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Film As Art Techniques & Critiques I

Introduction Understanding how movies work will increase appreciation and enjoyment of the film. This PowerPoint teaches the techniques and critiques necessary to complete assignments for Film as Art.

Tips For Success Do not trust your memory of any movie watched in the past. (watch them again) Keep a remote control nearby to rewind and review. Take notes while watching the movie. Reading online critiques that others have written enriches your learning.

What Affects the Film Itself? The film variety or digital process Filmmakers choose their digital process to produce the effect they want. Consider the CSI television shows: CSI Las VegasCSI Miami CSI Las Vegas is filmed in blue tones to help carry the story line of the night shift team. CSI Miami is filmed with golden tones to contrast with the original CSI and to communicate the tropical warmth of Miami.

What Affects the Film Itself? The film variety or digital process Filmmakers choose their film type or digital process to produce the effect they want. Some directors choose black and white film to help create a specific mood. The Good German - Steven SoderbergDr. Strangelove - Stanley Kubrick The Good German was filmed in black and white to take the audience into the film with the characters Although color film has been available since the late 1930’s, the 1964 Dr. Strangelove uses black and white to satirize a Cold War view of good versus evil.

What Affects the Film Itself? The film variety or digital process Filmmakers choose their film type or digital process to produce the effect they want. Some directors choose black and white film to help create a specific mood. Batman Begins - Christopher NolanTron -Steven Lisberger Film Noir is a term associated with stylish Hollywood crime stories. The high contrast filming in Tron creates a computer world. The heavy use of lines mimics the lines on silicone computer chips.

What Affects the Film Itself? Mirror in the Mirror - Neil SladeDVX100 The warping of the image creates the dreamlike sense that the director is trying to create. Lens choices are made at the very beginning of the filmmaking process. The lens of the camera Wide angle shots will show more and give a slight bend to the sides of the image. Wide angle lenses gives more background information in the scene. Lenses are often changed to produce different effects.

What Affects the Film Itself? The lens of the camera - Focal Point A shallow focus lens allows a subject to be in focus, but all other parts to be out of focus. A deep focus lens allows all items from the foreground to the background to be in focus. DVX100 The lens choice can also provide a crisp feel to the shot or blurred images. A shallow focus lens allows the character to be in focus, but the background to be blurred. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - Gore Verbinski

What Affects the Film Itself? The shutter speed Normal shutter speed contains 24 still pictures per second. Overcranking the camera increases the number of still pictures per second to create slow motion films. Undercranking the camera decreases the number of still pictures per second to create faster motion films. The Matrix Reloaded - Larry & Andy Wachowski In addition to computer manipulation, Overcranking the camera is a trademark of the Matrix films. Undercranking the camera is used heavily by Jackie Chan to speed up the fight scenes that take place at slower speeds for increased safety. Around the World in Eighty Days - Frank Coraci

The Screen "This Movie has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to fit your screen" This disclaimer is common on TV versions of movies. The "Widescreen", or, rectangular screen in theatres was originally chosen in the 1950's by Hollywood to get a bigger image in the theatres. It gives a much grander scope, "engulfing" the viewers and continued as a way to compete with TV. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade - Steven Spielberg #1 #2

The Screen Star Trek: Insurrection - Jonathan Frakes Being modified for viewing on television will rob the viewer of much of the intended image. If the director is seen as an artist, this formatting robs the artist of a third of their creation. The image above is shown as it was intended to be shown in theaters. An unintended consequence is that this version appears to be a more intimate conversation between the characters.

The Screen Star Trek: Insurrection - Jonathan Frakes The letter box formatting allows viewers to see the film like it was intended by the director. This problem is slowly being solved by the change to wide screen televisions.

Featured Film Trailer The story of Prot, a patient at a mental hospital who claims to be from a distant planet called K-PAX. His psychiatrist is baffled by this cheerfully confident man, Prot's descriptions of life on a planet 7000 light years away awaken a sense of possibility among other patients. Prot says he's going back before the summer ends. As days race by, Dr. Fuller struggles with questions of his own place in the universe and about his own ability to distinguish reality from delusion. K-Pax - Iain Softley

Featured Film Trailer Pay attention to: –wide angle –zoomed –slightly blurred –slowed speeds –high contrast film –(Pay special attention to the scene where the two faces are imposed on top of each other.) K-Pax - Iain Softley Click here to watch this trailerhere

In the art of film making, it is important to remember that every shot we see on the screen involves choices made by the director to create their vision for the film and tell their story. Hook - Steven Spielberg #1#2

Director’s Quote “A filmmaker has almost the same freedom as a novelist has when he buys himself some paper.” - Stanley Kubrick