Acting and Acting Styles in The Wizard of Oz

Acting and Acting Styles in The Wizard of Oz

The three actors/actresses from The Wizard of Oz I chose are Judy Garland who played Dorothy Gale; Ray Bolger who played Hunk and The Scarecrow; and Margaret Hamilton who played Almira Gulch and The Wicked Witch of the West.

Ray Bolger would be classified as a personality actor in this film because his own personality comes through the character he is pretending to be. Personality actor is defined as “an actor whose own personality tends to define all the characters he or she portrays, so that the actor’s name alone lets audiences know what the screen character will be like” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). He was comical in real life and did a fantastic job of bringing that to the big screen, as he did in Four Jacks and Jill released in 1942. I would also say his portrayals were realistic within the film, except for the talking and singing Cowardly Lion of course.

Margaret Hamilton could be classified as a character actress in this film because the characters she was playing were created to help tell a story. A character is defined as “a (usually fictional) person whose traits and actions are fashioned by a writer to help tell a story to the audience through the course of a plot” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Margaret Hamilton found herself playing a succession of stern spinsters, prim Yankee aunts or other unpleasant women (Berger, 1985).

Judy Garland could be considered an interpreter actress in this film because of her interpretation of who Dorothy is and how she behaved. An interpreter actresses is  “an actor who tries to put his or her personal stamp on roles, often playing characters that have been done by others” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Judy did a beautiful job when she was presenting Dorothy as a young, sweet and innocent girl. Judy Garland also performed as an interpreter in the film Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).

Ray Bolger I believe would always be placed in a personality category because of his humorous personality in real life. This tells me that Ray Bolger is able to laugh at himself and also be comfortable with others laughing at him as well. Margaret Hamilton also played character roles, which showed her to be a mean vicious lady, but in real life she was a gentle and lively woman (Berger, 1985). I have a hard time clarifying if Judy Garland was always an interpreter, but I think she did put her own personal stamp on whatever she was doing. I think that since each of these actors/actresses stayed within their type of acting, that they were comfortable in those positions and not as comfortable in another acting category.

Referenecs

Almira Gulch Picture. Retrieved from: http://www.wizardofozpictures.com/wicked-witch-pictures.php

Berger, J. (1985).Margaret Hamilton, 82, dies- Played wicked witch in ‘oz’. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/17/movies/margaret-hamilton-82-dies-played-wicked-witch-in-oz.html

Dorothy Picture. Retrieved from: http://www.wizardofozpictures.com/dorothy-pictures.php

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd Ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Scarecrow Picture. Retrieved from: http://www.wizardofozpictures.com/scarecrow-pictures.php

Categories and Functions of Sound in The Wizard of Oz

Categories and Functions of Sound in The Wizard of Oz

The three basic categories of sound are dialogue, music, and sound effects. Dialogue is the spoken words between two or more characters in a scene. Voice-over is another source of dialogue, which is words spoken by a narrator not of the screen or scene of the film. Music can come through the film through background music that accompanies the action on the screen, called score. Sound track is part of the film containing all the recorded sound (music, dialogue, and sound effects), typically recorded to a digital, analog optical, or magnetic format that may be on the film itself or played in synchronization with the picture. Sound effects can be done through monaural sound coming from a single source. Stereophonic source means the sound comes from two or more sources, and are a more realistic sound field (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

As you can see in the video above, dialogue was used when Dorothy was trying to explain to Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, Hunk, Zeke, and Hickory that Almira Gulch was trying to hurt Toto. No one was listening to her, all they could do was tell her to get out of the way. Dialogue continued through the movie, as she spoke to Glinda the good witch, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, the Wizard of Oz, and other characters in the movie.

Music was used throughout the movie as well. It came through forms of songs like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” and “If I Only had a Heart.” There were other songs sung by the characters in The Wizard of Oz. Score was used as well, in scenes such as Almira going to the home of Auntie Em and Uncle Henry, When Dorothy was knocked out floating in the tornado, as well as when Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Lion were going to the Wicked Witches castle to save Dorothy.

