The clip chosen for this assignment is from Sleepless in Seattle. The title of the clip is Sam is Sleepless in Seattle. This film came out in 1993 and was one of the feel good movies from that season and one of my personal favorites. The focus of this paper is on the elements of design and creative talents that brought things together in this film. My hope is to give everyone a better understanding of what it takes to bring a movie like this to the screen and create the type of emotion and atmosphere that not only sells tickets but does justice to the writing and screenplay.
Let’s start by looking at those people that collaborated to create Sleepless in Seattle. The director, Nora Ephron, is not a novice to the film industry. The fact is that she has worked in many capacities in a number of films. Nora not only directed but also wrote the screenplay and produced films like Michael and Julie & Julia, to name two. This experience brings a level of understanding of all the pieces to the puzzle that must be brought together to create a seamless picture. The New York Times stated “Not since "Love Story" has there been a movie that so shrewdly and predictably manipulated the emotions for such entertaining effect” (Canby, V., 1993).
Production designer, Jeffrey Townsend, played aptly took the vision the director created for this film and brought it to life. He headed up a team who found the proper locations, props, costuming and all the tiny details that most of us don’t even realize are there but are all a part of what makes each scene work. In this particular scene you might notice details such as the bookcase which appears a little unkempt instead of organized. It gives us the feel that these books are not just for show; that the characters actually read them. The old fashioned wood stove brings a touch of warmth and an overall down to earth feel to the room and the characters Sam and Jonah.
Costuming is