How to read a movie The movie screen

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How to read a movie

How to read a movie

The movie screen • 1. a window frame to a world • Different povs

The movie screen • 1. a window frame to a world • Different povs • A sample of the real world; a microcosm • 2. a picture frame (e. g. in a museum each painting is its own world) • • Discontinuous More complete (doesn’t make sense to ask “what’s outside the frame? ”) Flat surface Self-enclosed; alternative to the real world (not a microcosm) • 3. a mirror • Narcissistic interest; different versions of us

Mis-en-scéne • Definition: Everything going on within the frame outside of editing and sound

Mis-en-scéne • Definition: Everything going on within the frame outside of editing and sound • Setting and sets—is the scene shot in a studio sound stage or “on location”? How is the setting integrated into the action, both the larger background and particular props? How is the setting used in composing the shot (verticals and horizontals, windows and doors, the ever popular slats of shades, mirrors, etc. )? How do particular settings (vast mountain ranges, cluttered urban setting) function as signs in order to convey narrative and ideological information? How are colors used? • Acting style—more obviously mannered (“classical”); intense and psychologically driven (“method”); less affectations and more “natural”? Do particular actors have their own recognizable style or type, and how do the filmmakers use the audience's expectations, either by reaffirming or challenging these expectations? What expectations do "stars" bring to their roles? Do they fulfill or challenge these expectations (playing against type)? • Costumes (or lack thereof)—note contrasts between characters, changes within film; use of colors. This also includes physiques, hair styles, etc.

Mis-en-scéne • Lighting— Key Light: main lighting, usually placed at a 45 degree angle

Mis-en-scéne • Lighting— Key Light: main lighting, usually placed at a 45 degree angle between camera and subject. Fill Light: Auxiliary lights, usually from the side of the subject, that softens or eliminates shadows and illuminates areas not covered by the Key Light. High Key Lighting is when all the lights are on (typical of musicals and comedies); Low Key Lighting is when one or more of the fill lighting is eliminated, creating more opportunity for shadows. High contrast lighting refers to sharp contrast between light and dark; low contrast refers to shades of gray. Hard lighting creates a harsh light; soft lighting creates a muted, usually more forgiving lighting. "Hard" characters often get hard lighting, and visa versa. Highlighting or spotlighting: pencil-thin beams of light used to illuminate certain parts of a subject, often eyes or other facial features. Backlighting: placing the main source of light behind the subject, silhouetting it, and directing the light toward the camera. Toplighting: lighting from above. Lighting and camera angle are the key means of creating shadows and shadings in black and white films, which are important elements of the overall mise en scene when conveying meaning. All of the above terms are bipolar, when in fact many lighting setups lie somewhere in between. • Diffuser/Filter: A gelatin plate that is placed in front of light to change the effect. (Whether to cast a shadow or soften the light, for instance. )

Black swan • 1. what examples of mis-en-scene did you notice? • 2. How

Black swan • 1. what examples of mis-en-scene did you notice? • 2. How do they suggest certain characterizations, information about the plot, etc? • 3. How do those examples of mis-en-scene tell the viewer that this is a psychological thriller?

Mis-en-scéne • Postcards from the Edge • “You don’t know me” • https: //www.

Mis-en-scéne • Postcards from the Edge • “You don’t know me” • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=y. Yv. QBYutgn 8 • “I’m still here” • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=lg. OWOV 3 a 5 t. Q

frame • Frame—the border that contains the image. Can be “open” (with characters moving

frame • Frame—the border that contains the image. Can be “open” (with characters moving in and out); “moving” (using focus, tracking, panning); “canted” (at odd angles, unbalanced shot composition). • Shot composition—The relation of the elements of mise-en-scene to the frame. • Small frames used with close-ups can create sense of claustrophobia, often enhanced by the set (low ceilings, numerous props and furnishings) and lighting. • The set can also be used to frame the shot in other ways (lamps, flags, etc. on either side; a bed out-of-focus at the bottom of the frame) as can characters (as signs of intimidation, marginality, support, etc. ) These types of shots are unbalanced. • Look also for shots that are perfectly symmetrical.

Field of view • A limited number of basic camera shots form the framework

Field of view • A limited number of basic camera shots form the framework from which visual media tell their story: • 1. Establishing shot--the first full shot of the scene; a wide view of the set that lets the viewer know where the scene takes place, what the mood is, what time frame we will operate in. This is the shot that lets us see the almost deserted western town from the viewpoint of the cowboy poised on the ridge. In the foreground to the side we can just see the scrawled sign "Dry Gulch, population 232. " • 2. Long shot--a full shot of a scene or person whether sitting or standing. Now our view of the western village is limited to the swinging saloon doors and crooked sign "Lucky Lady. " • 3. Medium shot--an individual shown from head to hips. The saloon doors part and Lance Lobotomy looms before us framed by his gun and his hat.