Sound effects came in a few different scenes, walla was one that I believe was used. When Dorothy landed in Munchkinland and proclaimed she was not a witch, and that witches were old and ugly, then all the Munchkins chuckled in unison. This could and in my opinion should be considered walla. The sound of the window hitting Dorothy in the back of the head, was part of making it seem real. When Dorothy was singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and she heard the birds chirping this was also a sound effect because there were no birds.

Impact that the dialogue, music, and sound effects had in establishing a theme was fundamental. The dialogue, music, and sound effects were an important part in allowing the audience to feel the fear of not being able to go home. The audience would not be able to understand that there is no place like home. Family and friends are so very important, and showing each other that you love them is so special.

In the beginning of the film the background music gave the audience the sensation that Dorothy was unhappy and felt unwanted by those around her, and that evil was in her midst. Once Dorothy landed in Munchkinland and she had killed he wicked witch of the east, the walla from the Munchkins rejoicing gave a sense of relief and freedom. As we go through the movie, you get ups and downs from different parts, but when you reach the end you get the, oh I am so glad to be home feeling; like after a long vacation.

Specific sounds that infer the musical genre is the songs being sung by Dorothy, the Munchkins, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and other characters continuously throughout the film are key to the musical genre. Dorothy waking up in the midst of the tornado, then the dialogue between her and the fictional characters in the Land of Oz that mimic someone she knows back home is essential to the fantasy genre.

Whether the effects on the film were realistic and expected or exaggerated and unexpected is at the discretion of the viewer. In my opinion some parts of the film were realistic and some were exaggerated. The tornado was realistic and slightly expected, except when Dorothy woke up in the midst of the twister. When the witch cast a spell over the poppies and it caused Dorothy, Toto, and Lion to fall asleep, it was exaggerated, but being of the fantasy genre it would be expected because it is not real. In Emerald City, the horse carriage ride is realistic and slightly expected, but the horse of a different color is exaggerated which also ties into the fantasy genre. All the music and songs sung by the characters is expected and realistic which keeps true to the musical genre. For example, Dorothy singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The dialogue and songs of Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion goes with the genres of fantasy and musical because lions and scarecrows do not sing or talk, and Tin Man is not real, so they cannot sing or talk either.

References
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Who 2 Biographies. (1939, Published in 2010). Google doodle salutes ‘The wizard of oz’ . Retrieved from: http://www.who2.com/sites/default/files/blog/wizard-of-oz-poster.jpg

YouTube. (1939, published in 2013). Judy garland – The merry old land of oz (The Wizard Of Oz, 1939). Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkeNEvwq7A0#t=37

YouTube. (1939, Published in 2013). There’s no place like home (The Wizard Of Oz, 1939). Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Y9eQAFYdg&x-yt-ts=1422503916&feature=player_detailpage&x-yt-cl=85027636

YouTube. (1939, Published in 2008). Dorothy lands in Munchkin land. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=85027636&x-yt-ts=1422503916&v=TP_wx0qrKu0&feature=player_detailpage

YouTube. (1939, Published in 2010). Miss gulch-extended. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1422503916&v=AldxVQ8z5FQ&x-yt-cl=85027636&feature=player_detailpage

YouTube. (1939, Published in 2013). The wizard of oz – Aunt em uncle henry, hunk, hickory and zeke. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NaMImrWYrA&x-yt-ts=1422503916&x-yt-cl=85027636&feature=player_detailpage

Lighting in Film

Lighting in The Wizard of Oz

Since The Wizard of Oz is a black and white, plus color film I believe that the lighting was different during parts of the film. From the beginning through the tornado when Dorothy landed in Munchkinland, I believe they used a low key lighting. A low-key lighting design looks dark overall by comparison. It is marked by extreme use of deep shadows, with very high contrast between the brightest parts of the scene and the darkest parts, which are obscured in shadows (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Low key lighting was also used in the dark forest when the wicked Witch sent her flying monkeys out to capture Dorothy and her little dog, Toto. The forest was meant to be dark, but with enough lighting to see the characters in the scene. At the end of the movie when Dorothy has woken up at home in her bed, this too was in low key lighting.

