Author Archives: Allana Sibille

Acting and Acting Styles

June 18, 2015

CINDERALLA – Mise en scene

(Release Date: 4 Mar 1950)

Cast: Ilene Woods (Voice of Cinderella) Eleanor Audley (Voice of Lady Tremaine) Helene Stanley (Model for Cinderella and Anastasia) Verna Felton (Voice of Fairy Godmother) Luis Van Rooten (Voices of the King and the Grand Duke)

Director: Wilfred Jackson (Dir), Hamilton Luske (Dir) Writer: William Peed (Story), Erdman Penner (Story) Producer: Walt Disney, Ben Sharpsteen Genre: Animation, Family and Fantasy.

The three actors chosen from the Film Cinderella (1950) are:

(I)Ilene Woods plays the voice of Cinderella (1950), she can best be described as a personality actor, relying on her strong personality, to portray Cinderella, she previously recorded Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo“, “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes, the recording was presented to Disney and they later asked Ilene Woods to become the voice of Cinderella. Personality actors are, at some level, playing themselves (or at least that is the perception) according to (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

(II) Eleanor Audley also had a role in Cinderella (1950), she was the voice of Lady Tremaine, and appears to be a wild card because you never know what her next role in acting is going to be. Eleanor also played the voice of different characters in other Disney movies. An actor who is difficult to classify as one certain type, often because she can play a wide variety of characters equally well without becoming typecast (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

(III) Helene Stanley can be classified as interpreter, typically refers to actors who take material and put their own stamp on it. Often this involves actors interpreting well-known roles, she starred in several movies from 1945-1961 such as Girl’s Town (1942), Mr. Soft Touch (1949) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

These characters are labelled accordingly because they represent the meaning of the films they portrayed by enhancing the characters and connecting with the audience, note that all their roles are different each character plays well. I think if other characters were to switch around their roles with other actors, the effects/results would be different.

One actor I would like to focus on is Helene Stanley, she was the character voice for Anastasia in the film Cinderella (1950) but also played the live-model for Cinderella as well. I would classify her as stylized acting because it demands actors go over the top and having to play two parts in one iconic film is beyond amazing. According to writer Carnicke (2006), Helene Stanley was expected to turn in stylized, non-realistic performances for the live-model Cinderella. She played the voice goofy Anastasia but acted like a Princess for the live-model Cinderella, adding flexibility of these categories.

Image retrieved from http://www.afi.com/10top10/moviedetail.aspx?id=25879&thumb=1

References

Carnicke, S.M. (2006). The Material Poetry of Acting “Objects Of Attention,” Performance Style, and Gender in The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut. Journal of Film and Video, 58(1/2), 21-30. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=48827820-b011-4a1e-b732-f1cacb70f3d6%40sessionmgr114&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=ufh&AN=22006159

Cinderella (1950). Sing Sweet Nightingale. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAmk_up3lcU

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA:Bridgepoint Education, Inc./AUENG225

Posted by Allana Sibille in Uncategorized

Cinderella (Categories and Functions of Sound)

June 10, 2015

CINDERELLA – Categories and Functions of Sound. (Release Date: 4 Mar 1950)

Cast: Ilene Woods (Voice of Cinderella) Eleanor Audley (Voice of Lady Tremaine) Helene Stanley (Model for Cinderella and Anastasia) Verna Felton (Voice of Fairy Godmother) Luis Van Rooten (Voices of the King and the Grand Duke)

Director: Wilfred Jackson (Dir), Hamilton Luske (Dir)

Writer: William Peed (Story), Erdman Penner (Story)

Producer: Walt Disney, Ben Sharpsteen

Genre: Animation, Family, Fantasy.

Dialogue

Cinderella (1950), displays very little dialogue, the initial feelings comes from the characters based on how they are dressed for the Ball. Cinderella wears a stunning shiny blue gown and captures the prince’s heart. Voice over voice is present when the character’s voice narrates the action to help the audience understand what is going on (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

This helps develop the plot as the king eagerly awaits his son to choose a bride while the characterizations helps enhances the characters talk, as we would do in real life. Cinderella and the prince engage in each other’s arms as the narrator tells the scene of their epic dance.

