Preferred readings. Eg: Wizard of Oz is a family/children’s film about an innocent girl who battles against an evil witch with the help of her unusual friends E.g.: Battleship Potemkin is a story about how the evil Bolsheviks persecuted the poor Russian people and how the people stood up to this oppression and brought about their freedom Deviant or Subversive readings E.g.: Wizard of Oz is an allegory for homosexuality. The film has a sub text of promoting homosexuality and gay pride. E.g.: The British government considered Battleship Potemkin as a propaganda film promoting communist ideology as a solution to equalities brought by Democracy and capitalism
RECEPTION THEORY Interface: The mode of exhibition - Where and what you absorb/consume the film on: Cinema, Blu-ray, DVD, Projector, TV, Internet could have an impact on the viewing experience as a spectator Ÿ Universal responses: Think about how you respond to a film and how does it compare to the wider public - How do filmmakers attempt to make audiences react to their narratives Ÿ RECEPTION THEORY Ÿ Think about what happens to you when you watch the sequence? Ÿ What micro features are responsible for your reactions/responses Ÿ Your ONE MICRO analysis (lighting, sound, editing, performance & movement) must be OBVIOUS within the clip Ÿ Ideally it should be a self contained clip (3 to 5 min’s) or if it is part of a sequence it should have a clear beginning and end. Ÿ REMEMBER to ANALYSE - DON’T just identify and describe in formal/technical terms. Ie: always give CONNOTATIONS (meanings), not just DENOTATIONS
The long take: the long take involves filming a lengthy sequence without cuts. This is considered to be the essence of filmmaking as it is extraordinary difficult to achieve. The concept of the long take was taken to the extreme by Sokurov, in 2002 in his film ‘Russian Ark’ where the whole film is a long take
St Petersburg's Hermitage Museum is the Russian Ark guarding art and history. Alexander Sokurov's unique tour of the museum, consists of one, 96-minute-long, continuous tracking shot - the longest of its kind in the history of the medium. To have pulled off such an ambitious task proved no mean feat but the film's achievements are not restricted to its technical prowess.
Unmistakably the work of an autonomous talent, the word "director" hardly seems to give Sokurov enough credit. Yet Russian Ark finds each of its 2,000-plus cast and crew rising to the occasion.
After three false starts, the film was captured on the fourth take. In contrast to Sokurov's film, Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream contains more than 2,000 cuts.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/features/russian-ark.shtml
WATCH THE TWO EXAMPLES OF LONG TAKES FROM:
Atonement (2007) Directed by Joe Wright
Hunger (2008) Directed by Steve McQueen
Q: Discuss what the function is of these Long takes?
Q: What are the similarities & differences between them?
Montage functions as the opposite of the long take where various images are cut together in a sequence; this challenges the spectator to make meaning from the rapid use of images, relating the images before and after an image to make sense of the sequence.
Watch the Odessa steps sequence from Battleship Potemkin (1925) and its homage from Brian De Palma in The Untouchables (1987)
http://www.kjudge-asfilmstudies.blogspot.com/
Match on action or ‘cut on action’ is a component of seamless editing where a point of action (like handing something to someone) is shot from different angles and cut at the point of action creating a match.
Form is the shape, structure, skeleton of a media text. Narrative provides the basic structure of a media text. Structuralists such as Propp/Todorov suggested all stories contain the same basic structures – but different media texts do have different structures which are individual to them. i.e. Soap operas don’t have the same kind of closure as films – for they are continuous, never-ending, multi-stranded storylines – usually ending with a cliff hanger. Films do conventionally have a beginning, middle and end and are often over 1hr25 mins etc
STYLE:
Style refers to the look of a media text – in films a directors style can be identified through use of MISE EN SCENE which would incorporate a particular or regular use of certain lighting, set design, editing, music , camera angles, movement etc.
Identifying films by Scorsese and Spielberg are easy to do as they have distinctive creative filmic traits –
GENRE:
If a group of media texts have a similar form/structure or pattern of elements – then this might be a link to particular GENRE. Film genres can sometimes be sub-divided in SUB-GENRES – this includes films which combine parts of traditional genres such as
A film like Saving Private Ryan offers a sense of ultra-realism, through a bright screen, clear and powerful dolby sound and a darkened room experience.
These factors heighten the senses for the spectator and gives a sense of SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF. (Research term for homework)
Such ‘appearance of reality’ is called ‘Verisimilitude’. This is a convention as there is nothing genuinely realistic about media images or indeed the Omaha beach landing in SPR.
There are 2 types of Verisimilitude:
GENERIC VERISIMILITUDE convinces us because of the genre we are watching (in Horror it seems to be realistic for a vampire to sink teeth into a person’s neck/In American gangster films it seems to be realistic that most gangsters are Italian American and wear sharp, Italian suits and so on)
CULTURAL VERISIMILITUDE seems realistic because it mimics real life.
Q: Which type of Verisimilitude is being used by Spielberg with SPR? And SCHINDLER’S LIST?
*Read handout on Saving Private Ryan – Highlight key points regarding the depiction of reality as portrayed in the film
BLACK & WHITE: THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980) Directed by David Lynch
CINEMATOGRAPHY: LIGHTING
Lighting can create atmosphere and mood as well as signify meaning.
High key lighting is used in Romantic comedies and gives a sense of light, happiness, joy etc
Low key lighting in various genres has the opposite effect in that it creates a certain atmosphere, darkness that can evoke many different connotations
Spotlighting can be used from above or below and usually picks out a character from a group
Natural lighting is often used if filming certain genres such as ‘Documentary’ and external shots on location as it is natural, organic and gives a sense of reality; opposite to Synthetic lighting
Full face lighting suggests openness and honesty -
Shadow can suggest fear or lack of trust and so on.
