The lighting was consistent with the tone and mood of each individual scene. Dorothy is back in kansas, but the color has drained from the film, and her magical friends are mundane once again. Throughout my discussion i will explain how the following techniques lighting, cinematography and acting styles contribute to the establishment of the film. Therefore, the sequence of dorothy leaving kansas and arriving in oz in the clip of the wizard of oz has been chosen to illustrate three cinematic techniques used in the film. The wizard of oz film essays are academic essays for citation. Nov 15, 2014 the wizard of oz was one of if not the first full length movie to incorporate two completely different mise en scenes within one movie. For example in the scenes where dorthy lands in oz, dorothy meets the munchkins and in the scene where dorothy clicks her heels to return home. The sound effects used also help the viewers to identify with the characters, such as with the clip below the shows the sound used to enhance the tin mans character. This week the wizard of oz returns to theaters in a 3d imax presentation as part of the film. The first stagemusical version, debuting in chicago. I chose the lighting techniques of wizard of oz because i wanted to use a film that wasnt a documentary and also used the threepoint lighting technique. This movie employs many different film techniques which aid in its fantastical journey. The wizard sends them on a mission to get the wicked witchs broom, and it is not insignificant that the key to dorothys return to kansas is the pair of ruby slippers.
The original screen play was written by noel langley. Below is a photo clip of the use of highkey lighting that is used to stimulate the audiences sense of excitement. Mar 05, 2015 in the movie the wizard of oz there were three types of lighting techniques used. After researching i found that threepoint lighting was used in a lot of older films. Frank baums 1900 book the wonderful wizard of oz was so. Continuous editing is more of a modern technique, yet the wizard of oz uses it because they were literally using a continuous shot. Apr 21, 2015 still of margaret hamilton as the witch in the wizard of oz 1939. It used a technicolor threestrip camera to catch the vibrant color of oz and. In the film the, the wizard of oz all three lighting techniques are used throughout the movie.
In the scene after the cyclone, there was a rainbow that immediately grasps the attention of the viewer and sets the mood for dorothys new journey. The characters of oz in kansas are a good example of threepoint lighting. The wizard of oz, in 1939, employed one of the most famous uses of technicolor as narrative. It affected the way two film projects on the land of oz reached or failed to reach their audiences. Color didnt return until 1932, when technicolor created a process which transferred dye onto film. The technicolor world of oz national museum of american history. There may be no greater testament to the wizard of oz than the vast. This week is about how lighting is used in the wizard of oz. Elements from the books floated in and out of the script, and about three. The first musical film, the jazz singer 1927, starring.
These editing techniques were used to bring emotion and suspense to this film. The technicolor world of oz national museum of american. Although usually considered an american genre, musical films from japan, italy, france, great britain, and germany have contributed to the development of the type. May 23, 2014 judy garland, as her role of dorothy, is an interpreter actor. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time i comment. The switch from blackandwhite to technicolor was another innovation. The wizard of oz editing techniques moraine valley. The mise en scene while dorothy is in kansas is completely different than while in oz which adds to the dramatic impact of dorothy in oz. The three cinematic techniques employed in the chosen sequence include lighting, color and, focus. Essays for the wizard of oz film the wizard of oz film essays are academic essays for citation.
How are the locations in the wizard of oz distinguished. To what extent does the film express support for populist ideals. The object of interest was the technicolor df24 beam splitter motion picture camera. The wizard of oz 1908 fairylogue and radioplays, produced by the radio play company of america. Jul 22, 2015 the use of various lighting techniques in the wizard of oz made the happy scenes happier, the scary scenes scarier and helped the audience connect with the main characters. The wizard of oz, is a 1939 america musical film directed by victor fleming, and was based on the childrens novel the wonderful wizard of oz, by frank baum. Frank baums 1900 book the wonderful wizard of oz was so popular that it spawned thirteen sequels, several stage versions, and five films before mgm made the familiar the wizard of oz in 1939. It ran on broadway for almost 300 consecutive nights in 1903.
