet, film had become an industry that benefited individual life as well as the economy. Even though the style of filmmaking has dramatically changed and been a refined art over the years, this medium of art is also very much so a business. For example, “A Hard Day’s Night” is an early example of self expression and follows the life of the famous Beatles. Whereas the film “Avatar” is absolutely a form of art and self expression, but is also very much so a product for consumers. Over the years, the film industry has experienced an increasing demand for this product that must capture their attention enough for them to invest into it. This is where the industry has had significant changes over the years, even though these stories are generally the same just expressed in a different way. Big filmmakers and corporations have begun to loose some of the artistic significance behind films and have corned the market for an extremely profitable industry. Although there is nothing wrong with this and there are still filters out there who simply create for the sake of creation, film is evolving into a money pit for consumers to fall into for their personal entertainment. Producers have figured out that with different visual effects and different settings, they are able to tel virtually the same story and continue to profit off of it. Typical stories such as the hero who is torn between what is right and what is wrong, learning to make the right decisions, a standard love story, and so on. This aspect of the film industry has not changed since its very beginnings. It is all about perception and it is the directors, as well as everyone else involved, who has mastered the art of telling a story through this medium of art known as film. 

Film is all about style. The style of where to lace the camera, what kind of lens to use, how to properly expose the image, where the actors are placed, what is developed on the computer, and so on. Even though the storylines in various films may be strikingly similar, no one film is ever the same. I like to think of it like cooking, you may be following someone else’s recipe but the various different things that you could add to that dish or compliment them with, is what separates your creation from the other. For example, films such as “Solaris” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” are very early representations of stories where the director had very little technology to work with since it had not yet been developed. With techniques as simple as using very little artificial light in order to develop an eerie set for the production of “Texas Chainsaw massacre” and the use of a minimalist set for the spaceship in “Solaris”, these films prove that you do not a huge budget or advanced technology in order to tell a story.

     

In addition to, films on the opposite side of the spectrum who do have massive budgets and advanced technology at their disposal, are still able to create the same successful product. Films like “Avatar” and “Inception” are the complete opposite from low budget films who are not able to use advanced CGI and have multiple camera men to capture the same moment form various angles. Although as I had stated before, the storylines are fairly similar. In “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Avatar” both films revolve around the same idea that characters are faced with the decision to either face their enemie(s) or to run from them. These concepts are simple ones that we seem to always find ourselves circling back to no matter how advanced or minimalist the film might be. The interesting thing between those same two films is that you can see the shift in American society and how these films follow the times by evolving with the majorities ideas, as well as their perception of the world. Style is everything in the filming industry. Without something that can immediately capture the attention of the audience, that film becomes a recipe for failure. Without style and a new perspective, films will fall back into their origins of mundane filmmaking and consumers will soon loose interest. 

Throughout this course we analyzed and studied various films that ranged from the basic beginnings of filmmaking to technologically advanced films that we see today. From what I have studied and completed the majority of my research on, I would say that film has both dramatically changed since the mid 1960s as well as staying painfully similar. As far as technology and telling a story goes, the filming industry has made leaps and bounds for the progression of film as a whole. Things such as CGI, gimbals, drones, various lenses, visual artists, animators, and so much more has been developed to dwarf the visual effects that the generations before us first experienced. The part that I cannot seem to get past is the basic construct that all films seem to share. Every director sets out to develop a film that is unique within its own way. Although I do believe that each film is unique in its own way, I also believe that all genres of film have remained fairly stagnant since their beginnings. For example, a horror film is simply just that. Its goal is to scare you, get your adrenaline pumping, and to evoke emotion. The same thing goes for generally all genres of film whether they are horror, comedy, action, etc. This is not to say that those films are not successful, but they are the same in the sense that they want you to feel a certain way and must use certain techniques to achieve that effect. The world of cinema is constantly evolving and developing new techniques for the progression of the industry. With expectations getting higher each year, filmmakers and actors alike have to constantly be stepping up their game in order to develop a profitable piece of art. Since the mid 1960s, film has made leaps and bound with the evolution of the technology that is used for their production, but have simultaneously remained stagnant through basic storytelling concepts. 

Works Cited

Friedman, R. L. “The Beatles in Richard Lester’s A Hard Day’s Night.” The Hopkins Review, Johns Hopkins University Press, 29 Sept. 2011, muse.jhu.edu/article/451889/pdf. (Critical)

‘Young Frankenstein’: THR’s 1974 Review (Critical)

FILM IN REVIEW; ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (Critical)

Solaris : The Consciousness in Outer Space | Renegade Cut (Critical)

A New Eden, Both Cosmic and Cinematic (Critical)

Structure: Inception (Critical)