Final Exam Study Set
Silent Comedy
"The silent pictures were the purest form of cinema" - Alfred Hitchcock Silent films, of course, come from an era before the advent of sound in the late 1920's. They have become a kind of genre, even though before sound they were just... films. Remember, genres are created retroactively. Because of the lack of dialogue, silent comedies had to use every other formal element to create humor... which is why most of the works from Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd still hold up to this day!
Cinema
(1.) The art and technique of making and exhibiting motion pictures. (2.) A theater where motion pictures are exhibited.
ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)
Also known as Dubbing - the process in which voices are recorded in post-production, replacing voices recorded during principle photography. During principle photography (which is when a film is shot) the sound captured on set may not always be as clear as an audience will expect in the finished film. This when ADR comes into play. During post-production (which is when a film is edited and sound mixing happens) any dialogue that is unclear, too low, or includes unwanted sounds that were captured while shooting is corrected. ADR is also the primary method of recording dialogue in animated films and for dubbing films into other languages.
Foley
As we saw in the previous video, foley is the creation of everyday SOUND EFFECTS that are recorded in a foley studio to compliment or replace existing sounds. Examples: Footsteps Squeaking Doors Thunder
Observational
In observational documentaries the camera is unobtrusive or hidden to create direct engagement with the subject matter. You can think of these as "fly on the wall" style documentaries. Cinema Verité, meaning "film truth" - This was a specific term used in post WW2 documentaries that attempted to negate the filmmaker's bias as much as possible. Cinema Verité is considered a sub-genre of Observational documentary, but it's the kind of doc most commonly thought of when referring to this style.
Key Make-up Artist
Meets with actors during prep to do tests with the Camera Dept. Consults with Director and Production Designer on make-up design Application of makeup (both beauty and effects) to cast members Maintain actor's makeup during shooting, in coordination with the Script Supervisor
Participatory
Participatory documentaries emphasize the interactions between the filmmaker and subject matter. These films often utilizes interviews, conversations, and direct provocation. We may hear the filmmaker's opinion in voice over or hear them speaking directly to the subject matter from behind (or in front of) the camera.
Foley Artist
Records and creates any onscreen sounds not captured on set, specifically the sounds of anything moving on screen.
Prop Master
Seeking, obtaining, and creating props Maintenance and management of props Continuity of props in conjunction with Script Supervisor
Music Supervisor
Selects previously existing songs for a film, in partnership with the Director, and arranges for proper legal releases for any music used. I've observed that music supervision is the position people are often most interested in because it involves bringing cool songs to the attention of the director that they might want to use in the film. But what people don't realize is that music supervision is a lot about hustling. Finding how to get the rights to music takes a lot of research and knocking on doors. Navigating the complexities of copyright and entertainment law take a lot of patience and expertise. Having good taste in music is only part of the job.
Non-Diegetic Sound
Sounds whose source is OUTSIDE the world onscreen. Examples: Voice-over (VO) Musical Score or soundtrack
Classical Action
Spatial lucidity, escalating momentum. In classical action we have a fairly clear understanding of space and time, regardless of the high intensity of the action taking place.
The Paradox of Horror
This idea refers to how tension is an unpleasant feeling, but one we are drawn to. It's the paradox of being entertained by a film that puts you through hell. If cinema is a dream, a horror film is a nightmare. When you wake from a nightmare, how do you feel? Scared, for sure... but is that not followed by relief? Similarly, audiences enjoy horror films because they can experience primal fear whilst having the safety of being able to leave the theater unharmed after a few hours.
What happens to Jack at the end of The Shining?
This is a stupid and literal question and is worth no points. I alone can interpret the ending for myself only.
the very first horror films were not called a horror films:
Though these films were made in the tradition of Gothic literature, which contains classically horrific elements like ghosts and monsters, they weren't marketed to audiences as "horror films" specifically. They were referred to as things like "Gothic Romances" or "Supernatural Thrillers." It was not until later that distributors and critics began to lump these kinds of films together under the "horror" banner.
voice-overs
Voice-overs are that disembodied voice that explains what is going on in the film or sets us up for the story. They can also represent the internal voice of a character. These are some examples of how voice-overs are used in film, but the one thing they have in common is that the characters on screen do not hear them. They are generated outside the visible reality that is on screen.
Sound Designer
Working in conjunction with the Director, the sound designer supervises the mix of music, dialogue, ADR, foley, and sound effects. (We will define some of these terms shortly.)
uncanny:
a psychological concept concerning something that is strangely familiar rather than mysterious, creating a cognitive dissonance within the viewer.
Genre
genres are descriptive, not prescriptive. Genres describe general similarities in formal approach, but they are not rigid rules for filmmaking. In function, genres are primarily a way of organizing films for viewers. Though today there are many well established genre traditions, genres are created retroactively.
Film form
how elements of design are implemented in a work. In other words, how the film is designed and put together. is a term used to describe the visual and auditory components that make up the design of a film. This can be anything related to camera, lighting, production design, acting, editing, etc. The story content of a film is the sum of the film's formal components.
Props are separate from set dressing, wardrobe, and production design. They are specific items handled by actors within scenes. In the below image, the guns would be props, but his vest would be wardrobe.
http://68.media.tumblr.com/0459f497bec89cb3534e61ef3a175ddb/tumblr_nf3v5veoo41rstprxo7_1280.png
Psychological immersion
the audience must be invested and immersed in the story
Film content
what is being depicted in the work. In other words, what the film is about. is (in fictional films) the film narrative or the film's story. Referral to plot, character development, character emotions, themes, tone, mood etc. is part of this content simply: Content is what a film is about; Form refers to the elements used to communicate this content.
Silent films were just known as films before the advent of sound. Based on what you know from this module about how genres are created, would silent films classify?
yes
Framing
describes the shot itself or the camera's perspective (Wide shot, high angle, etc.). It is important to note how the subjects within a frame relate to the frame itself.