In the movie the wizard of oz there were three types of lighting techniques used. First, and most notably, just the absence of color in the beginning and ending of the movie help to set the mood and overall feeling for dorothy when she is in kansas, and the issues and lack of color that she faces there. As the film demarcates a mimetic sense of reality, kansas, from another magical space wherein the fantasy elements of the narrative takes place, oz, its sense of. I also chose the wizard of oz because it uses all three lighting techniques. The wizard of oz was filmed using linear editing techniques. The editing in the wizard of oz was noticed at the very beginning of the film. Because of the power of imagination, the film transcends the limitations of the techniques used to craft it.
Like other movies of the early film era, the elements of the story were as much about convenience and borrowed heavily from theatrical. With prestige productions like the wizard of oz 1939 and gone with the wind 1939, technicolor developed many of the color techniques still used today, even as film has gone digital. The wonderful wizard of oz is often read as an allegory for 1900s american economic policy, which upheld the gold standard, a policy linking the value of. The clip of the wizard of oz that i have chosen is the sequence of dorothy leaving kansas and arriving in oz. Traditional three point camera was used to bring the color of the film in and capture the audience and bring them into the fantasy and the awesome color that will transport them there. Innovations in filming or lighting or camera techniques there is no getting around it.
Another aspect of the wizard of oz that immediately arrests the attention is the films use of blackandwhite actually brownandwhite and the vivid hues of technicolor. Feb, 2015 in the film the, the wizard of oz all three lighting techniques are used throughout the movie. Mary mayer, a unit publicist for the film, contacted the tailor and baums widow, who. Additionally, its original use of technicolor, unique costumes, and a welldeveloped, fanciful plot make the wizard of oz an american classic, and a pioneer of many techniques used in later films. Despite being an early film, the wizard of oz employed the use of different unique editing techniques.
Benefits this technique can be used to test device concepts and techniques and suggested functionality before it is implemented. Still of judy garland as dorothy in the wizard of oz 1939 still of ray bolger as the scarecrow in the wizard of oz 1939 still of margaret hamilton as the witch in the wizard of oz 1939. The cinematographer set up her first shots to step into the. Mostly when the characters are walking on a path and the camera pans out, continuous filming is occurring. Identify the type of lighting used in the film traditional threepoint, highkey, or lowkey and assess the impact of the lighting used to establish the theme. The cinematic techniques of the movie wizard of oz. It affected the way two film projects on the land of oz reached or failed to reach their audiences on the negative side, animator ted esbaugh was unable to distribute his 1933 oz cartoon because of a legal dispute with the technicolor motion picture corp. There is a combination of all three lighting styles used in the wizard of oz, as well as, technicolor. The use of various lighting techniques in the wizard of oz made the happy scenes happier, the scary scenes scarier and helped the audience connect with the main characters. Two strip technicolor and three strip technicolor both revolutionized the film industry and. No other film in history than the wizard of oz has more perfectly utilized every aspect of the cinematic techniques of its day. Apr 23, 20 a film that uses linear editing techniques because of lack of computer technology, the wizard of oz is edited in ways to invoke emotion and suspense without all the special equipment. The wizard of oz is a 1939 film directed by victor fleming, which follows dorothy gale on her journey through the magical land of oz.
Judy garland as dorothy and ray bolger as the scarecrow in the mgm film the wizard of oz, 1939. The wizard of oz, the first musical version of the wonderful wizard of oz, was produced by l. The wizard of oz was one of if not the first full length movie to incorporate two completely different mise en scenes within one movie. The ingenious way the 1939 classic transitioned into the land of oz. The technicolor film process was the dominant technology for shooting movies in color in hollywood in the 1930s and 40s. It was first rereleased in 1949, and then in 1955, and then for many seasons, it was featured regularly on network tv as a prime time event its first two showings were on cbs television on november 3, 1956 and in december, 1959. Themes are the underlying subject or idea in a literary work. Few moments in movie history before or since the wizard of oz have managed to distill the leap made from one type of reality to its complete opposite so efficiently and powerfully as that moment when dorothy opens the door inside the farmhouse. First is lowkey lighting high contrast lighting dominated by deep shadows with a few bright highlights that pervades the film. If any single lighting technique would have been used for the entirety of the film, much would have been lost.
