Annotated Catalogue

The characteristics of Will Smiths Performance across a body of film and its affect on its consumers

Annotated catalogue

Films

Item 1: I am Legend [Dir by Francis Lawrence 2007]
This film is my main focus film. This from research is the most pivotal film in his career so far regarding his rise to “serious actor”. I have been able to view and deconstruct Will Smiths performance and realize how this relates to his created “star persona” recognizing the director’s decisions to highlight and preserve it. Allowing me to develop my theories on why Wills performance has certain affects on film consumers.

Item 2: The pursuit of happiness [Dir Gabriele Muccino 2006]
This film is also highly important to my research as it charts further Wills rise to serious actor receiving an Oscar nomination. However the presence of wills son Jaden was most useful to my research here. As deconstruction of this shows how this reiterates wills paternal persona to forge a connection between consumer and performer thus affecting the range of emotions the audience feel.

Item 3: I’ Robot [Alex Proyas 2004]
less helpful then my first two films as will slips into his classic hero role as the half man half robot cop classic Will I am the hero film however on closer analysis the development of wills character is interesting as his constructed persona once again comes into play as at the end Will embraces different culture robots and himself so is the clean cut peace loving idol. Wills constructed persona designed to prevoke a bigger reaction from film consumers [i.e. bigger profits] more people go to see the film as Will is in it the nice guy.


Internet

Item 4 Profile: Will Smith Http://www.guradian.co.uk/film/2004/jul/31/patterson.culture
This article is excellent it picks up on all the points I make about Will being made into a super likeable indestructible human that he does so “robotically” in many films I’ robot a fine example however I did not consider this was most likely to target a white audience as he is an acceptable black man which is another factor in audience reception.
Very helpful as it helped explain why and how Wills star construction is having an effect on the audience.

Item 5 http://.empireonline.com/reviews/review complete.asp?DVDID=117604
This review did not tell me a lot that I didn’t already know it just highlights the importance of Jaden Smiths role and Will Smiths performance in the pursuit of happiness.
Item 6 http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pursuit_of_happyness/?critic=creamcrop
These quotes from several reviews helped as I found out the range of reactions resulting from Wills performance in pursuit of happiness. Which help identify consumer reaction.

Item 7 http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/will_smith/
This list shows how much will smiths films have made which intern shows audience reaction there warming to will smith and the fact that Will Smith now guarantees a Big Box Office success. So supports my line of inquires by proving audiences can’t get enough of Will.

Item 8 http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/jun/21/film.features
This article on how Will Smith is trying to escape his nice guy persona is very interesting it brings up the fact he plays floored heroes and his rap music with risky lyrics even mocking how he is perceived in the media. Very helpful in showing the role the media play in the effect Will's performance has on film consumers.

Item 9 http://best-movie-critique.blogspot.com/2007/03/best-movie-critique-pursuit-of.htnl
A brief review but deconstructs Wills natural performance apposed to referring to his star persona giving me a fuller picture of why Will affects the consumer.

Item 10 http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/michaelwalford/entry/stars_and_star/
This is very useful as it looks at stars and star theory which informed me further of how a star is born and how important stars are to films.

Item 11 http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/1999/jul/09/comment.willsmith
This research is useful because it highlights how important Will Smith was to Wild Wild West a flop but still had opening success seemingly only because of the likeability of Will.

Books

Item12 a2 film studies the essential introduction [Sarah Casey Binyamin, Freddie Gaffney and john white] useful because it helped me learn more about the theory behind stars.

Other
Item 13 focus group this was extremely important as it helped me develop ideas through conversation get feed back on my line of inquiry also find out people’s reaction to Wills performance.

Rejects

Internet
Item 14
http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/movies/14lege.html
This article does have some slight performance analysis however results to basically retelling the films narrative.


http://www.willsmith .co/_bin/artist.cfm item 15
This is simply a bias list of Wills great achievements which was useless

Item 16 http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=117816

This review of I Am Legend gave me no new ideas and was only a vague review

Item 17 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/19/usa.filmnews

This article tells of how Will is leasing a school for his children to attend and he is Christian and respects “all people and all paths” apart from this quote which supports how Will has been turned into the moral guardian and role model this article is not relevant.

