Auteur+Theory

Auteur Theory
The idea that a director could function as an author and use the commercial apparatus of movie-production as a writer uses a pen has been a lynch-pin of film analysis since the 1950s. Formost proponents of the theory were André Bazin and Alexandre Astruc, whose concept of 'caméra-stylo' (camera pen), proposed ' that the director, who oversees all audio and visual elements of the motion picture, is more to be considered the “author” of the movie than is the writer of the screenplay. In other words, such fundamental visual elements as camera placement, blocking, lighting, and scene length, rather than plot line, convey the message of the film. Supporters of the **auteur** **theory** further contend that the most cinematically successful films will bear the unmistakable personal stamp of the director (  auteur theory." __Encyclopædia Britannica__. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 10 June 2008 <[|http://school.ebonline.com/eb/article-9011350>.).]  Auteur theory is thus concerned with the following:
 * Directors who exercise considerable creative control over their films
 * The extent to which a director can be considered an auteur and how his films reflect this
 * Establishing what the signature styles, themes and concerns of various auteurs
 * The message of films as an expression of the director's intention or view of the world

Is Michael Bay an auteur?
Have a look at the blogs below to start you off. Remember that these are two opinions in blog form rather than academically researched and referenced pieces. They may be unreliable in their reproduction of the writings or opinions of others and they may have imperfect understandings of auteur theory. Like most things on the internet (see Internet research), use them as starting points for your own thinking.

http://dr-mabuses-kaleido-scope.blogspot.com/2007/06/michael-bay-auteur.html

http://www.ktismael.com/mt/archives/000283.html

Now do some further research. Identify what questions you need to answer in order to determine if Michael Bay really is an auteur. Add them to the list below:
 * 1) Does Michael Bay have a signature style? What is it?
 * 2) How much influence does he have on the production - mise en scene, editing, etc
 * 3) What messages, if any, does Bay communicate?

Create your own blog where you construct an answer to this questions. Your blog should contain your thoughts and links to other people's opinions in blogs etc. as well as other evidence, for example, clips of Bay's films on youtube which form evidence for your point of view. This blog will form a starting point for your IS research.

Here is an example of how you might start your blogs:

http://jpscfilm.blogspot.com/

Criticisms of auteur theory
[|Collaborative nature of film]

[|Intentional fallacy]

