Nick Rotolo
Systems Engineering II
Math and Science Analysis
Math
Budgeting
One aspect of filming that involves math is budgeting. Budgeting has to take place to separate the creative vision of the movie from what is financially feasible. Budgeting can help to make wise decisions to help get “every penny on the screen.”
Editing
Math can be used during post-production. Editors use math to calculate transition lengths. Eventually, an experienced editor will actually be able to feel the difference between certain calculations.
Camera
For my movie, the most frequent camera angle I am going to use is the midshot. This shot is ideal for showing action while still keeping it close enough to the camera. A closeup would obviously show only a small amount of this, and a longshot would be way too far away. The headshot that I am using is ideal for dialogue scenes. The camera can dramatically change the look of the film by using different lenses or filters.
Science/Technology
Film History 1900s-2000
Technology in the film industry has grown very rapidly. From its beginning in the early 1900s, to the current era of digital special effects, filming has come a very long way.
Film was born in the late 1890s. It started growing in the early 1900s, with a plethora of silent films. During this time period, Hollywood came into being in California. In 1910, Thomas Edison created the kinetophone, which enable film producers to make “talkies,” or films with sound. With this new technology, the film industry grew even more. It was during this time that the industry really came together. The 1920s saw a large amount of films coming out. New techniques such as the montage were pioneered.
Then came the 1930s, a time when the world was sunk in a great depression. Despite that, the film industry still grew. The era is referred to as the “Golden Age of Hollywood.” More and more genres sprouted up to make their debut in the world of film, including musicals, gangster films, newspaper movies, westerns, comedies, melodramas and horror.
In the 1950s, television was gaining popularity, and the film industry was trying to counteract this with various gimmicks. These ranged from increasing the use of color, using widescreen formats, making 3D movies, and using Smell-O-Vision. The latter two were obviously not very successful, although you may find it interesting to know that 3D movies still pop up every now and again, despite their rather unsuccessful history.
By the 1960s and 1970s, special effects were starting to be used more and more. Films such as Star Wars, made in 1977, relied heavily on special effects. Another thing that happened during this time and still continues to happen is the breakaway from Hollywood. “Indies,” or independent filmmakers, were starting to create films of their own, and instead of using Hollywood’s equipment to create special effects, they did so through the use of computers. The use of the computer was primitive at this point, but during the 1990s and 2000s, it became much more sophisticated, and digital film making became much more commonplace.
Video Camera
The digital video camera is the essential tool of the independent filmmaker. It is the equipment used to physically film the action taking place. Without this, there would be nothing to put together. Once the filming is complete, the camera can be plugged via USB port into the computer, and the rest of the movie will be created with the editing software.
Microphone Input
When I will be filming my movie, I am going to use a microphone input. This is a port on the camera in which a microphone can be attached during filming. This device will help to pick up sound as if it were up close even if the camera is at a distance from the actors.
Editing Software
The editing software is what is used to put the movie together. When the camera is plugged into the computer, all of the scenes will be put into the image pool. From there, they can be rearranged or shortened. Sound files can be added to play overtop of the video. At the cost of slightly decreasing image quality, various special effects can be added to the footage as well. The specific software I will be using is called Sonic Studio. It was actually given to me by my mentor, who was able to walk me through its use and various functions.
Conclusion
Math, science, and technology all come into play in the film industry. Without them, filming could not exist as it does today. Advances in computer technology have enabled filmmakers to create unimaginably realistic effects that really feel like they are happening. Different camera angles can be used to better tell the story that is trying to get across. I plan on taking every possible advantage to ensure the success of my project, and I will have to rely heavily on the technology needed to do it.
Works Cited
1. Dirks, Tim. Film History by Decade.
http://www.filmsite.org/filmh.html.
1996-2008.
2. Wagner, Jane. DiFeliciantonio, Tina. Mathline.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mathline/career/career0300b.shtmPictures1.
http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/fd/02/SAMSUNG_D353_MINIDV_DIGITALVID EO_CAMERA_Camcorder-resized200.jpg
There are a few interesting features I would like to point out. The first thing I noticed was that the averages for question four remained almost constant. It seems to me that according to this data my audience seemed to enjoy the music aspect of the film. I also noticed that the opinions on the acting went down with age. It also looks like the ability to follow the storyline went down slightly down with age as well. The opinion on its effectiveness as a horror film remained constant from 11-40, but it dropped sharply at ages 41-56, as can be seen on the third graph. I would also like to point out that on the first short answer question, which was what would you classify this movie as if not horror, about 96% stated it would make a better horror/comedy or just a straight comedy.
