Critique a fashion, lifestyle show | BAND BAAJA BRIDE

BAND BAAJA BRIDE

The fashion and lifestyle show that I chose to talk about in this assignment is Band Baaja Bride, a show on NDTV Good Times. This is one sensational show. A makeover for everything. The show aims on grooming a bride for her dream wedding. A chance to select her dream outfit, get the best make over in terms of physical appearance from makeup to hair and skin. The show later came out with a twist and brought the ‘jodi’ , the bride as well as the groom and give them their fairytale wedding. Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee lends his expertise and name to the show, along with style mentor and anchor Freishia Bomanbehram, Ambica Anand and Bharat Arora who equally contribute their part on the show. The show is extremely warm and where the technical part is concerned, it is extremely organised. One particular episode is not shot on one particular set or location. There are multiple places they visit, which is a challenge as those are not created sets but are existing places where they go for interviews and set up their cameras, lights and audio set-ups. From designer’s studio, to makeover studios like beauty salon, to hair and makeup studios. Skin care appointments to dentist visits, the entire process as per seatings is shown with the overall results. The entire team and the ‘jodi’s’ family’s warm encounter.

The encounter with the designer is where the bride, the designer and the anchor have a one-on-one discussion and what is expected and how to go about the look. It is a critical conversation as it is the backbone of the entire episode. When the designer and the bride discuss about her look, the host talks about the same to the viewers and hence keep them connected. It is a heart touching show as it involves deep emotions keeping in mind the show aesthetics and decorum. Often the show shoots on outdoor locations as well which involves interviews, shoots and appointments. 

From day one to the final wedding day, the show is edited to bring out the overall essence. 

Different brides from all walks of life, with different lifestyle, and varied outlook come on the same platform for same dream, which is to look the best they have ever looked, on the most beautiful day, the wedding day.

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REFERENCE LINK

Goodtimes.ndtv.com, (2015). Band Baajaa Bride - Season 5. [online] Available at: http://goodtimes.ndtv.com/bandbaajabride/default.aspx [Accessed 11 May 2015]. 

Critique | SOUND DESIGN | JURASSIC PARK

JURASSIC PARK | SOUND DESIGN

Sound design in motion pictures. What is motion pictures? Well, in technical terms it is moving picture, but a movie is incomplete without picture. Silent movies for an example, were never hundred percent mute, they had no dialogues but had a background music. Music is important because it gives the information of feeling and the sense intended. Sound is not just music, songs, background music, but also sound effects. Sounds effects are created in studios, and the sounds we hear in movies are recorded in studio too, because the field sound creates disturbance and noise and also leave unnecessary sound that can blow up the microphone. For my assignment I have taken the movie Jurassic Park, and talk about my understanding of sound design in terms of this movie. It is an Academy Award-winning movie directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 1993. ^x

Other than the sound of the dinosaurs, Jurassic Park included sounds of helicopters, jeeps, computers, gates, birds, electric shocks and all footsteps. Most of the sounds were created in the movie, even though some sounds are easily available in sound libraries, the film worked on each sound effect. I have always been very amazed at the technical part of this movie, because we all know that this movie is about an extinct species. Hence creating all those visuals and sounds is amazing. My curiosity lead me into reading facts about this movie on the internet which I would further talk in my post. The sound of the baby dinosaur egg breaking in movie, was created by an artist breaking a waffle cone.[i]

I noted, that sounds on the background were also important, which many of us don’t always notice by letting the foreground take over all our attention, for example- sounds of birds chirping, the noisy sound of type-writer in a news room.

The sounds made by the dinosaurs was beyond anticipation. Every feeling of the dinosaurs as if they were for real. Different dinosaurs, big or small, had different sounds with different situations. I couldn’t figure out the sounds but there were varied sounds like scream and rattle snakes sound and the loud calls etc.

The overall purpose of sound design is to enhance the story and the give the visuals the meaning and sense it intended. Visuals and sound goes hand-in-hand in making a good film.