During the middle of the movie, I believe they used high key lighting, to keep everything bright everywhere.  High-key lighting design has very bright light over everything, with few shadows and relatively low contrast between the lightest and darkest parts of the scene. This style of lighting is typical of comedies, happy scenes, institutional and office scenes, and the like (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

I believe if they had used different lighting in any part of the movie it would have made it too bright to give the black and white parts the stormy look. I also think that had the color been done in black and white with dull lighting that the warmth from Munchkinland and Emerald City would be lost in the movie.

Reference

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd Ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

YouTube. (1939, Uploaded in 2012).The Wizard of Oz (1939) – Dorothy lands in Munchkin Land ***FULL COLOR 1080p HD***. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzpyfNTOqHI&feature=player_detailpage

YouTube. (1939, Uploaded in 2010). Witch’s Crew. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE_jGNB0WFw&feature=player_detailpage

Narrative and Storytelling of The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz was written by Noel Langley and Florence Ryerson. The directors are Victor Fleming and King Dior. The actors and actresses were picked splendidly. Dorothy Gale was presented by Judy Garland. Frank Morgan played five characters, Professor Marvel, Wizard of Oz, Emerald City doorkeeper, the Coach driver, and the Wizard’s doorkeeper. Ray Bolger played Hunk and Scarecrow. Bert Lahr played Zeke and the Cowardly Lion. Jack Haley played Hickory and the Tin Man. Auntie Em was played by Clara Blandick. Charley Grapewin played Uncle Henry. Margaret Hamilton presented Miss Almira Gulch and The Wicked Witch of the West. Billie Burke played Glinda the Good Witch. The film was released on February 25, 1939

The Wizard of Oz is about a young girl named Dorothy Gale and her little dog Toto. Elmira Gulch brings the Sheriff to Auntie Em and Uncle Henry’s farm to remove Toto after Elmira has accused Toto of biting her. Uncle Henry refuses to argue with the law and hands Toto over to Elmira. Toto escapes the basket that Elmira Gulch has put him in and returns home to Dorothy. Knowing that Elmira will return for the dog, Dorothy and Toto run away. Dorothy and Toto stop as see Professor Marvel, a fortune-teller and balloonist, who makes Dorothy believe that her aunt had an attack because she ran away. With a tornado on its way in, Dorothy and Toto return home. Dorothy ends up hitting her head in her room and is knocked unconscious, and she wakes to find herself in the middle of the tornado.

The house drops in Munchkinland, a beautiful and delightful place where the Munchkins live, and lands on top of the Wicked Witch of the East. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, through her powers, has placed the ruby slippers from the Wicked Witch of the East on Dorothy’s feet before the dead witch’s sister, the Wicked Witch of the West, can retrieve them. Glinda explains to Dorothy that the only person that could help her is the Wizard of Oz. To get to him she will need to follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City. As Dorothy traveled along the yellow brick road she met a Scarecrow, who wallows in self-pity because he does not have a brain. Then Dorothy and Scarecrow meet Tin Man who describes a romantic life, if he only had a heart. The three of them run into a ferocious lion, who is actually a coward because he has no courage. Dorothy invites all of them to Emerald City to ask the Wizard for a brain, a heart, courage, and to go home. They reach Emerald City, where the Wizard agrees to grant their requests, but they must first return with the broomstick from the wicked Witch of the West.

The four friends return back to the Wizard of Oz with the broomstick in hand only to be told to return to next day. Toto opens the curtain the Wizard is behind, only to find that it is actually just a person behind the head and loud voice. Dorothy calls him a bad man, and he replies that he is a bad Wizard, but a good man. He goes on to award the Scarecrow a diploma, the Lion a medal and the Tin Man a testimonial, and states that where he comes from, these things are given to men who have no more brains, courage or heart than they have. He tells Dorothy that he is also from Kansas and has a balloon that can take them back home. Dorothy, Toto and the Wizard get in the balloon and Toto jumps out after a cat, and Dorothy after Toto. Glinda reveals to Dorothy that she has always had the power to return home, but that she had to learn it for herself. Dorothy says that she has learned never to go further than her own backyard to look for her heart’s desire. After Dorothy tearfully kisses and hugs her friends, Glinda tells her to click the heels of the slippers three times with her eyes closed and to think to herself, “There’s no place like home.” This she does, and she awakens to find Uncle Henry and Auntie Em at her bedside. Professor Marvel, having heard that Dorothy was badly injured, comes by, and she begins to tell about her journey, which Auntie Em calls a bad dream. The farmhands come in, and Dorothy remembers them as her three friends in Oz and the professor as the Wizard. When Toto climbs on the bed, Dorothy says she loves them all and that she will never leave again, and she affirms to her aunt that there is no place like home.

