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Humanities Through Arts Paper #1

Angella Valpolini
International Student (1st semester)
ID: 10146952

Elements in the Design Process of a Film:


Interstellar VS The Martian
Throughout time film has been modified by a transition of improvements in camera and technology.
Beginning in 1832, the first film was based upon optical toys which provide a sequence of drawings of things in
motion, then, by the 1870s, when film was depicted by the development of photography, a series of black and
white motion pictures was presented on a short length of time. Furthermore, between 1910 and 1927, features
and narrative films were offered to different kind of audience, higher, middle and lower class, these black and
white silent movies represented music and the actions of characters as the meaning of the film. Finally leading
to the later years of the 20th Century and early 21st century, computer and higher quality video cameras
appeared and motion pictures turned into nowadays films. There are a myriad of Films that have made an
impact in society and captivate people's attention. Interstellar and The Martian are two recent movies from 2014
and 2015, which with their special effects, music and interesting plot have made people wonder about the
possibilities in movies and life.

Story Essential
In the Christopher Nolan's film Interstellar is shown a new kind of story. The plot of this movie is based upon
a crop blight in Earth which has made life unsustainable in the planet. An known being hidden behind Murphy's
books, lead Cooper, the main actor, into what it would change his future. Dr. Brand his former professor and part
of the NASA, selected him to pilot the spaceship Endurance to evaluate 3 potentially habitable planets inside of
a new Galaxy inside of a wormhole near Saturn.
There were two possible plans which this expedition would give time to resolve and select. Plan A, by
resolving a gravity equation to allow humanity to leave Earth and Plan B, which consist in 5,000 embryos taken
inside the ship; whom will be the humanity survival. What the crew of Romilly, Doyle, Amelia (Brands daughter),
and robots TARS and CASE, did not know was that there were no possibilities to solve the equation and they
were sent to use only Plan B.

While starting the journey, they realized that the 3 planets they had to look for where near Gargantua; a
supermassive black hole, which affect the time they would be on the ship before they see their families. By the
time they decided to go to the first planet, Millers one, they were shocked to see an Ocean world, which with his
giant waves took Doyle's life. Later, they decide to go to Mann's planet, which apparently was the one with more
promising data. When they arrived at the planet they were caught by Manns lies, this frozen planet with
ammonia atmosphere didnt have any chances to build life in it, because of Manns desperation this journey
changed the situation in the movie. Cooper almost died, Romilly was trapped in an explosion and Mann took the
Cooper Lander and destroy part of the Endurance. With this twist in the movie and closeness with Gargantua,
Cooper and TARS released themselves into the black hole and sent Amelia and CASE to Edmunds planet. After
this point, the moment of Climax, Cooper appeared in a tesseract built upon bookshelves linked with Murphy's
bedroom. At this moment he realized he was the ghost inside of her bedroom and with the Quantum data
TARS got from the black hole, he sent the information to Murphy through the watch he gave her before and
finally resolve the equation to save the humanity.
Finally, after getting Murphys attention and solving the equation hes ejected into the space and appeared in
a space orbiting near Saturn called Cooper Station. The movie ended after he saw Murphy and was encouraged
to go out and save Amelia at the habitable planet.
On the other hand, there is The Martian a science fiction movie as well but with a different plot. The story
begun when the crew of Ares III were exploring the Acidalia Planitia area in Mars. A storm of dust change their
mission plans and they were forced to return. While approaching to the Hermes ship, Mark Watney, one of the
crew members was thumped by a piece of litter that came out of nowhere, what after his suit indicated no signs
of life made the crew decide to left him behind. After the storm is over, Watney awakens with the warning of low
oxygen and an antenna stucked on his torso. He walked to the Hab and started to record his new experience.
He realized his only chance to get out of Mars was when the Ares IV crew arrives in 4 years. With no enough
food to survive till then, he decided to use his Botanist skill to make a farm inside of the Hab using Martian soil,
own toilet waste, water from a machine he made and potatoes reserved on the camp. While making all these
changes and using the artifacts he had, the mission director Vincent Kapoor and satellite planner, Mindy Park
noticed some changes in the satellite photos and realized that Watney was alive.
Then Watney remembered the Pathfinder probe, he traveled across Mars and finally found it. He was now
able to communicate with NASA. He was connected with any of their plans but his crew wasn't. Suddenly, it
comes the climax of the story, as Sanders said lets hope nothing happens, the hab explode and he was left with
no enough food to survive. Later, after Watney reacts angry with the discretion with the crew, the NASA

