The goal of this project was to increase my understanding and familiarity with cinema and art by analyzing and reviewing various films. Due to the events surrounding COVID-19 I had to change the initial direction of my project which was to originally apply the experience I gained to go to a film festival and review their movies. As movie theaters and festivals were shut down I changed the project to be more focused on studying a variety of films from throughout film history and of a variety of genres. I picked a wide selection of films that I felt I could review and analyze in a meaningful way. By using different angles of approaching the films I was able to analyze each film in a way that would provide the most the depth in understanding.

Directors make choices on how a movie is film, these choices effect everything in the film and there are multiple factors that go into that decision-making process. Directors usually make decisions based on the entire story and their vantage point of know everything. For example, a director might choose to make a piece of information known to the audience before the character’s know so that it raises tension. The creative project refers to this type of filmmaking as: “objective cinema”. The alternative is when a director makes decisions not based on the overall story but on the reality of a character(s). That is, filmmaking techniques are used in service of communicating a character’s emotional and situational reality.
The goal of such an exercise is to bring the audience closer to a character, typically the main character. A film is driven by the audience’s connection to the plot and the main character, who is typically the driving force behind the narrative. Having an audience closer to the main character is advantageous to give the audience something personal to latch onto. Getting invested in a single character’s story is a tactic that most films use and while some use traditional filmmaking styles to narrate the film, some put in these subjective moments.
Most movies include a mix of objective and subjective scene; however, the vast majority of screen time is usually objective. Subjective moments are just that, moments within a film where the filmmaking is visually distinct from before in order to communicate the transition into a character’ subjective experience of reality. The process of using cinematic techniques: sound, images and actors to create emotion is the focus of the thesis. What specific techniques do director and other filmmakers use to create these moments from the perspective of a specific character? The research on this creative project included reverse engineering scenes to firgue out the technical specifications that the filmmakers use. What kind of lighting, cameras and sound design where employed? Why were those techniques chosen to represent a character’s subjective reality? And most importantly, why do those techniques evoke those emotions?

Every color that you see in film is purposely chosen by the filmmakers. The majority of film viewers do not consciously realize the role that color plays in their movie experience. Subconsciously, viewers are deeply affected by the color choices in the film as it changes moods, tones, characters, and more. By examining color in film, filmmakers are able to create better stories, therefore having a greater effect on the audience. By becoming aware of the role of color in film, audience members become better, more involved viewers.
The following project is cut into three major parts: Color Theory in Film, An Analysis of Symbolic Color, and the Technical Applications of Color in Film. Part One gives the necessary background on color theory, light theory, color mixing, color associations, and color palettes needed to understand the rest of the project. Part Two examines color symbolism and color psychology in three films, detailing their importance to the storylines in-depth. Part Three looks at the ways filmmakers employ color during post-production, principal photography, and post-production. By looking at production design, the history of color grading, and the power of lighting and cinematography, one is able to discern the different effects color creates and how that effect is created.

BETTA, a narrative music video short film was produced by Kaitlyn Baucke and directed by June Hucko, and written by both filmmakers. By employing the knowledge and experiences gained in their academic careers, they were able to create a compelling yet experimental film that challenges the idea of whether or not people are simply compilations of their memories, and experiences. Sparked by an interest in music media, this project is in the visual style of a music video, but with a 10-minute narrative. This film lightheartedly tells the story of a young woman whose most cherished memories are always accompanied by a meal of tacos. Each memory is memorialized through the collection and personalization of receipts from the taco shop. After collecting hundreds and hundreds of these receipts, she reaches a turning point in her life where she finds herself overrun by her past memories, both positive and negative. She is faced with a decision in which she must choose to dwell in her past, or leave behind memories in order to move forward. The film is scored entirely by original songs of local, ASU affiliated musicians and bands. Producing this film required an extensive pre-production phase of writing, revisions, casting, securing crew, locations, equipment, funding, scheduling, and more. Setting deadlines, sticking to budget, and ensuring smooth production was key to success. From inception, to pre-production, to reflection, this project has allowed the filmmakers to experience evolution, challenges, failures, and immense creative development.