Term
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Definition
| Chain of events occurring in time & space and that follows a cause-effect logic |
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Term
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Definition
Moment-by-moment process in story-telling that guides us in building the story out of the plot events presented
-uses stylistic cues
-withholds information in order to create suspense |
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Term
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Definition
| Organization of a film's action according to a large-scale pattern of character development |
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Term
| 4 Aspects of Narrative Structure |
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Definition
1. films have acts
2. acts defined by goals
3. actions related to goals take place in each act; they further goals
4. turning points |
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Term
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Definition
4 Kinds:
1. hero's goal jells & she states it
2.one goal is achieved & another replaces it
3.a shift in tactics to achieve a goal
4.a major new situation leads to a new goal |
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Term
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Definition
Each act 30 min
1. the set up
2. the complicating action
3. the development
4. the climax/epilogue |
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Term
| 4 Act Structure in Out Of Sight |
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Definition
Act 1: introduces main characters & goals
Jack-steal Ripley's diamonds
Karen- escape from & arrest Jack
Act 2:
Jack's 2nd goal (pursue Karen) complicates his initial goal to steal diamonds
Karens new goal: pursue Jack (counter set-up)
Act 3: Big obstacles introduced
Jack & Karen struggle towards romantic goals
Jacks robbery seems unlikely
Act 4:
Karen's new goals: protect Jack & make arrests
Jack's goal of committing robbery remains; new goal: stay out of jail
Leads to high-action sequence |
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Term
| 4 Act Structure in Back to the Future |
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Definition
1. main characters, initial goals
2. counter set-up; obstacles; delays
3. real problems in achieving goals
4. final resolution, high action sequence |
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Term
| What is European Art Cinema |
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Definition
-post WWII European filmmaking
-In France, opposed to "Tradition of Quality" filmmaking in 1950's |
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Term
| 3 European Strategies for Competing with Hollywood |
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Definition
1.Produce cheap films for local audiences
2.Produce art cinema as a form of product differentiation
3.Compete with Hollywood directly |
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Term
| 3 Art Cinema Institutions (GAF) |
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Definition
1.Government subsidies
2.Film Culture Institutions (film festivals, mag's, cine-clubs)
3.Art house exhibition market |
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Term
| 8 Ways to Compare Art Cinema & Hollywood Narrative & Narration |
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Definition
1. Causal Motivation
-AC:episodic, digressions, unexplained
-HWD: causally motivated, fit in
2.Protagonists
AC:no goals, psychology 'complex'/contradictory, no motivation
HWD:goal oriented hero, simple, clear
3.Exposition/Backstory
AC:delayed exposition, little to no back story
HWD:know enough ab characters so actions seem motivated
4.Ellipses
AC:overt ellipses
HWD:minor ellipses, explained
5.Endings
AC:open/ambiguous endings
HWD:closure
6.Visual Style
AC:discontinuities, long takes, confusing editing
HWD: continuity editing
7.Sound Style
AC:mysterious elements, play w/ diegetic/non-diegetic distinction
HWD:fidelity, synchronization
8.Reflexivity
AC: frequently overt
HWD: rarely overt |
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Term
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Definition
The degree to which a work directs attention to itself as a work of art
-overt narration |
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Term
| 2 Kinds of Interpretation |
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Definition
HWD: symptomatic interpretation (viewer reads into film broad cultural trends)
AC: film cues viewer to read into it-uses enigmas & gaps to "trip up" ability to understand story |
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Term
| Hollywood Motivation vs. Art Cinema Motivation(3 kinds-RAA) |
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Definition
HWD: causation/causality
AC: realism, authorial expressivity, ambiguity |
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Term
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Definition
-Russian Dolls structure
-layers of reality
1.non-diegetic: tech of cinema itself
2.non-diegetic?: young boy
3.non diegetic: the filmmakers
4.diegetic: physical actions & subjective states
5.diegetic: historical reality |
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Term
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Definition
| A tendency or style w/ a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of filmmakers during a restricted period of time |
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Term
| 3 Goals of French New Wave Cinema |
