Archive for January, 2010

History Of The Movie Rating System

Posted on Jan 09, 2010 under film rating | No Comment

The Motion Picture Association of America first introduced a rating system due to the number of complains about the levels of violence, nudity, sex, and profanity in the motion pictures that were being produced in the United States.


The MPAA decided at the time that if anyone was going to regulate the content of the films being put out in the United States that they, not the government, would be the ones to do it.


The code first started out with the nickname the Hays Code, named after the man who invented it, but it later had to be revised to include a SMA or Suggested For Mature Audiences rating, which was intended to note that a film contained what most people would see as objectionable content.


Even though this first rating was introduced, which films it would apply to was not standardized and those film production companies that did not belong to the MPAA were not subject to this rating system.


From 1968 to 1970, the rating system only consisted of four different ratings: G, M, R, and X, with increasing levels of violence, sex, or profanity. This rating was changed to GP or General Patronage and then from GP to PG Parental Guidance in March of 1970.


The rating of PG-13 came around in the mid 1980′s, since there were a lot of films that were right on the line between the PG and the R rating. The PG-13 rating was created to fill in this gap.


The NC-17 rating came into existence on September 27th, 1990 and this rating replaced the X rating that had been used almost since the beginning of the ratings system. The X rating had become too synonymous with pornography and this was never intended.


The problem with NC-17 ratings for producers, however, is the fact that some movie store chains will not carry titles that carry its stamp. This has caused film studios to recently protest the NC-17 rating for films, stating that it makes their films almost worthless for widespread release, since many movie rental chains will not carry titles that are rated NC-17.


Recently the rating that has been coming under some fire is the R rating. It has a similar problem today that the PG and R ratings had that lead to the creation of the PG-13 rating back in the mid 1980′s in the sense that there are a large number of films that are considered to be just on the border between R and NC-17. Many parents believe that the R rating is a bit too broad and would like to see the rating split up into 2 groups: R and Hard R.

Related items

Tips On Selecting A Film School

Posted on Jan 05, 2010 under good film | No Comment

Filmmaking is not only an interesting, enjoyable and fulfilling career but very lucrative as well. Unfortunately, realizing the big Hollywood dream entails hard work, commitment and great amount of skill, right attitude, guts and some luck, too. While it is true that you’re not in full control of your fate, the initial steps toward being a successful filmmaker depend on you. Choosing the right or the best film school where you would hone your talents, develop more interest and learn more knowledge in filmmaking is your first step. Your decision to choose a particular film school is very crucial to your success as a filmmaker since that film school shall equip you with or shall help you gain more knowledge, skills, techniques and experiences, which are essential to a filmmaker. Those are his tools in filmmaking that cannot be bought but are earned and cultivated through time.

1. Know What You Want

First of all, you have to know what you want. Ask yourself what realm of filmmaking do you want to venture in or what kind of films do you want to work on in the future? Do you want to be an independent filmmaker or a simple film artist? There are so many film schools in the country as well as in other parts of the globe and each has its own expertise. Knowing what you want in the first place would allow you to focus your research and thus refine your choices for good film schools. Also, this would help you save time and effort in searching for schools as you have already eliminated those that may not fit your interest and criteria.

2. What Are Your Considerations?

After deciding on what area you want to concentrate, you should also identify your major considerations in choosing a particular film school.

- the affordability of film courses
- the facilities of the film school
- the accessibility and proximity of the school
- the film school’s reputation and quality of education

3. Don’t Skimp On Your Education

Remember that a good film education is really expensive so do not just choose a film school that offers the cheapest film courses. It is important to consider the quality of education and the reputation of the school above all else. Remember that with that school, you are building a career that is supposed to be a life-long profession. Short-term film courses, say a 2-yr filmmaking course may be a lot cheaper than a 4-yr course and is quite helpful as most provide hands on training and a lot of project work. If you want to really excel in this field, however, you might opt for a longer course as it is more comprehensive.

