PROJECT: Prove that an economic success or technological change makes the greatest innovative film.
Some films paradoxically can be both innovative and brilliantly marketed. Hitchcock’s Psycho is such a film. Hitchcock cleverly used a TV crew to save money. Audiences familiar with TV films didn’t give it a second thought and warmed to it like a TV show. Then Hitchcock marketed the film as being so frightening that latecomers could not be seated. It became a national sensation and blockbuster.
If we had to judge greatest film in terms of technological and financial achievement, what would we consider? Would it be Birth of a Nation, and its 3-hour time, complex plot lines, displays of racism, and complex battle scenes, or the fact that the film was the largest grosser of 1915?
What about Titanic and its epic disaster shots, and its financial success? What about Citizen Kane and its closed ceiling, camera work, long and deep camera angles, hidden microphones, insightful editing, innovative dialogue, and its money loss?
How would one discuss the Transformers series that critics loathe, but that generate great income? The series has finished one trilogy, is starting a second trilogy, and is extremely popular internationally (popular in China).
STRATEGY: Find a film where there is a lot of research and articles about the film. For example, Star Wars films are always innovative in technical skill. James Cameron always receives good technological praise. The Matrix outdid The Phantom Menace for innovation the year it was released.
OBJECTIVE PROOF: To prove this film is the most technologically significant film, you need three reasons to build your case. Reasonable proof should be these types:
PROOF A: Critical article or writing or review from a contemporary account or reviewer that praises the film technology (a review from the New York Times or another newspaper).
PROOF B: Scholarly article about the technology of film (computer generated images, in-camera, new technique, new style, new editing, motion graphics) that uses this film as an example of the best in format. Or you could discuss a film that is expert at making revenue.
PROOF C: A technical scene or example from the film itself (a picture of a shot, a montage, a pivotal scene) that can be physically described in some detail that explains why that technology is great (long shot from Kane, iris shot from Psycho, the quicksilver scene in XMEN: Days of the Future Past).
PROCESS:
Introduce the film
Discuss the three reasons why it is the greatest
At least three articles consulted. Quote the three sources.
Introductory paragraph introducing the topic and the thesis you intend to prove. A paragraph describing each scholarly article or scholarly book or proof from that text on the topic that supports or helps to prove your case.
A concluding paragraph discussing the conclusions, new ideas, interesting aspects, and new insights that this research gave you on this topic.