Let's be carefully on what we consider "easy". To me, reading music is easy,
but that's because I've been doing a lot of it. RC may be easy to you since you've
been practicing on how to answer RC questions. It's all relative. The "reading" itself
might have been easy since it's a pretty interesting topic to digest, but my hesitation
lies within the questions and answers.
Two questions that just didn't pass the "this is now obvious" test on passage 18.
Most moviegoers tend to sum up all of a film's features - acting, directing,
special effects, and script - into a blanket "•I loved it"– or "•hated it"–. But
movie industry workers, and even film connoisseurs, can attest to the
contribution of the movie's "—cinematics', or technical features, towards
creating any movie's atmosphere.
Artistic movies are composed of a multitude of "—shots' or discrete scenes
usually lasting only 6 to 20 seconds; together the hundreds of individual
scenes combine to make up the movie. For each shot the director has
many options on how to film the same. For example, imagine that the
movie's script calls for two actors to speak a fixed dialogue in a specified
location. Even while the director stays true to the script, he has
considerable leeway in how to film the scene. He may film an "—extreme
long shot', with the camera far away. This tends to show the setting in a
panorama, emphasizing the background while underplaying the actors, and
is used primarily in outdoor scenes where the backdrop is particularly
impressive. Or, he may employ the "—long shot', which brings the camera
close enough to capture the actor's entire bodies, together with some of
the setting. And finally there is the "—close-up', where the camera is brought
in close enough to focus on the actors' heads and faces and has the effect
of spotlighting a particular actor while hiding the setting and other actors.
Camera "—angling' refers to the camera's height from the ground and thus
the vertical angle from which the audience views the action. The most
common angle is filmed at adult eye level, though some artistic films for or
about children can capture a child's-eye view of the world by filming from a
child's eye level, looking up at most things. Similarly, even ordinary films
can switch to "—low angle view' by occasionally lowering the camera to look
upwards at a character or building. The low-angle format suggests that the
object or character is somehow larger, grander and more dominant or
intimidating. In contrast the "—high angle shot' positions the camera to look
down on a character which often suggest that he is inferior, powerless, or
in trouble. A "—side by side' shot of two characters suggest that they are
equal in importance, while filming one character as seen over the shoulder
of another emphasises that character, while reminding the audiences that
he is being observed or heard.
The passage discussion most clearly suggests that the most important aspect
of filmmaking is
A. figuring out what moviegoers are going to love
B. deciding how to make a movie artistic
C. using a good director
D. signing a top actor for the lead role
E. having excellent music
[spoiler]OA: C
RC99: "The second paragraph clearly tells us that it is the director whoÂ
decides what shot to take or what angle to use. This makes hiring aÂ
good 'director' the mostÂ
important aspect of filmmaking. 'C' sums it up very well." [/spoiler]
Really? Where in Para 2 does it CLEARLY state that it is a GOOD director who
decides the shot? The only parts that mention directors in para 2:
"For each shot the director has many options on how to film the same."
"Even while the director stays true to the script, he has considerable leeway in
how to film the scene."
Really? So this is the CLEARLY STATED response on why using a good director
is the most important aspect of film making? Are we assuming that there's no
cameraman or cinematographer? (Btw, they-along with producer$-would be
offended from the OA to this question). There's nothing in paragraph 2 that
states what a GOOD director does compared to a bad one so the term "GOOD"
is relative too. Speaking of para 2, doesn't the sentence--"The most common
angle is filmed at adult eye level, though some ARTISTIC films for or about
children can capture a child's-eye view.."--indicate that the camera angles are
performed in an ARTISTIC technique that varies depending on which view you
want to capture? Lets look at para 1: "But movie industry workers, and even
film connoisseurs, can attest to the contribution of the movie's "—cinematics',
or technical features, towards creating any movie's atmosphere." This is the
"point" of the paragraph! And why in the world is RC99 pointing to an overall
passage question to something that was heavily discussed (specific) in para 2?
An overall passage question (like most OG Reading comp Q's) are all
encompassing or have heavy emphasis in Para 1. Let's not forget where para 3
discusses camera angles--omitting any reference of a director's "good" decisions.
I get leery when an answer justification for OVERALL PASSAGE points to just
one middle paragraph on long reading comps.
According to the passage, a children's film with three alternative shots
showing a mother scolding her small daughter, the daughter, and the father
who is secretly listening, would most likely be filmed using which sequence of
camera angles?
A. "—low angle', "—high angle' and "—over the shoulder'
B. "—low angle', "—low angle', and "—high angle'
C. "—high angle', "—high angle', and "—over the shoulder'
D. "—over the shoulder,' high angle', and "—low angle'
E. "—high angle', "—low angle' and "—low angle'
[spoiler]OA: A.Â
RC99: Since the father is secretly listening 'over the shoulder' angleÂ
is probably the best which brings us to options A and C. Ideally the motherÂ
should be shot in the 'high angle' to make her look more threatening. Thus
 'A' is the best answer. The idea is to show the monster as huge so a high
angle sot would work best. Alsoit needs to be in long shot so as to be able toÂ
capture both the lovers as well as the monster. 'B' captures this really well. [/spoiler]
I got it down to both letters that the OA is referring too. However, once
again... very ambiguous as to what the camera guy is trying to do. Is
the movie trying to emphasize that the child is small (just like how they
were trying to emphasize a BIG monster)? If yes, than it's a low angle
shot. If they are trying to emphasize a "dominant" mother then it's high
angle. "Ideally the mother should be shot in the 'high angle' to
make her look more threatening." --Ideally?! Ideally? Are you serious?!
The correct answer choices on the real GMAT (esp verbal) should not be
this debatable. Hence, why I'm questioning RC99. Call it personal bias,
but I don't see suspect answer choices on the OG (yes, I know, it's an
"official" guide). [/spoiler][/b]
Last edited by
thp510 on Fri Feb 04, 2011 7:51 am, edited 1 time in total.