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REFERENCE LINKS 
[i] Fidesx5.tripod.com, (2015). Jandy's Stuff. [online] Available at: http://fidesx5.tripod.com/psound.htm [Accessed 11 May 2015].

Critique | TITLE DESIGN | DEXTER

DEXTER | TITLE DESIGN

Film titles are the most artistic and creative short space of time that sets our expectations of the movie. The art of film making and graphic design goes hand-in-hand in terms of title design. I was very inspired by the title design of Dexter (2006), and it has won a lot of awards for the same.[i] 

Hence, I chose to write a review about a TV show than a movie.

Creator : James Manos,Jr.

Music : Original theme by Rolfe Kent.

I loved the opening sequence of Dexter. It was very abstract. The visuals defined the message well. The clip is for 1 minute and 47 seconds and is enough to show a kind hearted serial killer who’s trying to live a normal life. [ii]

The film gave a violent overall feel, the theme music gave a sense of murder scene, not exaggerated but light. The first scene where the mosquito bites Dexter in his sleep, I felt that the focus on the mosquito and Dexter in the background, not highlighted or out of focus was an attempt of relating his character in the show, where he tries to act like a normal person despite being a serial killer. Will that’s my perspective and take on the sequence, as I like abstract art and I think likewise. Coming to the second scene of the title clip, we see glimpse of blood when he accidently cuts himself while shaving. For the ones who have watched the show, would know that the character is obsessed with blood. The scene following, he cuts meat for breakfast, which is zoomed in initially and appears like human flesh, again giving it a violent meaning. The scene what shows the stabbing and twisting of egg with a knife and the ‘squishy’ sound effect, and the dripping ketchup – where they tried to connect the dripping and the red colour to blood, the squished fruit, these were few things that inclined the sequence towards violence. Also, another thing I noted in the opening sequence of Dexter is that Dexter’s face was shown in the last shot, which explains the message of the show. It’s never revealed. In conclusion I would like to add that the theme music was not exactly like those typical violent movies, and it also gave a sense of the edgy comic side. [iii]

picture 2 STILLS FROM THE TITLE SEQUENCE

picture 3 STILLS FROM THE TITLE SEQUENCE

Here’s the link of Deter's title sequence, do give it a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIqBQWB7IUM

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REFERENCE LINKS 

[i] IMDb, (2015). Dexter. [online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/awards [Accessed 11 May 2015].

[ii] YouTube, (2015). Dexter Opening Credits. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIqBQWB7IUM [Accessed 11 May 2015].

[iii] Artofthetitle.com, (2015). Dexter. [online] Available at: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/dexter/ [Accessed 11 May 2015].

PICTURE SOURCE

Picture 1 : Google Images
Picture 2:  Go.distance.ncsu.edu, (2015). [online] Available at: http://go.distance.ncsu.edu/gd203/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Dexter.png [Accessed 11 May 2015].

Picture 3:  Artofthetitle.com, (2015). Dexter. [online] Available at: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/dexter/ [Accessed 11 May 2015].

Critique | PRODUCTION DESIGN | TITANIC

picture 1 

Production design is the most essential part of a film as it visually conveys the idea and physical environment like location, time phase, from backdrop to feeling the character, which includes set design, costumes and props. Although not center of attention but the backdrop/ground has a lot of information about the film as it tells us more about the character and personality and makes it interesting to look at. [i] The filmed event can be a film, a tv program, video game or music video or an advertisement.

From the recent film The Great Gatsby (2013) and Avatar (2009), to the classic Titanic(1997) and Star Wars (1977), all these movies have not only been super successful but have also raised the bars in terms of production design. [ii]

Titanic, has inspired me the most in terms of the production design. Because it not only built the entire set, but also shot the devastation and the doom of the set. It was a process, which was beyond amusing. Just on one location- the ship, the film depicted its deep details like its history, the drama and the entire feel hence created. The people in the ship were clearly divided into two classes, the visual elements like their costumes, to their rooms and lifestyle, music and jamming, to their meals, screamed it out aloud. I also noted the manners that the cast other than the leading characters projected, which was a compliment to the background. 