administrator, Teddy Sanders approved Mitch Henderson, the flight director, to tell them the truth about Watney,
but after one of the space probe to resupply Watney with food failed, the China National Space Administration's
offer to give the Taiyang Shen booster and the astrodynamicist Rich Purnell came with a plan, which Sanders
wasn't sure about it. Despite of his beliefs, henderson sent a message to the crew telling them a new plan to
rescue Watney where they would have to go around Earth, take the Taiyang Shen booster supplier and then go
to Mars, which they were sure to take no matter what.
After 461 sols or also days, Watney begun his journey to the area where Ares IV ship was previously landed.
Watney was told to make some modifications to the ship, he took out the windows, nose cone and exterior
panels to reduce its mass, the ship was controlled remotely from the Hermes which rises with a different speed
and distance from the one they have planned and they decided to use an explosive to change the
decompression on their internal atmosphere. The Hermes was closer to Watneys ship, but it wasn't enough,
Commander Lewis approach to his ship with a Manned Maneuvering unit and Watney do the rest by piercing his
pressure suit and using the leaving air to reach her.
Finally the movie ends with the first day of Watneys new life as a survival teacher for new astronaut
candidates, as well as the people of his crew, Commander Lewis, astronaut Ramirez, Johanssen, Chris Beck
and Alex Vogel returning to their lives.

Dialogue and Acting


When it comes to the transition of the movie, Interstellar plays with the audience, everything is unknown and
there is no way to predict what would happen next. As the movie begins the movie director works with a back
and for of situations in the future, present and past, divided between the space and Earth. The exact time
between both scenarios is not common except for a couple scenes where there is a connection and is
necessary to link the same dates. There is a principal actor whom show himself as a strong, desperate, angry
and uncomplacent character, with honorable values and desire to help the world. Matthew McConaughey, plays
an essential role in this movie, who never changes his attitude unless to respond correctly to each situations,
Matthew represents Cooper so calm and pleasant with every moment of joy. There is a continuous attitude in his
acting, but facing all sides of the character, from being afraid, sad, worried, to surprised, happy and motivated.
While the actor connects to the characters emotions the audience can feel it and understand his situations,
every moment of the movie, the actor keeps attached to the character making his actions almost predictable,
Cooper is a character that is continuously working to live, is an intelligent character with no fears but not seeing
his daughter and the responsibility for those he left behind.

Furthermore, there is a fluent dialogue between characters, all the events appear quickly and in constant
motion. There is a scientific interchange during the movie which is affected by the aspirations of the awaiting
love of Amelia, desperation of Murphy's dad return, preoccupation of Dr. Brand and anger of Tom Cooper. The
communication between the ship and Earth is suddenly cut when they crossed the wormhole, it happens that
they could receive videos but not send any information. What is happening inside and outside of the ship is
known for both, except for the audience. Both sides where the movie is developed there is a constant fight to
solve how to save the humanity, ideas are given, which made insecurities and anger showed when things do not
get right.
On the other hand, the transition between scenarios in The Martian film shows a different concept and
motivation, unlike Interstellar, this film is built by the need to survive of a single person in an specific planet. The
director Ridley Scott, depict a continuous success and failure throughout the movie, which are forecast by
Sanders opinions of what might happen. The story primarily works around Mark Watneys actions. At the
beginning the director shows a character lost and worried, who suddenly manifest his creativity and knowledge.
After every announced failure, which consequently took place, we see a character that resolve and invent upon
what he had to survive. Matt Damon represents a positive, funny, creative, pensive and calculating character, as
the film set it's path the performance of the actor is perceived smooth and natural, the characters attitude
allows the audience to laugh and be concerned. Even though there are many reasons for this movie to base its
plot in sorrow, Watneys attitude make the viewer believe everything is possible if you work for it with a positive
mind.
In this movie most of the discourse is between the principal actor and its own thoughts. Matt Damon plays a
character who talks with the camera and himself, make jokes and find solutions. However, some discussions
took place outside Mars, where representatives of NASA decide what to do in each cases related to Watneys
rescue. Scientific concepts are employed across the movie where an exchange of points of view challenged the
NASA representatives position while determining to risk the crew and Watneys life, or not. By the time the
principal actor is rescued, there is a noticeable change in his attitude, another person has evolved, a scared,
tired, consumed and worried person who is ready to do anything to escape.
Considering the previous labor of Matt Damon in the Interstellar film as Dr. Mann is incredible how one
character is completely different from the other. Matt Damon managed to adapt into two opposite characters
where is hard to noticed both were the same actor. In the Interstellar film Dr. Mann is shown as a inestable,
scared and selfish character while in The Martian film his proactive and positive attitude captivate peoples

attention. He have the ability to connect and transform his vision, respond and gestures based on the characters
profile.