I believe the film followed a chronological order. The general affect on people was to give people an imagination from over the rainbow. Character development was essential as some actors and actresses had to learn more than one characters lines. I do not believe there is another way to present the Wizard of Oz. If they had done anything any different I believe the film would not be as exciting to the generations today.

References

AFI. (2014). The Wizard of Oz. Retrieved from: http://www.afi.com/10top10/moreDetail.aspx?id=7892&thumb=1

 

Categories and Functions of Sound

The dialogue is spoken words between two or more characters in a scene. Voice-over is another way of dialogue, which is words spoken by a narrator not on the screen. Sound effects can be done through monaural sound, coming from a single source. Stereophonic source, means sound that comes from two or more sources, and are a more realistic sound field. Walla is a way of receiving sound effects that are generic crowd noises. Music can come through a film through background music that accompanies the action of the screen, called score (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

In “Soul Surfer” the dialogue comes in two different forms in a few different scenes of the film. The beginning of the film is through voice-over, Bethany Hamilton is not on the screen and is explaining her childhood, her family and friends, and her love for surfing. She is preparing us for the events of her story. Then the film transfers to dialogue as these are spoken words between two or more characters in the scenes. In the surfing competitions there is a touch of voice-over as the announcer is narrating the surfing competition from off the screen.

(Dialogue)

Sound effects can be done through a few different ways, one is through stereophonic sounds. Thrashing of the waves as Cheri and Tom are putting on a private competition for their children. Another example of stereophonic, when Bethany got to the hospital the doctor used a set of defibrillator paddles, and the scene went into this beaufitul wave that had the most perfect shape. The sounds were as if she were really in that wave right then. The news reporters I think could be considered stereophonic and walla, as well as dialogue.

(Dialogue, music and sound effects)

In Soul Surfer there was a lot of score, which is background music which accompanies the action on the screen. For example, when the shark attacked Bethany the music gave the sensation that something bad was going to happen. When Tom was talking to Bethany on the rocks after regionals the music is soft and emotional. The music was angelic when Bethany was in the operating room, and they used defibrillator paddles to resuscitate.

(Music)

The mood was harder to determine with the use of sound. During regionals when Bethany kept getting swept under by the waves, the crashing of the water gave the mood of fear for Bethany since it had not been long since the shark attacked her. The fireworks on Bethany and Alana’s midnight surf, gave excitement and happiness to the mood. The sounds of the ambulance sent the mood to being afraid, with anxiety and sorrow. Since the film is called Soul Surfer, sounds of crashing waves would be an expected sound to hear. Since Bethany’s story was all over the news, most people knew what happened to her. The ambulance and other hospital sounds would be expected. All the noises were very realistic.

I cried the first time I watched Soul Surfer, and have watched it quite a few more times since. I watched it four times just for this blog and cried the last time. I expected certain things, sounds, and actions, but when I watched it I kept seeing new things that I did not see the times before. Just because you see it one way this time and another way the next does not mean that the affect it has on you cannot be different. I am not sure that changing or removing any key categories of sound would play out differently. If you change or remove specific key/major sounds with their events, then it changes the way of the story.

References

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd Ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.

 

Lighting in Film

While watching Soul Surfer again, paying close attention to the lighting throughout the movie, I believe that the majority of the film used three-point lighting, while other scenes used a low-key or high-key lighting system. For example, at the end of the film, when Bethany was speaking with the press, a three-point lighting system would be ideal because you can easily adjust the fill and back lights. During the scene of Thanksgiving the use of a low-key lighting would be perfect because it is designed for dark scenes and allows for the use of deep focus. In scenes where they were inside a structure, a high-key lighting system is preferable. For example,  when they were in the house, and Bethany got home from Thailand and they began going through fan mail, the very bright light over everything, with a few shadows around the room.