Field of view • 4. Medium close up--the individual's head and half the torso.

Field of view • 4. Medium close up--the individual's head and half the torso. The camera closes in on Lance, the frame now being his shirt pocket and hat brim. • 5. Close up--an individual's head and shoulders. Now we can see that Lance is frowning and staring at us. • 6. Extreme close up--the individual's face fills the screen. At this point we can clearly see Lance's vacant eyes and the frown that dissects his forehead.

framing • In one sense, cinema is an art of selection. The edges of

framing • In one sense, cinema is an art of selection. The edges of the image create a "frame" that includes or excludes aspects of what occurs in front of the camera -- the "profilmic event. “ • The expressive qualities of framing include the angle of the camera to the object, the aspect ratio of the projected image, the relationship between camera and object, and the association of camera with character. • In Cruel Story of Youth (Seishun zankoku monogatari, Oshima Nagisa, 1960) the radical decentering of the character in relation to the frame marks their failed struggle to find a place in their world.

Angle of framing • Many films are shot with a camera that appears to

Angle of framing • Many films are shot with a camera that appears to be at approximately the same height as its subject. However, it is possible to film from a position that is significantly lower or higher than the dominant element of the shot. In that case, the image is described as low angle or high angle respectively. Angle of framing can be used to indicate the relation between a character and the camera's point of view. Or can simply be used to create striking visual compositions.

Angle of framing • Camera angle is often used to suggest either vulnerability or

Angle of framing • Camera angle is often used to suggest either vulnerability or power. In The Color of Paradise (Rang-e Khoda, 1999) the father, who rules absolute over his family, is often portrayed from a low angle, therefore aggrandizing his figure.

Angle of framing • On the other hand, his blind son Mohammad and his

Angle of framing • On the other hand, his blind son Mohammad and his elderly grandmother are often shot from a high angle, emphasizing their dependence and smallness. These interpretations are not exclusive, however. The relation between camera and subject can be rendered ironic, or it may suggest more the subject of perception than to the state of the object. • The father in this film is so busy smiling at his fiancee that he falls off his horse, while Mohammed and her granny seen from above may also indicate that God is watching over them, and keeping them under protection.

Framing scale • If the same object were filmed at different shot scales it

Framing scale • If the same object were filmed at different shot scales it would often signify quite differently. Shot scale can foster intimacy with a character or, conversely, it can swallow the character in its environment. • Orson Welles exploited divergent shot scales in Citizen Kane (1941) to demonstrate the changing power relationship between Charles Foster Kane and his lawyer.

Framing scale • What do you see in these two frames? • What in

Framing scale • What do you see in these two frames? • What in the framing supports your response?

scale • Framing Orson Welles exploited divergent shot scales in Citizen Kane (1941) to

scale • Framing Orson Welles exploited divergent shot scales in Citizen Kane (1941) to demonstrate the changing power relationship between Charles Foster Kane and his lawyer. As a boy, his figure is lost in the snow at the back of the shot as the lawyer arranges for his adoption. As a young man he rebels against Bernstein's oversight, rising in the frame as he asserts himself.

Framing examples—Citizen Kane

Framing examples—Citizen Kane

Framing examples—Citizen Kane

Framing examples—Citizen Kane

Framing examples—Citizen Kane

Framing examples—Citizen Kane

Framing practice • How does framing create the psychological thriller? • or • How

Framing practice • How does framing create the psychological thriller? • or • How does the framing inform us to expect a psychological thriller?

sound • Sound is a vital part of any film or video production that

sound • Sound is a vital part of any film or video production that many people often overlook. • Sound design for film can be a complex affair, adding and creating all new meanings to a scene. • Using sounds in psychological thrillers is very important in creating tension and suspense throughout the entire film.

