Film Criticism A history & how to…. Created by Ms. Di Bernardo

History of the Critic Critics have been around since the dawn of theatre, 425 BC Film began late 1890s Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films What is the purpose of criticism?

Which ones do we see more of? Types of Critics Mass Media Critics appear regularly in newspapers, magazines, & on tv programs Academic Critics scholars that are informed by film theory and published in journals. Which ones do we see more of?

Mass Media Critics Mostly opinion based reviews Plot summary Often gain a following not for intellectual reviews but for personality and rapport with the stars they interview.

Academic Critics Follow film theory to critique a movie Study & analyze theatrical elements Study & analyze cinematic elements

Two Areas for Critical Analysis Theatrical Elements: Acting, costumes, make up, props, & sets Cinematic Elements: Shot types, angles, camera movement, lighting, sound, & editing

Remember this is not whether you like this Acting Analyze believability Did you lose yourself in their interpretation? Overact? Good accent? Age appropriate? Did they just play themselves? Remember this is not whether you like this actor/actress or not!

Costumes How do they help tell the story? What do the costumes say about these characters? How do they help tell the story?

What do these costumes say about these characters?

How does make up alter your perception (view) of these characters? SFX video

Props A hand prop is any object a character uses to act with (pen, gun, groceries, hand mirror et al). Often minor to the story BUT needs to be authentic to the setting and action.

If you didn’t know these films, Sets If you didn’t know these films, what could you infer by analyzing the set design?

Quick Review! What is a mass media critic? What is an academic critic? What are the TWO areas used for critical analysis? Name the five theatrical elements we will use to critique films this year.

Cinematic Elements to Analyze Shot types Camera angles Camera movement Lighting Sound Editing

Shot Types & Angles Review What are the basic shots? What are the basic angles?

When have you noticed camera movements in film?

Camera Movement Terms Pan- Horizontal movement left & right Tilt- Vertical movement of camera Tracking- With the use of a dolly ( a cart) camera follows the subject Steadicam- Attached to camera person’s body

Let’s see some examples See video

Ready to analyze some camera movements? Let’s test your knowledge! Analyze “Back to the Future”

What role does lighting play in film?

Lighting Back light- light placed behind a subject Key light- main light on subject, providing most of the illumination Soft light- light that seems to wrap around the subject, ‘softens’ the look and atmosphere Spot light- focused beam of light that highlights a specific area or person

Back Light What mood is evoked by this backlighting? Even though her face is obscured, what can we infer about the woman in the picture?

Key Light

Soft Light Dreamy feel Soft focus Hides imperfections

Spot Light

Test yourself with lighting!

How does the lighting help tell the story?

Sound How does sound contribute to the viewing experience ? What types of films rely heavily on sound?

Editing What is editing? Why is editing important? What is continuity?

Editing is… Selecting and joining together of shots to create a finished film. Continuity in editing creates smooth transitions across the scenes without visual inconsistencies. A film editor must have a very keen eye

Famous Movie Mistakes

If you catch these mistakes while watching a movie it takes you out of the flow, thus breaking the continuity.

mistakes from “Harry Potter,” “Jurassic Park” and more! Let’s watch some mistakes from “Harry Potter,” “Jurassic Park” and more!

Editor’s Cuts Cross cuts- Quick back & forth cuts that show the action/dialogue is happening simultaneously Dissolve- Overlaps one shot gradually into the next. Fade- One shot fades to black & then fades into the next. Montage- editing together many brief shots for emotional impact. See videos

Questions?