Sound Effects

The sound effects used in Cinderella (1950) are classical sounds that are considered to be the golden age of musical film, classical music that builds up suspense as the Prince’s see her at the Ball in her beautiful gown given to Cinderella by her fairy godmother. The king tells the Grand Duke to find out everything about Cinderella; it was the first time he had seen her, such a beautiful maiden. The impact of the sound in establishing the theme and is intended to be fantasy and family. It has all the characteristics of that particular theme.

The use of sound inform the mood of the scene/film by creating high and low key notes indicating shock, frustration or happiness in the character, if the sound starts of in a pulsating effect, it notes that danger is present or perhaps a sad character based on the scenes. Since this movie was created in 1950, the methods used to create certain sounds was crumbling cellophane or the ringing of a doorbell that interferes with a particular genre (animation) because you can hear some of the classical sounds in the background of the movie.

Music

The music in Cinderella (1950) was created and sang by Oliver Wallace and Paul J. Smith, each character had their roles/songs but the songs Cinderella sang was more prominent. The introduction musical for Cinderella was sang by Marni Nixon, an American soprano singer performed with the Jud Conlon Chorus in this classic musical movie. The tone of the music gives the audience fantasy with a hint of imagination.

Since this movie was produced in 1950, most of the soundtrack/music came from live full symphonic orchestra (what appears on Broadway today), the violin is one instrument clearly heard. The sounds produce a wide range of effects that can be characterized as exaggerated, only because the original Cinderella was produced in 1950, the use of sound had to be created manually (plates breaking) to display the scene where Cinderella dropped a plate. Unlike today, these sounds are computerized.

If a key sound would be removed from the scene where Cinderella and the Prince waltzed, it would not have the same effect on the audience, it may be boring and appear to be uninterested since all animation movies require some kind of sound in the background to capture the audience’s (children) attention. The description of the music can best relate to a happy ending as Cinderella receives in the animated film (Corliss, 2015).

Image retrieved from http://www.afi.com/10top10/moviedetail.aspx?id=25879&thumb=1

References

Cinderella. (1950). When I fall in Love. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4lVo5L7AfI

Corliss, R. (2015). A Cinderella for Forever. Time, 185(10), 54-56. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=13&sid=6991c351-bc3d-4f25-a934-8df3c095d010%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=afh&AN=101512672

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc./AUENG225

Posted by Allana Sibille in Uncategorized

Cinderella – Lighting

June 3, 2015

CINDERELLA – Lighting Release Date: 4 Mar 1950

Director: Wilfred Jackson (Dir), Hamilton Luske (Dir)

Writer: William Peed (Story), Erdman Penner (Story)

Producer: Walt Disney, Ben Sharpsteen

The type of lighting used in the animation movie “Cinderella” uses three-point lighting. This type of lighting is more common in computer-generated imagery. This creates a more intense dramatic scene as Cinderella portrays the life of a domestic girl. Picture (I) shows the use of deep shadows as Cinderella looks out the window, the lighting is fixed on the character and brightens her image only to add mystery and capture the audience’s attention. The lighting not only reflects the time of day by the position of the shadows, but emphasizes the heat of both weather and character’s emotions (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).

The benefits from using this particular style of lighting showcases the effect, especially in young children that are attracted to animated movies, they are drawn to the screen that projects a solid stream of lighting and uses it as a sign of curiosity.

This technique contributed to the scene by incorporating the fill light and key light to focus on Cinderella enhancing the mood she appeared to be in, more of distraught sadden image. The dark shades around her indicated misery and unhappiness, also her chin is propped on her hands and her eyes makes her look sad.

The lighting technique suited the film genre (family, animation, fantasy) because it manipulates the audience using a variation of techniques, the motion of the film moves forward only, there are no past scenes of Cinderella, but only the present and current shots. In picture (II) the lighting created from the animated effect gave cause to the movie itself, the dark contrast scenes of how Cinderella struggled with the life living with her stepmother and stepsisters, the lighting increased indicating a sign of hope in the movie as Cinderella comes out of the shadows and establishes a life of her own, symbolizing a new beginning or chapter in her life.

