Film Production Research Articles

Genre and stylistic features of Ukrainian fiction cinematography of the period of independence

The article is devoted the definition of genre and stylistic features of fiction films produced in Ukraine from 1991 to 2022. Using the analysis of theoretical works on film studies, genre theory, semiology and film history, it is proposed to define the concept of “genre” as a set of repetitive syntactic and semantic structures, the main connections of the genre with the socio-cultural and historical context are outlined. In particular, after analyzing 949 audiovisual projects from the «Base of National Films of Ukraine», which have been created during the period of Independence, it was found that the largest number of produced audiovisual works belongs to the fiction type of cinema. The presence of syntactic and semantic structures of 46 genres has been identified according to the genre and thematic direction of fiction cinematography. It is proved that the most popular genre in production is drama – 25 % of the total number of feature films. This percentage is a significant advantage over the presence of other genres. Analysis of data from the box office of cinema distribution in Ukraine for 2020 has revealed discrepancies between the number of produced films of a certain genre and thematic direction and the preferences of Ukrainian viewers. In this way, the assumption that the predominance of certain genres in the production of Ukrainian audiovisual art reflects the cultural needs of Ukrainians has been refuted. Such a comparison also disproved the claim that the absence of certain genres in the Ukrainian media space testifies to the foreignness of the narrative structure of such films to the cultural characteristics of Ukrainians, because the top five audience preferences include, for example, the horror genre, which is minimally present in Ukrainian production. The results of the study have theoretical and practical significance for film production in Ukraine, and also form a research field for further study of the development of each individual genre present in Ukrainian audiovisual art of the period of Independence.

Leonid Shvartsman: An Artistic Reading of the Petersburg Tales by Nikolai Gogol

This article analyses little-known works by artist L. A. Shvartsman (1920–2022) based on the Petersburg Tales by N. V. Gogol. The works from private collections created in 1953–1956 did not attract the attention of researchers at the time, whereas the appeal to the characters of The Overcoat, Portrait, and Nevsky Prospekt was an important stage for Shvartsman in the formation of a personal artistic programme. His studies at the art school at the All-Union Academy of Arts (1937–1941) determined his attitude to classical art and influenced the emotional perception of St Petersburg. The atmosphere of the “thaw” contributed to the master’s appeal to the unsettled life of a “little man”, defenceless in the face of power and a rude crowd. Having achieved fame as an animation film production designer by the mid‑1950s, Shvartsman sought to build his own system of translating verbal language into visual language outside the film production system, independently solving the creative tasks set. By calling his works “illustrations”, the master did not mean a book illustration, for which it is necessary to initially think over the design and style of the publication. The artist went from full-scale sketches, developed colouristic approaches and strove for the self-sufficiency of each work, hence the noticeable easel character of his works. At the same time, they also have expressive images inherent in sketches of animated films, stylised figures, a sense of action that logically develops and is predicted. The artist approached Gogol’s text selectively, focusing on the life and characters of the heroes, on the originality of the St Petersburg environment. He is interested in the image of Akaky Akakievich, moderately funny and ridiculous, but attractive in his fixation on rewriting papers – a matter which he treats with inspiration, with full dedication. Shvartsman did not want to dramatise situations, avoided climaxes, being satisfied with fixing the temptations of life, which, in the end, would lead the characters to a sad ending. In the process of artistic reading of the Petersburg Tales, Shvartsman not only developed expressive images and compositions, but also built his own creative worldview with moral guidelines and rules.

Large-Area Thickness Measurement of Transparent Films Based on a Multichannel Spectral Interference Sensor

Thickness measurement of thin films is essential for quality control in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor and display industries. Real-time monitoring of film thickness during production is an urgent technical problem to be solved. In this study, a method for large-area thickness measurement of transparent films based on a multichannel spectral interference sensor is proposed. The sensor simultaneously acquires multichannel spectral interference signals through a combination of fan-out fiber optic bundles, detection probes, and an imaging spectrometer. The spectral data are calibrated and transformed into the wavenumber dimension, and then the power spectral density estimation method is used to demodulate the data frequency to swiftly derive the film thickness. The thickness measurement capacity of the proposed system is successfully validated on two standard film samples with a relative deviation of less than 0.38% and a relative standard deviation of less than 0.044%. The total spectral acquisition and calculation time for a single multichannel measurement was approximately 7.5 ms. The experimental results on polyimide films show that the measurement efficiency of the system is at least 4 times higher than that of the traditional system, indicating the potential of the multichannel spectral interference sensor for online monitoring in film production.