Composition
describes the way subjects are arranged in a given shot
Film genres are __________ and not _____________.
descriptive / prescriptive
The two main goals of commercial, narrative film language are to create psychological immersion and promote what?
narrative clarity
moving image
records reality through a machine
active viewer
an active viewer is a viewer that is actively thinking about the film itself while watching it
...
...
Set Dressing
Draping, Furniture, Decor, etc. that dresses the set
Black Ice is what kind of film?
Surrealist
Reflexive
These films emphasize the nature of documentary filmmaking itself, calling attention to the construction of reality. This kind of film increases our awareness of how documentaries are made and the implications of cinematic truth.
film's form
includes camera, editing, sound, design, and other elements of constructed "reality" A film's form has largely to do with 3 things: The filmmaker's intent The subject matter The filmmaker's process
Wild Sound
any sound recorded on-set WITHOUT the camera rolling.
This type of action is based on spatial lucidity and escalating momentum.
classic
animation
to bring to life. the illusion of motion and life within an otherwise still medium The automated reconstitution of movement from a succession of still images.
Ambience
the sounds that are used to create a particular environment. Examples: The Beach: waves crashing, bird noises, wind in the dunes, etc. Night Time Exterior: crickets, nocturnal animal sounds, wind, etc. A Bedroom: A/C noise, noise from any electronics, ceiling fan, muffled sound from other rooms, etc.
Stereo (or 'Stereophonic')
A system where all audio is mixed out to two independent channels. The sound is mixed to play out of the left and right speakers of your television, computer, etc. The most preferable placement is a 45 degree angle. http://www.tubetrap.com/bass_traps_imgs/stereo.jpg
closed composition
all subjects are contained within the frame
Traditionally, this is the only thing recorded on set:
Dialogue
"Contrary to what the name implies, moving images only appear to be ______ and are in fact _______."
moving / optical illusions
Which of the following is required for someone watching a movie to fully experience the emotional impact intended by the filmmakers?
psychological immersion
motion pictures
motion pictures are unique because the systems and machines used to make and distribute movies are fundamentally for mass reproduction and exhibition.
When shots from two separate scenes happening simultaneously are cut together:
Cross-Cutting
Art Director
Leads in the construction of production designed sets and costumes. Coordinates the work of the Set Builders Coordinates with the On Set Dresser Coordinate the work of the Costume Designer, Production Designer, and Compositors with the DP and the Director.
Look at the following still image and choose the name of the shot that best describes it.
Medium Close-up shot
What is the dominant type of sound on display during the infamous "woman in room 237" bathroom scene from The Shining?
Non-diegetic music
Sound:
Non-diegetic musical tones build and build to deafening levels, yet we can still hear every shuffle of paper. The sound dies out once we break from Wendy's perspective. The severity and suddenness of her scream shocks.
Costume
The carefully designed clothing worn by actors
Disciplines
The challenges and restrictions established within the work
Set Design
The design and/or creation of a particular location
Diegetic Sound
A sound whose source is visible in the reality of the world onscreen. Examples: Voices of actors speaking Sounds made by objects in the story Music coming from visible instruments
Stop Motion Animation
Any physical material photographed and animated frame-by-frame.
Sub-genres (action)
Westerns Martial arts Chase films
Rhythm
Comic timing, the use of tempo and pausing to enhance the comedy of a situation.
How many murder scenes occur onscreen in Zodiac?
3
What is the final image of Deja Vu?
A freeze frame. Time finally stops at the end.
passive viewer
A passive viewer receives and accepts the information and meaning built into a film. Passive viewing is the way we normally watch and enjoy movies.
Motion Picture
A series of pictures projected in rapid succession so as to produce the optical effect of a continuous picture in which objects move.
Which of the following is true about what Genres are? (Check all that apply)
A set of rules that filmmakers follow ..? They are created retroactively A way to help the viewer understand our expectations
Material can be 2D... or 3D, like these dolls built with movable rigid armatures inside.
Because this materials are real, particularly in 3D stop motion, it creates very particular look with rich textures that would be nearly impossible to recreate with a computer. This process is extremely long and time consuming...
Costume/Wardrobe Designer
Development and design of costumes and wardrobe for production Meets with actors during prep to do tests with Camera and Make-up Departments Obtaining or creating all costume components The final assembly of all costumes Maintenance of all costumes in coordination with the Script Supervisor
Which is not a characteristic of animation?
Disciplines
Surprise
A sudden event that happens without the audience knowing it is going to happen beforehand. (An example of this is the classic jump scare we all love or love to hate.)
Suspense
A sudden event that the audience has prior knowledge about. (This is when the audience knows something bad is about to happen but the characters in the film don't. Suspense is so important for creating anxiety and release in horror audiences - which is the visceral fun many horror fans enjoy.)
Sound Effect
An audio recording that is presented in a film to make a specific creative point and to enhance story. These can also be things like explosions, gunfire, footsteps. Sound effects are typically either impossible to record live on set or are needed to enhance the film in post.
Surround Sound
Audio is mixed out to several discrete channels, ex: 5.1, 7.1, 11.1 http://static.diffen.com/uploadz/6/6e/5.1-surround-sound.png http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/surround-sound-digital.gif
Cinematography:
By giving us exaggerated angles (low, looking up at first), he places us in Wendy's frightened perspective with shot/reverse shot complete with expressive zooms that broadcast the horror she feels. In fact, we see her horror before we see what she sees, which inherently creates tension. The most suspenseful part, though, is when the camera appears to break from what is established and moves into what appears to be Jack's perspective, watching Wendy...
There are six broad categories of documentary modalities, which also act as formal approaches to non-fiction filmmaking (or genres).
Expository Observational Participatory Poetic Reflexive Performative
The classical anatomy of a joke is as follows:
Premise - The context of the situation Counterpoint - A twist on the premise, introducing a new element Punchline - A synthesis of premise and counterpoint in an unexpected way.
