Advice — david freeman
Dual 'Character Arcs' in 'Erin Brockovich'
Posted by David Freeman on
Hopefully, you're not the same person you were when you were a teen. (If you're a teen, reading this, I realize the above sentence defies logic. But not to worry -- it's an illogical world, and you'll soon get used to it). Perhaps once you were shy, and now you're not. Perhaps once you felt unimportant, and now you understand your value to yourself and others. The point is, as we go on in life, most of us grow in different ways. The same thing happens in a movie script. Usually, at least one of the characters - and not...
- Tags: advice, david freeman, expert series
Focusing on the Use of Symbols in Film: Why 'American Beauty' Works
Posted by David Freeman on
There are many ways symbols that can be used in a movie. Today I will examine one of them.Alan Ball, the screenwriter of 'American Beauty,' makes riveting use of the color red throughout the film. The first time we see Annette Bening, she's cutting bright red roses.What does the color red mean in this movie?The way Ball uses it, it refers to a concept: the life force, which, by nature, tries to defy the suppressiveness of suburban life. That's why, the first time we meet Annette Bening, she's cutting red roses. She's cutting the life force. Shortly thereafter, we see...
- Tags: advice, david freeman, expert series