Semantic prior guided fine-grained facial expression manipulation

AbstractFacial expression manipulation has gained wide attention and has been applied in various fields, such as film production, electronic games, and short videos. However, existing facial expression manipulation methods often overlook the details of local regions in images, resulting in the failure to preserve local structures and textures of images. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a local semantic segmentation mask-based GAN (LSGAN) to generate fine-grained facial expression images. LSGAN is composed of a semantic mask generator, an adversarial autoencoder, a transformative generator, and an AU-intensity discriminator. Our semantic mask generator generates eye, mouth, and cheek masks of face images. Then, our transformative generator integrates target expression labels and corresponding facial region features to generate a vivid target facial expression image. In this fashion, we can capture expressions from target face images explicitly. Furthermore, an AU-intensity discriminator is designed to capture facial expression variations and evaluate quality of generated images. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our method achieves authentic face images with accurate facial expressions and outperforms state-of-the-art methods qualitatively and quantitatively.

Methods for Fabrication of Freestanding Nanocellulose Film as a Sustainable Material for Packaging and Biomedical Applications: A Review

Biopolymers are a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics in the medical and packaging fields. Biopolymers are biodegradable and can be used to reduce plastic pollution. They are derived from renewable resources like cornstarch, sugarcane, or cellulose. Cellulose nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionize various industries. However, the production process of nanocellulose films is time-consuming, and there is a need for quick and adaptable methods to fabricate these films. Techniques such as solvent casting, spin coating, roll-to-roll printing, layer-by-layer assembly, vacuum filtration, and spraying are used to fabricate free-standing nanocellulose films, each with its advantages and limitations. The spraying process shows promise in producing nanocellulose films quickly and efficiently. In addition to that, the need for free-standing nanocellulose films in medical packaging and tissue engineering areas was admirable. However, the rapid process for fabrication of the film should be developed for large-scale production and commercialization of films.

Regional partnerships and media policy in the age of China’s rise: the case of Singapore-China film co-productions

ABSTRACT Despite being the first Asian country (except for Hong Kong) to sign a film co-production agreement with China, Singapore’s film co-productions with China so far are few and far between, none of which have come under the official agreement. This raises wider questions about the policy making challenges of small nations when driving or facilitating regional collaborations with partners like China. Drawing on interviews with key interlocutors in the Singapore film industry, this article explores how Singapore’s filmmakers make sense of working with the Chinese film industry as collaborators and co-producers on joint film productions. Our main argument is that conventional models for understanding drivers of co-productions may not work for small partners collaborating with a dominant regional/global partner like China. Through exploring the political, economic, and cultural tensions in the Asia-Pacific region that emerge when Singapore engages in collaborative film work with China, we hope to contribute to the wider literature on ‘South-South’ collaborations between film industries (and nations) of vastly different sizes and power.

Maleic acid modified lignin for preparation of ultra-flexible and UV shielding gelatin/lignin films

Alkaline lignin and sodium lignosulfonate were chemically modified by using maleic acid for potential application on the production of ultra-flexible gelatin films. The comparison results in morphology and chemical structures of the two types of lignin before and after modification revealed that carboxyl and CC groups were successfully grafted onto the lignin, resulting in the changes in physical-chemical properties. Compared to modified sodium lignosulfonate, modified alkaline lignin (MAL) was much more appropriate in the preparation of gelatin (GEL)/lignin films by endowing the films with transparency and excellent UV light shielding ability. Elongation at break of GEL/MAL films were more than two times that of the pure gelatin film, which greatly addressed the brittleness issues of the pure gelatin films during use, indicating that the modified alkaline lignin could be used as renewable additive with replacement of glycerol. The results in this study also gave evidence that the sources and structure of lignin affect its compatibility with gelatin solution. The higher weight loss rate and lower pyrolysis degradation temperature indicated that the gelatin/lignin films were much more easily thermal degradable at the end of service life. This research provided a potential and efficient approach on the production of renewable and biological films from gelatin and lignin.

Production of Babbitt Metal Thin Film by Thermal Evaporation Method and Investigation of the Change of Thıs Thin Film With Heat Treatment Time

Babbitt alloy is in high demand thanks to its superior corrosion resistance and its hollow-soft structure. Because of these important features, it has been the subject of many studies. In this study, the thin film state of Babbitt alloy will be examined. For this purpose, tin (Sn) based Babbitt alloy on the glass substrate was turned into a thin film by thermal evaporation and these thin films were subjected to heat treatment at 120 oC for different times and the heat treatment effect was examined. The crystal structure of non-heat-treated and heat-treated babbitt thin films was determined by x-ray measurement. It was observed that thin films formed as agglomerations on the crystal structure of tin, and it was observed that the crystallization increased as the heat treatment time increased. Grain-grain boundaries are clearly visible on the coating surface from SEM images. It was determined that the grain sizes decreased in proportion to the heat treatments applied to the thin films at different times and the additive ratios. In addition, it was determined from the EDX results that the oxide layer accumulated in the form of bumps on the surface increased depending on the processing time applied to the thin films obtained and that these layers were composed of tin, antimony and oxygen elements. Finally, it was observed from the AFM images that the roughness value on the thin film surface gradually decreased with the increase of the oxide layer deposited on the surface.

