English reading film - it express on poem analysis and other stylistic devices PDF

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it express on poem analysis and other stylistic devices...

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How to Read a Film/TV Show While you may not think of film or media analysis as part of English Studies, as a discipline, English and Literary Theory very often engage with media other than novels or other texts. In our day to day lives we tend to watch films as pure entertainment, so that we become passive observers who do not think critically beyond our feelings or impressions of what we see onscreen. As scholars, we have to be diligent about how we approach film and television, which themselves are invested in storytelling that often reveals as much politically, culturally, and morally, if not more, than their literary counterparts. We still approach film and television as a primary text, watching for plot, story, and basic understanding first; any scholar working with this kind of analysis will tell you that in order to do filmic analysis well, you will have to watch an episode or film screening multiple times. The first step to being a good film reader is to watch with a notebook and pen in hand; the process begins as qualitative analysis, meaning that you collect unfiltered data and search for patterns/meaning later. As you watch, make notes about plot, characters and their names, storytelling methods you may have questions about or find interesting (fades, dissolves, shaky camera, etc), dialogue, setting, theme, and so on. Here are some things to look for when “reading” the screen. 1. Once you are familiar with plot and characters, think about how the camera mediates what you see. That is, keep in mind that each shot you see is framed deliberately by the director to emphasize some things and de-emphasize others. We tend to think of film as “realistic” because people and objects are rendered in life-like detail, but we only see what the camera’s “eye” wants us to see. Nearly everything we see is manipulated by the director and others who make the show or film we are watching, so pay attention to how a director sets up a shot in any given scene.

2. Does the director use a long shot, medium shot, close-up, or extreme close up? Like the graphic novel framing effect in The Walking Dead, for instance, extreme close ups feature a character’s face in part or whole that fill the entire screen and draw our attention to extreme emotion. These shots ask us to consider the potency of the emotion a character feels in relation to a particular event (i.e. Extreme CU of Rick Grimes’ eye when he encounters bicycle zombie). Close ups serve the same basic function, except that the emphasis on what characters feel and why, while still important, is lessened. Note when this happens and why when we screen “Days Gone Bye.” 3. The long shot is often referred to as an establishing shot and gets its name from the fact that the camera is positioned far away so that the “bigger” picture is shown. They usually occur at the beginning of scenes to establish our sense of time, place, context, and logical action of the scene as it transpires. You will see many examples in “Days Gone Bye”. For instance, when Rick leaves the hospital.

4. A medium shot is the most common shot used in film. Usually shot with a lens that offers the least visual distortion (as you would see the subject in real life). It is used heavily for dialogue sequences between characters as it is close enough that the body language of each is still in frame. This shot is often done as an over-the-shoulder shot, so that the camera switches between characters so that we are looking over the shoulder of one and at the other so the spatial relationship between the two is maintained. Similarly, when a character is show looking at another character who is offscreen, followed by a shot of the second character looking back at the first character who is offscreen, this is known as shot reverse shot. 5. Angle and motion: is the camera places at eye level? Is there a high or low angle, and if so, why? Is the camera in an “objective” location (long shots, for instance, tend to be objective) or does it represent a character POV? Does the camera “track” the characters, or is it stationary? To indicate instability, disorientation, point of view, emotional distress, and so on, a handheld camera is used so that the camera work becomes shaky. Alternatively, Steadicams are stable and create a more stable, objective feel. Note the way that docudramas film with a handheld to lend realism and authenticity to the story. 6. Composition of a shot or scene: how has the director arranged objects, characters, lighting to create an effect onscreen? Is there something implied happening offscreen? Are characters centre screen? If so, emphasis is drawn to their literal and figurative centrality. Is action framed through object clutter in the foreground, making it hard to tell where to focus, or making the shot look complex or perhaps overwhelming? 7. Does what you are viewing use narrative techniques like voiceovers, text, direct addresses to the camera? What is the effect? 8. Music and sound/or lack therof: What kind of music is used, and when, to create mood/tone? Pay attention to the opening of a film or TV show, which will always feature credits. What images and sounds appear here? What do they convey? 9. Editing: Shots in a film can be cut seamlessly, creating a continuous effect so that it is difficult to notice, or in ways that are deliberately jarring, abrupt, and destabilizing. Most people don’t pay attention to this, but you should for screen analysis! Is fade in or fade out used frequently? 10. Mise-en-scene: What is the overall mood created by acting, music, lighting, sound effects, costumes, colors, accents, etc. All these things together comprise mise-en-scene, French for “put before the camera”. These small details combined play a crucial role and is something directors play a great deal of attention to. 11. Repetition: This will tell you what writers/directors think is important. Is there a recurring song, camera technique, special effect, etc?

12. Montage: A series of short shots is edited together into a sequence to condense space, time, and information. Typically it suggests the passage of time, but it can also be used for symbolism.

13. Writing: The remaining tips will be most helpful if you are writing on TWD for your final paper. As with literature, write in present tense when you write about a film. Quote characters as if they were real people! If you want to refer to techniques used by the director that pertain to film angles or effects, for instance, you may refer to the director if you choose. Remember to establish context for what is happening, as you have been doing in your word on stories/novels. 14. We are about to screen “Days Gone Bye”, so in addition to trying to pay attention to film elements, perhaps for the first time, I’d like you to really focus on similarities and differences between scenes in the novel and scenes in the show. Are some more effective than others? Are themes enhanced or lost? 15. When you first mention characters in a film or show, it is common practice to “cite” that character using the name of the actor who plays them. Think of it like this: an actor who plays a character is an “author” of that character who brings it to life. Thus, they should be credited. You only need to do this at first mention. Example: When Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) wakes up in the hospital, he realizes that a lot of time has passed since he was shot when he sees the dried flowers next to his bedside table. When you quote dialogue in a film or show, make note of the time the speech begins and ends and cite that. It will serve as a kind of digital “page” number. It looks like this: (00:02:21-00:02:48) Here, the first set of zeros= hour, the second set = minutes, and the final set = seconds. In this example, the speech begins at 2 minutes and 21 seconds and ends at 2 minutes and 48 seconds. If ever you are in doubt about actor names or other necessary info from a film or TV series, go to IMDB.com and you will find anything you need!...