Cinema notes - Chapters 1-5 Professor Eung- Jun Min PDF

Preview

Summary

Chapters 1-5
Professor Eung- Jun Min...

Description

First exam chapters 1-5

Cinematic Language ● The visual vocabulary of film. ● Composed of myriad integrated techniques and concepts. ● Connects the viewer to the story while deliberately concealing the means.

Actively Looking at Movies ● Recognizing the many tools and principles that filmmakers employ to tell stories, covey info and meaning, emotions and ideas. ● Understanding movies as narrative, as an artistic expression, and as a reflection of the cultures that produce and consume them.

What is a Movie? ● Essentially interchangeable terms: ○ Cinema- from the greek “Kinesis” (movement) often implies art films. ○ Film- from the originally celluloid strip media ○ Movie- short for motion picture. ○ Motion- is the essence of the movie medium. ○ Brokeback mountain, (2005). Ang Lee ,director. ■ Movies can shape the way we see the world. ● A form of popular entertainment ● A narrative that tells a fictional story ● The presentation of a story affected by both cultural differences and when it was produced

Basic Construction of a Movie ● Shot- an unbroken sp0an of action captured by an uninterrupted run of a motion-picture camera. ● Editing- the joining together of discrete shots. ○ With each transition from one shot to another, a movie is able to move the viewer through time and space.

Film Analysis ● The one essential inquiry: what does it mean? ● Analysis- the act of taking apart something complicated to figure out what it is made of and how it all fit together. ○ Step 1. Identify the tools and techniques within a scene, sequence, or movie ○ Step 2. (Missed the notes)

Invisibility and cinematic language ● Painting, sculpture and photography allow you to study and absorb them as long as you want. ● Cinematic language is invisible bc movies move too quickly for the viewer to consider everything they've seen. ● The spectator subconsciously identifies with the camera's viewpoint.

Implicit meaning- hidden meaning. Explicit meaning- seen meaning.

3 elements in film industry 1. Production (Pre, Pro, Post-Pro) 2. Distribute 3. Exhibition

Majors ● P ● D ● E

Minors ● P ● D

Indies ● P

The Principles of Film Form ● Content- What is it about ● Form- How it is presented

○ Movies are highly organized and are deliberately assembled and sculpted by filmmakers.

Elemental systems ● Mise-en-scene ● Sound ● Narrative ● Editing ● Shots ● Sequences ● Scenes

Form and Expectations ● The narrative- a form of arrangement of events that make the film into a story. ● Our expectations provoke us to ask predictive questions about the films outcome. ● Other film elements work the formal elements to generate patterns.

Narrative patterns ● We instinctively search for patterns in all art forms. ● Patterns provide an element of structure. ● Our natural interpretation of parallel editing patterns is that the two things are happening at the same time. ● Patterns ground us in the familiar and acquaint us with the unfamiliar. Effectively build suspense and thrill. ● Repeating narrative patterns emphasizes their content.

Non Narrative patterns ● Convey a characters state of mind ● Create relationships ● Communicate narrative meaning ○ Shot patterns

○ Sounds motifs ○ Repetition of a familiar image

Fundamentals of film form ● Movies that depend on light. ○ Light is an essential element in the creation and consumption of motion pictures ○ It is a source of illustration and a key formal element to manipulated to create mood, reveal character, and convey meaning. ● Movies provide an illusion of movement. ● Movies manipulate space and time in unique ways.

Manipulation of space and time ● Parallel structure ● Condensing time ● Rearranging time ● Expanding time

Realism and Antirealism ● Realism- a tendency to view or represent things as they really are. ○ Realistic films attempt to immerse us in a world that is convincingly depicted in its own terms ● Antirealism- an interest in or concern for the abstract, speculative, or fantastic. ○ Movies can be both realistic and antirealistic, especially in science fiction, action, and thrillers.

Verisimilitude ● A convincing appearance of truth. ● Convinces you that you are “really there” by being internally consistent. ● Affected by time and cultures as audience expectations of reality change.

