Would you still enjoy the film if you couldn’t see the screen?

Image shows actors, harrison ford, carrie fisher and mark hamill on the set of star wars. The image is blurred.
Image shows actors, harrison ford, carrie fisher and mark hamill on the set of star wars. The image is blurred.

Image via: disney.wikia.com

Can you recognise the film scene above?

For most people, the biggest worry at the cinema is how much that large bag of popcorn costs. For others however, there are more things to worry about when going to see the latest movie.

Not all movie fans have the ability to enjoy films the same as everyone else. Imagine trying to watch a film you couldn’t see or hear.

Many movie goers are in fact blind, deaf or on the autistic spectrum. Whilst at first you may think that this would hinder the movie going experience, more and more cinemas are recognising these problems and catering for a wider audience. Cinemas such as Odeon provide guests with special accessibility screenings for those who are blind, deaf or autistic.

Many films screened at Odeon provide film fans with a separate audio track for those who are blind or partially sighted. Aspects of the film such as scene surroundings, setting, body language of the actor and dialogue are described to the guest. This audio commentary is available at the box office of the cinema, with the headset being used during the showing.

The recent trend of 3D films has meant that some film fans can’t get the full experience as many sight issues mean the guest can’t see 3D cinematography.. As a result, the cinema aims to provide guests with 2D performances where possible. Guide dogs are also welcome in all cinemas.

For customers with a visual impairment, Odeon offers audio descriptive showings of recent films at your local cinema. Whilst there may not be many showing in comparison to standard showings, this is certainly welcome. Odeon also offers some captioned, subtitled performances for those with a hearing impairment. They also offer use of a headset to improve your hearing of the film soundtrack itself.

A standard showing of a recent film can certainly be a challenge for movie goers who are autistic. In recent years however, many cinemas have started showing autism friendly screenings, specific for those on the autism spectrum. Odeon for example, host an autism friendly screening one Sunday each month at 11.30 am. These showings have certain changes within the performance, lights at a lower level, lower sound level, no advertisements and allowances for movement and noise within the theatre.

These screenings are partnered with Dimensions, a non-profit organisation supporting services for people with learning disabilities and autism. The aim with these screenings is to make guests feel as comfortable as possible, with the hope that in time, they would be able to attend a standard screening.

Whilst there is still some work to be done in order to ensure every guest has the same experience at the cinema, these are certainly some advancements that are welcome and is a step in the right direction. In time, everyone will be able to have an enjoyable experience at the local cinema.

John Williams, the man behind the music

Image shows composer John Williams conducting one of his many pieces.

Image via: eddieonfilm.blogspot.co.uk

You probably already know by now who John Williams is. The famous composer has written more scores than you shake a musical stick at (or a conductor’s baton if you prefer). Most notable scores include Saving Private Ryan, Superman and my personal favourite, Jurassic Park. How did John Williams achieve such great recognition in the movie industry?

Born on February 8th 1932 in New York, to an already musical family, John Williams was destined for a life of music. Attending the University of California in 1952, John studied with Italian composer, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. His musical career had begun.

After his time at university John Williams worked as a jazz pianist, playing in many clubs in and around New York. He then worked on television production for shows such as Peter Gunn and Days of Wine and Roses. His first credited film score didn’t come until the 1960 film, Because They’re Young, moving away from his television work.

For many years, John was nominated for musical awards in film, but never took home an award. In many ways, it was director Steven Spielberg who introduced John Williams into the limelight. A then new director on the movie scene, Steven asked for John Williams to compose the score for his first film, The Sugarland Express. The film gained critical acclaim, and showcased the power the duo have in the movie industry.

Since then, John Williams has scored all but two of Spielberg’s movies, The Twilight Zone and The Color Purple being the only exceptions. In 1977, John Williams was approached by another up and coming director, George Lucas.

The director pitched the idea of a science fiction space opera titled, Star Wars. John happily accepted and his since provided the score for all subsequent sequels and prequels. The most distinguished score, “Force Theme” can be heard via the YouTube video below.

Surely, it must be a given that John Williams will be composing the score for the newly announced Star Wars trilogy?

John Williams has since composed the soundtrack for another series of George Lucas directed films, starring an archaeologist called Dr Henry Jones. Other notable film scores include the X-Men series, The Adventures of Tintin and the Harry Potter films.

During his career, John Williams has won 40 awards for his musical achievement in film and it doesn’t look like it’s going to end there. John has already started work on his composition for the upcoming Jurassic World and it looks more than likely that he’ll be composing the score for the new Star Wars films. May the score be with you John.