Film Appreciation

MACRO and MICRO elements of film language

MACRO -GENRE

NARRATIVE

(REPRESENTATION)MICRO –

CINEMATOGRAPHYSOUNDEDITING

MISE EN SCENELIGHTING

Cinematography

Refers to the visual aspects of a film’s language

Camera shots and movement can give us clear indications of emotion, motive and give audiences clues as to things that may be about to happen.

Camera shotsClose-up (and extreme close-up)Medium Close UpMid-shotMid-long shotLong shotWide (long) shot (often establishing shot)Low angle shotHigh angle shotBirds eye view

Film Appreciation – It’s all in the construction

Camera movement

Pan (side to side)Tilt (up and down)Whip panCrane shotTracking shotIt’s important students practise identifying

these shots and link to their developing knowledge of genre and narrative.

The rule of thirds

A fundamental concept in the art of cinematography

What is the Rule of Thirds? The rule of thirds is basically to imagine that you break an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts.

Danny Boyle effectively uses the rule of thirds when creating the dynamic opening scene of ‘Trainspotting’

• using shallow focus to blur the rest of the frame.

Directors have resorted to various stratagems to enable them to use CU in a widescreen format.

Ralph Fiennes in The Constant Gardener

• darkening the rest of the frame.

Rory Culkin, in Mean Creek (2004)

• masking part of the frame with curtains.

Terence Howard in Crash (2004)

or architecture

Don Cheadle, in Crash

or both

Chris Cooper in American Beauty

• framing the character with other figures:

Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans

Michael Sheen in The Queen (2006)

Thora Birch is framed by Kevin Spacey on one side and the verticals of the stove on the other, in American Beauty.

and here by Wes Bentley's out of focus shoulder

• filling the background with interesting stuff

The wonderful Charles Durning as Governor 'Pappy' O'Daniel in O Brother, Where Art Thou?

• or nothing at all

Chris Thomas King as Tommy Johnson in O Brother, Where Art Thou?

a camera tilted to one side so the horizon is on a slant is canted; also called a 'Dutch angle' or a 'Dutch tilt'

[not to be confused with a 'tilt shot' which involves camera movement.]

canted angle

The canted angle helps show how disorientated Peter is after the spider bite in Spider-Man.

Dr Rosen (Christopher Plummer) as seen by the schizophrenic John Nash in A Beautiful Mind

Sam's POV of Gandalf, who has just hauled him in through the window of Frodo's home, is a more comic image.

the combination of a canted angle and an extreme ELS emphasises the despair and hopelessness of Jamal in this shot from Slumdog Millionaire.

focus

depth of field

the distance through which elements in an image are in sharp focus

Greater depth of field will be obtained in bright rather than dull light, and with a narrow lens aperture; or with a wide-angle rather than a long lens.

A shallow depth of field is often used as a technique to focus audience attention on the most significant aspect of a scene.

Depth of field is directly connected, but not to be confused, with focus.

focus is the quality – the 'sharpness' of an object as it is registered in the image

depth of field refers to the extent to which the space represented is in focus.

a shallow depth of field in this shot of Romola Garai in Atonement

much greater depth of field in this shot from Shakespeare in Love

describes a scene that is kept in sharp focus, from close-up to the furthest plane

Lester's office in American Beauty

deep focus

Deep focus makes appallingly clear the number of people collected for transportation to the concentration camps in

The Pianist.

The camera focuses on objects in the foreground, so the background is blurry,

as in this shot from Pleasantville (1998).

shallow focus

Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love (1998)

The purpose is often to ensure the focus of attention will be the object or person in question

Keira Knightley seems as delicate as the flowers she is arranging in this shot from Atonement.

The focus is on the broken fragment of vase – the tension in Robbie is revealed in his hand – as Cecilia gets out of the fountain in Atonement.

Editing

Analysing editing is about:How it changes the pace of the narrativeWhat the editing technique used tells us about

where the narrative is.Lots of techniques to use but most common –STRAIGHT CUTFADEDISSOLVEOthers – wipe, jump cut

The 4 transition types

CutDissolveFadeWipe

Cut

Most common type of transition

Cut from a MCU to a CU of James McAvoy as Robbie in Atonement – (Joe Wright, 2007)

Why do we use it?

Most invisible, looks realisticDoes not break the viewer’s suspension of

disbeliefchange the scene compress time vary the point of view build up an image or idea

Dissolve or Cross DissolveMixes one shot out as another mixes inAt the mid point the audience will be able

to see both shots on the screen.Communicates a physical or emotional link

between the two shots.