Art Department
Roles: Production Designer Art Director Prop Master Set Decorator Key Makeup Artist Costume/Wardrobe Designer
Computer Animation
The dominant form of animation in modern mainstream cinema, dealing in uncanny cartoon realism. Characters and environments are rendered in 3D space, "captured" by a virtual camera. 3D objects and characters are moved through Keyframe Animation... A keyframe point marks one pose, another marks the next... the computer fills in the motion between the points.
Sub-genres (unique to cinema) (comedy)
Anarchic Mockumentary Parody (or Spoof)
Performative
Another popular mode of documentary! These kinds of docs highlight the subjectivity of the filmmaker's involvement with the subject matter. These films emphasizes the filmmaker's agenda and audience's emotional response, over objective truth.
This term is defined as everything within the frame or shot.
Composition
What kind of animation was used in the short "Get A Horse!"?
Computer
What Genre Is - A short-hand way to describe a set of formal characteristics A way to help the viewer understand our expectations A form in which allows filmmakers more formal experimentation
What Genre Is NOT - A set of rules that filmmakers follow An agreed upon set of characteristics established by critics, filmmakers, scholars, & audiences An excuse for mediocrity and unoriginality
What is a set dressing?
decor or furniture
The structures of movies
designed to immerse you in a clear, compelling story, are supposed to be invisible to viewers during their watching experience.
This set from Deja Vu is full of screens designed (1) to look like a high-tech editorial suite
further underlining the commentary on cinema and voyeurism. While some screens are practical (meaning they worked on set) some were added in post-production. They are all very bright, resulting in high contrasts.
form
refer to the design elements that make up a film. "form" can also really be another way of describing the genre of the film.
Denzel Washington's costume (3)
seems rather normal, but his dulled earth tones help him stand out in an otherwise high-tech setting, visually communicating his fish-out-of-water status.
Narrative clarity
the audience must not be confused about what is happening
Which of the following terms best describes when a film audience creates a narrative or spatial relationship between two different shots in their minds?
the kuleshov effect
Which of the following is an example of film form?
the lighting in a scene
True or False: Digital cinematography is capable of being more light sensitive than film.
true
documentary
used to describe the formal approach the filmmakers took to portray their subject matter.
To adjust the focal length within the camera lens to compress or expand space.
Zoom
Metamorphosis
a change of the form or nature of a thing
Two films about the exact same subject can be vastly different as a result of -
the filmmaker's formal approach
A film's form has largely to do with the filmmaker's intent, the subject matter, and which of these?
the filmmaker's process
Chaos Cinema
Frantic editing and unruly camera movements that beget an all-out, all-the-time sensory assault. This is what many action films have become in recent history. Clarity of space and time are less important than the sensory overload the camera and editing create. These kinds of action films are often constructed to leave viewers tired, as if they just went through the action themselves.
In The Shining, which of the following is an example of a cinematic "prop"? (Check all that apply)
Jack's typewriter The tennis ball The axe
Poetic
Poetic documentaries take a more abstract approach to documentary. Visual associations, tone, and rhythm are emphasized over a straight forward telling of a story. These documentaries can sometimes be considered experimental films, or experimental documentaries.
In Zodiac, who proves best that Arthur Leigh Allen is the Zodiac killer?
Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal)
Ambience
The environmental ambience of a given scene is the un-sung hero of any sound mix. A movie with only dialogue, music, and sound effects just doesn't sound right without all the little background sounds that we take for granted or don't consciously hear around us.
Sound Mixer
The on set or on location sound engineer responsible for the recording of production sound and any sync-related on-set sound mixing and playback.
Construction
The pacing of scenes, sequences, and the entire film. How a gag formally comes together.
Editing:
The ramping speed of the cuts mirrors the growing anxiety and fear she experiences as she finds page after page. The editing slows down when we move to Jack's perspective, the contrast of which is unnerving...
film is in the form of a documentary
This statement would immediately then imply a host of formal characteristics that we come to associate with documentaries: non-fiction in nature, specific uses of camera, editing, performance, etc. You have a set of preconceived notions about what a film will be like if it is described to you as "documentary" in form.
Mono (or 'Monophonic")
A system where all audio is mixed out to a single channel. This is oldest and most simplified kind of sound mix. https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-88bdab8fdfceb8e663afe1d88bf25bf7-c Fun Fact: During the initial implementation of sound in the 1920's, the speaker was placed in the orchestra pit for audiences accustomed to live music. Later it was moved to behind the screen, where it sits today.
Which of the following parts of a sound mix describe when character dialogue is recorded after filming, in order to improve the quality of the sound?
ADR
(NOTE: This is just a narrow example, this does not describe the intent, subject, and process for ALL docs and action films.) Documentary - Intent: Inform, inspire, provoke, shed light on something hidden, etc. Subject: Non-fictional Process: Interviews, observational footage, maybe an informative voice over, etc.
Action Movie - Intent: Excite, tell a story, take you for a ride, box office sales, etc. Subject: Fictional Process: Classic narrative film coverage, continuity editing, exciting pace, high-energy music, etc.
Sub-genres (horror)
The Horror genre is filled with many sub-genres and "cycles", as successful films always spawn more like them. These include, but are not limited to... Gothic Slasher Body horror Supernatural Zombie
True or False: The term cinema can be used to describe any place where a movie is watched, even if only by one person.
False
Based on the video essays from Every Frame A Painting in the module, what statements would Tony Zhou consider true? (Check all that apply)
...