The wizard of oz 1939 movies, tv, celebs, and more. The style used and how it effected the the theme of the movie and would it be different if there was another type of lighting used. The wizard of oz takes on a life in our head that it never quite attains on the screen. The wizard of oz, the film, is based off of a 1900 novel.
In the late 1930s, the height of the hollywood studio system, mgm had a reputation for quality movie musicals, and the film s producers decided to. Editing techniques in the wizard of oz musical maniac. Establishing theme 2 the wizard of oz the wizard of oz is a fantasy film produced in 1939. The wizard of oz film study guide contains a biography of richard thorpe, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. Oz is the wizard that dorothy and the others travel to see in the wonderful wizard of oz.
First, and most notably, just the absence of color in the beginning and ending of the movie help to set the mood and overall feeling for dorothy when she is in kansas, and the issues and lack of. In honor of the films 80th anniversary, a look back at a few anecdotes that. It is hard to imagine someone else playing dorothy in this film classic. Three components of cinematography discussed here are lighting, color and focus. Like all the great musicals of mgms golden age, the wizard of oz was a triumph of glorious. Because recent fantasy films had not fared well, he recommended toning down or removing the magical elements of the story. Camera shots in the wizard of oz camera shots in the wizard of oz greatly improved the overall quality of the film in many ways. However once dorothy judy garland actually enters oz the movie turns to color, this change the light factors completely. It was a time when studio contract players, writers and directors were cranking out dozens of pictures a year, and when sound, music, makeup, colorphotography, matte painting, optical printing, process photography. Using the various techniques gave this film a visual quality that stands the test of time. Frank baums 1900 childrens fantasy novel the wonderful wizard of oz. Musical film, motion picture consisting of a plot integrating musical numbers. The wizard of oz is a 1939 american musical fantasy film produced by metrogoldwynmayer. The wizard of oz 1939 is everybodys cherished favorite, perennial fantasy film musical from mgm during its golden years.
The wizard of oz editing techniques moraine valley film. Their special effect techniques were crude but effective in creating a film ahead of its time. Terry mcmillan, as an africanamerican child in northern michigan, completely. It used many of the same characters, and was aimed more at adult audiences. Dec 01, 2017 many people recognize technicolor from the wizard of oz, but the technology existed long before then. Nov 19, 2014 the sound effects used in the wizard of oz are very exaggerated, which enhances the fantasy aspect of the film with every scene with sound effects. The wizard of oz technique enables unimplemented technology to be evaluated by using a human to simulate the response of a system. Directed by victor fleming, george cukor, mervyn leroy. While the difficult production of the wizard of oz 1939 would have four. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the wizard of oz film by richard thorpe.
The wizard of oz entails three characters, including judy garland, ray bolger, and margaret hamilton. Although the use of color is the same at the beginning and end of the film, how does the filmmaker change the viewers emotions towards kansas. Nominated for the 1940 academy award for best color cinematography. A film that uses linear editing techniques because of lack of computer technology, the wizard of oz is edited in ways to invoke emotion and suspense without all the special equipment. The editing in the wizard of oz was noticed at the very. May 09, 2014 the lighting was consistent with the tone and mood of each individual scene. Denslow with music by composer paul tietjens in chicago in 1902 and moved to new york in 1903. Georges meliess film a trip to the moon is known for being. The wizard of oz establishing theme 1 the wizard of oz. The fairylogue and radioplays is a 1908 multimedia presentation made by l. Thankfully, the wizard of oz stuck so closely to the campbellian formula that its reasonable to assume miss gulch bit the big one. Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, it is the most commercially successful adaptation of l. Maybe the tornado killed her, drowned in the storm, possibly the water thing. Obviously the film took on new meaning and impact when i finally did see it the proper way and, esp.