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Definition
1. reject Tradition of Quality filmmaking
2. appeal to youth audience/cinophiles
3. assert importance of director as author |
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Term
| 4 Features/Conventions of French New Wave Cinema |
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Definition
1. realist (shoot in street)
2. open ended, episodic narratives
3. reflexivity
4. unpolished look (jump cuts, fragmentation) |
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Term
| Tradition of Quality & its 3 Conventions |
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Definition
A prestige cinema
1. literary adaptations
2. big stars
3. lavish studio filmmaking |
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Term
| Main Historical Developments that lead to Tradition of Quality & New Wave Cinema |
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Definition
-quota's on # of HWD films released in France
-1959 Advance on Receipts law |
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Term
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Definition
-began as critique for Cahiers du cinema in 50s
-first feature: Breathless |
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Term
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Definition
-critic for Cahiers du cinema
-most important article: A Certain Tendency in French Cinema
-first feature: The 400 Blows |
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Term
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Definition
-shot on location
-small handheld camera
-shot w/ available light
-unpolished doc look
-shot on fast film stock
-no synch sound; camera too noisy
-'reflexive' long takes
-jump cuts |
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Term
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Definition
-turns well-known stories inside out
-dedicates film to Monogram Pictures
-key plot moments handled quickly/sarcastically
-plot as pretext
-episodic
-dead time
-open ending |
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Term
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Definition
| Strange: dead man, weapons-machine guns, Renior paintings |
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Term
Textual vs. Contextual Approaches
(Avante Garde) |
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Definition
Textual: the films themselves, their characteristics & distinguishing features
Contextual: the films situated within a set of institutional practices |
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Term
| 3 Basic Characteristics of Avant-Garde (NOR) |
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Definition
Novel- invention of new concepts/ techniques
Oppositional- 3 kinds of deviation:from social/ideological norms, aesthetic norms, perceptual norms
Reflexive: choices that highlight the physical reality of the medium itself |
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Term
| Production Differences between Avant Garde & HWD |
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Definition
HWD: Division of labor
AG: Individual filmmaker
HWD: content: many constraints
AG: content: few constraings
HWD: film as business
AG: Art Historical Context
HWD: Narrative clarity
AG: Multiple purposes |
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Term
| Differences in Distribution between HWD & AG |
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Definition
HWD: major commercial distributors, little directional control
AG: independent cooperatives, filmmaker control |
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Term
| Differences in Exhibition between HWD & AG |
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Definition
HWD: movie theathers, multiplexes
AG: museums, art galleries, festivals |
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Term
| Differences in Reception between HWD & AG |
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Definition
HWD: popular, mass audience, critics evaluate
AG: specialized, informed audience, critics scholars: interpretation, history, analysis |
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Term
| Analyzing Avant-Garde films |
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Definition
-Repetition: Meshes of the Afternoon
-Variation
-Development
-Patterns: Triste |
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Term
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Definition
The dominant, usually unexamined fundamental beliefs of society (hard work creates success, etc)
-Avant-garde directors like to disrupt this |
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Term
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Definition
Device that consists of movie camera & projector used to reproduce images from films that have already been processed
(can make med shot from long shot)
-used for special effects |
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Term
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Definition
-Found footage used (newsreels, stock footage, blooper scenes)
-Not high-art- borrowing from low culture |
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Term
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Definition
-Full House movie
-filmmaker fits into the exhibition & distribution practices of AG (hands out personally) |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| What is Documentary Cinema? |
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Definition
Films that assert that the states of affairs they present occur(red) in the actual world.