Usually when describing something as cinematic, you are evoking qualities and characteristics that are unique to cinema alone (not theater or literature, for example). One of the most of fundamental aspects of the cinematic experience is visual storytelling. Motion pictures are a visual art form. The best films utilize images to tell their stories. Visual storytelling is when ideas and emotions are expressed visually, relying on performance and aesthetics, over dialogue or sound cues. There are two primary expressions of visual storytelling unique to cinema: 1. Camera movement - dolly, pan, tilt, crane, etc. 2. Montage (AKA editing) - edits, fades, dissolves, etc. Being able to see and understand visual storytelling is a big part of achieving this course's objectives. It's also what is known as visual literacy. In other words, being able to "read" or understand the language of visual aesthetics, in this case, cinematic language. Alfred Hitchcock was a British filmmaker who became one of America's most popular celebrity directors. Often referred to as the "Master of Suspense," Hitchcock made many films now considered classics and his television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents (which you can watch on Netflix!) ran for 10 years. Hitchcock got his start working in silent films, so he learned visual storytelling when filmmakers didn't have sound as a storytelling tool at their disposal (though he would later use sound inventively throughout his career). "The silent pictures were the purest form of cinema" - Alfred Hitchcock Hitchcock defined the term "Pure Cinema" as, "complementary pieces of film put together, like notes of music make a melody." We will return to this idea in a few pages when we discuss editing. "Pure Cinema" is easily thought of as "purely cinematic cinema," films that employ the fundamental uniqueness of cinema to tell stories, i.e. through camera and editing. "When we tell a story in cinema, we should resort to dialogue only when it's impossible to do otherwise. I always try first to tell a story in the cinematic way, through a succession of shots and bits of film in between" - Alfred Hitchcock Let's examine these ideas in Hitchcock's work by watching the following opening sequence of Hitchcock's 1954 Rear Window. This series of shots has very few cuts and delivers a concentrated amount of information to the audience almost exclusively in a visual way. These opening shots give us the setting, the characters, and the central issue that will motivate the events of the film. It also efficiently acquaints the viewer with the geography of the movie and the visual style that we can expect while watching. Rear Window is a film about voyeurism, so in essence it's also about cinema and the excitement of watching. The opening sequence sets up this theme just by keeping the camera at a distance from the windows and the action. The camera's perspective almost feels like that of a nosey neighbor. The camera position makes us feel like voyeurs. This is a visual play on a film audience's relationship to movies. When we watch movies, we essentially become voyeurs of fictional people and events. Hitchcock uses this idea to craft a suspenseful story, largely relying on camera work to carry this metaphor. Hitchcock movie Rear Window (1954) Paramount, Patron (Film) NBC Universal (DVD) Director: Alfred Hitchcock Here Lie the broken bones of L.B. Jefferies Smashed camera due due to standing in the middle of a race car track Negative photo of grace Kelly, must mean he views her in a negative way What do you see in these scenes that is communicated visually? What I see in these scenes that is communicated visually is Jefferies is trying to figure something out that happened with a the guy in the building acrosss from him. He has two women help him do these duties and they were digging in what looked like a garden. They seemed to be looking for something, but they did not find it. After, the lady in the dress climbed a latter up to a someones apartment and searched his place. How does this visual storytelling intensify the suspense of the action? Visual storytelling intensifies the suspense of the action by, for example, the man finding the women in his place and then assaulting her. You cannot hear audio during this as everything was captured in Jefferies camera so he could have a better view of what was going on. I think what made this really suspenseful was how Jefferies was panicking about the women going into the building across the way and she ended up being assaulted in the end of that scene. How does the position of the camera intensify our anxiety about what's happening? The position of the camera intensify our anxiety about what is happening by switching back and forth from the photography camera that Jefferies was using and the normal film camera that the set used. Using Jefferies camera made it zoom in on that certain area he was looking at and how he reacted to things made everything have a higher level of intensity. cinematography, which is the art of camera use in filmmaking Cinematography: The art and science of motion-picture photography. list of cinematographic elements filmmakers use with camera placement, lensing, and grip & electric to express their vision Shot Size: The size or scale of framing. Standard Shot Sizes: * Extreme Close-Up * Close-Up * Medium Close-Up * Medium * Wide * Extreme Wide Camera Angle: The graphical placement of the camera. Standard Camera Angles: * Neutral (or Eye-Level) * High Angle * Low Angle * Dutch Angle (or Canted) * Bird's Eye (Extreme High) * Worm's Eye (Extreme Low) * Point-of-View (or POV) * Over-the-Shoulder - Not pictured below, but essential a close-up with another subject's shoulder in the far edge of frame Camera Movement ~ One of the primary expressions unique to filmmaking. Pan: Rotating a camera on a horizontal axis Tilt: Rotating camera vertically Pan and Tilt: Can be used to reveal elements Dolly: Moving a camera toward or away from subject Types of Dolly's: Wheeled and track (can sit or stand next to), slider dolly (great for shorter moves), table top dolly (useful for getting smooth shots from low to the ground or product shots that are on a smooth surface). Wheelchairs and carts are also an alternative if you don't have any type of dolly. Trucking: Moving a camera from side to side Sled and vest: Bend knees and step heel to toe Boom: Camera on an arm that can pivot on a fixed point Composition: The arrangement of elements within the frame. Focal Length: The distance of the lens element to the imaging plane which can be used to expand or compress space. A zoom lens has a variable focal length, which changes as the lens "zooms" in or out. This image demonstrates the effects of focal lengths from wide lenses (upper-left, 20mm) to long lenses (lower-right, 150mm). In order to keep the subject in the same shot size, the camera has to move and re-frame. Notice that wide lenses distort features while long lenses flatten them. Long lenses are used for beauty shots. The best example of the effect of focal length is known as the "Dolly Zoom", in which the camera moves in or out in the opposite direction of the zooming lens. 1. 2. 1. Jaws: The lens zooms out (or wide) as the camera pushes inward toward the subject. It creates the illusion of space expanding behind the actor. 