Intro to Film I
Film noir
-A French term meaning "black cinema" -Refers to a kind of urban American genre that sprang up after WWII -Emphasizes a fatalistic, despairing universe where there is no escape from mean city streets, loneliness and death -Stylistically, emphasizes low-key and high-contrast lighting, complex compositions, and a strong atmosphere of dread and paranoia
Halo effect
-A face is obviously lighted from above -Tends to bored on cliché
Extreme close-up shot
-A minutely detailed view of an object or person -An extreme close-up of an actor generally includes only his or her eyes or mouth
Voice-over
-A nonsynchronous spoken commentary in a movie -Often used to convey a character's thoughts or memories
Extreme long shot
-A panoramic view of an exterior location, photographed from a great distance. -Often as far as 1/4 mile away
Storyboarding
-A pre-visualization technique in which shots are sketched in advance and in sequence -Allows the filmmaker to outline the mise en scène and construct the editing continuity before production begins
Reestablishing shot
-A return to an initial establishing shot within a scene, acting as a reminder of the physical context of the closer shots
High angle shot
-A shot in which the subject is photographed from above
Oblique angle / Tilt shot
-A shot photographed by a tilted camera -When the image is projected on the screen, the subject itself seems to be tilted on a diagonal
Sequence shot / plan-séquence
-A single lengthy shot -Usually involving complex staging and camera movements
Formalism
-A style of filmmaking in which aesthetic forms take precedence over the subject matter as the content -Time and space as ordinarily perceived are often distorted -Emphasis is on the essential, symbolic characteristics of objects and people, not necessarily on their superficial appearance -Formalists are often lyrical, self-consciously heightening their style to call attention to it as value for its own sake
Realism
-A style of filmmaking that attempts to duplicate the look of an objective reality as it's commonly perceived -Emphasis on authentic locations and details, long shots, lengthy takes, and a minimum of distorting techniques
High key lighting
-A style of lighting emphasizing bright and even illumination, with few conspicuous shadows -Used mostly in comedies, musicals, and light entertainment films
High contrast lighting
-A style of lighting emphasizing harsh shafts and dramatic streaks of lights and darks -Often used in thrillers and melodramas
Low key lighting
-A style of of lighting that emphasizes diffused shadows and atmospheric pools of light -Often used in mysteries and thrillers
Subtext
-A term used in drama and film to signify the dramatic implications beneath the language of a play or movie -Often, the subtext concerns ideas and emotions that are totally independent of the language of a text
Thematic montage
-A type of editing in which separate shots are linked together not by their literal continuity in reality but by symbolic association -Propounded by the Soviet filmmaker Eisenstein and by Griffith in his 1916 film "Intolerance" -Most commonly used in documentaries, in which shots are connected in accordance to the filmmaker's thesis -Ex: a shot of a preening braggart might be linked to a shot of a toy peacock
Cutting to continuity
-A type of editing in which the shots are arranged to preserve the fluidity of an action without showing all of it -An unobtrusive condensation of a continuous action -Condenses the action into a few brief shots
Mickeymousing
-A type of film music that is purely descriptive and attempts to mimic the visual action with musical equivalents -Often used in cartoons
180° rule
-An imaginary "axis of action" line is drawn through the middle of a scene, viewed from a bird's eye angle -Used to stabilize the space of the playing area so the spectator isn't confused or disoriented -It keeps the shot background the same
Master shot
-An uninterrupted shot, usually taken from a long or full shot range, that contains an entire scene -The closer shots are photographed later, and an edited sequence, composed of a variety of shots, is constructed on the editor's bench
Classicism
-Avoids the extremes of realism and formalism in favor of a slightly stylized presentation that has at least a surface possibility
D.W. Griffith
-Has been called the Father of Film -Known for his contribution to classic cutting -He consolidated and expanded many of the techniques invented by his predecessors and was the first to go beyond gimmickry into the realm of art -Introduced thematic editing, where shots are connected based on a thematic relationship, not because of a continuity of time and place (as seen in "Possession")
Classical cutting
-Involves editing for dramatic intensity and emotional emphasis rather than for purely physical reasons -Presents a series of psychologically connected shots that aren't necessarily separated by real time and space -Refocuses our attention on a series of details -D.W. Griffith molded these elements into a language of power and subtlety
Interior monologue
-It can convey what a character is thinking -For until used in adaptations of plays and novels
Mise en scène
-Means "placing on stage" -refers to the arrangement of all the visual elements of a theatrical production within a given playing area
Synthesized (mixed) sound
-Multiple layers are mixed in a studio rather than recorded in reality -For most films sounds are not even present during the actual shooting -Cinematic sound is a constructed experience