Magazine
Item18 Total film April 2005 issue 100
Brief interview with Will more a joke article then anything.

Item19 Empire Oct 07
This article focuses mainly on story telling so not a great help.

thank you super Nina!

http://best-movie-critique.blogspot.com/2007/03/best-movie-critique-pursuit-of.html


http://www.michaelparkinson.tv/classic-interviews,will-smith-itv-series-2-show-3_28.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/jun/21/film.features


This one is interesting as it draws upon Will Smith's faith - a feature that often underpins his performances:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/19/usa.filmnews

This is a lovely little article Langford with some super references to Sydney Poitier and drawing parallels between Smith and this infamous black actor.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2004/jul/31/patterson.culture

Reference to Will Smith as "Mr July 4th" showing his power in the States to draw massive audiences on 'Independence Day':

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/1999/jul/09/comment.willsmith

I found this part of a review in the NY Times Langford and thought the last 'performance' element in the statement was quite nice:

http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/movies/14lege.html


"And in its last section “I Am Legend” reverts to generic type, with chases and explosions and a redemptive softening of its bleak premise. The presence of the lovely Brazilian actress Alice Braga does seem promising; if she and Mr. Smith were to reboot the species together, Humanity 2.0 would be quite a bit sexier than the present version, as well as friendlier. But really the movie is best when its hero is on his own, and Mr. Smith, walking in the footsteps of Vincent Price and Charlton Heston, who played earlier versions of the Robert Neville character, outdoes both of them. There is something graceful and effortless about this performance, which not only shows what it might feel like to be the last man on earth, but also demonstrates what it is to be a movie star."


This link Langford is a super little (ok it is quite long) article on star construction. Some lovely theory to support your assertions:


http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/michaelwalford/entry/stars_and_star/


This blog is sound but it has some great links to loads of other great film blogs that you can surf to your heart's content!http://http//film.blogdig.net/archives/articles/May2008/02/New_Hancock_Trailer_Could_Turn_Some_Heads.html

http://www.the-numbers.com/people/WSMIT.php

http://simplycinema.blogspot.com/2006/12/pursuit-of-happyness-film-critique.html

Focus group Helen, John, Tom Legends

Focus group Helen John and Tom Legends
Wills Signitures brought up in focus group.
Sense of finding yourself
Realistic feel
Finding something within
sincere humane nice guy
"he is human you trust him nice fellow conveyed through his roles"
Surpeising as Tom doesnt like Will CLOSET WILL FAN.

The fact that you never see Will kill his only friend Sam the dog in I am legend was discussed. pointing out how Will is once again the moral gardian and nice day shown not only by him but by the narrative and filming as you never see him kill the dog and it is framed so you see his face only forcing a connection between audience and Will. Showing Hollywood has cottoned on to Will Smith likeness to Morgan Freeman. The moral guardian for the next generation and nice guy so liked by elders, but also a tougth guy so is liked by the younger audience as well

Secondary film

I am Also Looking at I'robot because he once again shows his performance signiture of showing the weakness of human minds by being paronoid about robots being bad ploting to bring down humanity. Of course hes right but thats not important.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ggyjUX_kk This is good stuff Will identifies how fragile the human mind is and how He was looking to find how the human mind breaks down without contact with other people.Cheers John Watched it earlyer but forgot about it Very helpful.

Will Smith I am legend, I,Robot, pursuite of happyness

Langford raes Small Scale Film project.
I am looking at
The charecteristics of Will Smiths Performance across a body of film and its affect on its consumers.
My focus films are I am legend, in pursuite of happyness and I robot.

I feel Will Smith has really developed as an actor through his recent serious roles in films.
He has begun to show a new signiture along with his natural charisma and charm witch has often got him through films. Even a really terrible film like wild wild west still watchable thanks to Will. How ever now he is becoming i feel a more serious actor portraying the breakdown and mental frailtys of human beings. Yet remaining the perternal image the caring father and lonner
that you cant help But love.

I am legend shows this through Smiths connection with his dog Also Will Smith being the last Man on esrth and how he becomes slowly mad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siikMi77OW0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdDDvqK_8aU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A86x8Gqu6Ds&feature=related