2. GoodFellas: This example moves in the opposite direction. The lens zooms in (or long) while the camera moves backward away from the subject, compressing the space behind the actors. Depth of Field: A measure of how much of the image is in focus beyond the focal plane. Close focus Wide focus a. Deep b. Shallow Which image has a shallow depth of field, and which has a deep depth of field? Lighting: The size, angle, color and shape of the lights that achieve exposure. Color: Filmmakers use colors to create unity, discordance, and/or contrast. * Digital cameras expose a digital sensor to light. The sensor converts light into an electrical signal that is stored as digital data (binary code). The image is instantly accessible (you can see what you are shooting) and exists as virtual data, not as a tangible film object. * In film, there is a strip of celluloid (a kind of plastic) that is covered in photo-chemicals. These chemicals react to light when exposed. Film must be processed before you can see what the image looks like and the movie exists as a film strip, which is a tangible object you can touch and hold. Though film is generally regarded as producing a richer image with sharper, more vibrant colors, digital technology is quickly closing that gap. The difference in image quality is increasingly imperceptible to the untrained eye. Digital cameras today are much more light sensitive than film. High definition digital cinematography is better at recording darkness the way we see it with our eyes. Still on the left is from Michael Mann's Thief (1981), shot on film. The still on the right is from Mann's 2004 film Collateral, shot digitally. Digital also makes it easy to do visual effects: Did you know: The only real objects in this shot are the actors? They are hard lit in front of a blue screen, with the computer generated (or CG) house and lamp added later in post. The actual street on which this murder took place was unrecognizable today, so they spent lots of $$ to recreate it. Film is more permanent than digital. I know this seems counterintuitive due to the endlessness of the Internet, but it's true. Though both film and digital media require preservation to survive, very little has changed in the medium of film over the last hundred years. Digital media, on the other hand, changes very frequently. Recall the article about time-based media Conservator, Joanna Phillips. She talks about how difficult it can be to preserve digital content when software or hardware cycles out of use or becomes inaccessible. Ever tried to open an old computer file and found it corrupted or unable to open on your newer computer? This is the challenge digital filmmakers face when storing their films long term. Director of Photography (DP): Also known as the cinematographer, they are the camera and lighting supervisor on the production, working closely with the director. Duties Include: * Developing the "Look" of the film. * Coordination and oversight of lighting * Develops Camera Movement * Responisble for Proper Exposure of Film or Digital Sensor Camera Assistants: Focusing on the camera, lensing, and placement, they work with the DP (Director of Photography) on expressive elements like focal length, depth of field, composition and shot sizes. Gaffer: Work with the DP to choose and shape lights to physically expose the environment based on the agreed upon "look" through lighting and color. Grips: Work under the Gaffer to hang lights, flags, nets, and any other grip or electric based Colorist: Though a Post-Production role, the colorist takes the footage shot and accentuates the look achieved on set or creates it from scratch. The process, known as color grading, has become one of the most vital processes in digital cinema. A stage actor's performance is linear and real time because the events of the play or musical occur in chronological order and there is no real jumping around in time or space without a set change of some kind. In cinema, an actor does a scene over and over again, through many different camera angles. Scenes are usually filmed out of order, meaning an actor has to chart their character's arc within the context of the script. The impact of the close up shot in cinema really is what changed film acting from being theatrical to the subtler film acting of today. Think about how unique the close up shot really is. In our everyday lives, we never get as close to a person's face as we do in the movies. With the exception of intimacy between a lover or a family member, we see other people mostly in medium or wide shots (if our eyes were cameras, I mean). The close up shot is a crucial part of film language because it is the strongest tool a filmmaker has for establishing an emotional connection between a character and audience members. Montage, or Film Editing, is the art and process of piecing together various shots into scene sequences which ultimately, when combined, compress or expand time to create a finished film. The Editor: The Editor works under the supervision of the director and producer to assemble the film. Specific Duties: * The assembly of the footage into successive cuts until a final cut is reached. * The coordination of VFX, Sound, and Color elements to place into the final cut. * The output of the final cut to several formats. Cut: (v) an abrupt transition from one shot to the next. Cut: (n) a complete edit of a film or video The Editor is also responsible for the creation of these "cuts". * Assembly Edit: The first 'cut' of the motion picture created by the Editor; Also referred to as the 'Rough Cut'. * Director's Cut: The Director, working in collaboration with the Editor, makes changes to the Assembly Edit to best reflect the Director's vision. * Final Cut: Typically the editor works in collaboration with the Director and Producers of the film to reach 'picture lock'. Let's dissect this in terms of last week's film, Zodiac: Editors responsibilities | | V Walter Murch is an iconic editor and sound designer, with such credits as The Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Now, and The English Patient. In his groundbreaking memoir, In The Blink Of An Eye, Murch theorizes a ranking system of criteria that goes into each cut. They are as follows: Emotion 51% Story 23% Rhythm 10% Eye Trace 7% 2D Space 5% 3D Space 4% Key Editorial Movements Key Editing Terms Before we dive into the movements and watch a film, let's cover a few editing terms you may encounter when trying to talk about the editing of a film. Each term is color-coated to refer to the movement it was birthed. Master Shot - The recording of a full scene, from start to finish, that has all of the talent and action in one framed sequence. Insert - A shot edited into a scene that differs from the master shot, but emphasizes certain aspects of the same action in the master shot to keep continuity. For example, the close up of the pickpocket's hand in the purse. Dissolve - The gradual fading transition from one image to another. Fade In/Out - A dissolve transition to or from a black image. Jump Cut - Two shots of the same subject in discontinuous motion are cut together, making the subject seem to 'jump'. Smash Cut - An abrupt cut from one image to another with no transition, typically used to startle the audience. Cut Away - The interruption of a continuous sequence by cutting in a view of something else, then typically cutting back to the original sequence. An example might be a quick flashback in a character's mind. Freeze Frame - A single frame forming a motionless image for an extended amount of time. Slow motion - The speed of motion in an image is slowed down, often giving action a dream-like quality. Superimposition - Two images overlapping in the same frame. Fast/Dynamic Cutting - A technique of editing shots with short durations together, rarely having the same image on screen for long periods of time. Creates a fast pace (Action Films) Slow Cutting - A technique that edits shots with long durations together, sparingly using cuts to another image. Creates a slow pace (Romantic Films) The most common style of editing is that of continuity editing. The film language we are most used to watching is predominantly made up of the rules and techniques of continuity editing. Continuity editing creates the illusion of continuous time and space in a given scene with smooth, logically coherent transitions between shots. Most scenes are made up of a multitude of shots (that make up the scene's coverage) but we do not notice how often a scene cuts between these shots. They are edited together in such a way that misdirects our eyes. What we perceive is a continuous flow of images, rather than the fragmented shots that a film is really made up of. Continuity editing is sometimes referred to as seamless or invisible editing because you don't notice the cuts ("seams") in the film, they are invisible to the audience. Here are a few of the major rules and practices in continuity editing. A major key to maintaining the illusion of seamless time and space in a movie is maintaining a continuity of eye lines within a scene. Audiences' eyes are drawn to the eyes of actors on screen, and we tend to orient ourselves to the geography of a scene based on where the actors are within that space. Continuity is maintained by preserving the screen direction of an actor's