Cassevetes Indie Auteur John Cassavetes Films mistaken as improvisational precise scriptsrough camera long takes that are meant to expose the shakiness of middle class life ID: 380356
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Slide1
John Cassevetes
Indie
Auteur
Slide2
John Cassavetes
Films mistaken
as improvisational
precise
scripts/rough camera
long
takes that are meant to expose
the shakiness
of middle class life
not
easily categorized or liked
disturbing
/
erratic
Most
people
aren’t
indifferent
about
his
work
Slide3
Cassevetes Aesthetic
Theatrical and Cinematic
T
heatrical
pacing
Long takes draw attention to the shots
themselves, because
they defy are expectations for quicker edits
Close-ups allow for microscopic scrutiny of
charactersSlide4
Explore emotional messiness and people’s tolerance for personal and social disorder
inventive
mise en
scene
,
actor
driven
performances
over script/actors over stars
held
onto freedom of self expression
throughout his career Slide5
Background
Grew up on Long Island
Became a successful actor
Started an improvisation workshop for out of work actors
He had the idea of making a film (using the improvisation
techniques)
Received 20,000 dollars from showbiz friendsSlide6
Shadows 1959
Catches the bohemian jazz world of 50’s New York
About an interracial relationship
Music of Charles Mingus
Shaky handheld camera
Rejection of polished studio quality
1960 Cannes film festival (acclaimed)
Cassavetes
continued acting in the 60’s (Starred in Rosemary’s Baby, but wanted to direct again.)Slide7
Faces 1968
Rawest of his features
Gritty black and white
Extremely long scenes (virtual real time)
Failed upper middle class marriage
Husbands followed in 1970Slide8
Woman Under the Influence 1974
Financed by Peter Faulk and
Cassavetes
“housewife in bondage trying to find fulfillment”
Best actress and best director nominations Slide9
When making the film
Cassavetes
did not intend for Mabel to be crazy
He considered her to have poor social skills—poor communication
She is also frustrated with her
environment—reacting to other behavior Slide10
Pay attention to
Mise
en Scene (things put into the shot)
What does the house say about the characters?
Figure behavior?
Framing?
Costume?
Color? Slide11
Pay attention to the script
How is the plot laid out?
The film is NOT improvised.
Pay attention to how the words are scripted.
Script includes: Dialogue, Location and Action DescriptionsSlide12
Consider choices made by the camera person
How is lighting used? Is the camera stable or shaky? Are there low angles or high angles? Slide13
Mise en Scene
Performance
Figure Behavior
Color
Costume
Staging
Location Set Slide14
Cinematography
Framing, Lighting, Use of Film Stock, Focus (lens), Contrast Slide15
Shallow Depth of Field
vs
Deep FocusSlide16
Deep Focus Used for Framing in DepthSlide17
Shallow depth of field used to isolate Mabel from her backgroundSlide18Slide19
Screenplay
Dialogue
Action Description
Story structure
“I think it’s in the air”