Classical Hollywood Style

Tom Stickler and Connor Western

Classical Hollywood Cinema is a term that has been coined by David Bordwell, Janet Staiger and Kristin Thompson in their seminal study of the same name. In this study the authors performed formalist analysis on a random selection of 100 Hollywood films from 1917 to 1960. 

Classical Hollywood

While looking at these films they discovered a series of common visual techniques used throughout the films that helped link them in terms of aesthetic and thematic qualities.

Classical Hollywood

Key Fill HairThese are the three lights used in the Classical Hollywood style that comprise three point lighting.

Three point Lighting

This way of lighting is used to make the actors look glamorous and to highlight the subject of the shot.

Three point lighting

Continuity editing is a type of editing that hides its presence. It used very subtle cuts to draw the audience in and try to disguise the fact that you are watching a scripted sequence. For this attempt at secrecy it is often called “Invisible editing”.

Continuity Editing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e3HqC2rbQc

Continuity Editing

The realism created by the editing is helped by this rule. To keep the visuals easy to understand and character positions simple the camera is kept behind an invisible line that is dictated by the characters.

The 180º Rule

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26TWfpGEP80

The 180º Rule

Many films after the era still used this structure to convey their plot. It is now at the stage that it can be broken and manipulated but still holds value to the medium.

Modern Examples