eyes from one shot to another. This is best typified in the 180 Degree Rule. This is a major idea anyone looking to make films should learn. But it's not just the eyes of the actors that a filmmaker and editor must pay attention to. Understanding where an audience's eyes will be on screen is crucial for maintaining the illusion of continuous time and space. \ The best example of this is cutting on action, a technique used to mask cuts by matching movement from one shot to another. Images can suggest a multitude of ideas but it is the juxtaposition of images that make cinema an art form in its own right. The real art of filmmaking and visual storytelling (and the thing that truly makes cinema unique) is that you can arrange a series of moving images together to create different effects. This is the art of editing. Though movies started out as single, long shots, like Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat, they eventually progressed into complex scenes with coverage, multiple shots that are cut together to communicate the geography, pace, and emotion of a scene. In the history of film, there were several key pioneers in the art of editing. Their experimentation with how shots are arranged shaped what is now universally accepted film grammar. These are some of the big ideas that helped change movies from the long shots of early cinema to what we recognize as modern cinema. Parallel editing (or cross cutting) This is the technique of alternating between two or more scenes in different locations, giving them the appearance of happening simultaneously. At first, filmmakers feared that audiences would be confused about cutting from one place to another in this way, but this quickly became the basis for a common method of creating suspense and momentum in high-action moments. Take a look at this scene from the 2010 film Inception. Here we have two separate scenes: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character in combat with a man in a hallway and a car chase between a van and some motorcycles. Though the story of this film is complex, its logic hinges on the audience believing that these two events are happening simultaneously. Because parallel editing is a very old part of film grammar, we accept this as the temporal reality of the film without thinking twice about it. Intercutting Similar to parallel editing, intercutting also involves cutting together different shots to form a new, cohesive idea. Intercutting is a much broader idea and can be used for a number of different applications. A common use of intercutting is to draw attention to a small detail in a scene by quickly cutting to it and then cutting back to the original shot. There are many other kinds of cuts in film editing and more will be addressed on the next page. These two ideas (cross cutting and intercutting) were pivotal in the construction of early film language. The concept that an audience could watch two different shots, one after the other, and assume a narrative and spatial relationship between them informed a set of experiments in the Soviet Union that would change film language permanently. The Kuleshov Effect Arguably one of the biggest impacts to film editing are the discoveries and contributions of Soviet Montage theorists in the 1920s. Several important Soviet film theorists and filmmakers pioneered film editing as an art form and powerful weapon of propaganda. They were inspired by the films of D.W. Griffith (Birth of a Nation, Intolerance) and studied his films in a scientific way in order to better understand how audiences got so emotionally caught up in the drama. They studied how the arrangement of shots creates emotions and intellectual ideas in the minds of audiences. The most famous of these experiments, conducted by Lev Kuleshov, produced a discovery that is now called The Kuleshov Effect. The Kuleshov Effect describes the phenomenon when audiences watch two or more unrelated shots and create meaning between them in their minds. I'm going to let Alfred Hitchcock explain the Kuleshov effect in a television interview where he talks about his idea of "pure cinema." Watch the video below and notice how, by using the same exact footage of Hitchcock looking, the editor is able to create 2 different perceived performances: that of a "kindly man" and that of a "dirty old man." The only thing changing between the 2 versions is the shots of what Hitchcock is looking at. Our perception of Hitchcock's performance changes, depending on our perception of the middle shot's relationship to him. This may not seem like a big deal, but so much of film editing is dependent upon the connections an audience makes between different shots. These connections keep us from being spatially disoriented, help us understand visual storytelling, and create meaning that transcends the plot of a given scene. And as you saw in the video, it's also the reason you can change an actor's performance simply by how you edit their scene. Eisenstein Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, often referred to as the "Father of Montage," identified 5 methods of montage (kinds of editing), which culminated in intellectual montage. He utilized the rhythm and speed of the cutting, the juxtaposition of visual patterns and ideas within shots, and the Kuleshov Effect to weave complex visual metaphors and create a kind of physical experience when watching his films. The violence of how the shots are cut together mirrors the violence seen on screen. This creates a psychological impact on the audience. I want you to observe what I mean by watching a clip of his film October: 10 Days That Shook the World (1928). In this clip (a version of which I selected with more modern music added) you are watching a depiction of the Russian revolution of October 1917. Eisenstein immediately sets us up to perceive the Russian monarchy as a towering, cruel force by juxtaposing low angle shots of a statue of the Tsar with wide, high angle shots of protesters, who almost look like scattering ants. Throughout this clip, small moments in the uprising represent larger ideas and are cut together to build emotional impact. The worker beaten to death by wealthy women and their umbrellas is an indictment of the upper class. The image of the dead woman and the dead horse on the bridge nearly brings me to tears each time I watch it - it brings into focus the way human beings are treated as animals in this regime. These images by themselves don't have these meanings. They are endowed with it because of how the shots are arranged. Though the work of Sergei Eisenstein is an essential contribution to today's film language - the language of visual storytelling - as you may have noticed the cutting in Octobertends to call attention to itself. You can't help but notice the editing, which works against a primary goal of narrative cinema, to make us forget we are watching a movie. * Dynamic, moving camera - there are several scenes in which the camera is circling very actively, and dialogue scenes are covered with multiple cameras (sometimes 5) with few takes. Take note of when these moments occur and think about what the moving camera adds to your experience or understanding of what's happening in the scene. * Rapid/fast editing to build tension - there are many instances in this film when tension is built by the increasing speed of the editing. Rhythmic montage is on display to compress time. * Towards the end of the film, fast cutting is used in a specific way to emphasize the intensity of action. Look for these moments. Try to describe them. * Pay attention to the car chase scene which takes place in parallel timelines. What looks effortlessly clear is actually intensely complex to construct. * What editorial technique is used in the final shot? Dynamic Cutting * Finally, there is an explicit motif of showing Denzel Washington's eyes watching. This film is as much a metaphor for cinema as it is a tense sci-fi action thriller. Smash Cut - An abrupt cut from one image to another with no transition, typically used to startle the audience. Continuity editing creates the illusion of continuous time and space in a given scene with smooth, logically coherent transitions between shots. Jump Cut - Two shots of the same subject in discontinuous motion are cut together, making the subject seem to 'jump'.