Why do we use it?

This shows the connection between characters, objects or places.

The 2 types of editing

ContinuityMontage

Continuity Editing

The usual style of Hollywood realist feature films. Cuts are unobtrusive, supporting rather than dominating the narrative. It takes the film from one shot to the next, moving forward in time.

The editing isn’t really invisible but the conventions have become so familiar to visual literates that we don’t notice them.

How it’s doneMatch cuts, not jump cutsMotivated cuts- Shot-reverse-shotChange of camera position –Outside – In-

reads as continuous action The use of the sound bridge-fluidParallel development – an intercut

sequence of shots - chase sequences

Casino Royale – (Martin Campbell, 2006)

Montage Editing

The juxtaposition of shots to represent action or ideas, using conspicuous techniques.

It creates impact as the viewer is forced to make connections between the images shown.

Montage Editing

What is this child feeling?Why?

How it’s done

Relatively frequent cutsUse of close upsDissolvesFadesJump cuts

MISE EN SCENE

M IS E E N S C E N E

L ig h tin g & C o lou r F ac ia l exp res s ion s an db od y lan g u ag e

C os tu m e, h a ir& m ake -u p

p os it ion in g o fch arac te rs &ob jec ts w ith in

th e fram e

Trance – Danny Boyle (2012)

Setting

Where is it?What props are used?Was a set created or did they shoot on

location? Can you tell?What kind of mood is being conveyed

through this setting?

The overall design of a setting can significantly shape how we understand story action. In manipulating a shot’s setting, the director may create props. Props may be functional or become a motif – have another meaning assigned to them.

Costume and Makeup

Should instill the proper mood.Represent the characters personality, social

status, and the time period in which they exist.

Costume often coordinates with setting.

Like setting, costume can have specific functions in the total film, and the range of possibilities is huge. Costumes may be realistic or stylised and can also form motifs. Make-up is also necessary and useful in denoting character.

LightingLighting can be manipulated in many ways to create highlights and shadows. Highlights provide important cues to the texture of the surface. There are two basic types of shadow : attached and shading or cast shadows. An attached shadow occurs when light fails to illuminate part of an object because of the object’s shape or surface features. Cast shadows are caused by an object being between the light source and the camera. Types of lighting also include :• Sidelight/ crosslight• Backlighting• Underlighting• Top lighting• Key light• Fill light• Low-key illumination

LIGHTING & COLOUR

Is used to create mood and atmosphere

Positioning of lights creates different effects

High key lighting

Low key lighting

SoundThe world of the film as we see it on the cinema

screen is known as the DIEGETIC world.When we watch a film the sound we hear can be

DIEGETIC OR NON-DIEGETIC.DIEGETIC SOUND is sound that is part of the

film world.NON-DIEGETIC sound is sound that is not

recognised as part of the film world – e.g. voice over, background music

PARALLEL SOUND – sound which compliments the visual image.

CONTRAPUNTAL SOUND – sound which does not fit with the image but helps to create new meanings.

Diegetic Sound

Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film

Eg. radio on in kitchen, characters talking to each other, natural sound effects

The Powers of Sound

In addition, sound gives a new value to silence.

For example, a quiet passage in a film can create almost unbearable tension, forcing the viewer to concentrate on the screen and wait in anticipation for whatever sound will emerge.

Contrapuntal Sound

Sound used in counterpoint or contrast to the image

Eg. in horror films a children’s nursery rhyme playing as suspense builds

Hyperbolic Sound

Sound which is exaggerated beyond what is expected within the scene for dramatic effect

Eg. Swooshing sounds of blades or fistsEg. hearing breathing in a long shot

Sound & Genre

Elements of sound reveal key aspects of genre to an audience

Sound is important in informing us about the time in which a film is set or the kind of action we can expect

Certain types of music have become synonymous with particular genres

Sound & Narrative

Voice overs allow us to see things from a particular character’s point of view

They are often used to introduce and ‘round up’ the narrative

SOUND BRIDGES aid continuity as sound from one sequence carries on into the next

SUMMARY

Understanding and applying film language is key to your student’s success on this course

Give them plenty of time to apply knowledge through analysing clips as a class or in groups but also consider- individual presentations if you have confident students.

Putting knowledge into practise also re-enforces learning and gives you an opportunity to start them on some coursework ( i.e. make some film clips of your own!)