If different choices had been made in the film, such as low key lighting the entire movie would appear to be dark with the contrast of shadows, however the film is the opposite it projects the use of three point lighting based on careful control of the shadows.

Image retrieved from http://www.afi.com/10top10/moviedetail.aspx?id=25879&thumb=1

References

Cinderella 1950 Full Movie High Quality 1080p | Disney Movie. Film and Animation. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPY77ju61bE

Cinderella (1950). Walt Disney Production. Retrieved from http://www.afi.com/10top10/moviedetail.aspx?id=25879&thumb=1

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego,CA: Bridgepoint

Posted by Allana Sibille in Uncategorized

Cinderella

May 25, 2015

Title: Cinderella (1950)

Cast: Ilene Woods (Voice of Cinderella), Eleanor Audley (Voice of Lady Tremaine), Helene Stanley (Model for Cinderella and Anastasia), Verna Felton (Voice of Fairy Godmother), Luis Van Rooten (Voices of the King and the Grand Duke)

Director: Wilfred Jackson (Dir), Hamilton Luske (Dir)

Writer: William Peed (Story), Erdman Penner (Story)

Producer: Walt Disney, Ben Sharpsteen

Story: Cinderella starts off as a girl whose mother had died and her father eventually remarried another lady who had two daughters, hoping Cinderella would once again have a mother figure in her life and two step sisters. As time passed, her father died leaving his entire estate to his widowed wife. Now becomes a girl envied by her stepmother and step sisters and bestow the worst treatment ever, Cinderella becomes the servant girl, after one magical night she finds her price and marries him leaving her old life behind.

Plot: Her stepmother forced her out of her room and into the attic where it was cold and damp. Cinderella’s old room was given to her stepsisters, Eventually, Cinderella became known as the servant girl, she ate leftovers for a meal, and wore rags, tending to the farm animals, cooking washing clothes and just about everything to please her awful family. One evening Cinderella went for a ride on her horse where she ran into the prince (She thought he was just an ordinary man hunting).The prince was rather attracted to her fondness of caring for animals since he did not kill the deer he was intended too.

A few days later, the king announced there was to be a royal ball in which his son would choose a bride, every royal and commoner was to attend. Cinderella’s sister envied her beauty and her stepmother forbid her to attend even though Cinderella has fixed her late mother’s dress, it was torn to pieces.

After everyone left for the ball, Cinderella began to cry and her teardrop summoned her fairy godmother who transformed her into a beautiful lady wearing a beautiful dress that sparkled and a carriage that was fit for a princess. But the magic would only last till midnight, Cinderella arrived at the ball and captured the attention of everyone with her stunning dress, the prince mesmerized by her beauty danced with her all night long, but at the stroke of midnight the magic was too run out, Cinderella ran as fast as she could leaving her glass slipper behind.

The next day the prince went to the village for every maiden to try on the glass slipper after several failed attempts the prince approached her house and the king’s men asked who was that (servant girl), her stepmother said no one. But the prince insisted she try on the glass slipper and it as a perfect match for Cinderella was the one the prince had danced with. She married the prince and left behind the cruel life her family has bestowed upon her, Cinderella forgave her stepmother and stepsisters, but never looked back because she had finally found true happiness.

Chronology: The film Cinderella was told in chronological order because the events in the movie’s plot follow the same order, the film starts from the very beginning of Cinderella’s life from a little girl to a young lady, her character developed over time. The movie’s sequence follows the next scene and is consistent.

The aesthetic choice of the film was targeted towards children, as they seem most interested in animated movies. Several of the screenshots had dark lighting indicating bad characters or sad situations (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs, 2014). These events was displayed when Cinderella was tasked with house chores and work given by her stepmother.

The character development or foreshadowing has absolutely been impacted by the choice of storytelling methods. The story Cinderella is very sad, she endures many sad moments in life before finding her true happiness, her prince charming.

If the film had followed a different presentation style, it would not attract many viewers and would not be the most loved film by children. The movie Cinderella is about animation, fantasy and magic.