Citric acid tailors the mechanical and barrier properties of arabinoxylan-gluten crosslinked glycoprotein films

Side streams from wheat processing constitute a widely available renewable resource from biomass rich in carbohydrate polymers and proteins, with great potential as biopolymeric matrices for the production of biobased films for food packaging applications. In this study, arabinoxylan (AX) was extracted with high purity from wheat bran via alkaline extraction and was combined with wheat gluten for the preparation of AX-gluten glycoprotein films using citric acid (CA) as a crosslinker and glycerol as plasticizer. Self-standing and flexible films were prepared via solvent casting and further cured at 150 °C to initiate crosslinking. FTIR analysis and solubility tests revealed that chemical crosslinking had occurred to some extent involving both the AX and gluten components, suggesting the formation of glycoprotein structures. However, the evaluation of the mechanical and barrier properties of the films showed that CA mainly works as a plasticizing agent rather than a crosslinking agent at the conditions used in the study. UV–Vis spectroscopy measurements showed that the films had an excellent ability to block UV-light. This study demonstrates the successful preparation of AX-gluten glycoprotein films with excellent mechanical and barrier properties, which can be tuned by the protein content and CA addition balancing both plasticizing and crosslinking effects.

Development of an automated and cost-effective apparatus for sol-gel solution deposition using spray coating technique and its application for TiO[formula omitted]-based photocatalytic films

This study presents the development of a novel apparatus for automated sol–gel solution deposition through a cost-effective spray coating technique. The focus was on producing TiO2 films for photocatalytic applications, addressing environmental pollution and energy scarcity issues. The apparatus, constructed using economical materials, facilitated the production of TiO2 films with an anatase-like crystalline structure and uniform surface morphology. The methodology included detailed experimental procedures for solution preparation, substrate cleansing, and deposition process optimization. Characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV–Vis spectroscopy were employed to assess the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the films. The results indicated the successful synthesis of anatase-phase TiO2 thin films with desirable optical properties and efficient photocatalytic activity, as demonstrated through the degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange. The study highlights the apparatus’s efficiency, versatility, and potential for industrial-scale production, thus offering promising prospects for practical applications and commercialization in the field of sustainable environmental solutions.

Ways to overcome the screenwriting crisis in Ukrainian cinematography of the second half of the 1920s

The relevance of the article. The history of Ukrainian cinematography of the 1920s is generally well studied. The relevance of this work lies in the fact that there are almost no works in Ukrainian film studies that examine the state of screenwriting in Ukraine during its birth and formation.
 Problem statement. After the end of the Soviet-Ukrainian (“civil”) war, which led to the Bolshevik occupation of Ukraine, there was an urgent need to reorganize the work of the entire cinematographic industry. With the organization in 1922 on the basis of the All-Ukrainian Film Committee of the All-Ukrainian Photocinema Administration (VUFKU), the heads of the new film department began to establish sustainable film production, but encountered the problem of a chronic shortage of film scripts.
 At this time, the “new” Ukrainian cinematography, for completely external reasons, experienced an acute shortage of screenwriters who had experience in cinematography. Film production, which was growing rapidly and unwaveringly, constantly lacked scripts that would be acceptable from an artistic point of view and at the same time be acceptable to the party bodies from an ideological perspective. Let’s note that there were essentially too many scripts, and film factories were literally “drowning” in the so-called “script flow”. But in this “flow” only a small part turned out to be suitable for implementing from an ideological point of view. Therefore, from the second half of the 1920s, it became increasingly common to talk about a “script crisis”, which was more ideological than creative.
 When the VUFKU began its work, “Soviet film dramaturgy” actually did not exist yet. Therefore, the directors turned to an old, time-tested source — literature. On the basis of literary works, they sought to make films more or less close to the spiritual and social trends of the time.
 At the beginning of the 1930s, the controversy surrounding the “screenwriting crisis” in Ukraine stopped. It was then that the management system of the film industry in the USSR was finally transformed. A clear vertical of soviet management with the film center in Moscow is being formed. Ukrainian cinema finally loses its autonomy and Ukrainian film factories start working with scripts approved in Moscow.