Q: What type of lighting (from above) has been used in the Elephant Man (1980)
Q: Why has David Lynch used Black & white film stock to make The Elephant man?
What could be his motivations? Economics? Style?
Narrative? Discuss
• Location
• Settings
• Performance & movement: Body Language
• Costume
• Props
• Cinematography: Lighting
Study the opening sequence of Casino Royale (Campbell,2006)
Settings
Describe the settings used as much as possible
• What settings are being used in the first 3 minutes – before the opening credits?
• Why have those settings been chosen?
• Are the settings appropriate to the film? If so why, in what ways?
• How has the setting informed you about James Bond?
Performance and movement
• Analyse the facial expressions of the characters and how does it inform us about them and what they are thinking?
• What do we learn about Bonds movements in the sequence?
• Consider his acting immediately before and after apparently drowning the man in the toilets?
BODY CODES
Actors are able to generate audience response to their performance in a whole range of subtle ways. A range of ten body codes have been identified:
1. Direct bodily contact
2. The proximity of one character to another (or proxemics)
3. The orientation of one to another (i.e. the extent to which characters stand with their bodies turned towards or away from each other)
4. General appearance of individuals (e.g. Tall and thin, or short and fat)
5. Head movements (e.g. nodding or shaking of the head)
6. Facial expressions
7. Gestures (or Kinesics)
8. Body posture
9. Eye movement or contact
10. Aspects of speech, such as pitch, tone, stress, accent, volume, speech errors (all of which are termed paralinguistic codes)
(Adapted by Argyle in Hinde 1972 and Fiske 1982)
SEVEN (Fincher, 1995)
Performance and Movement
• Study the sequence with Detective Mills and Somerset in the office together in terms of body language and behaviour.
• Analyse their body language in relation to the 10 body codes defined by Argyle (1972) and Fiske (1982)
• Try and incorporate the terms PROXEMICS, KINESICS AND PARALINGUISTIC CODES in your analysis
Lust killing analysis
• Now assess the body language of the character who is forced to kill in “LUST”
• How many of the 10 body codes does he incorporate in the interrogation sequence and how has the scene been shot?
2. AS Internally assessed work – The Written Analysis (2.1) What do you mean by a ‘motivated’ analysis?
Students ask questions of a film extract (including work they have made
themselves) because they want to know the answers.:
- How does this sequence create suspense?
- How does the sequence move me emotionally?
- Why do I identify strongly with a particular character?
- Why do I find the message(s) contained in the extract so powerful?
In being encouraged to look for technical answers in the micro features of film
form and their deployment by the film’s creators, students are also being
asked to think about their role as spectators.
At the centre of the analysis is the interface between the formal systems at
work within the film (which may be intended to produce ‘preferred readings’
and responses) and the student as spectator. The latter is an active quirky
individual bringing his or her own expectations, desires and values to the film
experience.
(a) An analysis of a film extract - 1500 words (30 marks)
Candidates are required to explore how one or more of mise-en-scène, performance, cinematography, editing, and sound construct meaning and provoke response in a film extract.
• Candidates are encouraged to support their work with illustrative
visual material.
• Recommended length of extract: approximately 3-5 minutes
(Depending on the complexity of the extract).
(b) Creative Project: aims & context, film sequence or short film and reflective analysis (40 marks + 10 marks = 50)
Candidates are required to create a film sequence that demonstrates how the micro features of film construct meaning. This comprises three elements:
Take 10 to 25 photographs for your own film narrative within a visual storyboard
Pick a film theme from the following which will act as a focus for your visual narrative:
Film Noir: 50’s stylised detective film. Emphasis on shadows, criminality, femme fatales, double crossing, murder, mystery
Romance: A love interest narrative between man and women done in a romantic comedy style
Heritage film: A British period drama displaying motifs from a bygone era, old churches, costumes, props etc
Horror film: A horror sequence using the codes and conventions of traditional horror, inspirations could be Dracula, Jekyll & Hyde, and Zombies etc
Once you have storyboarded and planned your idea you can photograph your sequence and assemble it onto your blog ready for your presentation and assessment of your creative project
(i) Aims and context
A clarification of the aims and context of the sequence or short film to be completed on the appropriate cover sheet.
Please note: the 'Aims and Context' must be completed on the
appropriate cover sheet, otherwise the Creative Project and
accompanying Reflective Analysis cannot be adequately assessed.
(ii) Film Sequence
The film sequence may either be an extract from longer film or a
complete short film, with the emphasis on visual communication rather
than on dialogue. It may take one of the following forms:
• A photographed (digital or photo-chemical) storyboard of
between 10 and 25 different shots (some of which may be
repeated) plus up to 5 found shots (shots which would be difficult
to photograph or where locations need to be established). The 5
found shots must be acknowledged.
Group work is permitted for the filmmaking option (maximum 3).
Groups of candidates should take primary responsibility for – without precluding collaboration - one or more micro features of the sequence (such as camerawork, editing or sound). Each candidate must identify their role and the micro aspect they are responsible for on the appropriate coversheet.
(iii) Reflective analysis approximately 750 words or equivalent
(10 marks)
The reflective analysis should select key micro features of the
sequence and demonstrate how they make meaning(s) and aim to
provoke response(s) in audiences.
Candidates working in a group
should focus on the construction and impact of their chosen micro
aspect.
The analysis can be presented:
• As a continuous piece of writing, with or without illustrative
material
• In a digital form such as a suitably edited blog or another web based format or
• As a focused DVD commentary.
See Notes for Guidance for guidance on all issues relating to this
Create a blog and discuss how your visual narrative has created meanings for your audience in terms of their spectatorship. You could create a focus group and audience research on what people think is the meanings are behind your creative ideas.