Diegetic sound • source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied

Diegetic sound • source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film: • voices of characters • sounds made by objects in the story • music represented as coming from instruments in the story space (source music) • Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world • an be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame. • Basically, what we hear would be natural for the characters on screen to also hear

Nondiegetic sound • Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has

Nondiegetic sound • Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action: • narrator's commentary • sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect • mood music • Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source outside story space. • Basically, we hear something the characters on screen can’t • A quick explanation: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=H_4 h. OY-9 n. KA

sound • As early as 1951, describing radio sound effects, soundman Robert Turnbull pinpointed

sound • As early as 1951, describing radio sound effects, soundman Robert Turnbull pinpointed the use of sound to generate desired responses when he wrote, "Psychology has its place in the understanding and use of sound effects. As the human mind develops, it forms definite habits of association. These associative patterns can be utilized to arouse emotional reactions. . . " (7). • A steady sustained sound gives a feeling of directness, continuous movement, formality, stability, and, if a quiet sound, one of repose and tranquility. • An undulating sound, varying in pitch or rhythm, expresses insistence, purposeful movement, or perseverance. • An intermittent sound expresses informality, indecision, disorder, and lack of purpose or leadership. • Sounds that suddenly increase in volume express a feeling of climax, intensity, concentration, impatience, and aggressiveness.

Sound Examples How is sound used in the following movie clips? Mulholland Drive: https:

Sound Examples How is sound used in the following movie clips? Mulholland Drive: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Uozh. Oo 0 Dt 4 o Shutter island rat cave DVD Silence: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=f 0 A-1 gb. Jzd. U • 1. Identify whether it is diegetic or non-diegetic and how you determined that. • 2. Describe the sound based on the two slides we looked at. • 3. What is the function of the sound? How would you analyze when it appears and what it is supposed to make us feel in connection to the scene itself? Support your response. • 4. If there is any silence, what is its place in this scene compared to the sound?

fourth wall • The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible,

fourth wall • The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imagined wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this "wall", the convention assumes, the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16 th century onwards, the rise of illusionism in staging practices, which culminated in the realism and naturalism of theatre of the 19 th century, led to the development of the fourth wall concept • The "fourth wall", though, is a convention of acting, rather than of set design. The actors ignore the audience, focus their attention exclusively on the dramatic world, and remain absorbed in its fiction • The fourth wall allows for our suspense of disbelief

Breaking the Fourth wall • any instance in which this performance convention, having been

Breaking the Fourth wall • any instance in which this performance convention, having been adopted more generally in the drama, is violated. This can be done through either directly referencing the audience or the work they are in, or referencing their fictionality. • The temporary suspension of the convention in this way draws attention to its use in the rest of the performance. • Breaking the fourth wall is when a character acknowledges their fictionality, by either indirectly or directly addressing the audience • This technique is used poignantly and sparingly, as doing so is incredibly uncomfortable and alienating for the audience. If it is not done well, the entire narrative will be shattered and the audience lost.

Breaking the fourth wall example • • • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=j. Ta.

Breaking the fourth wall example • • • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=j. Ta. N 6 wy. Mw. CY Airplane 1: 53 -2: 19 Wayne’s world 4: 09 -5: 03 Spaceballs 7: 57 -8: 50 Ferris Bueller 9: 49 -10: 35 • Using these examples, answer the following: • 1. what is the purpose of breaking the fourth wall in one of these examples?

Individual study—silence of the lambs • Please complete the following on a separate sheet

Individual study—silence of the lambs • Please complete the following on a separate sheet of paper. It will include any notes you take as well as a formally written paragraph explaining the essential question. • Your essential question: how are the various film techniques of mise-en-scene, framing, sound, and the fourth wall utilized in this clip? • How do they allow the reader to understand some of the nuances of the scene? • Make sure you address each technique, provide example(s), and explain how the technique gives insight into the scene, plot, and characters. • Consider especially how these techniques make this scene appropriate for the psychological thriller genre • Answer the above questions in red for each scene. So you should have 2 paragraphs—one for the night vision scene and one for the meeting with Lecter. • These clips are posted on Schoology if you want to access them again.

Clips—do only the ones in RED! • Night vision scene: https: //www. youtube. com/watch?

Clips—do only the ones in RED! • Night vision scene: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=ov. Qk 7 fd 4_Co • Meeting Hannibal: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=QU 8 j. Kn 7 s. Mw. U; • Lambs Screaming: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=fd 7 e 1 f. XYIu. M; https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=ze. Kq. D 2 g 9 -ic • Dr. Crawford: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=E 8 zn. Aor. Kguo • Buffalo Bill dance: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=vqf. Y 6 Ky. EHv. U&oref=https%3 A%2 F%2 Fww w. youtube. com%2 Fwatch%3 Fv%3 Dvqf. Y 6 Ky. EHv. U&has_verified=1 • Opening scene: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=f 0 A-1 gb. Jzd. U