Author: jholloway94

Types of Actors in Bacdraft

Backdraft

1991

Writer: Gregory Widen

Actors: Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Robert DeNiro

In this movie we find two brothers in the Chicago fire department. They do not get along however, the younger brother (Baldwin) is assigned to the older brother’s (Russell) station. The roles of the characters are pretty similar with varying differences. The actors in these roles are similar as well but with different roles in their past work may classify as different types of actors. Kurt Russell can be classified as a wild card actor. This type of actor is known for being able to play multiple types of roles. As the Captain of the station, Russell finds himself leading his men into some of the city’s worst fires in history often putting them in danger. One scene they are in a high rise building that has the fire hidden in a room. A rookie wanting to learn all he can from the Captain is tasked with checking the next room. Even though this is typically an ordinary task, the rookie’s lack of experience gets him severely burned. William Baldwin would be classified as a character or wild card actor. We see Baldwin’s character as someone who wants to follow his late father’s role yet not really wanting to be a fire fighter. He accepts a job in the Fire Marshall’s office, investigating the same fires that Russell’s station responds to. Robert DeNiro obviously, I think, is classified as a star. He has been successful for many years and is still considered a great and sought after actor. DeNiro plays the Fire Marshall and I think that his notoriety as an actor help play into the role and the importance of the Marshall position.

Robert DeNiro, as stated earlier, is a very successful actor. His success as an actor has earned him the star status. One can’t be a star until they have played several characters. I think that early on he would be considered a personality or even wild card actor. Starring in The Deer Hunter Deniro plays a soldier who goes through a war thousands of miles from home. By comparison the two roles are completely different.

Although it takes many different actions to put a movie together, the actors can make or break the film.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw-Tyr6Rb6I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrwlDh465HQ

Saving Private Ryan

1998

Writers: Frank Darabont, Robert Rodat

Actors: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon

A movie is made up of different components that work together to bring to life what the writers, producers, and directors envision. One such component is sound. Sound is a key component because it can bring the audience into the movie as if they were an extra. Explosions, a plane flying over or even birds chirping can draw attention to a certain part of the screen with specially placed speakers. There are three categories of sound in film which are dialogue, sound effects, and music. Each category requires special balancing so that the movie will flow properly and because of that, they are usually recorded separately and mixed together during the final editing process (Goodykoontz, 2011).

When you hear the characters conversing, that is what is known as dialogue. Characters talking in film can be difficult because the range of emotions that are found throughout the movie can be hard to convey. For instance, if one character is sad and on the verge of crying then during the dialogue, the actor, who is not sad in reality, has to sound sad. Another category of sound is sound effects. Sound effects can make or break a movie. In Saving Private Ryan, there are many different sound effects used to make the battle scenes more realistic. The last category is music. Many films use music to introduce the next scene. In some instances, the music is used as a build up to let you know that something is about to happen. Also, the absence of sound can be deafening. In a battle scene in Saving Private Ryan, everything is eerily quiet until an explosion rocks the scene.

The use of sound in Saving Private Ryan is obviously loud on many occasions. Fighter planes flying over, the bass in the explosions and the rat a tat of the machine guns are almost life like and it draws the audience into the film. It sets the mood of anticipation. It lets you know real quick that it is an action movie.

If you were to watch the movie with only dialogue, then you would feel like you missed something. Imagine Tom Hanks’ character talking to his platoon and an explosion rocked the building a little ways from where they were standing. With sound you know that something happened because you heard the boom. Without sound you would simply see Hanks jump with a startled response. You would see that something must have scared him but you wouldn’t know what it was.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

http://www.afi.com/10top10/moviedetail.aspx?id=24&thumb=1

Lighting Techniques of Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump

1994

Writers: Winston Groom, Eric Roth

Actors: Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Robin Wright

Lighting in the Film “Forrest Gump”

There are different elements used to bring a film to life so that movie goers get the feel that they are on set. One such element is the use of lighting. There are three main categories of lighting which are low key, high key and three-point. High key uses a bright light over everything which casts few shadows. Low key often uses one source of lighting and is usually placed to the side or back of the main characters. Three-point lighting uses three main sources of light and carefully controls the shadows (Goodykoontz, 2011).

The film “Forrest Gump” uses a combination of lighting techniques. The lighting for the most part is bright or high key. This helps in bringing out the bright color patterns which are typically a pastel scheme. An example of use of high key lighting used is in the scene where Forrest is getting married outside of the house. This is bright sunny day, and the lighting fits perfect with the attitude of the situation.

An example of low key lighting is when Forrest finds Jenny in the club singing with a strategically placed guitar. This sets the mood for maybe sensual moment that lets the audience know that there is something a little different taking place.

Three point lighting is what has been used that makes the difference of home videos and Hollywood films (Goodykoontz, 2011). There are different variations of this used in every movie.

The thing about “Forrest Gump” is that the lighting is bright enough in the happier settings and dim in the serious or dimmer moods. This gives the audience a good feeling about what they are seeing. I really think that they did a very good job and if done differently would detract from the movie.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Forrest Gump

1994

Writers: Winston Groom, Eric Roth

Actors: Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Robin Wright

The story begins with a feather drifting down and lands on the ground at Forrest’s feet. This is where we pick up the story with Forrest started telling his life story to a lady sitting at a bus stop with him. While the people listening change throughout the movie, the story telling never stops. The story follows Forrest as a young kindergartener all the way up to his life as the owner of Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, including time spent in the Army in Vietnam. Throughout his life he is involved in many historical events.

The plot to a movie is “carefully chosen elements from the story” that tell how the story happens (Goodykoontz and Jacobs, 2011). The plot of Forrest Gump follows a simple man who has a low IQ, throughout his life He accomplishes many things such as creating the smiley face, joins the national ping pong team, jogs across the nation as well as meeting a few presidents along the way.

This film is presented non-linearly which means that the film does not transfer from one event to the other in the order it occurred. I think that this really helped the movie transfer from each accomplishment to the other without confusing the audience. By doing this it gives a little history before the event that Forrest experiences.

Early in life, Forrest is fitted with braces on his legs because his spine was crooked. During a walk down his driveway, with Jenny, he was chased by some bullies. Forrest was told to run and so he did. Awkwardly at first, he didn’t have much speed but when he got used to the braces his form picked up and the braces broke off and he was running fast and never looked back. The character development here is how he could barely walk at an early age and ran across the country as a young man.

I can’t think of this movie being filmed any other way. I think that it is written perfectly. If it was chronologically filmed, then I think that important information would be left out. For example, LT Dan’s family being killed in every battle in American history will help the audience understand why he was so mad at Forrest for saving him and explain what he meant when he said he was supposed to die in the jungle.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.