Extra Credit 3

On Wednesday, November 13th I attended the Emory Cinematheque screening of One, Two, Three directed by Billy Wilder. I really enjoyed the film and didn’t expect to find it as funny or entertaining as I did. I think the fact that it revolved around the Coke company and focused a lot on Atlanta contributed a lot to my (and the audiences’) enjoyment of the film because I was able to understand a lot of the references and jokes at Atlanta’s expense.

From a filmmaking perspective, I thought it was really interesting how they were able to create such an entertaining movie in such a small space. The majority of the film takes place in one man’s office (with occasional scenes at the Berlin Wall, or boss’ house). I think the ability to avoid making the film feel confined or boring points to the quality of the plot and dialogue as well as the talent of Wilder.

It’s difficult to connect the cinematheque series to what we are learning in class because it is focused on movies from the 40’s to the 70’s and we focus mostly on modern media, however I did find myself laughing at the way in which characters had to communicate with others. There was a tight time crunch, and it was funny to compare how I would communicate with someone if I was in a rush with how the characters had to use a rotary phone and deliver messages and wait for people to call them back. Also, the ability for them to drive directly onto an airport runway to pick people up was hilarious to me because I am so used to tight airport security.

Extra Credit 2

On October 24^th, 2019, I attended the “Non-Typical Career” Panel. The panel featured Professor Rob Barracano from the Film Department, Dr. Tracy Scott from the Sociology Department, and Beth White from the Career Center. The panelists discussed their individual journeys to their career path and gave advice to students about changing their mind after choosing what to study as well as how to pursue a career in a major that is considered “impractical” (such as the arts).

I found the panel to be very interesting and helpful, as I often find myself stressing about how to achieve my ideal career after graduation. I am aiming to write for TV and I often worry about the fact that, unlike medicine or law, there isn’t a very clear or set path for how to obtain this career. For this reason, I found Professor Barracano’s portion of the panel to be especially helpful as he was able to speak most closely to my personal career goals. He gave helpful advice about what companies, specifically Turner, look for while hiring interns (he suggested that the applicant links to a short film they made, even if it’s “bad”). In addition, during the Q & A an audience member asked about his experience rising through the ranks of working on film sets and how he was able to secure his first job on a film set. His response was to start by emailing professors you know in the department that may be working on films or know someone who is. This was extremely helpful because it is something I now plan on pursuing for next semester and the upcoming summer.

Extra Credit 1

I attended the Emory Cinematheque screening of Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity on  September 18th. The aspect that stood out to me the most about the film was the lighting. During scenes that seemed innocent or took place within the office when nobody suspected Walter of the murder, the lighting was bright. But when Walter and Phyllis were together and conspiring about the murder the lighting was darker and they were often cast in shadows to display the sinister nature of their relationship. The lighting is especially dark during the murder scene itself as well as the cover up that follows it. I think this aspect is not only a trademark of the film noir genre, but also helps to draw the audience in and create emotion and anticipation within them.  

 Additionally, I found it interesting that the film opened with Walter confessing to the murder and the rest of the film has consistent narration by Walter, so throughout the plot the audience knows not only who did it, but that he will eventually be caught/give himself up. Despite this, I still found myself wondering what would happen to Walter and Phyllis almost like I forgot he had confessed within the first five minutes. As I realized this I thought back to what the speaker said before the film about Hollywood refusing to make the movie because it was “a blueprint for murder” because despite having the previous knowledge that Walter is either caught or breaks down and confesses, it does seem like they have committed the perfect murder, so while watching I started to understand where they were coming from.