-make truth claims
-viewer should be suspicious because docs claim authenticity |
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Term
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Definition
-Actualities by Auguste & Louis Lumiere
-newsreels produced by HWD studios (FOX)
-television broadcast docs
-feature length docs |
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Term
| 4 General Goals of Documentary Films (IREE |
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Definition
-Informative: eg: Discovery Channel
-Rhetorical: make an argument (often political)
-Ethnographic: document a culture
-Entertainment: eg: MTV reality shows |
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Term
| 6 Modes of Documentary Cinema (PEPROP) |
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Definition
-Poetic: subjective impressions linked through repetition & variation; no argument
-Expository: emphasizes verbal commentary & persuading viewer w/ an argument
-Participatory: emphasizes filmmaker's role as part of what is being documented
-Reflexive: interrogates conventions of documentary & the medium of cinema
-Observational: fly-on-the-wall
-Preformative: emphasizes subjective aspects of filmmakers personal engagement w/ reality; rejects objectivity |
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Term
| "talking heads" technique in Documentary |
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Definition
-reflect on events
-used to shape viewers perception of the subject manner |
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Term
| notes on Field of Sacrifice |
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Definition
-Expository Documentary
-Voice of God narrator
-Arguments about history
-Commissioned by Dept. of Veterans Affairs |
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Term
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Definition
-Performative documentary
-focuses on subjectivity
-investigates why people come to Winnepeg
-over-the-top style
-personal diary style |
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Term
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Definition
-Participatory doc
-Subjective (subject telling her own story) |
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Term
| 2 Obstacles to Authors in Hollywood |
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Definition
-Legal Precedent: studios owned rights & made changes
-Production Hierarchy: collaborative filmaking; shared responsibility for final product w/ specialized roles |
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Term
| Auteur Policy (Cahiers du Cinema) |
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Definition
-value distinctive visual styles
-value a consistent 'viewpoint' in each film
-be polemical
-attack cannons of good taste
-celebrate 'lowly' genre films |
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Term
| Forest Critics vs. Tree Critics |
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Definition
Forest Critics: -HWD system- prefer art film, doc's & AG films; HWD is "crass entertainment"
Tree Critics: -Directors- HWD is entertainment, but great trees (directors) are produced in it |
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Term
| Sarris' "Towards a Theory of Film History" |
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Definition
-"The history of American cinema is a history of directors"
-brought attention to forgotten directors |
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Term
| Biographical Authorship Criticism |
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Definition
-director's biography used to gain access to director's personal vision & explain films
-problem: reads movies thru director's bio- attention diverted away from the films |
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Term
| Depersonalized Authorship Criticism |
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Definition
-author as an "effect" of the films
-focuses on more reliable analysis of style, narration, theme |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| Alfred Hitchcock: Style, Theme & Narration |
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Definition
-Style: editing: P.O.V editing, crosscutting
mise-en-scene: large set pieces, expressive use of props, cameo appearances
-Themes: ordinary people plunged into danger, transference of guilt, doubling, human relationships
-Narration: Hitchcokian suspense: unrestricted narration uses style to create suspense and allow themes to develop |
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Term
| Hitchcock's "Bang! You're Dead" notes |
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Definition
| Hitchcokian elements of style, narrative/hierarchies of knowledge, suspense vs. surprise, props |
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Term
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Definition
| -group of films w/ similar characteristics |
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Term
| Why does Hollywood use genres? |
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Definition
-makes production fast, cheap & easy
-production units
-decrease financial risk |
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Term
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Definition
-reflect audience values; serve a ritual purpose
-reinforce ideologies |
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Term
| Major Conventions of Genre (CINAS) |
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Definition
-Casting: stars repeatedly appear in films of same genre
-Iconographic: character types, locations, objects
-Narrative: repeated plot pattern
-Affective: emotional associations
-Stylistic: how films look & sound |
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Term
| Semantics of Hollywood Musicals |
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Definition
-Characters: romantic couple
-Event: formation of romantic couple
-Acting Style: combination of realism & rhythmic movement
-Sound: combination of dialogue & diegetic music |
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Term
| Rick Altman & Semantics vs Syntax |
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Definition
Semantics: individual elements; generic stylistic motifes, words
Syntax: how individual elements combine to produce structure & meaning
-formal/narrative structures
-sentances |
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Term
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Definition
Song & dance woven into plot to advance the narrative
-music privileged at climactic moments |
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Term
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Definition
| realistic sound world replaced by music & rhythm (still diegetic) |
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Term
| Differences between Fairytail musical, Backstage musical & Folk musical |
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Definition
Fairytail musical: formation of couple parallels restoring order to "kingdom"
kingdom, upper class hotel magical/exotic location
from European operetta
more overtly sexual
Backstage Musical: formation o f couple parallels staging a "show"
set in theatre, studio
characters are professional performers
diegetic performances
Folk Musical: formation of couple parallels formation of community
small towns, frontier, in the past
American in theme & musical style
Family & community important
song & dance motivated by joy of everyday life |
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Term
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Definition
characters: Rusty & Danny.couple
event: Rusty wants to be on broadway, gene wants her to stay with him
Acting style: combo of realism & rythmic movement
Sound: combination of dialogue & diegetic music |
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Term
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Definition
Dual focus narrative: Danny wants her to stay at his place, she wants to be on broadway
parallel scenes: rusty on stage, gene on street
song & dance function as emotional expression |
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Term
| Cover Girl as Backstage Musical |
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Definition
Danny & Rusty's romance causally connected to Rusty's showbiz career
Various NYC theatrical locations
Characters are professional performers
Musical numbers on spectrum of integration
Numbers display different degrees of continuity between realism/dialogue & music/ rhythm |
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