Pectin From Fruit Peel Waste: A Sustainable Source for Production of Active Packaging Films

ABSTRACTPectin from lemon and passion fruit peels was studied for its potential to serve as a source of biopolymer for preparation of active film. To develop a packaging film appropriate for fruits, different combinations of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), pectin from lemon and passion fruit peel and rosemary essential oil (REO) were evaluated. Extensive characterisation of these films with respect to colour, thickness, moisture, opacity, UV absorption, tensile strength, elongation, swelling, solubility and thermal and chemical interactions was studied. Film prepared with PVA, lime and pectin peel (2:1:1 v/v) without REO and glycerol as plasticiser was found to be best based on the above properties. Additionally, the effectiveness of this film at extending the shelf life of strawberries and plums was evaluated. Physiological changes on storage were lesser in active packaged fruits as compared to unpackaged fruits. On basis of several spoilage indices studied, unpacked fruits had shelf life of less than 7 days, while those packed in active film were acceptable up to 15 days in case of strawberry and 45 in case of plums when stored at chilled temperature (6°C). Thus, use of the developed active packaging film would be beneficial for extending the marketable period of the fruits and enhancing its cost‐effectiveness.

Cutting their cloth, counting their coupons: clothes rationing and British film production in the 1940s

Cutting their cloth, counting their coupons: clothes rationing and British film production in the 1940s

Competitive Strategy Redesign Indonesian Film Industry (Case Study of Perum Produksi Film Negara)

The aim of this research is to analyze the competitive strategy of the Indonesian film industry by testing samples at the State Film Production Company (PFN) as the only state-owned company operating in the film industry. In analyzing the competitive strategy, an analysis was carried out using financial ratio analysis by looking at the financial performance of the State Film Production Company (PFN) for the period 2015 – 2021. Then an assessment was carried out using the Corporate Life Cycle approach to determine the company’s positioning amidst the development of the film industry both at the national and international levels. The type of research used is descriptive with the data source used is secondary data. Secondary data in this research is the Financial Report of Perum PFN for the period 2015 – 2021. The financial ratios used as analytical tools are liquidity ratios, leverage ratios, profitability ratios, activity ratios and market value ratios. Overall research results referring to the company’s financial ratios show that positioning PFN in the Infant category, there is a high probability that the business will die due to lack of sales with negative cash flow conditions. So, in order to be able to compete in the national film industry, it is necessary to redesign appropriate and efficient competitive strategies.

An Episode of Your Life: Rich narrative engagement with episodic stories

This article describes a new practice map, an “Episode of Your Life”, which adapts existing narrative “… of life” practices to an episodic story from a person’s life using metaphors from film and television production. This practice map draws significantly on ideas of “peopling the room” and the Team of Life in order to scaffold safety in imagining the process of telling painful stories through the collectivising of the storytelling process. This practice map specifically does not require that the storyteller tell the story, but rather invites them to imagine how they might tell a story from their life in a way that aligns with their values, hopes and preferred storylines. Some of the significant effects that we discovered were related to the richness of the visual metaphor for adding another layer of possible meaning-making in the storytelling process, and allowing for a “proliferation of what’s possible” in the imagining of the storytelling, such as through the use of time jumps; computer-generated imagery; inviting rich descriptions of preferred relationships, histories and values; and dignifying of stories that otherwise might be left unspoken. Participants were left with a feeling of solidarity and a “safe riverbank” from which to imagine telling their stories.

Examining the Role of Christian Drama in Facilitating Social Transformation: A Study of Two Mount Zion Film Productions Movies

This paper investigates the impact of Christian drama on social transformation through an analysis of two prominent Mount Zion Film Productions (MZFP) movies: Last Man Standing and Legion. Anchored on the Cultivation Theory by George Gerbner, which suggests that long-term exposure to media content can shape individuals' perceptions of reality, influencing their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors, the study explores how MZFP effectively utilizes storytelling to address contemporary issues and promote Christian values. Through a thematic analysis encompassing faith, redemption, forgiveness, spiritual warfare, and ethical dilemmas, the paper examines how these films engage audiences in thought-provoking reflections on Christian principles and societal challenges. Furthermore, it investigates how the films raise awareness, challenge stigmas, promote dialogue, advocate for change, and celebrate virtues while condemning vices. By comparing and contrasting the thematic elements and societal impact of Last Man Standing and Legion, this study offers insights into the potential of Christian drama to influence perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors within society. Ultimately, the findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of film as a medium for fostering social consciousness and spiritual renewal in contemporary culture.

