The Unconquered film was narrated by the filmmaker as she showed clips of Helen Keller's everyday life with her companions and meetings with influential people. The film gave an intimate glance of how she seamlessly lived her life and communicated with eloquence and brilliance through the camera and the people who she connected everyday. The title accurately portrayed her character and perseverance of trying to see and hear the world around her - through taste, touch, and smell.
I noticed that documentaries which won the Oscars are based on a topic or story that is incredibly remarkable, modest, compelling, life changing, a major event, overcame through limitations, and highlighting new technologies. The winning story came across through her adaptations of braille and raised lettering on devices around her home, her humanitarian work all over the world for the blind and deaf, her suffragist and political passions for funding social programs, and her mission of helping people on successfully adapting the world to them. All stacks against her, she graduated from Harvard (Radcliffe) and earned an Oscar. Along with those achievements, she kept connected through people who admired her work.
I believe that the emotional part of the story gave the audience the "ah" end. A film must make the viewer's heart have a rapid pulse and raise the body to another level either by height or to the ground. With that pulse rate or cooling stage, the invisible tears or punch in the wall cleanse the mind that someone or something is evolving society for the greater good or acknowledge a major issue. The impact of the film makes a viewer breathe something new or going to another higher element on the periodic table of truth.
Overall, the filming of the everyday life reminded me of the shows - Leave It to Beaver or My Three Sons in the context of dialogues and everyday objects. However, the clips based on the meetings (Eisenhower, Martha Graham, Gertrude Stein, Jascha Heifetz, and Robert Murray Helpmann) gave me the heart-racing sessions of two powerful minds coming together in terms of pollinating inside of a flower while its petals are closed then open - released and coming out permanently changed. This fascination carries throughout history from the pairing of power from rulers to modern day celebrities to the merger of companies. Documentaries based on remarkable people are important to society and our culture.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Walt Disney's Vanishing Prairie
Vanishing Prairie was the second film that Walt Disney won for an Oscar in documentary feature. The setting for the film is based around the area between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River as the paint brush narrates the history of the Oregon trail and topography. The narration goes into further details of the animal kingdom in a light hearted sequential order from the buffalo to the antelope to the prairie dogs.
I found the film to be quite informative and whimsical with all the interactions between the animals with the landscape backdrop. The "Life Adventures" films by Disney are quite valuable due to their contents for educational purposes for all ages. I could visualize the film presentations in my childhood classrooms or in a living room of a family bungalow home or in front of my own eyes - a dedicated documentary films viewer. I could say that Walt Disney did a superb presentation for making the films accessible and universal.
Even though I have taken numerous biology and ecology classes, I have to admit that I learned or relearned animal behavior and interconnections by watching the film. I find myself pondering about the art of teaching. Teachers must enjoy learning through the minds of children or adults by explaining and/or learning with them. The rewards of group learning are beneficial for all instead of self-learning. Holistic, adaptive learning approaches the fundamentals of education through levels of integrated designed curriculum. After viewing the Living Desert and this film, I stepped into my childhood past and drove over to the local library. I was immensely ecstatic as I headed to the youth section and read some of the children's books. Library environments can calm my angst. In return, I used to read books to groups of children. I also tutored mathematics at my old elementary school.
The topic of influences is prominently suggested as a successful documentary. The contents of the film can change the way the viewer come across the subject and integrated the matter into their lives or hands. As I am journeying through these films, my life is ever changing according to the my views. I recommend these Walt Disney documentaries for all purposes either for a child's mind or a future or current filmmaker. One can learn the life from a prairie dog.
The viewer becomes fixated into the mother's roles in the animal kingdom. There was a strong maternal matter as the film portrayed the birth, protection, teaching survival skills, and the role of the mother from the buffalo, prairie dog, and coyotes. The gopher is an anti-social Scrooge.
Oregon Trail spurred the thoughts of the computer game on the Apple IIE as a family goes on a wagon and survive on shooting at buffalo and squirrels. We as children at the time of the 80s were relentless to win the game.
Can one in modern times travel on the Oregon Trail and make a successful fictional yet documentary film? I wonder.
I found the film to be quite informative and whimsical with all the interactions between the animals with the landscape backdrop. The "Life Adventures" films by Disney are quite valuable due to their contents for educational purposes for all ages. I could visualize the film presentations in my childhood classrooms or in a living room of a family bungalow home or in front of my own eyes - a dedicated documentary films viewer. I could say that Walt Disney did a superb presentation for making the films accessible and universal.