3. Identify Where You Want To Study

Knowing where you want to cultivate your skills and intensify your interest in filmmaking is essential in selecting the right film school for you. This would refine your search as well since you would have to concentrate in looking for film schools only in one particular area or locality. New York is one of the best places to study film. It has the most developed art scenes for film and a number of reputable film schools. If affordability of the film course is one of your major considerations, you can choose a film school in Chicago and Milwaukee, which are known for having the most affordable film schools in the country. If you want to make it to Hollywood, better start your search for the best film school there in Los Angeles and nearby cities. There are lots of renowned film schools there that offer short and long term film courses.

4. Explore Colleges and Universities

Now that you have refined your criteria: the area in filmmaking you want to concentrate in, your major considerations such as the affordability of the courses, the school’s reputation and the place, you can now do some research. As you explore your options, consider the things you have identified earlier. It would be better if you list down every film school’s advantages and disadvantages so you can easily compare and contrast them. Also, as you examine the school’s film courses and their special attributes, you can add some more considerations to your list and see which of the film schools you have considered meet the most of your requirements.

5. Narrow Your List

After going through several colleges and universities, narrow now your list by eliminating those that do not meet your criteria. With your short but well researched list of the best film schools, you can be more confident now of making a right decision. But before you finally select the film school, seek for other people’s advice and recommendations, especially those who are well familiar with filmmaking.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

What Makes a Great Entertainer?

Posted on Jan 01, 2010 under great entertain | No Comment

Most people at some point in their lives encounter a great entertainer, unless of course they live under a rock. And, most of those people if they’re lucky enough get to see more than one. Most everyone instinctively knows a great entertainer when they see one however, do they really know what goes into making one?

Based on my experience it’s not an accident that some entertainers stand out from the crowd. It’s based on a carefully laid out plan that includes; stage presence, humility, confidence, mental preparation, natural talent, experience and one secret ingredient.

Did you know that the number one fear in North America is public speaking? The only way to alleviate that fear is with practice. Public speaking or any type of performance in front of an audience takes practice. It’s not just about what to say or do, it’s about how to say or do it. Most great entertainers know that it’s far less important what you say or do, it’s how you say or do it.

So, how do you learn how to give a great performance? Well, the first thing you need is the right information. It always amazes me how few people know how to interact with an audience. It’s not just about being confident it’s about where to stand, how to stand, when to speak, how to speak, body language, how to move and how to address the audience. This type of information starts with a template. There actually is a template for giving any type of presentation. Most great entertainers know this. They do not wing it.

For example, there is a template just for the introduction which includes things like; how to take the stage, what to say first, asking enrolling questions, earning the right and strategically letting the audience what the presentation is all about and what’s in store for me. While this may seem like a simple thing, it’s not. An entertainer needs to know exactly how to perform each one of these steps. It’s not enough just to know the steps, you need to know how to deliver them.

Then, once you have the template down the hardest part comes next; how to put your personality into the template. This is the part that takes the most practice. I remember when I first put the template into practice it was nothing short of a disaster. Why? Because, I tried to be someone that I’m not. An audience can see right through that. I needed to find myself within the template and learn how to be me while still covering all of the things I need to do to connect with the audience.

Ok, so let’s say you’ve mastered the template and can deliver it in your own style and personality. What else do you need to know? Just this; the audience is the star! That’s the secret ingredient. Without it, you can never hope to be a great entertainer. And, that’s the biggest mistake that most upcoming performers do not understand. It’s all about the audience. In fact, the more you make it about the audience the more success as a great entertainer you’ll have.

The last thing an audience wants to see is some ego maniac artist take the stage and make it all about them. For example; if the artists performs what they want and say what they want with little regard for what the audience wants. That’s so wrong on so many levels. How to do you make it about the audience? Use the template. The template teaches you how to interact with them instead of performing down to them. If the audience sees you at their level the more success you’ll have.

A combination of the perfect performance template, experience and making the audience the star will propel any career beyond normal expectation. Just remember to get the right information from the right people. How? Go to someone who’s already doing it and ask them. It’s as simple as that.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

« Previous Page Newer Entries »