Be it Coca Cola in Jurassic Park or FedEx in Cast Away, product placement is an important component of the advertisement and film industry. It might be interesting to look at the effects such product placement has on the production of a movie. How are the products placed? Does it change the storyline? Has the production team compromise creativity for the product?
This is a really great topic. I would also add that the writer consider some of the ways that product placement has been lampooned by comedic films and satirists e.g. Wayne's World or Colbert and his Doritos. – Jonathan Judd8 years ago
I think it would be interesting to examine realistic vs. unrealistic use of product placement, as well. It seems to me like there are times product placement can make a movie seem more believable, whereas other times it's obviously only being done for the money. – Ben Woollard8 years ago
This is a great topic as I always find it so easy to differentiate between a product being in a shot for pure decoration and being there for product placement. I think it also might be good to make a connection to product placement in music videos, which I found to be so prevalent nowadays. But otherwise, Josie and the Pussycats movie made a lot of accurate and comedic references to product placement and the effects it can have on audiences. – giorginamckay7 years ago
With every new economic downturn, recession, depression, American pop-culture tends to churn out a new slew of cultural products that deal with the impact of these shifting economic conditions. The material reality is what matters here, the impact on everyday life, it also tends to produce interesting film, television and art. The most recent film to do this is out in theaters now, "Going Out in Style." Discuss a few cultural products, from ideally a few different periods of economic strife in America (there are plenty), from the Great Depression (1929-1941) to the Recession of 2008-9, analyzing what they have to say about these periods in American history and the harsh realities they portray.
Examples: basically all of The Grapes of Wrath, maybe a converse example in Gatsby, the homeowner of The Big Short that ends up living in his car, 99 Homes. Just a few that might help narrow this topic! – elroddavid8 years ago
Visualizing terror is no easy task for filmmakers and writers, given the sensitive nature of the topic. Several productions have tackled the subject in various ways with shifting point of views and emphasises. Examples include Air Force One (1997), Bloody Sunday (2002), Omagh (2004), Syriana (2005), Munich (2005), World Trade Center (2006), The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), Olympus Has Fallen (2013). How is terror visualized? What purpose does it serve to portray it? Where does fiction start?
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" just serves as a good title. It might be referenced in the article, though it is a fictional event that focuses not on terror but more on coping with it. It might be a good starting point in the article as well, maybe with a quote or Illustration or something. – L.J.8 years ago
This is an interesting topic that could be filled in with a little more shape if you pinpoint the aspects of film-making or writing the author should/could use. Perhaps a suggestion on not only how terror is visualized but also on the politics of representation and the limits of the visual. – Jonathan Judd8 years ago
Analyze how Groundhog Day (1993) has thematic roots in Buddhist and existential philosophy, particularly Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of eternal recurrence, and how it offers a compelling look at the process of change and approaching a more authentic existence.
Bill Murray does a convincing job portraying the various stages of the path, making his transformation from cynical/nihilistic to genuinely kind-hearted believable.
There are many ways the Creature in the 1994 film "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" is different from it's original, classic incarnation from 1931 in "Frankenstein." One example is, obviously, the Creature talks in the remake. What effects do these changes have on the film? Are we more sympathetic to the Creature in the remake or the original film? What relationship does it have to the book?
Hi, I recommend you talk about how much the 1994 version is based on the basic outline and some of the elements of the book by Shelley (which is one of the best books ever created, in my opinion). – SeanGadus8 years ago
Look at the difference between classic and modern gothic and the kinds of thematic shifts that have taken place there. Monsters used to be something used as a scapegoat, pinning our fears onto anything 'Other'. Nowadays, the monsters are often more sympathetic creations, and our fears are turned inwards. – TomWadsworth8 years ago
Consider Park Chan Wook's 'Oldboy' (2003) and Spike Lee's American (2013) remake. What do the differences in these two works reveal about their respective cultures?
I totally forgot about Spike Lee's remake. I have to wonder how he'd handle the ending. – John Wells8 years ago
The sub-genre of movies known as "found-footage film" carries that unique sense of realism (brought about by shaky handheld cameras and lack of background music) rarely found in other films. With movies such as "The Blair Witch Project," "Chronicle," "The Gallows," and many others falling under this category, what makes some of these movies "better" than others? What sort of techniques have (or have not yet) been used to make these films feel valid/believable by an audience?
well, you have to look at the broader context. Consider the fact that The Blair Witch Project basically invented the found-footage subgenre and was an early example of viral marketing. That is probably why it feels so realistic-- no one had really done it before, at least not on the same level, and since then it's been extremely difficult to replicate, and I'd argue the only one that's done it successfully is Cloverfield, because it basically invented viral marketing as we know it today with the websites and social media pages for the characters. Seeing it replicated endlessly makes it less and less convincing. – sadiebritt288 years ago
Analyzing the films that go against the common belief in Hollywood that every great story with a female lead must contain a love story. Meaning, there's a clear love interest for her character. Looking at films that follow and defy this tradition, and at what cost. From the top grossing film of the year that follows (Rogue One) to indie favorites that don't (Lost in Translation), what is gained and what is lost by following this trope? And why can male leads go against this tradition? Would Master and Commander be a bigger hit if he had a damsel to rescue? Or could the Matrix survive without Neo's love for Trinity? Compare the loveless 2001: A Space Odyssey vs. the love-driven Interstellar. Both are successful films with male leads. Why aren't there more non-romantic films lead by women? Take a look at the film Housekeeping, which stands out from the pack.
That is a great question. However, if you look hard enough you will find many more films being released today that do not follow this pattern. The Underworld series contain a female hero who is seen battling alongside the men and in most cases actually does more damage than they do. She is portrayed as the leader of her people and her main focus is to keep her species alive above everything else. Of, course there is a love story but he is on the opposite side of the war and she will not let her love for him cloud her decision to kill the rest of his people. – AnthonyWright8 years ago
You're right, in that example the love interest is not quite as pronounced as many other films. Thanks for the note! – Nate Océan8 years ago