Even though I have taken numerous biology and ecology classes, I have to admit that I learned or relearned animal behavior and interconnections by watching the film. I find myself pondering about the art of teaching. Teachers must enjoy learning through the minds of children or adults by explaining and/or learning with them. The rewards of group learning are beneficial for all instead of self-learning. Holistic, adaptive learning approaches the fundamentals of education through levels of integrated designed curriculum. After viewing the Living Desert and this film, I stepped into my childhood past and drove over to the local library. I was immensely ecstatic as I headed to the youth section and read some of the children's books. Library environments can calm my angst. In return, I used to read books to groups of children. I also tutored mathematics at my old elementary school.
The topic of influences is prominently suggested as a successful documentary. The contents of the film can change the way the viewer come across the subject and integrated the matter into their lives or hands. As I am journeying through these films, my life is ever changing according to the my views. I recommend these Walt Disney documentaries for all purposes either for a child's mind or a future or current filmmaker. One can learn the life from a prairie dog.
The viewer becomes fixated into the mother's roles in the animal kingdom. There was a strong maternal matter as the film portrayed the birth, protection, teaching survival skills, and the role of the mother from the buffalo, prairie dog, and coyotes. The gopher is an anti-social Scrooge.
Oregon Trail spurred the thoughts of the computer game on the Apple IIE as a family goes on a wagon and survive on shooting at buffalo and squirrels. We as children at the time of the 80s were relentless to win the game.
Can one in modern times travel on the Oregon Trail and make a successful fictional yet documentary film? I wonder.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Walt Disney's The Living Desert
The Living Desert is a prime film containing a well-written story along with splendid cinematography and staged encounters of the animal and plant kingdom in the desert lands of United States.
The film begins a drawn animated map about the history of ships and the trade winds meeting the west coast of the U.S. I enjoyed the introduction on how deserts are formed as a paintbrush narrates the travel of the winds into the formation of the clouds; then eventually blocked by the Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountains. The other side of mountain chain creates the desert. Side note, desert land is represented in the parts of the west side due to other mountain ranges. Overall, the viewers comprehend how deserts are formed by weather and topography regardless of my personal technicalities and knowledge.
First, we learn about the lowest point with Death Valley, the boiling point of the Salton Sea, and ugly yet fascinating beauty of Monument Valley and other popular rock formations. The film sets a clear backdrop how desert are set in this visual stage. The settings were well-executed and fine tuned with clarity. The lighting and colors made me jump and desire to be part of the picture. I believe that this simple thought should be in the minds of camera operators, film editors, directors, and actors should keep to suddenly turn and look at the screen and make the audience come and join them. You can capture the urge by mere psychological babble and actions. This is a great experiment. If you walk along a ridge of mountain and playing a character who trek on the Pacific Crest Trail or Appalachian Trail, you feel as a camera is viewing every move. Think about how you could demonstrate through body language and showmanship how someone or something could join you. Throw a rock or scale up a rock wall. Encounter wild spearmint and cook a cup of tea. Get naked and pour the tea all over yourself. One can gesticulate the thought and visual.
As I described the actions for pulling the audience, the film demonstrated great sets of how animals and plant interact based on courtship/mating, survival, and pure digestive purposes. The person who created and directed the scenes must had a background in Shakespearian or stage play character writing. The way the film portrayed character encounters and movement dialogue - tarantula versus wasp or snake versus kangaroo rat or red-tail hawk versus snake or male tortoise versus opponent male tortoise or other displays were greatly emphasized and dramatized. Along the actions, the musical score was superb. The way of a successful storytelling described in smooth transitions with in and out characters either animals or humans are involved. I believed that the film did exactly this method in its great measure. The Sea Around Us, the previous film I viewed, lacked this format which lost my interest in its greater loop holes especially the propaganda overload. I am guilt of being a non-conformist. I need a good story to be told and shown in great visualization; not lectured to me.
The beauty of the film was the attention to detail to every animal and plant involved. I felt that I had a greater understanding of every creature and its relation to the desert. I think that the audience purely enjoyed the wild boars chasing the bobcat up the cacti, the courtship of the female tortoise, and wasp versus tarantula. I enjoyed the viewing due to my numerous camping trips out in the desert. I have an appreciation of the natural world. At the end, the film showed changing weather from dry heat to rainstorms, as result, showed the power of the flash floods in the canyons, badlands, and flat dry lands. As devastating destruction occurs, the desert showed the vibrant and showmanship of the cacti and the desert plant blooms. It is strategically smart of the filmmaker to show the colors of the flowers at the end and cascading between sunrise and sunset and the seasons. Therefore, I am swayed to plan a desert camping trip soon versus an ocean trip. I must find an oceanic film to which is equivalent to this film if I want to break the though.