Cinematic Language

● The accepted systems, methods, or conventions by which the movies communicate with the viewer. ● Conventions are flexible. ● Viewers identify with the camera's lens. ● Cinematic conventions and individual experiences shape the “reality” depicted by films.

Types of Movies (Chapter 3) A narrative ● Is a story ● A way of structuring fictional or fictionalized stories presented. ● A broader concept that both includes and goes beyond any of these applications.

Narrative Concept ○ A cinema stricture that arranges events in a cause and effect sequence. ○ This causality is the basic organizing structure of most movies. ○ Movies do not have to arrange events in a conventional order to employ narrative organization.

Narrative structure ● A structure defined by Aristotle in Poetics ○ Exposition ○ Rising action ○ Climax ○ Falling action ○ Denouement (resolution)

Types of Movies ● Narrative - 2 types ○ Non (Genre) narrative - Are presented as realism films (Ex: Taxi Driver)

○ Narrative (Genre) - Are presented as .....? ● Documentary - Are presented as a non (Genre) narrative. ● Experimental

Four Documentary Approaches ● Factual ● Instructive (Educational) ● Persuasive ● Propaganda

Documentary Films ● Major Emphasis - Persuading and educating viewers. ● Philosophy- Based on 3 beliefs. ○ The integrity of the event being filmed must be maintained. ○ There is an inherent meaning in the event. ○ The camera can record and reveal this meaning to the viewer without explanatory mediation by the filmmaker. ● Functions of documentary ○ Observation ○ Analysis ○ Persuasion ○ Aesthetic Expression ○ Education ● Kinds of documentary ○ Ethnographic Film- Describe the specific cultures of the various peoples of the world. ○ Direct Film- Uncontrolled documentary. A type of location, close observation cinema which lightweight cameras and sound recorders are used to record action as it actually sounds. ○ Analytic Doc- Attempts to analyze its subject matter rather than simply to record it. It involves the filmmaker’s own interaction with the subject. ○ Persuasive Doc- It aims at convincing the viewer of a given thesis. Raw

footage is assembled so as to make that point, and narration is not uncommon. ○ Poetic Doc- Based on the belief that the techniques of poetry and drama to documentary material could educate and illuminate the viewer in ways that a straightforward approach might not.

Fred Camper’s 6 Common Criteria for Experimental Films ● Not commercial ● Personal ● Do not conform to conventional expectations of story and narrative case and effect ● Exploit the possibilities of cinema ● Critique culture and media ● Invite individual interpretation.

Experimental Styles ● Formal ● Self reflective ● Satirical ● Sexual

Genre (Categorization of narrative films by the stories they tell and ways they tell them.) ● Drama ● Adventure ● Musical ● Comedy ● Western ● Horror ● Sci-fi

6 Major American Genres ● Gangster

● Film noir ● Science fiction ● Horror ● Western ● Musical

Uses of Genre ● Allows us to predict what sort of movie to expect ● Helps audiences to select the movies they attend ● Reviewer’s critiques compare one film to others in its genre ● Movie rental and retail sales organization ● Movie listings

Genre Conventions ● Story formulas ● Themes ● Character types ● Setting ● Presentation ● stars Chapters 4 Narrator, Narration, Narrative ● Narrator-Who tells the story. ● Narration-The act of telling the story. ● Narrative- Elements of the story Filmic Space ● On-screen- seeing and hearing the scene ● Off-Screen- seeing another scene but hearing things off screen. ● Diegetic- Sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world.

○ Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame. ● Non Diegetic- The film's characters are not able to hear. Elements of Narrative ● 1st person- a voice over but may address the audience directly ● 3rd person- a voice imposed from the outside narrative. ● Omniscient- has unrestricted access to all aspects of the narrative and characters, as well as information that no character knew. ● Restricted- information......? Basic types of character ● Flat- This character does not essentially change throughout the story. ● Round character- Has something of the complexity, we find in real human beings. He or she changes in some important way as the novel or story unfolds itself and stands out. This character is usually individualistic and recognized by his particular merits or faults, which bring development in the story. ● Dynamic character- Is the character, which changes significantly during the course of the story. These changes include changes in insight or understanding, values, Changes in commitment. Changes in circumstances do not apply unless they result in some change within the character's self. ● Static character- It does not undergo significant change. Whether round or flat, their personalities remain essentially stable throughout the course of the story. This is commonly done with secondary characters in order to let them serve as thematic or plot elements. ● Protagonist- the primary character pursuing the goal ● Antagonist- the persons, creature, or force responsible for obstructing the protagonist ● Anti hero- an unsympathetic protagonist chasing a less noble goal. ● Imperfect character in a narrative- have obstacles, character development and motivations. Narrative structure ● Beginning (Act I) - Sets up the story

