Become a movie buff
Published on 1st June 2021
In this series of 24 thirty-minute video lectures (on Great Courses), Professor Williams introduces his passion for films and shows us why film is such a unique medium. It is a time machine which transports our imaginations and reaches parts of us that no other artistic form can approach. He explains how there are three different viewpoints on who is the most important person in the creation of a film - the director, the screenwriter and the entire cast and crew. He discusses these three viewpoints and asks what the driving force that makes a movie great is.
Professor Williams is an engaging instructor who is very knowledgeable about films. He demonstrates how many famous films are based on a monomythic; which is the story of a hero or heroine who goes on an adventure along with some friends, is victorious in a decisive crisis and comes home changed or transformed. This is the plot line for the Wizard of Oz and also Star Wars. It can also sometimes be an antihero like Michael Corleone in The Godfather.
He describes how films are loosely classed in different types of genres but it is not a steadfast rule. Most films belong to a particular genre but sometimes a film will start in a particular genre e.g. Psycho which starts off in crime but changes into horror. Some other genres he discusses include War such as Saving Private Ryan, Romance (Casablanca) and Comedy (Trading Places). He also differentiates between Action and Thriller genres.
Action is a film like Die Hard which is a straightforward battle between good and evil whereas a thriller is a film like Silence Of The Lambs where the audience is filled with a sense of dread because we are not sure what is going to happen next.
Professor Williams uncovers the tricks used to help us suspend our disbelief, let go of our cynicism and shows how the use of sound, lighting, colour and special effects can greatly enhance or detract from the theme, atmosphere and the story.
This is an excellent course. It covers every single area of the movie business from screenwriting to the use of special effects. Once you have completed this course you will have a deeper appreciation of filmmaking and will look at films from a totally different perspective. There is also a course guidebook in pdf form which contains all the material discussed in the 24 lectures.
To access Great Courses just sign into Libby and follow the prompts to find Dublin City library and log in with your library card number and PIN. When registering for Libby, do not put in your local branch please put in Dublin City. Great Courses is under Extras on the Libby app.
Submitted by John G. in Inchicore Library.