I think that I could make good practice if I could write scenes based on non-human objects and show how the viewers want to watch or be part of the act. The act is what others want to act in. At least, they do not need to work rather then watch and enjoy the show. The hardest part is done for them. I rather be part of the scene even though being surrounded by a rattlesnake or a bobcat or a wild boar as a camping buddy would show me as an insane person. At least, I can see it on screen. As for now, tamarisk trees, prickly pears, Bighorn Sheep, tortoises and numerous small creatures from scorpions to tarantulas are harmless when we co-exist in this greater vast of hot, dry, and desolated living desert - full of life with minimal destruction.
The film begins a drawn animated map about the history of ships and the trade winds meeting the west coast of the U.S. I enjoyed the introduction on how deserts are formed as a paintbrush narrates the travel of the winds into the formation of the clouds; then eventually blocked by the Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountains. The other side of mountain chain creates the desert. Side note, desert land is represented in the parts of the west side due to other mountain ranges. Overall, the viewers comprehend how deserts are formed by weather and topography regardless of my personal technicalities and knowledge.
First, we learn about the lowest point with Death Valley, the boiling point of the Salton Sea, and ugly yet fascinating beauty of Monument Valley and other popular rock formations. The film sets a clear backdrop how desert are set in this visual stage. The settings were well-executed and fine tuned with clarity. The lighting and colors made me jump and desire to be part of the picture. I believe that this simple thought should be in the minds of camera operators, film editors, directors, and actors should keep to suddenly turn and look at the screen and make the audience come and join them. You can capture the urge by mere psychological babble and actions. This is a great experiment. If you walk along a ridge of mountain and playing a character who trek on the Pacific Crest Trail or Appalachian Trail, you feel as a camera is viewing every move. Think about how you could demonstrate through body language and showmanship how someone or something could join you. Throw a rock or scale up a rock wall. Encounter wild spearmint and cook a cup of tea. Get naked and pour the tea all over yourself. One can gesticulate the thought and visual.
As I described the actions for pulling the audience, the film demonstrated great sets of how animals and plant interact based on courtship/mating, survival, and pure digestive purposes. The person who created and directed the scenes must had a background in Shakespearian or stage play character writing. The way the film portrayed character encounters and movement dialogue - tarantula versus wasp or snake versus kangaroo rat or red-tail hawk versus snake or male tortoise versus opponent male tortoise or other displays were greatly emphasized and dramatized. Along the actions, the musical score was superb. The way of a successful storytelling described in smooth transitions with in and out characters either animals or humans are involved. I believed that the film did exactly this method in its great measure. The Sea Around Us, the previous film I viewed, lacked this format which lost my interest in its greater loop holes especially the propaganda overload. I am guilt of being a non-conformist. I need a good story to be told and shown in great visualization; not lectured to me.
The beauty of the film was the attention to detail to every animal and plant involved. I felt that I had a greater understanding of every creature and its relation to the desert. I think that the audience purely enjoyed the wild boars chasing the bobcat up the cacti, the courtship of the female tortoise, and wasp versus tarantula. I enjoyed the viewing due to my numerous camping trips out in the desert. I have an appreciation of the natural world. At the end, the film showed changing weather from dry heat to rainstorms, as result, showed the power of the flash floods in the canyons, badlands, and flat dry lands. As devastating destruction occurs, the desert showed the vibrant and showmanship of the cacti and the desert plant blooms. It is strategically smart of the filmmaker to show the colors of the flowers at the end and cascading between sunrise and sunset and the seasons. Therefore, I am swayed to plan a desert camping trip soon versus an ocean trip. I must find an oceanic film to which is equivalent to this film if I want to break the though.
I think that I could make good practice if I could write scenes based on non-human objects and show how the viewers want to watch or be part of the act. The act is what others want to act in. At least, they do not need to work rather then watch and enjoy the show. The hardest part is done for them. I rather be part of the scene even though being surrounded by a rattlesnake or a bobcat or a wild boar as a camping buddy would show me as an insane person. At least, I can see it on screen. As for now, tamarisk trees, prickly pears, Bighorn Sheep, tortoises and numerous small creatures from scorpions to tarantulas are harmless when we co-exist in this greater vast of hot, dry, and desolated living desert - full of life with minimal destruction.
The Sea Around Us
The Sea Around Us film is based on the environmentalist Rachel Carson's book. The film is part of Warner Bros Studios Archive collection. When I ordered a DVD copy, I had to submit a request for a legal copy. I had high expectation of a good film. The film rather left me flat, slightly edgy yet appreciative of the natural world.