● Middle (Act II) - Longest sections that develops the story. ● End (Act III) - Resolves the story. Screenwriter ● Creates the movies story and writes the screenplay in its various stages either from scratch or by adapting another source. ● Builds the narrative structure and devices characters, action, dialogue, and settings. ● Adheres to precisely prescribed format as that each page equals one minute of screen time. Plot Order and Events ● Plot order- a fundamental decision filmmakers make about how to relay stoy info ● Events- happen in a logical order and their relative significance to the story defines them as either a major or minor. ● Duration- the length of time it takes for things to occur ● Story duration- the length of time the implied story takes to occur ● Plot duration- the elapsed time of the events explicitly presented in the film take to occur. ● Screen duration- the movie on the screen. Difference between Plot and Story? ● Plot- Is a series of events deliberately arranged so as to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance. ● Story- Is a series of events recorded in their chronological order. Elements of Narrative: Exposition. ● Provides background info on the characters, setting and basic conflict. ● Ends with an inciting moment that set the rest of the narrative in motive. Difference between Surprise and Suspense? ● Surprise- Shocking and no expecting.

● Suspense- Anxiety brought on by building up. Elements of Narrative: Repetition ● Repetition - the number of times a story element recures in a narrative plot. ● Familiar image- an audio or visual igma that a director periodically repeats in a movie to stabilize its narrative. ○ By its repetition, the image calls attention to as a narrative ○ May be symbolic. Setting and Scope ● Setting- the time and place in which the story occurs ● Scope- The overall range, in time and place, of a movie’s story. Chapter 5. What is Mise-en-scene? ● French for “what is put into the scene” ● Pronounced “meez-ahn-sen” ● Overall look and feel of a movie ● Sum of what we see, hear, and experience. Two Major Components of Mise-en-scene ● Design■ What are the elements of design in this scene? ■ How Do the design choices make you feel? ■ What do they make you think about? ■ How-and why do the filmmakers do this?

○ Production Designer ■ Works with the director and director of photography ■ Responsible for the overall design concept. ■ Supervises departments that create a movies look. ■ Creates visual continuity, balance, and dramatic emphasis. ○ Lightening ■ Low contrast = More light

■ High contrast = Less light (Shadows and Dramatic)

○ Soundstage ■ A windowless, soundproofed, professional shooting environment. ■ Only minimal parts of a room are needed.

○ Costume, Makeup, and Hairstyle ■ (Showed pictures only) ● Composition-

○ German Expressionism ■ Highly stylized sets added to radical look of films. ■ Extremely stylized mise-en-scene. ■ Shot in the studio even when the script called for exterior scenes. ○ Italian Neorealism ■ Influence both narrative and design worldwide. ■ Nonprofessional actors, handheld cameras, shot on location. ■ Concerns with humanism and social conditions. ○ Kinesis ■ Movement on screen (reviewed for exam)

Cinematographer ● Director of photography (DP) ○ The primary person responsible for making other aspects of movie making into movie images. ○ Makes very specific decisions about how the movie will be photographed. ○ Translates the director’s visions into realities. ● 3 key shooting terms ○ Shot- one uninterrupted run of the camera. ○ Take- the number of times a particular shot is taken.

○ Setup- one camera position and everything associated with it. ● Camera Crew ○ Does the actual shooting ● Assistant Cameraperson ○ Missed some he went too fast Lighting: Source and Quality ● Natural (sunlight) ● Artificial (instruments) ● Hard (Low-key) ● Soft (High-key)...