The film never definitively answers the question, but if it was all a dream, then the possibility exists that shes still alive. All of the scenes that transpire in our mundane world are presented in the most drab manner possible, but, when the setting shifts to oz, the grays and browns are replaced by brilliant reds, blues, oranges, and yellows. This technique has profoundly been used in fantasy films such as the wizard of oz where the use of a combination of lighting techniques and color lighting helps to enhance the feel especially within the mystical places and events and to enhance the use of magic. Mar 19, 2015 i chose the lighting techniques of wizard of oz because i wanted to use a film that wasnt a documentary and also used the threepoint lighting technique. Frank baum which featured the young silent film actress romola remus the wonderful wizard of oz is a 15minute 1910 film, based on the 1902 stage musical, directed by otis turner, and may have featured bebe daniels as dorothy the patchwork girl of oz is a 1914 adaptation produced by baums live. Technicolor lighting is the most suitable kind of lighting for fantasy films. Directed primarily by victor fleming who left the production to take over the troubled gone with the wind, the film. This deep universal appeal explains why so many different people from many backgrounds have a compartment of their memory reserved for the wizard of oz. Music in the wizard of oz writing about the movies. In honor of the films 80th anniversary, a look back at a few anecdotes. As the movie begins it is filmed in black and white commonly. Apr 07, 2015 in the wizard of oz, there are a variety of lighting techniques employed all through the film. The wizard of oz film literary elements gradesaver. The wizard of oz 1939 technical specifications imdb.
The sound effects used in the wizard of oz are very exaggerated, which enhances the fantasy aspect of the film with every scene with sound effects. In the wizard of oz these aspects of miseenscene all come together to make up a spectacular viewing experience. Sep 04, 2014 this week is about how lighting is used in the wizard of oz. An analysis of camera shots in the wizard of oz kibin. Wizard of oz film as a work of art according to film art, it consists of setting, costume and makeup, lighting, and staging bordwell 115. Frank morgan as professor marvel the wizard of oz emerald city doormanthe cabbyemerald city. In this scene, the scarecrow prepares to rescue dorothy when she is attacked by a. Created in 1939 and directed by victor fleming, the wizard of oz was one. May 05, 2010 despite being an early film, the wizard of oz employed the use of different unique editing techniques.
The wizard of oz is a classical movie dating back to 1939 so the lighting effects arent as advanced. Wizard of oz lighting styles wizard of oz cinematography. In the wizard of oz, there are a variety of lighting techniques employed all through the film. This musical is a classic and has been analyzed by many people over the years. With judy garland, frank morgan, ray bolger, bert lahr. But in 1939, when the wizard of oz was being filmed at mgm, the industry.
Over the years, the wizard of oz has been subjected to the kind of scrutiny reserved for only the greatest of motion pictures. The lighting techniques used in the wizard of oz ctabs670. If any single lighting technique would have been used for the entirety of the film, much would have been lost from the audiences experience. Moreover, to illustrate the use of lowkey lighting can be seen when dorothy meets the wizard for the very first time.
Salman rushdie, growing up in bombay, remembers that seeing the film at 10 made a writer of me. Dorothy gale is swept away from a farm in kansas to a magical land of oz in a tornado and embarks on a quest with her new friends to see the wizard who can help her return home to kansas and help her friends as well. Dorothy is swept away from a farm in kansas to the land of oz in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the wizard who can help her return to her home in kansas. This film is one of the worlds best family films created. As the movie begins it is filmed in black and white commonly filmed in three point lighting.
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