Nonsynchronous sound
-Sound and image that are not recorded simultaneously, or sound that is detached from it's source in the film image -Most is usually nonsynchronous in a movie, providing background atmosphere
Dubbing
-The addition of sound after the visuals have been photographed -Dubbing can either be synchronous or nonsynchronous -Formalists language movies are often dubbed in English for release in this country
Synchronous sound
-The correspondence between image and sound, which are recorded simultaneously, or seem so in the finished print -Stanton sounds appear to derive from an obvious source in the visuals
Sound montage
-The dialogue of one character overlaps with that of another or several others -The effect is almost musical and language is exploited as pure sound orchestrated in terms of emotional tonalities -Often by Orson Welles in "The Magnificent Ambersons"
Editing
-The joining of one shot (strip of film) with another -The shots can picture events and objects in different places at different times -In Europe, editing is called montage
Establishing shot
-Usually an extreme long or long shot offered at the beginning of a scene -Provides the viewer with the context of the subsequent closer shots
Close-up shot
-a detailed view of a person or object -a close up of an actor usually includes only his or her head
Visual planes
-filmmakers compose on three visual planes: the foreground, the midground, the background -provides a sense of depth and serves as a qualifying characteristic (it can alter the dominant contrast of an image)
Closed form
-self-conscious and visually appealing -emphasizes a more stylized design -typically favored by formalists -emphasizes the unfamiliar -literal truth is scarified for beauty
CGI
-stands for computer-generated imagery -digital software to create special effects
Open form
-stylistically recessive -emphasizes informal, unobtrusive compositions -typically favored by realists -emphasizes the familiar and intimate aspects of reality -formal beauty is scarified for truth
Frame
-the dividing line between the edges of the screen image and the enclosing darkness of the theater ALSO -a single photograph in a film strip
Letter-boxing
-to include the entire (widescreen) movie image and block out the top and bottom of the TV screen -leaves a lot of the screen blank, which makes a small screen even smaller
Tightly framed
-usually in close shots -the mise en scène is so carefully balanced and harmonized that the people photographed have little or no freedom of movement
Loosely framed
-usually in longer shots -the mise en scène is so spaciously distributed within the confines of the framed image that the people photographed have considerable freedom of movement
What are the five basic positions to photograph an actor? (p. 74-78)
1. Full front (facing the camera) 2. Quarter turn 3. Profile 4. Three-quarter turn 5. Back to camera
Telephoto lens / long lens
A lens that acts as a telescope, magnifying the size of objects at a great distance
Wide-angle / short lens
A lens that permits the camera to photograph a wider area than a normal lens -A side effect is it's tendency to exaggerate perspective -Also used for deep focus photography
Medium shot
A relatively close shot, revealing the human figure from the knees or waist up
Birds-eye-view
A shot in which the camera photographs a scene from directly overhead
Low angle shot
A shot in which the subject is photographed from below
Long shot
A shot that includes an area within an image that roughly corresponds to the audience's view of the area within the proscenium arch in the live theater
Full shot
A type of long shot that includes the human body in full, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom
Q5: Define nonsynchronous sound.
A: [p. 194, 526]
Q3: This classical 1972 musical started Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli. It was both directed and choreographed by former dancer and Tony Award winner Bob Fosse. Name it.
A: "Cabaret" [p. 117]
Q4: This 1915 masterpiece, directed by D.W. Griffith, is a great example of classical cutting. In the last-minute rescue finale, Griffith cross-cultural to four different groups. He used 255 separate shots for about 20 minutes of screen time. Name the film.
A: "The Birth of a Nation" [p. 141]
Q5: What 1927 film ushered in the talking era?
A: "The Jazz Singer" [p. 194]
Q2: Mise en scène was originally a French theatrical term meaning
A: "placing on stage"
Q2: What four distinct elements comprise mise en scène?
A: (1) the staging of the action, (2) the physical setting and décor, (3) the manner in which these materials are framed, (4) the manner in which they are photographed [p. 48]
Q4: Nearly all films compress time, condensing months or perhaps years into a running time of approximately _________, the average length of most movies.
A: 2 hours [p. 173]
Q2: The human eye automatically attempts to harmonize the formal elements of a composition into a unified whole. The eye can detect as _______ or ______ major elements of a composition simultaneously.
A: 7 or 8 [p. 61]
Q1: ___________ movies are stylistically flamboyant with a high degree of manipulation.
A: Formalist
Q3: Male dancer/hoofer ___________ starred in and choreographed both "An American in Paris" and "Singin' in the Rain."
A: Gene Kelly [pg. 100, 118]
Q2: Why did Alfred Hitchcock regard himself as a Formalist?
