contemporary filipino films -...

Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Region (PAR) http://jacs.weebly.com

Contemporary Filipino Films Items: 10 Steps (Including Introduction) Duration: 50 seconds

Introduction 5 seconds

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The cinema of the Philippines began with the introduction of the

first moving pictures to the country on January 1, 1897 at the Salón

de Pertierra in Manila.

Early filmmakers and producers in the country were mostly

wealthy enterprising foreigners and expatriates, but on September

12, 1919, a silent feature film broke the grounds for Filipino

filmmakers. Dalagang Bukid (Country Maiden), a movie based on


a popular musical play, was the first movie made and shown by

Filipino filmmaker José Nepomuceno. Dubbed as the "Father of

Philippine Cinema", his work marked the start of cinema as an art

form in the Philippines.

Even with the problems currently facing motion pictures around

the world, movies are still considered as one of the popular forms

of entertainment among the Filipino people, directly employing

some 776,000 Filipinos and generating around 4 billion revenues

annually.

The Philippines was the last country to establish a national film

archive, when one opened in October 2011.

The Film Movements 5 seconds


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Contemporary Filipino films are categorized by the film movements which emerged as a result of the continuing development of intellectual media. These films are categorized as:

1. Independent 2. Experimental 3. New Wave

Independent 5 seconds


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“Indie” is a modern cultural term that stems from the word “independent.” Originally, an indie film is a film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment agencies. Independent films are sometimes distinguishable by their content and style and the way in which the filmmakers' personal artistic vision is realized. Usually, but not always, independent films are made with considerably lower budgets than major studio movies.


Characteristics of Indie Films 5 seconds

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After a few solid decades of independent media, however, aesthetic patterns and themes have emerged that make “indie” more of a style or genre label than a hard definition. For example, indie films are usually (not always):

„ Low budget, featuring actors that are not A-list superstars.

„ Set in everyday reality, as opposed to the distant future or past.


„ Artistic or personal in tone. Stories often reflect outcasts or everyday people.

„ Music is often sourced from bands, instead of original orchestral scoring.

Experimental 5 seconds

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An experimental film is any film that experiments with some aspect of the filmmaking process -- e.g., editing of visuals and/or audio, filming techniques, and even the mode of presentation. The term describes a range of filmmaking styles that are generally quite different from, and often opposed to, the


practices of mainstream commercial and documentary filmmaking. Avant-garde is also used to describe this work. Today the term "experimental cinema" prevails, because it’s possible to make experimental films without the presence of any avant-garde movement in the cultural field. As the word experimental suggests, this type of movie is trying something new, different -- so different that, at first, it will cause confusion, if not annoyance on the viewer.


Why Make Them? 5 seconds

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So who makes them and why? The goal is often to place the viewer in a more active and more thoughtful relationship to the film. Like any other art form, cinema can also be a therapeutic activity. This is not to imply that those who make them are ill or demented, not at all. However, some directors are not concerned about what people may think or commercial success - they make movies for themselves.


Again, experimental films are not imprisoned by story structure, character arc, or common sense.

Characteristics of Experimental Films 5 seconds

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While experimental covers a wide range of practice, an experimental film is often characterized by:

„ the absence of linear narrative „ the use of various abstracting techniques-out-of-

focus „ painting or scratching on film „ rapid editing


„ the use of asynchronous (non-diegetic) sound or even the absence of any sound track

„ very low budgets, self-financed or financed through small grants

„ with a minimal crew or often a crew of only one person, the filmmaker

Some critics have argued that much experimental film is no longer in fact "experimental" but has in fact become a mainstream film genre. Many of its more typical features-such as a non-narrative, impressionistic, or poetic approaches to the film's construction-define what is generally understood to be experimental.


New Wave 5 seconds

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New Wave refers to a new generation of young filmmakers influencing the types of films produced, their production and marketing, and the way major studios approached film-making. After the demise of the studio system and the rise of television, the artistic quality of films and their commercial success was diminished. This period, spanning the mid-1970s and early 1990s, was a period of artistic and commercial revival.


Up to this day, the new wave of film-makers continue to succeed, not only in the independent, but also in the mainstream film industry.

Characteristics of New Wave Films 5 seconds

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In New Wave films, the film director, rather than the studio, took on a key authorial role. The films made in this era are stylistically characterized in that their narrative often strongly deviated from classical norms. Though they largely continued to follow classical norms, the films made in this period are characterized in


that their narrative logic and subject matter were often unconventional. Other characteristics are summed up, as follows:

„ independent and limited filming budget „ characters are anti-authoritarian „ loose-structured and open-ended storyline „ improvised plots and dialogues „ jump-cut editing „ long scene takes „ real location shooting „ natural lighting „ direct and available sound „ handheld camera


Thank You 5 seconds

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Thank you for listening!

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