Basically, the film showed the discoveries and interconnections between human and our sea. This is the original reel for future shows based on the ocean. The camera documented dives, ships, natural phenomenon with earth, fire, water, and air, and numerous marine organisms from sea anemones to sharks. The sights and sounds were prominently innovative due to the time period when the film was released. The fascination of seeing the underwater world and its effects on land would be exciting, in return, causes a drawn interest of the general audiences from all over the world. This effect made established institutions, both private and public for humans to see colors of scales to the behavioral actions of sea creatures.
The approach of the film showed how wonderful, fragile, and sacred of Mother Ocean from its vast coverage on earth to how it provides support for our existence. I felt that the film went beyond on a extreme measure to portray this thought. It gave me a raw, salty aftertaste as I was slightly condemn of my sin in a religious ceremony based on the sermon "O Thee Ocean Save Me, I have sinned against your purity". Let's say that ocean is both a God and the devil. Or we are represented in that fashion. I come from a standpoint of scientific research, many university press books, and many views of research journals. I rather enjoy Carson's books with the detailed descriptions of interrelated ecosystems and the science. I think if I watched the film without seeing other resources; my opinion would differ.
I recommend the film for studying based the history of oceanic documentaries and general viewing of audiences. I will watch the film again and take on another angle. I believe that documentaries can be shown in different views as fictional stories are retold in a new view. My curiosity arise and wonder on what other films that I appraise for documenting ocean life. I am desensitized and corrupted due to the nature of other films and lectures with animated professors.
At the same time, I would like to visit an aquarium in the near future as I am fond of the interactions of marine life at my expense as a human who cannot live underwater without destroying natural habitat and oxygen. Aye, there's the rub. One shall snorkel, surf, and swim where the ocean water and marine life meets at my mercy. Therefore, the Mother Ocean is powerful yet deadly to my own life at the end.
Basically, the film showed the discoveries and interconnections between human and our sea. This is the original reel for future shows based on the ocean. The camera documented dives, ships, natural phenomenon with earth, fire, water, and air, and numerous marine organisms from sea anemones to sharks. The sights and sounds were prominently innovative due to the time period when the film was released. The fascination of seeing the underwater world and its effects on land would be exciting, in return, causes a drawn interest of the general audiences from all over the world. This effect made established institutions, both private and public for humans to see colors of scales to the behavioral actions of sea creatures.
The approach of the film showed how wonderful, fragile, and sacred of Mother Ocean from its vast coverage on earth to how it provides support for our existence. I felt that the film went beyond on a extreme measure to portray this thought. It gave me a raw, salty aftertaste as I was slightly condemn of my sin in a religious ceremony based on the sermon "O Thee Ocean Save Me, I have sinned against your purity". Let's say that ocean is both a God and the devil. Or we are represented in that fashion. I come from a standpoint of scientific research, many university press books, and many views of research journals. I rather enjoy Carson's books with the detailed descriptions of interrelated ecosystems and the science. I think if I watched the film without seeing other resources; my opinion would differ.
I recommend the film for studying based the history of oceanic documentaries and general viewing of audiences. I will watch the film again and take on another angle. I believe that documentaries can be shown in different views as fictional stories are retold in a new view. My curiosity arise and wonder on what other films that I appraise for documenting ocean life. I am desensitized and corrupted due to the nature of other films and lectures with animated professors.
At the same time, I would like to visit an aquarium in the near future as I am fond of the interactions of marine life at my expense as a human who cannot live underwater without destroying natural habitat and oxygen. Aye, there's the rub. One shall snorkel, surf, and swim where the ocean water and marine life meets at my mercy. Therefore, the Mother Ocean is powerful yet deadly to my own life at the end.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Kon-Tiki
77 min
Kon-Tiki film documented a journey across the Pacific Ocean. Six men including the narrator/leader of the expedition decided to travel by raft from Peru to Polynesian Islands. Thor Heyerdahl believed sea travel existed many centuries ago from South America to the islands. Their voyage was documented by a camera based on everyday life. It depicted how they survived with their supplies and the help of the sea.
My impressions of the film is the real-life way that the men were determined to work together and achieved their goal. Often times, humans are known to become cohesive in mind states if they are enclosed with certain boundaries. Your self becomes others' behaviors and personalities. You must be part of the team in order for the mission to have a smooth transition and end goal. Therefore, a strong leader must led yet adapt to the needs of the crew. I found fascinating how their expertise in marine life and engineering skills came together from eating the shell animals on the boat, drinking the liquid from the fish, barely rescuing a crew member, and repairing the raft.
