The techniques used by 'James Cameron' - 'Titanic' stormed into the box office in 1998 as the epic tragedy of love and loss for 'Jack and Rose'.
Daniel Wagner Titanic Essay 28th February
The techniques used by 'James Cameron'
'Titanic' stormed into the box office in 1998 as the epic tragedy of love and loss for 'Jack and Rose'.
For this film to be a success, James Cameron, the director had to modernise it. He had to include all the aspects of a hit film, along with the attraction towards a wide audience. This he achieved by incorporating the well-known story of the "unsinkable ship" with the new and 'hottest' stars. In theory the older generation was intrigued to see how Cameron interpreted the story, and the younger generation wanted to see the latest actors. Because there was already a film about the "ship of dreams" Cameron had to make it more exciting and frantic than the previous.
The director's objective was to produce a film, based on the true story that would appeal to all age groups, particularly the younger generation. So Cameron used Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of 'Jack', a young American living life as it comes"making his own luck". He chose Leo to play this part because he was the latest heartthrob of teenaged girls across the nations and would there fore attract a vast majority of the targeted audience, for the male population, Kate Winslet 'the girl next door' was cast as the young, fresh and rich 'Rose'. The combination of the two up and coming stars was a sure hit teamed with the theme of love.
However the story needed to keep the facts of the true event which took place in 1912 yet have enough action, excitement and romance to keep the target audience interested for the record three and a half hour film. The director achieved this by using many different techniques of lighting, sound effects and camera angles.
By using many dramatic camera angles it is possible to involve the viewer in the scene as opposed to watching the film from a cinema perspective. You are instantly drawn in to the scenery with the technique of 'panning'. This is a wide shot of the scene, which slowly moves on a fixed point to allow the viewer to see the full atmosphere and action occurring around that point. Using different camera angles helps to create the affect of where the actor/ actress are. For example, to establish the background behind a character, a long shot is appropriate. This was used in such a scene as the opening view of the ship, because Cameron wanted to show the true size of the masterpiece. However to get the most dramatic effect of action, a wide angle shot would work better because this will focus on the characters, and the mood of their surroundings. This was used when Jack is seen playing cards in the bar on the dockhands, with titanic visible through the window.
The way, in which Cameron managed to persuade the audience that they were within the scene, added emotion to the production, concentrating on a particular subject at each time as not to lose the attention of the viewers. The use of romantic, slow calming music allowed the viewer to feel emotionally involved in the scenes. This, combined with the techniques used on the camera angles and the stunning computer graphics, made the whole film come together.
A long shot was used when 'Rose' is in immense confusion about her life and decides to try and end it by jumping off the back of the ship one evening. The camera shot used to open this scene was a wide shot of 'Rose' running away from the banquet at which she had been in an argument with her fiancé. To show the full size of the ship Cameron used a panning wide angle shot. This is most effective because as the shot zooms in to where rose is situated on the half a mile long boat, ...
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A long shot was used when 'Rose' is in immense confusion about her life and decides to try and end it by jumping off the back of the ship one evening. The camera shot used to open this scene was a wide shot of 'Rose' running away from the banquet at which she had been in an argument with her fiancé. To show the full size of the ship Cameron used a panning wide angle shot. This is most effective because as the shot zooms in to where rose is situated on the half a mile long boat, you begin to actually see the vast size of the vessel in comparison with the tiny figure. As we follow Rose running from the middle of the ship, up and down stairs until she reaches the bow, and comes to a halt against railings, here a close up view of her is used to show how upset and out of breath she is which relates her to the audience. As Rose decides what to do, we see through her perspective as she looks at the railings on the bow of the ship. Slow sad Irish music plays softly in the background, adding real confusion to her character. When Rose is hanging off the back of the ship, a close shot is again used from the perspective of Rose looking up at jack's face. This is used to show the effort that Jack is putting into pulling Rose over the edge on to the safety of the decks. A similar camera angle is used from Jack's perspective, this time to show the fear in Rose's face and the ferocious, freezing water below her kicking legs.