Photography and Music


Furthermore, Interstellar makes a constant journey between different scenarios. From Coopers town, to the
space, the ship and the three planets. There is a well developed special effects in the time where the scenes on
the space are taken, the planets surprise the audience, so perfect and beautiful, the angles where the scene is
taken allows the audience to appreciate the view of the atmosphere they are acting with. How Millers ocean
world comes with its constant huge waves and deeply blue water, makes the viewer believe it's real. Also, on
Manns frozen planet, the frosted mountains give an effect of serenity, freedom and unknown prediction of what
might happen. Nolan seems to like to play with the shape, size and characteristics of elements, while
representing a whole world made out of giant waves and water, and high frozen mountains where the cold gets
inside of clouds.The Christopher Nolan's movie plays with the audience perception and emotions. As the
different scenarios are dedicately selected, the music is based on a distinguished harmony. The music change
throughout the movie by rising and lowering step by step the sound in different situations. In other situations the
music is dissolved in the atmosphere, sweet and soft, what makes it almost unnoticeable. Sometimes there is an
echo or the music turns into suspense, but the harmony and rhythm is always connected and designed
depending on each situation. Including one moment when the actors arrived at Millers planet when it happens
to be for one hour in it, 7 years in Earth, Nolans music employs a combination of tic tacs of a clock, in order to
represent the counting time they had.
Unlike The Martian where there is an exchange between the space, NASAs headquarters, the Hermes, the
hab, but most of all, MARS. Ridley Scott represent the majority of his movie scenarios on Mars. The audience
are dove into a red rocky planet with extensive desert lands, despite of this, the movie is based upon the
relationship between the principal actor and the camera. Watneys actions will guide what would happen next.
Regarding with the music, here one can find a variety from a soft, hidden and low harmony notes, including a
mix of 70s songs. The music is always connected with the meaning of the situation, on moments of joy one can
find higher harmonies, while on moments of sorrow it would turn low and soft. Also, the music level keeps almost
the same throughout the movie, what is different from Interstellar where the music can rise as loud as its needed
to.

Originality
Ridley Scott chose a different path from other movies, he turned an alarming situation into a positive learning
situation. How Scott decided to describe and depict Watneys character whom is positive, funny and creative
person, whom find his situation as a challenge to survive and a lesson for the audience to understand
sometimes things are not how we want them it to, with effort and a positive attitude one can try to solve things.
As the film goes on, the main actor develops a relationship with the camera, one can feel he is talking with the
audience and the characters of the movie itself. Scott gave Watney the power to be the center of the movie, he
selected in so many times the music for each occasion; such as when he employ a dispositive to get the Rover
warmer he decided to put Hot Stuff song and while listening Turn the beat around he interacts with the song
and at the time he decided to shut the music, it actually disappeared and the silence came. The Martian is a
different kind of movie, that will entertain the public with a sarcastic and free minded character who will be
showing his evolution during the film, and a constant communication and interaction with himself and whomever
is watching.
Considering all the elements of these two movies, when it comes to englobe the distinction between both of
them one can realize the incredible work Nolan made with his movie by so far, using different levels of music
that would be connected with the transition of the actions, a back and for by playing with time shifts; from
present to past, past to future and future to an actual present. Additionally a tournament between silence and
emotions, such as the moment when Cooper returns to the ship and watch his videos, while the music performs
in the atmosphere and the character connects with his feelings, everything's turned off with a goodbye of his
son, the music disappeared and the silence came, leaving the actor and the audience in the middle of the
situation, and suddenly the emotions were reconnected with an unexpected video from his daughter and the
music involving the situation. Throughout the film, Nolan manages to play with the suspense, the viewer wont
know what is going to happen next and what is the cause of everything until it gets to the, when everything
seems to make sense. His accurately use of time as an scientific element, leaves the audience lost in how many
days have passed, where they actually are and how long will it take the next step. The concept of time is known,
unpredictable just as the surprises of space. Nolans film was not focused only on a scientific idea, it also travels
with the meaning of love, as the movie make its journey at the end the situations are involved with love, love is
considered as something we cant perceive, which transcends dimensions of time and space, which sometimes
lead us to our own destiny. Also,he uses a famous and deep line of Dylan Thomas poem Do not go gentle,into
that good night; Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light to
announce moments when the characters would have to show themselves strong and courageous to fight and

survive, those moments were at the beginning of the journey when Dr. Brand said that quote as well as lying on
his deathbed, and finally when the principal actor was trying to fight for his life. Nolan finally leaves a seed on
the audience minds of what could happen with our own lives and destiny, and the fact that science can always
discover new things.

Media Sources
For the Introduction:

Cook, D. A. (2007, December 04). History of the motion picture. Retrieved February 17, 2016,

from: http://www.britannica.com/art/history-of-the-motion-picture. [Online]


For Important information about the films such as Director and actors/actresses names:

Interstellar (film). Retrieved February 17, 2016, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_(film) [Online]
The Martian (film). (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2016, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martian_(film)[Online]
Notes and ideas based on the films:

Interstellar (2014)
The Martian (2015)

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