A: He calculated his effects precisely and believed that an unmanipulated reality is filled with irrelevancies [p. 49]
Q4: What does it mean if you violate the 180° rule?
A: It means you crossed the imaginary "axis of action" line that goes through the middle of the scene [p. 145]
Q5: What female film star, very popular in the 1930s, was an expert in conveying sexual innuendos through tone of voice? She preferred playing outcasts. Her "lewd" comic style, nearly exclusively verbal, fueled the wrath of censors and ushered in the Production Code of 1934.
A: Mae West [p. 197]
Q3: What is the function of the telephoto lens?
A: Makes movements seem hopelessly dragged out [p. 99]
Q1: In its most extreme form, the ___________ film style tends towards documentary, with it's emphasis on photographing actual events and people.
A: Realistic
Q3: This type of movement disortion sequence is acheived by photographing events at a faster than usual rate and projecting the filmstrip at the standard speed. __________ tends to solemnize and ritualize movement, prolonging time.
A: Slow-motion [p. 131]
Q4: Parallel editing is the alternation of __________ of one scene with another at a different location.
A: The switching of shots of one scene to shots of another at a different location. [p. 147]
Q2: What does "letter-boxing" mean?
A: To include the entire movie image and block out the top and bottom of the TV screen [p. 52]
Q3: There are seven basic moving camera shots. Which one of the following is taken from a moving vehicle which literally moves in, out, or alongside a moving figure or object while the action is being photographed?
A: dolly shots
Q1: Showing only a person's eyes or nose is an example of a(n) ____________ shot.
A: extreme close-up
Q1: T/F ... All great movies are beautifully photographed.
A: false
Q1: T/F ... Digital editing is much more difficult than traditional methods.
A: false
Q2: T/F ... Video is a secondhand recording that generally enhances the original artistic form.
A: false
Q4: T/F ... André Bazin was an influential Italian filmmaker, critic, and theorist
A: false
Q3: _________ shots are more noticeable than vehicular shots, and they are often jumpy and ragged. They involve the use of handheld camera, usually mounted with a harness on the cinematographer's shoulder.
A: handheld
Q1: A(n) ____________ increases height and is useful for suggesting verticality. Often the sky or a ceiling is the only background. This angle also heightens the importance of a subject.
A: low angle
Q1: Mysteries and thrillers are generally filmed in ___________ lighting, with diffused shadows and atmospheric pools of light.
A: low key
Q3: Cinema derives from the Greek word for ___________, as do the words kinetic, kinesthesia, and choreography.
A: movement [p. 96]
Q5: The first type of sound to be associated with film was ____________.
A: music
Q2: An actor can be photographed in any of five basic positions, each displaying different psychological undertones. In which position is the actor looking off frame left or right?
A: profile position
Q4: The term __________ designates a complex action photographed in a continuous take, without cuts-with no editing at all.
A: sequence shot
Q4: Which of the following is the least manipulative editing style?
A: sequence shots
Jump cut
An abrupt transition between shots, sometimes deliberate, which is disorienting in terms of the continuity of space and time
Flash-forward
An editing technique that suggests the interruption of the present by a shot or series of shots representing the future
Flashback
An editing technique that suggests the interruption of the present by a shot or series of shots representing the past
What type of film did George Méliès found?
Formalistic tradition of cinema
What determines a movie directors stylistic emphasis?
How they shape and manipulate their subject matter, typically from the photographable world
F/X
Industry slang for special effects
What type of film did the Lumière brothers found?
Realistic tradition of cinema
Parallel editing / cross-cutting
The alternating of shots from two sequences, often in different locales, suggesting that they are taking place at the same time
Eye-level shot
The placement of the camera approximately 5 to 6 feet from the ground, corresponding to the height of an observer on the scene
Content curve
The point in a shot at which the audience has been able to assimilate most of it's information
Establishing shot
Usually an extreme long or long shot offered at the beginning of a scene, providing the viewer with the context of the subsequent closer shots
Widescreen
a movie image that has an aspect ratio of approximately 5:3, though some widescreen possess horizontal dimensions that extend as wide as 2.5 times the vertical dimension of the screen
Subsidiary contrast
a subordinate element of the film image, complementing or contrasting with the dominant contrast
Deep focus shot
a technique of photography that permits all distance planes to remain clearly in focus, from close-up ranges to infinity
Dominant/Dominant contrast
the area of a film image that compels the viewer's most immediate attention, usually because of a prominent visual contrast
Cinematographer/Director of Photography (DP)
the artist or technician responsible for the lighting of a shot and the quality of the photograph
Proxemic Patterns
the spatial relationships among characters within the mise en scène, and the apparent distance of the camera from the subject photographed