Perhaps the most atmospheric device Cameron used was the music and sound effects, without which the film would not seem as intense, action packed or emotional. He used a wide variety of Irish and country music typical of the era in which the film is set to portray the large number of Irish passengers travelling in third class to America, to seek a better life there. Cameron wanted to show how strong this community was by convincing the audience that no matter how poor the conditions were on the third class decks, it was still possible to have fun. He did this by showing a scene in which Rose (a first class passenger) goes below decks to a third class passenger party as guest of Jack. She soon finds that there is no need for money to enjoy them self as the roar of the Irish jig and the lively atmosphere sweeps her into the mass of dancing bodies. The theme of the music is continued throughout the film but the tempo, style or rhythm is changed as you go up each class. Celine Dion had the hit single "My heart will go on" is famous for the scene in which Jack and Rose are standing on the front of the ship; Jack behind Rose holding out her arms to make her feel like she is flying. This signifying the bonding between the two lovers and their trust.
The costumes also contributed towards the meaning of the film as they reflected class in the era in which the disaster of Titanic took place. There was a definite division between first class and third class passengers. Therefore the difference between the main characters was very obvious Jack was third class and Rose was first class. The costumes were accurately researched for the wealthy people of that period. For example, the first class wore colourful bright and clean clothes, which were changed each day. They had such luxuries, as smart dresses, suits and maids to dress them, whereas the third class did not even own the soap to wash with and dressed in dirty drab torn clothes. The comparison between the two is very obvious when Rose joins the third class party below decks as she is in clean, clothing and the other passengers are in dark, melancholy colours. This would suggest Rose is better off than they are and perhaps brought up better, but this is proven not to be so when she joins the lads in a beer and proves she is not just an 'upper classed snob'.
James Cameron showed the differences between the classes continuously throughout the film from the opening scene of Jack and a friend gambling for their ticket on the ship compared to Rose arriving by motor car, well dressed with servants to carry every thing for her. Once on board the ship is divided in to different sections for the classes, third not allowed to enter 1st class areas. This is shown when a porter is walking a dog belonging to a first class passenger, and he takes it to the third class decks to let it do its business. An Irish friend of Jack's makes the comment that it is typical that they get treated like that. Perhaps the worst comparison made between the classes is when the ship has hit the ice burg and is rapidly sinking. The lower decks are flooding and the third class passengers are locked down there to stop them from getting in the life boats before the first class passengers have got in.
Again Cameron used the key elements of film angles, lighting and sound to make the sinking of the ship as realistic and horrific as possible. The viewer does not gain an idea of how huge the ship is until a long shot is used as the ship is going down. As all the life boats row away and people jump in to the water u can really see the true size of "Titanic-the unsinkable ship of dreams". Cameron managed to link the lighting to the beats and thrills of the music building a climax and sense of fear . The dark lighting used in the scene's after the tragedy created a sad blue and cold atmosphere, which follows on to Rose, as an old lady, revisiting the memories. This created a contrast to her dream that night of revisiting the 'ship of dreams' as a warm friendly glow is created with soft lighting. The theme tune is slowed down and Rose appears, surrounded by her friend's family and loved ones. A panning shot curves round the room in which she and Jack first met to reveal the smiling applauding faces. Soft lighting combined with the music symbolises happiness Rose, as an old lady fell asleep and died in her dreams that night, a happy contented woman, having returned "the heart of the ocean".
"A night to remember" the techniques used by Roy Baker
'A night to remember' proclaimed itself to the cinematic world in 1958.
This film was made much earlier than the new and present titanic film , which meant that it had a more thriving controversy about the 'ship of dreams'. The down side to this is that because it was made just when special affects we coming up on the film scene which meant the special affects weren't to the most extravagant level they are today. So baker had to improvise.
In the opening credits there is a moonlit ocean with melodramatic music accompanying it (black and white of course). This showed that it was a typical film that era.
In the opening scene you have a wide panning shot of the grand ship itself which helped baker portray the sheer size of the ship.