The set design was the most magnificent part of the film. The deck, the rooms, the corridors, the dining area, the reception room, the grand stairs, to the engine area, every detail presented so clearly and with its due essence and feel. Expressions of art and music played a great part in conveying history, culture and feelings.

One of the most impressive interiors was the recreation of the famed Grand stairs – the most famous room Titanic contained. The stairs played a very essential part in the film. On reading about the set online , I  came across a fact I would like to throw light upon through my post.[iii]

After shooting the set, came the part where the destruction of the beautiful set was shot. When the entire ship sank, I read that they shot it by placing the ship in a 3foot deep, 17million gallon tank, using a tilted crane. And the shot of the destruction of the grand stairs, the set was enclosed in a 5 million gallon tank. [iv]

A great deal of work and imagination goes into constructing an appropriate backdrop to any story, and into selecting or constructing appropriate locations and/or sets.

                                          picture 2 MAKING OF THE SET | The Grand Stairs

                                          picture 3 THE SET | The Grand Stairs
                                       

                                      picture 4 MODEL | Titanic

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REFERENCE LINKS 

[i] Wikipedia, (2015). Titanic (1997 film). [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_(1997_film)#Production [Accessed 9 May 2015].

[ii] Google.co.in, (2015). movies for production design - Google Search. [online] Available at: https://www.google.co.in/search?sclient=psy-ab&es_sm=93&q=movies+for+production+design&oq=movies+for+production+design&gs_l=serp.3...2417.9146.0.9362.28.17.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.msedr...0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..28.0.0.RwyE6efCIO4&pbx=1 [Accessed 9 May 2015].

[iii] Behind-the-Scenes: Production Design and the Grand Staircase in Titanic. (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.cinemablography.org/blog/behind-the-scenes-production-design-and-the-grand-staircase-in-titanic [Accessed 9 May 2015].

[iv][iv][iv] Behind-the-Scenes: Production Design and the Grand Staircase in Titanic. (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.cinemablography.org/blog/behind-the-scenes-production-design-and-the-grand-staircase-in-titanic [Accessed 9 May 2015].

PICTURE SOURCE

Picture1 : Google
Picture2 :Google.co.in, (2015). titanic production design - Google Search. [online] Available at: https://www.google.co.in/search?q=titanic+production+design&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=0yVOVfP-NYXnuQT9gIHoCg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ#imgrc=CPfdC9yiwKnI9M%253A%3BjXeKPIoaCBmESM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cinemablography.org%252Fuploads%252F1%252F1%252F7%252F6%252F11768862%252F4799354_orig.jpeg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cinemablography.org%252Fblog%252Fbehind-the-scenes-production-design-and-the-grand-staircase-in-titanic%3B1100%3B604 [Accessed 9 May 2015].

Picture3:Google.co.in, (2015). titanic production design - Google Search. [online] Available at: https://www.google.co.in/search?q=titanic+production+design&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=0yVOVfP-NYXnuQT9gIHoCg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ#imgrc=CPfdC9yiwKnI9M%253A%3BjXeKPIoaCBmESM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cinemablography.org%252Fuploads%252F1%252F1%252F7%252F6%252F11768862%252F4799354_orig.jpeg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cinemablography.org%252Fblog%252Fbehind-the-scenes-production-design-and-the-grand-staircase-in-titanic%3B1100%3B604 [Accessed 9 May 2015].

Picture4:  

Johnson, H. (2012). How Titanic Movie Set Was Constructed. [online] Chillopedia. Available at: http://chillopedia.com/interesting/how-titanic-movie-set-was-constructed/ [Accessed 9 May 2015].