Film Chapter 3

What are the six sets of conventions used to define and classify film genres?

-Gangster=the American dream meets crime -Film Noir=realistic, bleaker, artistic and narrative representations of the world -Science Fiction=speculative fantasy about the potential wonders of technological advances -focused on humanity's relationship with science and the technology it generates Horror=born out of a cultural need to confront and vicariously conquer something frightening that we do not fully comprehend-death and insanity -establishing a normal world that will be threatened by the arrival of the other -this monster must be vanquished or destroyed in order to reestablish normalcy -protagonist is the protector of her beloved home turf and violates our own notions of personal safety Western=are a form of modern mythology that offers narrative representations of Americans as rugged, self-sufficient individuals taming a savage wilderness with common sense and direct action Musical-tells its story using characters that express themselves with song and/or dance

What are Fred Camper's six characteristics that most experimental films share?

-Not commercial -Are personal -Do not conform to conventional expectations of story and narrative cause and effect -Exploit the possibilities of the cinema -Critique culture and media -Invite individual interpretation

What are the four related ways we can define the term narrative? A narrative is...

-a story -a type of movie -a way of structuring fictional or fictionalized stories presented in narrative films -the way that movie stories are constructed and presented to engage, involve, and orient an audience -exposition, rising action, climax falling action and resolution -a broader concept that both includes and goes beyond any of these applications -any cinematic structure in which content is selected and arranged in a cause-and-effect sequence of events occurring over time

What are the four related ways we can define the term narrative? A narrative is...

-a type of movie -the story that a particular film tells -the particular system by which a fictional story is structured -a concept describing the sequential organization of events presented in almost any kind of movie

Three main types of movies

-narrative -documentary -experimental

What is a hybrid movie? What are some of the ways that documentary, narrative, and experimental movies intersect?

A hybrid movie incorporate different aspects of two or more film types. Ex. Documentary films can also have narrative

How does animation differ from the other three basic types of movies?

Animated films look different from other movies but it's important to recognize that while animation employs different mechanisms to create the multitude of still images that motion pictures require, animation is just a different form of moviemaking, not necessarily a singular type of movie. Unlike the other basic movie types, animation is not a singular movie type. It is a discrete type of motion picture that is actually only a different form of moviemaking, containing three basic types, which are hand-drawn, stop-motion, and digital.

What is direct cinema and how does it differ in approach and technique from a conventional interview-based documentary?

Direct cinema documentaries avoid interviewers and even limit the use of narration. Involves placing small portable cameras and sound-recording equipment in an important location for days or weeks and recording events as they occur -it enables audience to overhear conversations and interactions as they happen -Gimme Shelter

Documentary Movies

Documentary film is more concerned with recording reality, educating viewers, or presenting political or social analyses

What is genre? How does genre affect the way movies are made and received?

Genre refers to the categorization of narrative films by the stories they tell and the ways they tell them. Genres offer familiar story formulas, conventions, themes, and conflicts, as well as immediately recognizable visual icons. Studios can create a film based on a genre they know has does well in the past "Gives the people what they want" Genre significantly affects how audiences choose the movies they attend or purchase. -movies are compared within their drama, movie theaters organize movies according to drama, ect

What are the four basic approaches to documentary cinema? How are these approaches blended and reinterpreted by contemporary documentary filmmakers?

Factual Films-present people, places, or processes in straightforward ways meant to entertain and instruct without unduly influencing audiences Instructional-seek to educate viewers about common interests, rather than persuading them to accept particular ideas Persuasive- any documentary concerned with presenting a particular perspective on social issues or with corporate and governmental injustice of any kind could be considered persuasive Propoganda- systematically disseminate deceptive or distorted information -Triumph of the Will (1935) Most documentaries are hybrids that combine qualities of two or more of these foundational approaches to non-fiction film making. -Every documentary filmmaker has a personal perspective on the subject matter, all documentary filmmakers employ storytelling and dramatization to some degree in shaping their material

Experimental Movies

It's an attempt to capture the innovative spirit of an approach to moviemaking that plays with the medium, is not bound by established traditions and is dedicated to exploring possibility

Narrative Movies

Primary relationship of a narrative film to its audience is that of a story teller

What are the main differences among the three basic types of movies?

The differences are based on the filmmakers intent and the final product's relationship with the viewer.

What are formal and narrative elements common to each of the six movie genres described in the chapter?

Theme, situations, setting, character types, and story formula as well as aspects of presentation and visual style such as decor, lighting, and sound. -Story formula-the way a movie's story is structured (plot) -Theme=unifying idea that the film expresses through its narrative or imagery -Character Types-specific character "types" -Setting-where a movie's action is located and how that environment is portrayed -Presentation-many genres feature certain elements of cinematic language that communicate tone and atmosphere -Stars-certain actors or actresses