Most important elements of a great film
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sdca
Members Posts: 290 ✭✭
What elements (in order), do you think make a movie a great one?
This is my list in order. You can add something else that I don't have listed.
1. Writing
2. Directing
3. Acting
4. Cinematography
5. Editing
Some might add Producing to the list. I never really think about that, but maybe someone else with an opinion can enlighten me. Also bad acting has always been my pet peeve, but lately I’ve been more irritated with bad dialogue.
A current film with all of those elements was “Atonement”.
This is my list in order. You can add something else that I don't have listed.
1. Writing
2. Directing
3. Acting
4. Cinematography
5. Editing
Some might add Producing to the list. I never really think about that, but maybe someone else with an opinion can enlighten me. Also bad acting has always been my pet peeve, but lately I’ve been more irritated with bad dialogue.
A current film with all of those elements was “Atonement”.
Comments
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1. Editing
2. Writing
3. Directing
4. Acting
5. Cinematography
Editing has gotta be the most important. That's where the film is actually made. Before that it's only a series of random clips that don't amount to anything. Editing decisions can really make or break a film. -
@ Cali - That’s a nice/different POV!
I had it set in my mind that without a script, there is no movie.
I didn’t expect anyone to list editing as #1, but I can see why you did. There’s a lot of pressure on the editor with the final touches. They set the tone with pacing and all that. Do you think “Transformers” is an example of a potentially good movie, with bad editing? Or do you have any other examples of poor editing? -
Writing, editing, score, acting, cinematography
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@ Cali - That’s a nice/different POV!
I had it set in my mind that without a script, there is no movie.
I didn’t expect anyone to list editing as #1, but I can see why you did. There’s a lot of pressure on the editor with the final touches. They set the tone with pacing and all that. Do you think “Transformers” is an example of a potentially good movie, with bad editing? Or do you have any other examples of poor editing?
To me Transformers is fine on editing, the writing is just not strong enough. For good action films, you must have either well-developed characters or a groundbreaking concept. Die Hard is a classic because of the McClane and Gruber characters, not just because there's alot of shootouts and fancy stunts. Terminator is a classic because of it's unique concept. A great film will have both. Shia Lebeouf is likeable enough but there's not too much substance to his character, and the concept has been around since the 80's so the writing would have to be stronger for it to be a better film.
One example that comes to mind of a good movie that was ruined by bad editing is a movie called Way of the Gun with Benicio Del Toro and James Caan. The plot is very interesting (two men conspire to hold a pregnant woman for ransom because she is a surrogate for a rich couple). The dialogue is funny and fresh, the characters are unique, but there's just too damn much sh*t crammed into the movie. Halfway through it the audience kinda gives up because it's overworked. If you see it, you'll know what I mean. If there had been better editing, it would have been a great movie. But as it stands now, it's just ok. -
1. Writing/Script
2. Directing
3. Acting
4. Editing
5. Score -
The Terminator is a perfect example! I’ve seen Way of the Gun, a long while ago. Wasn’t Taye Diggs in that? I can’t remember the specific details of the movie though.
“There Will Be Blood” and “Inglourious Basterds” – great movies, slow pacing. I just don’t feel right labeling it ‘bad editing’, even though that is the one reason I don't wanna watch it again. Every element just has to be perfect, it almost was minus the drag.
Nice pick to those who mentioned score! I completely forgot about that one, definitely important.
“Jaws” immediately comes to mind. -
“There Will Be Blood” and “Inglourious Basterds” – great movies, slow pacing. I just don’t feel right labeling it ‘bad editing’, even though that is the one reason I don't wanna watch it again. Every element just has to be perfect, it almost was minus the drag.
There Will Be Blood is slow on purpose and never dull. Everything is deliberate and the one thing it definitely doesn't suffer from is 'bad editing'. Inglourious Basterds on the other hand is simply way too overlong like most other recent Tarantino films and could do with a heartless film editor to shove him out the way and slice off a good 40 or so minutes of boring/irrelevant stuff we blatantly don't need to see