"When I was Younger, My Story Belonged to Everyone Else": Co-production of Resources for Adults Living with Craniosynostosis.

Despite growing recognition that congenital craniofacial conditions have lifelong implications, psychological support for adults is currently lacking. The aim of this project was to produce a series of short films about living with craniosynostosis in adulthood, alongside a psychoeducational booklet. The resources were developed using multiple focus groups and meetings attended by researchers, patient representatives, a leading charitable organisation, an award-winning film production company, clinicians, and other experts in the field. An online mixed-methods survey was developed based on prior work to request feedback on the acceptability and utility of the resources from the craniosynostosis community. While data collection to evaluate the resources is ongoing, preliminary results (n = 36) highlight an acceptability rating of 100%. The resources developed represent a step forward in addressing the unmet information and support needs of adults with craniosynostosis and highlight the benefits of co-production in research.

Development and characterization of gelatin-based biodegradable films incorporated with pistachio shell hemicellulose

This study aimed to incorporate pistachio shell hemicellulose into a film of gelatin and glycerol for the production of biodegradable films. The gelatin and glycerol are chosen because of their functional properties, which make it extensively used in food industry. The film composition was defined after a statistical optimization by central composite face-centered design and response surface methodology. The hemicellulose/gelatin ratio of 35.93% and the glycerol ratio of 18.02% were the optimum conditions to obtain lower film water solubility, higher tensile strength, and elongation at break values. The physical, structural, mechanical, and barrier properties of the developed hemicellulose-gelatin film were analyzed and compared with those of the gelatin film. Tensile strength and film water solubility values were reduced significantly with hemicellulose incorporation from 20.41 to 16.64 MPa and 49.57 to 39.21%, respectively, while EB was enhanced by 4.34 times. In addition, hemicellulose incorporation enhanced the water vapor permeability and the film degradation in the soil. The films were also examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The novelty of this study is to use pistcahio shell hemicellulose in the production of an edible film for the first time.

Simple hole transporting material based 2,7- carbazole for perovskite solar cells: Structural, photophysical, and theoretical studies

A simple carbazole-based hole transport material, termed HTM1, has been deposited as thin films. The samples were elaborated via a Physical Vapor Deposition to ensure the production of high-quality thin films. The study of the morphological and photophysical properties of the investigated compound was revealed through Scanning Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, Ultraviolet–Visible, and Photoluminescence spectroscopy. A flat surface with low roughness values was observed in the SEM and AFM images. Moreover, the obtained films revealed a higher absorption in the UV region. Optical parameters such as the energy gap (2.9 eV) and refractive index were determined using transmittance measurements. The temperature-dependent photoluminescence over a range of 77–300 K has also been investigated. It is found that, as the temperature decreases, a new emission band appears, which may be due to the formation of excimers. Added to that, theoretical investigation of the highest occupied molecular orbital, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, the density of states, and the optical energy gap were studied using density functional theory (DFT) with the hybrid B3LYP exchange-correlation function and the 6-311G (d,p) basis set. Absorption spectra was generated using the TD-DFT method. The absorption maximum obtained (398 nm) for HTM1 closely matched with the experimental value (393 nm). Following these characterizations, simulation studies on the photovoltaic performances of the HTM1 for perovskite solar cells have been done. This cell provided a maximum PCE of 21.31%.

Preparation of stable polyvinyl alcohol/polyurea hydrogel using oligomeric compounds containing urea-bonded

The aim of this research is the production of a biocompatible hydrogel film with high stability; the polymer should absorb enough water, and its structure should be preserved in water for a long time and not disintegrate. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was chosen as the main polymeric base of the desired hydrogel. Oligomeric compounds with urea bonded containing active groups at two chain ends can react with the hydroxyl groups of the polymer and play the role of a cross-linker. Urea linkage oligomers (ULO) were prepared by reacting 2 mol of sulfamic acid, 3 mol of phosphorus, and 8 mol of urea in a molten state. The amount of PVA was kept constant, while the amount of ULO was different, the prepolymer solution was mold-dried at ambient temperature and subjected to a heat press. The gel behavior and characterization of the polymer films were investigated by FT-IR, NMR, SEM, ion chromatography, and XRD analyses, the data on the tensile strength and antibacterial properties of the samples are also reported. The production of a hybrid composite consisting of PVA and polyurea under the heat press has been confirmed; the ammonium phosphate, sulfate, nitrate, and melamine powder were produced in the layer of polymer structure. This innovative hybrid polymer with a network of urea bonds can be a favorable option for skin treatment applications due to the specific characteristic of urea known as keratolytic.