On hand for the proud sailing occasion are both the ship's designer, Thomas Andrews and the head of the White Star Line, J. Bruce Ismay. Since no footage exists of Titanic's actual launch, the film makers spliced together archival material depicting other, similar ships, including the Queen Elizabeth and the Lusitania. To all but the expert eye, this will not be noticeable. After Titanic has pulled away from land, most full shots of the ship are of a large model.
The story is told through the eyes of second officer Herbert Lightroller), one of the heroes who survived the sinking. Before the unsinkable ship's unfortunate encounter with the iceberg, Lightroller is presented as an affable, competent officer. Afterwards, as the harsh reality of the situation descends, he is shown to be the rarest of men: one who not only copes at the eye of a hurricane of chaos, but thrives in it, urging calm and saving lives to the very last.
During the course of the film's 123-minute running length, we meet a number of interesting figures, many of whom did not live to tell about the fateful ocean crossing. There's the boisterous, unsinkable Molly Brown ; the wealthy Benjamin Guggenheim, who drowned in his best dinner clothes.Sir and Lady Duff Gordon, two of only twelve people in a lifeboat that should have seated 40; the loving Mr. And Mrs. Lucas and Joughin the baker , who survived by getting drunk. Among the crew, we are introduced to Captain Chris Smith , the world's highest-paid sea officer only weeks away from retirement. Titanic's Strong hearted wireless operators; first officer Murdoch; quartermasters Rowe and Hinchins; and Captains Stanley Lord of the Californian and Arthur Rostron of the Carpathian.; A Night to Remember tells of an event without becoming particularly wrapped up in the lives of anyone affected by it.
A Night to Remember's attention to detail is well-known. The film makers used still shots of the original ship when re-creating the decks, the first dining saloon, the forward stair case, and the smoking room. The actors hired to play the various historical figures were chosen because of their physical resemblance to the men and women they were standing in for, whether dead or alive. And all outdoor scenes were filmed in cold weather so that the actors' breath could be seen.
One of the great strengths of A Night to Remember is how it manages to balance the many stories aboard Titanic with the tales of its should-have-been rescuer, the Californian (a ship a mere 10 miles away that, as the result of fate never realized what was happening), and its actual rescuer, the Carpathian (which arrived on the scene only a couple of hours after Titanic went down, and was able to save the survivors and transport them to America). These are aspects of the entire event overlooked by Cameron, and their presence deepens the sense of desperation.
If there's a weakness to A Night to Remember, it's that the special effects are limited by the technology of the era. They're not bad , but, after seeing Cameron's Titanic, it's only natural to expect something a little more impressive than an overlit model floundering in a large pool of water. There's no doubt that this approach works within the context of the movie, but it's virtually impossible to watch the scenes of the ship sinking without recalling how it went down in 1997.
A Night to Remember is as a companion piece more factual than any other feature produced about the event and more absorbing than any of the lengthy, dry documentaries about the subject. The truth is that the tale of the Titanic is big enough to be seen from many different vantage points, and 1997's Titanic and 1958's A Night to Remember offer two of the most compelling perspectives.
Evaluation
Titanic is a grand melodrama, with a pair of fictional characters caught up in a storm of romance, lust, danger, heroism, and pulse-pounding adventure. The special effects are among the best ever brought to the screen, turning the final hour into nothing short of a cinematic triumph. A Night to Remember, on the other hand, is a more reserved motion picture. It uses historical characters to tell the real story, relying on the first-hand accounts of survivors for nearly every sequence and line of dialogue. The romance is gone, but there's still plenty of adventure and heroism, and a subplot excised from Titanic that deepens both the tragedy and the suspense. Finally, although the visuals are not nearly as impressive, they're good enough to allow us to suspend disbelief and become thoroughly immersed in the story.
A Night to Remember is presented with such realism that it occasionally fools us into thinking that it's a documentary, not a work of fiction. For their source material, they chose the most comprehensive and exhaustively researched book of the time, Walter Lord's A Night to Remember. Few aspects of the historical record were compromised during the novel-to-screenplay conversion. A few individuals were bundled into "composite characters," certain events were modified to heighten their dramatic impact, and the sinking ignored the fact that the ship broke in two during its final moments. Other than that, the story told by A Night to Remember is pretty much how things happened