* A movie

* Strands of photographic negatives or transparancies

* A representation (as of a story) by means of motion pictures

* Plastic art in motion 

"The 6th art (1911)"

"The 7th art combining painting, architecture, music, poetry, sculpture, and dance." - Ricciotto Canudo 

“Movies as a nonverbal form of experience are like photography, a form of statement without syntax.  In fact, however, like the print and the photo, movies assume a high level of literacy in their users…” (249)

“The movie is…a supreme expression of mechanism…” (254)

“Film is not really a single medium like song or the written word, but a collective art form…” (256)

“The movie is a mighty limb of the industrial giant.” (257)

“The movie is an aggressive and imperial form that explodes outward into other cultures.” (258)

    Marshall McLuhan (Understanding Media, 1964)

What does film address?

Theme and focus

Dramatic Structure

Visual Design

Color

Screen format

Setting

Lighting

Costume

Cinematography

Point of view

Composition

Camera angles

Diffusion and focus

Special effects/C.G.

Editing

  Transitions

  Coherence

  Representation of time

Color as symbolic device

Sound

  Effects

  Dialogue

  Music

Directorial Style

Expectation of Genre

How is theme defined?

Theme defined:

A subject or topic of discourse, meditation, composition or of artistic representation.

A specific and distinctive quality, characteristic or concern.

A unifying or dominant idea or motif.

Theme ≠ Focus ≠ Plot ≠ Genre ≠ Style 

How does theme work with other aspects in film?

Theme is reflected in and developed through plot, characterization, style, mood…as well as structure and setting to a lesser degree.

Formal elements are utilized to forward plot, characterization, style, etc., and thus support and develop thematic focus.

What is focus?

speaks to which particular thematic elements are most strongly and consistently utilized to convey theme in a particular film.

For example, a director may focus on characterization to explore themes like complexity in human relationships, social problems, etc

Category and film

&

Not confusing them 

Romantic comedy is NOT a theme.

Horror is NOT a theme.

Western is NOT a theme.

Drama is NOT a theme.

Adventure is NOT a theme

So what is theme then?

THEME speaks specifically to IDEAS explored as a film unfolds.

For this reason, theme can be difficult to discern right away.  Theme, generally speaking, cannot be fully apprehended until the film ends, and the viewer is able to reflect fully upon all the elements and foci utilized to develop and explore theme.

“Identifying the theme can be considered both the beginning and the end of film analysis”

Evalutaing Theme

THEME speaks specifically to IDEAS explored as a film unfolds.

For this reason, theme can be difficult to discern right away.  Theme, generally speaking, cannot be fully apprehended until the film ends, and the viewer is able to reflect fully upon all the elements and foci utilized to develop and explore theme.

“Identifying the theme can be considered both the beginning and the end of film analysis”

Basics of Cinematogrpahy 

Photography = “writing in light”

Cinematography = “writing in movement”

Cinematography is primarily concerned with:

WHAT the camera sees  a.k.a. Mise-en-scene or   Setting

HOW the camera sees  a.k.a. Perspective or   Point-of-view

Scene...whats in it?

Mise-en-Scene (“putting into the scene”) / SettingTime period

Place and Space

  Physical location (terrain, climate, locale, etc.)

  Geographical location

Socio-economic characteristics

Customs, morals, cultural codes of setting/society

What can setting do?

Determine and Reflect Character

  Create verisimilitude (quality of realism in something;   quality of appearing to be real or true)

  Establish emotional tone/atmosphere and/or

    create a specific visual effect

  Function as a symbol or microcosm

  Function as part of narrative

Setting can also create a fantasy environment…more on that in our consideration of CG and special effects.

Lighting. What kinds and what does it do?

High-key lighting uses fill light and backlight to create low contrast between bright and dark areas, and render shadowy areas visible.  The overall design is a soft, highly lit scene used for day AND night scenes.

Low-key lighting creates high contrast between bright and dark areas.  Fill and backlight are far less intense, rendering darker shadows.