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Production Designer
Determines the look of all the visual elements in each shot Participates in location scouting Designs sets Supervises set construction and dressing Coordinates, via the Art Director, with the make up, wardrobe, and camera departments
Motion picture soundtracks, five elements:
Dialogue - human story (most important attribute) Music - Sound effects - Foley - Atmospherics or backgrounds -
Why does director Martin Scorsese feel that young people should be taught visual literacy in school?
Much of our society is communicated visually and subliminally
Mise-en-Scene
Pronounced (mees on sen), it is a French term that refers to everything within a shot or frame, which adds up to a visual theme. This includes: composition camera placement movement of camera movement of actors sets, costumes, makeup lighting, color Mise-en-scene combines cinematography, performance, and production design to make literal a director's vision.
What is a foley artist?
Someone who re-creates specific sounds of onscreen movement
This mode of expression is NOT unique to cinema.
Sound Design
Key Sound Roles
Sound Mixer Sound Designer Foley Artist Composer Music Supervisor
Cinema is neither a window nor a frame... It is a volume - Kevin L. Ferguson, Volumetric Cinema https://webcourses.ucf.edu/courses/1258555/files/62327534/download?wrap=1
The quote was used in relation to image, but it applies just as well, if not better, to sound. Volume does not mean amplitude here... Sound fills an empty area (the viewing environment).
Room Tone
a type of WILD SOUND that is a recording of a location's ambient tones in order to allow for naturalistic sound after dubbing dialogue or sound effects in post-production.
Match the Hot Fuzz scenes to the formal genre approach they best utilize (even if they are all funny): Nick stumbles upon a secret NWA meeting and finds out the true murderer(s) Nick chases a shoplifter Nick asks teens to confirm their age in a pub Danny can't shoot his father, fires his gun in the air and goes "aarghh!" A cloaked figure murders two actors in their dressing room Nick's introductory tour of the Sandford Police Station
ac ac ac ac ho co
According to Joanna Phillips, how old is the practice of time-based media conservation?
fairly new, beginning in the late 1990's
The placement of the screens (2)
most of which are not acknowledged, add to the overwhelming nature of the environment
Anthropomorphosis
transformation of a thing into human form.
Here is what I said about the film in my essay:
"Logan is not a Western, though it looks and sounds like one. Characters wear windblown dusters straight out of a Sergio Leone film, and the score by Marco Beltrami uses themes and effects heavily influenced by Ennio Morricone. The characterizations also fit into certain classical genre archetypes, as ranchers feud with "cattle barons" and Professor Xavier taking on the role of the dying "pioneer." However, there is no doubt the film is Superhero cinema through and through, from its aggressive (and violent) action scenes to the explicit comic-book nature of the nemesis (a clone who is Wolverine's corporeal double and antithetical representation, essentially a sci-fi narrative device.) That is not to say that James Mangold, director of 3:10 To Yuma, does not utilize the Western aesthetic purposefully, as Logan makes a valid intertextual statement about Superhero cinema and, in turn, the vitality of myth-making in general using these genres. Its motive, however, is not to contrast, but to bridge."
Which of the following is an aspect of moving images that sets it apart from other forms of artistic expression (such as painting or music)?
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Production Design:
... somebody had to type out all those pages.
The Three "C's" of Horror
Context: "Horror is usually a question of context; it's the art of making a door opening or a bird flying by terrifying through juxtaposition and some sense of sympathy." - Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Filmmakers use context to create horror. Seeing little girls in a hallway is not necessarily scary unless you have the context to know that Danny and his family are the only ones in the hotel... Contrast: "If a man who is obviously abnormal acts in an abnormal way, that is normal. However, a character is much scarier if he seems to be normal but acts abnormally." - Georges Franju Horror films are shot with large fixtures, to create sharp contrasts. Exposure is stopped down in camera. The sound design usually consists of quiet non-diegetic tones, oppressive ambience, and high end and low end contrast. Horror is about CONTRAST, in both form and content. The concept of the uncanny is exploited greatly in horror cinema, especially in the iconic horror characters themselves. Contempt: "The writer's job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them." -Vladimir Nabokov You cannot be an effective horror filmmaker unless you are willing to inflict unpleasantness on the characters within your film, or the audience watching it. The desire for a filmmaker to stretch tension, suspense, and horror to unbearable lengths takes a level of maniacal contempt. And I should know...
At the beginning of cinema, films were both ______________ and ______________. (Check all that apply)
Documentary Experimental
Which of the following is NOT part of a film's mise en scene?
