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Showing posts from April, 2013

Kuleshov Revisted: Emotional Reactions Across Time

Among aficionados of early silent films,  Lev Kuleshov, t he Soviet film director,   is known for his use of editing to evoke different emotions. He took shots of an actor posing with a neutral expression and placed them after various scenes, such as one of a bowl of soup, a child's coffin, or a seductively dressed woman.  Depending on the preceding shot, t he actor's "neutral" expression seemed to change—from one of hunger to sadness and then to lust  (see YouTube video) . Facial expressions offer potent displays of emotions, though the "Kuleshov effect" shows that expressions  can be ambiguous and thus depend upon the context or situation. Following a close-up shot of a person crying a zoom out could show a funeral scene, though it could just as likely reveal a wedding procession. Even in the same setting, identical expressions may be perceived differently. Check out the clever drawing by psychologist Roger Shepard which shows a perc

Miyazaki Magic: From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka Kara)

Those familiar with Hayao Miyazaki's animated films, such as Princess Mononoke , Spirited Away , Ponyo , and Kiki's Delivery Service , will be prepared for the U.S. release of From Up on Poppy Hill ( Kokuriko-zaka Kara ). The movie was directed by his son, Gorō Miyazaki, and co-scripted by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa. It is set in Yokohama 1963 and tells the story of the burgeoning relationship between Umi and Shun as they try to prevent the demolition of a dilapidated clubhouse (called the "Latin Quarter") next door to Umi's high school. The story is wonderfully engaging and the visuals stunning. The characters are depicted with typical "anime" features (big eyes, flat shading), though the background scenery is vivid with extraordinary detail or at times with a painterly, watercolor style. For those not familiar with Hayao Miyazaki, he is often compared to Walt Disney, as his full-length animations have been cherished by generations