Link: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/69f57c1f-cb5d-44ca-8247-68c21d16d6ab

The UFA (Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft) is a film and television production company that unites all production activities of ‘Bertelsmann’, one of the world’s largest media conglomerates.

The original UFA was established in 1917, as a response to the foreign competition in film and propaganda, and was founded by Emil Georg von Stauß. Its purpose was to promote German culture and to enhance Germany’s international image in the years after World War I, but due to a financial collapse in the film industry, the UFA was heading into bankruptcy.

However, in 1927, Alfred Hugenberg, an influential German media entrepreneur and member of Hitler’s cabinet, purchased the UFA, and when the Nazis came into power, films became propaganda for the general public. This process was called Nazification – the process of placing something under Nazi control or influence. If not for promoting Nazi propaganda, the UFA would have gone out of business.

1918-1930

• germany had been cut off from other countries film imports due to world war 1

• Deutsche Bank was able to instead of the business only making propaganda films he made it so they could make a variety of entertainment films

• during this time period UFA was a leader in German expressionism with The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)

1927-1933

• In this time period UFA was in big financial trouble as alot of the other film companies in Germany as American films were able to be shown

• In march 1927 Alfred Hugenberg bought the company

1933-1937

• “UFA experienced a new commercial boom in the Nazi era by occupying almost all of Europe, the Nazi regime provided UFA with new sales markets, as well as placing distribution outlets in such “neutral” countries as the United States”
• “UFA’s economic boom made it possible to further expand the so-called “star system,”

1942-1945

• On january 10 1942 all film companies integrated into UFA

source (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFA_GmbH)

Expressionism art focused more on emotions and feelings instead of what the subject actually looked like. Some characteristics of expressionism are “jagged, distorted lines; rough, rapid brushwork; and jarring colours.” https://www.britannica.com/art/Expressionism

“in 1920s Germany helped give rise to a new genre of cinema called expressionism” Weimar cinema alpha history

in the Weimar period German cinema began to be more expressionistic with exaggerated sets and exaggerated makeup, the films in this period relied on symbolism and imagery to get their point across.

(main man) -joe

-dark under eyes (makeup eyeshadow to hollow out eyes )

-pale white face (for a death look)

dark dried lips (black lipstick on inside of mouth )

black, dark hair/ slicked back

sharp facial structures (to give hollow look)

maybe wrinkles

black eye pencil

still dark above eyes but less extreme

maybe wrinkles in the makeup

the main woman

-small lips with cupid bow (to make lips look small and dainty shiny so lip gloss instead of matt)

-dark above eyes (instead of undereyes )

thin pencil eyebrows (glued over natural eyebrows drawn thin and like a line no harsh arches)

white eye pencil (in eyeline to give innocent and soft look)

soft face (no harsh lines or shadows contour would be soft )

long fake eyelashes (thin and dainty)

long hair? maybe tied back with hair infront (dark hair)

exaggerated eyeliner but soft and doe eyed

End of WW1 : 1918

After the war the Allies joined to together and formed a treaty as a way to punish Germany, The Treaty of Versailles. Germany was forced to sign the treaty that established peace between all the nations and take responsibility for the war. Germany was crippled financially, socially, and had a reduced militia. This eventually lead to the economic crisis in 1923.

During the years after the war UFA aimed to publicise German culture and improve the public image of Germany which had been stained after the war. German expressionism was completely banned in some countries which limited their ability to reach international audience. The depression that followed during their economic crises was manifested into their films and media – Despair, twisted, distorted

Films released: 1923 Germany

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The setting of the cabinet of Dr Caligari is all presented as triangles. For example all doors are triangular, roof are triangular the whole setting is set upon the shape of the triangle.

In the set photo you can see how the walkways are triangular along with the doorway presented. Even the shadows on the floor have connotations of a triangle. There fore I’d like to base the set on the concept of a triangle.

You can see how everything is on a slant and that dead centre the walls create the triangular shape. The floor in the setting isn’t flat and is placed upon an angle therefore with the set design and in shooting id like to ensure that we present the characters and setting as on a slant. The film, as a result, presents us with a dark and twisted world with distorted shapes and angles.

For the setting we intend on using greenscreen with the rebound of using projection in case greenscreen fails us. The background will be hand painted and crafted then created digitally to be placed on greenscreen.

Taking this image as inspiration I can take a photo of somewhere similar and add trees around where buildings are.