Key light refers to a primary source of light, which provides the dominant source of light for the scene.

Fill light softens or eliminates shadows cast by primary or key light.

  Other lighting terms: 

    Frontal lighting

    Sidelight

    Backlighting

    Underlighting

    Top lighting

    Three-point lighting

What does costume and make up do?

determine and reflect character,

contribute to time, place and space,

reinforce social/economic characteristics,

and reflect cultural norms and codes embedded in the film’s narrative and setting.

How does the camera see?

Speed of motion

Perspective / Point-of-View

  (Objective, subjective, indirect-subjective, interpretive)

Depth of field and Focus

Wide, medium, close, extreme close-up shots

Framing (angle, level, height, distance and the arrangement of people/objects)

Speed of Motion

Fast-forward (blurring traffic, comic effect, “super-hero” speed/power, passage of time)

Slow-motion (fantasy/dream sequence, emphasis of power or gesture, render detail, dwell on an intense moment/event)

Reverse motion (reversal of time, supernatural effect)

Time lapse (setting sun, blooming flower, passage of time)

High-speed (bullet or arrow traveling, shattering glass, water droplet)

Ramping: a digital post-production process that creates the effect variable shooting speeds by shifting speed of movement smoothly and rapidly

Cinematic point of view 

Objective

  Camera is sideline observer – viewer “sees” from an objective distance – also referred to as a “window” effect – does not comment on or interpret action unfolding before it.

Subjective

  “Provides the visual viewpoint and emotional intensity felt by a character participating in the action” (107) – reinforces viewer’s sense of immediacy and involvement in the onscreen experience from the perspective of a character.

Indirect-Subjective

    Does not provide the viewer with a character’s point-of-view, but brings the viewer very close in proximity to action – frequently tight shots of an emotional reaction, or close proximity to characters engaged in dialogue to convey intimacy, secrecy, intensity – also close-ups of particular action to convey urgency, or emphasize activity (wheels spinning, feet running, hands preparing food, etc.). 

Depth and Field of Focus 

Simply put, this refers to the cinematographer’s use of the camera lens, and what, in the frame of his/her shot, is sharply in focus, what is not, and how that focus changes through the duration of a scene.

Things in sharp focus are typically intended to be at the center of the viewer’s attention (even if those elements are not at the center of the frame).

Racking focus: refers to adjusting focus/perspective during the course of a shot/scene.

Lens focus 

Wide-angle lens

  -short focal length

  -distorts lines near the edges of the frame

  -exaggerates depth because distances between foreground and background seem greater

  -can be used for close-ups, which results in a greatly distorted image

Medium lens

  -this lens is used to ensure minimal perspective distortion

  -horizontal and vertical lines are rendered straight and perpendicular

  -parallel lines recede to vanishing points (as the line of horizon would with the eye)

  -foreground and background neither squashed or stretched

Close/Telephoto lens

  -magnifies action at a distance

  -squashes planes, as with a telescope or binoculars, making distant objects appear as if they are all on the same plane (or close together)

Zoom lens

  -permits continuing variance of focal length during a single shot

  -allows for a fixed camera; not necessary to move camera forward or backward to change focal length

Framing

Determines viewer’s VANTAGE POINT

Defines image by limiting and bounding it

Heightens effects of perspective

Implies zones of offscreen space in which action, characters, etc., might move or remain

Can be mobile (following action across space)

Aspect ratio: ratio of frame width to frame height (an example would be “widescreen”)

Angle, Level, Height and Distance

Angle may be straight-on, high, low

Frame is generally level with the horizon (parallel to it), but may also be canted, or tipped to one side for a particular effect (disorientation, ground level, etc.)

Distance:

Extreme long shot: background dominates; human figure lost or tiny

Long shot: figures more prominent, but background still dominates

Medium long shot: human figure framed from about the knees up

Medium shot: human figure framed from the waist up

Medium close-up: human figure framed from the chest up

Close-up: traditionally shows just the head, hands, feet or a small object

Extreme Close-up: singles out a portion of the face or isolates/magnifies a small object