Final Takeaways

     This is the final blog that I will be doing for this class. This class has made me see films in a different way. I have always loved films and watching them since I was a little kid. Before this class I had some prior knowledge of films and how they worked behind the scenes. I was more informed on the making of a film, the editing. When to use certain cuts and how certain shots are set up or arranged. Along with that I knew about how to make a film, so the film making project we did as a group was very enjoyable to do. It felt like I was touching back into my old roots when it comes to film. I really enjoyed looking back at the older films at the beginning of the year. Old films are always so interesting to me, whether it's Hitchcock, or something made in the 40s, old films are always art. When looking at the films like Rear Window and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, I feel like I am looking into the past. This is where the invention of certain cuts, angles, and shots happen. These old films are the cornerstone of modern film. When watching them it feels like I am paying respect to the origins of film.

This class has helped me appreciate the aspect of culture in film better. I am now able to see the cultural impacts of film better than I ever have before. In film I always looked for shots and different techniques the director made to help tell the story. This class has helped me see how film uses culture to tell the story as well. In the Hitchcock film Rear Window, I only paid attention to the camera angles the film used, I thought that was the only significance in the film. After learning about the cultural effects of the film, I now notice the film is telling us so much more. The way women are treated in the film show us the hardships and the struggles they had to deal with. Along with that it brings us to the cultural norms of the time the film was made, this can help us learn more about the director as well. 

This class has helped me see film in a new way, and helped me grow as a consumer of media. I would recommend this class to others and I think if you enjoy film/know about film, there is always more to learn. Just because you know a certain aspect of film, doesn’t mean you know all parts of film. This class helped me see that and helped me enjoy/respect films in a whole new light.