Frames of Reference

Mark and Joseph look at one of Hollywood’s most unique and theatrical genres in this musical special all about directors.  The two pictures are a cult classic about the end of the silent era, Singin’ in the Rain, directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelley, accompanied by Damien Chazelle’s modern masterpiece, La La Land.  As the creative lead for a movie, directors are at the heart and soul of our favorite films.  Our hosts discuss topics like traditional and modern roles of a director, directors' shared filmography, directors' intent, and so much more!  We hope you enjoy this final episode of our Elements series.

In this Christmas Special, Mark and Joseph discuss the elemental glue that holds together your favorite films.  Editing, the art of shot transitions, is the penultimate step in turning a screenplay into a cinematic masterpiece.  Mark and Joseph discuss the technology, philosophy, and execution of editing.  The film selection for today’s episode is It’s A Wonderful Life, a Christmas staple with Hollywood’s timeless invisible editing style, pitted against the newcomer, The Holdovers, a modern movie intentionally edited to feel like a holiday classic your family has watched for many years.  Thank you so much for listening, and have a merry Christmas! 

In this episode, Mark and Joseph are joined by a special guest to discuss the lifeblood of film itself: the actors.  They critique the progression of acting from theatrical expressiveness to understated realism by studying two iconic westerns.  1962’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance starring the legendary John Wayne and James Stewart directed by John Ford, and the 2010 remake of True Grit with Hailee Steinfeld in a breakout role alongside Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin, and directed by the equally talented Coen brothers.  Thank you so much for listening!

Today, Mark, Joseph, and a special guest, look at classic Disney animation.  Animation is more than just a genre, it is an entirely different medium than traditional film, but the elements apply just the same.  Join our trio of hosts as they discuss topics related to animation studios, the role of storytelling, and the process of creating animated content.  The film selection for today’s episode is the classic Brother Grim tale, Sleeping Beauty (1959), and a contemporary take on Rapunzel, Disney’s Tangled (2010).  Thanks for listening!

Happy Halloween! In this special episode Mark and Joseph take a look at the production design of two iconic horror movies.  First, our oldest selection to date, 1920s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, is considered by most to be the first horror movie of all time.   Comparing that to Martin Scorceses neo-noir thriller Shutter Island sets the stage for a terrifying showdown.  They cover topics like setting, character design, costume and makeup, and even the idea of art direction itself.  Thanks for listening!

Today Joseph and Mark explore two tales of wanderlust and desert dust.  Perhaps the most epic tale of all time, Lawrence of Arabia crosses blades with the masterpiece Dune: Part Two in the finale of our Cinematography mini-series to determine how the elements of film has changed through the sands of time.  These two films have defined and redefined genres, need no introduction, and have produced some of the most stunning visuals of all time.  Thank you so much for tuning in!

In the newest era of cinematography digital cameras have brought unimaginable worlds to life.  From the lively flora and fauna of Pandora in James Cameron’s Avatar, to the grim underbelly of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, digital cameras have reshaped the movies we love today.  Though the technology has only been in cinemas for less than 30 years, it has undergone major improvements leading to its current dominance.  Join Joseph and Mark as they discuss the pros and cons of digital cinematography, the worlds they help create, and the future of “film”.

In today’s bonus episode Mark interviews co-host Joseph W. to look at two of his favorite films that tackle how we utilize the weight of expectations: Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse, a revolutionary animated film, and Oppenheimer, a revolutionary tale of the Nuclear frontier.  Afterwards they discuss topics like rewatchability, technical achievement, and the personal baggage we bring into the films we hold near and dear to our hearts.

Today’s episode sets the stage for our mini series on the elements of cinematography through the years.  In this first episode Mark and Joseph critique film cinematography by looking at the genre defining 2001: A Space Odyssey, and a monolith in and of itself, Interstellar.  Tune in as they discuss topics like lens selection, films place in a digital world, the physical limitations of film stock, modeling spacetime itself, and more! 

Today’s Bonus episode is all about Frames of Reference co-host Mark! Joseph interviews Mark; centered around his life experience with film, his favorite films, and filmmakers, before diving into a thorough cross examination of Marks two favorite movies: Seven Samurai, and How to Train Your Dragon. 

Today’s episode covers sound design old and new. By analyzing Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece Alien against its modern analog, John Krazinski’s A Quiet Place, Mark and Joseph set out to determine if modern technology has made sound design inherently better. They go over important aspects of a movies mix such as music, dialogue, and sound effects—while also exploring how sound can be used to assist the narrative and bring focus to a films thematic heartbeat.