The benefits of using a three-point lighting system is that in certain scenes that the light intensity and positions of the fill and back lights can change to suit the mood or to simulate the sources of light visible in the scene. The benefits of a low-key lighting system is that in dark scenes such as Thanksgiving or the night surf a low-key lighting would be applied as it keeps the darkness intact instead of making it look as if it were daylight outside.

I believe by using different lighting systems throughout the film contributes to keeping is authenticity. Making people see the rawness in Soul Surfer. I think the lighting used suited the genre of the film perfectly because they film is dramatic, filled with gospel, and loads of faith.

 

 

Narrative and Storytelling

My choice of a full length film is Soul Surfer. Soul Surfer is based on a true story about Bethany Hamilton. Soul Surfer was written by Bethany Hamilton, Rich Burdschuh, and Sheryl Berk. The director of the film is Sean McNamara. Bethany Hamilton is played perfectly by AnnaSophia Robb. Cheri Hamilton is exquisitely presented by Helen Hunt. Dennis Quaid does a fabulous job of performing Tom Hamilton. Ross Thomas and Chris Brochu played Bethany’s brothers, Noah and Timmy Hamilton. Alana Blanchard was recreated through Lorraine Nicholson. Carrie Underwood was fabulous showing compassion, faith and support through Sarah Hill. Kevin Sorbo was another fabulous actor representing Holt Blanchard. Soul Surfer was released on April 8, 2011.

Bethany Hamilton grew up in a family of surfers, her parents Tom and Cheri, and two brothers Noah and Timmy. Bethany and her best friend Alana had a passion for surfing and began competing in the sport. Bethany and Alana got sponsored after their run in regionals. The two girls went out on Halloween for a midnight surf, not aware of what was going to happen the next morning. On November 1, Bethany went surfing with Alana, her father Holt and brother Byron. Bethany was just resting in the water when a tiger shark attacks her, ripping off her left arm. Holt’s quick action and help from Alana and Byron they got her out of the water safely and contacted 9-1-1. At the same time Bethany’s mother Cheri was contacted. In order to get her to the hospital faster, Holt, Byron, and Alana carried her up to the truck and headed toward the hospital, as the ambulance arrived. Bethany had lost her left arm and 60 percent of her blood. The Hamilton family was grateful to Holt for his quick reaction and calmness when saving their daughter.

Bethany feeling lost without surfing, decides to go to Phucket, Thailand with Sarah Hill and the others from the youth group. Bethany not knowing what she was meant for now, seen the ocean and helped the children get over their fear of the ocean, by going into the ocean with a surfboard. She played with all the children that came into the ocean to learn how to surf. Tom decided to fix the surf boards so that it is easily controlled by Bethany, he rigs a rope to help with her duck dives. During the championshps, Bethany is left with minutes and there are no waves in the horizon. With one minute on the clock, a wave is forming, and the other girls are too far away and Bethany catches it just as the horn blows. The judges said she did not catch the wave in time, but Malina invites Bethany to stand on the first place platform because she counted that wave. Bethany decides to let reporters interview her, and one wants to know if given the chance would she change the day she lost her arm. Bethany stated that she would not choose to lose her arm because it has given her the chance to embrace more people now, then she ever could with two arms.

Soul Surfing is told in chronological order. I think that the initial affect on people was feeling scared for Bethany, as the shark ripped her arm off. After seeing the ambition in Bethany’s eyes and the consistant will to never give up, I believe the film gave the audience strength. The courage she showed everyday, gave the audience the courage to get through anything. But when she gave up on surfing, the audience felt that depression. Her return from Thailand and then return to surfing, gave an abundance of faith, support, hope, and joy because Bethany came back to life and caught that wave like she was set out to do. Bethany touched the lives of those who thought their own lives were over because of their ailments, as the many others and myself.

Character development affected the story telling because the audience got to feel similar to that of Bethany, because of the fabulous job that AnnaSophia preparing for her role as Bethany Hamilton. The foreshadowing of the story also played a significant part in the film because everyone had already heard about Bethany Hamilton’s encounter with a tiger shark. I do not believe there is another way to present this film.

Reference

http://www.soulsurfer.com/story.html

Soul Surfer Movie