Editing/pacing of story
Watch This: "What Is Lynchian?" by Kevin B. Lee
How does Lee define "Lynchian"? is that it is at once easy to recognize and hard to define What scenes from Mulholland Drive are featured in this essay as examples of "Lynchian"? - the scene in the theater where Spanish music is played and the lady on stage passed out. - the scene where the producer covered in paint goes the the ranch and meets the "cowboy" - the scene in the theater catch the two ladies crying - the scene where the boss who is never seen, sits in his chair, and doesn't talk. the one at the end of the movie What is the exact definition author David Foster Wallace gives for the term "Lynchian"? (write it down somewhere.) "a particular kind of irony where the very macabre and the very mundane combine in such a way as to reveal the formers perpetual containment within the latter." "ultimately definable only ostensively - i.e., we know it when we see it."
Composer
Writes original music to be heard in the film, both diegetic and non-diegetic. Doing the bulk of their work after the picture edit has been locked, composers write and oversee the recording of the finished film score.
film camera
a film camera records reality objectively
The two primary expressions of visual storytelling unique to cinema are _______ & ________.
camera movement / editing
What does Zhou feel about the formal approach of most modern comedies? How does Edgar Wright stand out from modern comedies? What are the 8 things Edgar Wright does with picture and sound that Zhou wants comedy filmmakers to try out? 1. Things entering the frame in funny ways 2. People leave the frame in funny ways 3. There and back again 4. Matching scene transitions 5. The perfectly timed sound effect 6. Action synchronized to the music 7. Super dramatic lighting cues 8. Fence gags .....9. Imaginary gun fights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FOzD4Sfgag
movies are made with machines
movies are made with machines
Time-based
movies require the unfolding of time as an essential component. We experience motion through time and without it, a movie would just be a still photograph or a painting. Some other time-based arts are music or theater, which also unfold through time while you listen and watch.
Cinematography
refers to the art and technique of film photography. Camera angles, film stock, lenses, framing and lighting are all elements that describe a film's cinematography.
open composition
subjects extend beyond a given frame
Expository
This is what you probably think of when you think "documentary." It's the most common and commercial form of doc, primarily on TV. The purpose is to make an argument for an idea. Assertions are made by a narrator, also known as the "voice of God," and they are supported with visual evidence.
Hand Drawn Animation
Traditionally rendered on transparent cells, which are photographed on top of stationary backgrounds. Artists draw "keys", which are the major points of action. "Inbetween" animators fill in the movement gaps to make the keys more fluid. Pencil drawings are inked and colored, then photographed.
Match the moments from Get a Horse! to the correct term: Mickey turns his horse into a plane, using Milk Duds for bullets. Mickey can control time and gravity by moving the screen. Mickey's shorts and shoes refuse to come with him... After Mickey leaves the screen, he tries to get back in using the new reality around him.
meta tps anthro disi
As a means of introduction, I have thus far presented the concepts of film form and film content as a kind of dichotomy that makes up all films. Though it may be easier to understand these ideas as separate but related, a more advanced understanding of any film requires the observation of a more subtle correlation between them. Form and content are parts of an overall system, or pattern, that engages of us as film viewers to create meaning and feeling. Each film has a unique system despite any similarities it may share with other films or works of the same genre. To refine your abilities to observe and describe films, you need to be able to watch for patterns in a film. It's important to recognize that even details in a film that seem incidental are part of this overall system. Watching something over and over again is part of this process. You will never understand a film in one viewing, no matter how simple it may appear. With each viewing, you notice new details and become more aware of how the film works. Studying film can be very rewarding because repeated, careful viewings inevitably create a deeper appreciation for the work.
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What sound layer was not shown in the Michael Semenick video on The Social Network
...? Ambience Only
Who said this quote: "In Hollywood, more often than not, they're making more kind of traditional films, stories that are understood by people. And the entire story is understood. And they become worried if even for one small moment something happens that is not understood by everyone. But what's so fantastic is to get down into areas where things are abstract and where things are felt, or understood in an intuitive way that, you can't, you know, put a microphone to somebody at the theatre and say 'Did you understand that?' but they come out with a strange, fantastic feeling and they can carry that, and it opens some little door or something that's magical and that's the power that film has."
David Lynch
Gestures
Movements of character to express an idea or meaning. Character gestures are some of the most effective expressions in cinema, In animation, each gesture is hard-earned, and that much more meaningful. Even if we disregard the process, we tend to be more aware of these movements in animation than any other mode. This may have to do with the understanding that nothing can be random in an entirely reconstructed reality.
Mode (noun)
a way or manner in which something occurs or is experienced, expressed, or done.
Transgression of Physical Laws
an act that goes against a natural, confirmed possibility to create a new internal logic.
Cross-cutting allows an audience to watch two scenes that _________.
are happening simultaneously
Match the description to the term: It's the most common and commercial form of doc, using "voice of god" to make an argument for an idea. These films emphasizes the filmmaker's agenda and audience's emotional response, over objective truth. The camera is unobtrusive or hidden to create direct engagement with the subject matter These films emphasize the nature of documentary filmmaking itself
expo per obs ref
Classical action is generally recognized as more effective than chaos cinema.
false
Documentaries are true depictions of reality, and thus separated from works of fictional cinema.
false
Movements of a character to express an idea or meaning.
Gestures
According to Gabrielle Ringuet's article on The Shining, what are the three functions a sound effect can serve? (Check all that apply)
Defining location Creating mood Portraying the environment's relation to characters
"It's not enough to tell a story that is compelling. The story has to be presented in a way that makes it a compelling ___________ for an audience member."
Experience
According to the article "Smearing The Senses", which of these statements would the author consider true of Tony Scott?
Scott's is a perspective beyond the senses—one that is only visible through the camera and through editing.
Dialogue, Foley, and Ambience are examples of what kind of sound?
Sound Effects
Which of the following is an example of visual storytelling seen in the clips from the film Rear Window?
The woman caught in the neighbor's apartment points to the ring on her hand, causing the neighbor to notice he is being spied on
"Cinema is neither a window nor a frame... it is a _______...'
Volume