I believe that one must always stretch and move forward on learning every aspect of a subject. You can rotate throughout your subjects. Your ability of knowing several subjects can aid to a project or projects in the future. Do not become a stalemate to your own demise. Others will not trust or take you seriously.
The way the crew made the journey seamless through the rough waves and weather of the Pacific Ocean. The only angst shown was how to shore the raft. There was trembling thoughts by the narrator and the way they were afraid of the rocks and shore. I believe that their psyche was conditioned to the ocean environment and forgotten also lost the ability to have land legs. I believe that I feel that in my own life. There was time that I was confident and full of boldness that I could walk on water or climb a mountain based on metaphorical standpoints. I could do anything. But there are times when I lay low in mud and feel stuck. I, just like the crew, are in survival mode. There is no beyond thinking besides treading through rough paths. Therefore, when something comes easy and unfamiliar, you can destroy yourself by forgetting who and what you were in the first place. One can be conditioned. This happens when people or society becomes devoid of their own thoughts and actions from tyrant or anarchy rule. Or if someone was completely down to the grave by someone's power and control.
I enjoyed the power of the team in this film. I look forward one day to visit the actual raft in Olso, Norway. Finally, I can move on. I watched this film thrice. My words mean that I must watch it again.
Along with this blog, my mission is to complete at least two screenplays by end of August.
Kon-Tiki film documented a journey across the Pacific Ocean. Six men including the narrator/leader of the expedition decided to travel by raft from Peru to Polynesian Islands. Thor Heyerdahl believed sea travel existed many centuries ago from South America to the islands. Their voyage was documented by a camera based on everyday life. It depicted how they survived with their supplies and the help of the sea.
My impressions of the film is the real-life way that the men were determined to work together and achieved their goal. Often times, humans are known to become cohesive in mind states if they are enclosed with certain boundaries. Your self becomes others' behaviors and personalities. You must be part of the team in order for the mission to have a smooth transition and end goal. Therefore, a strong leader must led yet adapt to the needs of the crew. I found fascinating how their expertise in marine life and engineering skills came together from eating the shell animals on the boat, drinking the liquid from the fish, barely rescuing a crew member, and repairing the raft.
I believe that one must always stretch and move forward on learning every aspect of a subject. You can rotate throughout your subjects. Your ability of knowing several subjects can aid to a project or projects in the future. Do not become a stalemate to your own demise. Others will not trust or take you seriously.
The way the crew made the journey seamless through the rough waves and weather of the Pacific Ocean. The only angst shown was how to shore the raft. There was trembling thoughts by the narrator and the way they were afraid of the rocks and shore. I believe that their psyche was conditioned to the ocean environment and forgotten also lost the ability to have land legs. I believe that I feel that in my own life. There was time that I was confident and full of boldness that I could walk on water or climb a mountain based on metaphorical standpoints. I could do anything. But there are times when I lay low in mud and feel stuck. I, just like the crew, are in survival mode. There is no beyond thinking besides treading through rough paths. Therefore, when something comes easy and unfamiliar, you can destroy yourself by forgetting who and what you were in the first place. One can be conditioned. This happens when people or society becomes devoid of their own thoughts and actions from tyrant or anarchy rule. Or if someone was completely down to the grave by someone's power and control.
I enjoyed the power of the team in this film. I look forward one day to visit the actual raft in Olso, Norway. Finally, I can move on. I watched this film thrice. My words mean that I must watch it again.
Along with this blog, my mission is to complete at least two screenplays by end of August.
The Revisit
On a warm day in Southern California, I decided to restart my blog. This action has been on my mind for a long time. It has been two years. It is long overdue to create more writing posts, in return, helps my chi. I believe that I died and besieged myself in a citadel of hopelessness and deceit. I listened to others who rather see me dead then alive. Therefore, I am gathering my seeds and replant them. My growth as a writer will continue.
On a positive note, I have achieved numerous life changes from relocation to working on the basics of screenwriting. I impressed a sleuth of others. My goal is to finish viewing and writing on the documentary film blog. My desire is to continue on another theme from Best Picture or Best Screenplay (both adapted and original). I have my workload in front of me. I shall give myself luck and complete this damn mission.
On a positive note, I have achieved numerous life changes from relocation to working on the basics of screenwriting. I impressed a sleuth of others. My goal is to finish viewing and writing on the documentary film blog. My desire is to continue on another theme from Best Picture or Best Screenplay (both adapted and original). I have my workload in front of me. I shall give myself luck and complete this damn mission.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)