Viewing Films Actively Paige Mayhew Oklahoma Writing Project “Thinking is skilled work. It is not true that we are naturally endowed with the ability to think clearly and logically - without learning how, or without practicing.“ -Alfred Mander

“As students view a film, we want them to pay special attention to those areas of the film we consider important and to draw conclusions from their experience with the film. Only then does a passive viewer become active; for by thinking about the film’s content, the student is interacting with the film.” -Resch and Schnicker

According to Corrigan “Writing about films can serve one or several functions. It can help you: Understand your own response to a movie better Convince others why you like or dislike a film Explain or introduce something about a movie, filmmaker, or a group of movies that your readers may not know Make comparisons and contrasts between one movie and others, as a way of understanding them better Make connections between a movie and other areas of culture in order to illuminate both the culture and the movies it produces.”

Analyzing Films Three ways of looking at a movie

Literary Aspects of Film  Those aspects that films share with literature:  plot  characters  setting  themes  point of view  recurring images  symbols

Questions to ask when viewing on a Literary Level:  Who are the characters?  What is the setting?  What is the plot?  From whose point of view is the story told?  What is the film’s theme?  Are there any symbols or recurring images?

The Director The director is the main artistic force behind a film, television show, or play. S/he has the main responsibility for: choosing locations, setting the scene, directing camera angles. The thing to remember while watching a film is that everything could have been presented differently, it is the director who decides how you see each: Scene Character Item Shot

Dramatic Aspects of Film  Those elements film shares with live drama:  actors portraying characters through dialogue, costumes, and makeup  sets and/or locations  directors who leave personal stamp on final product

Questions to ask when viewing on a dramatic level:  How effective is the acting? Why?  How does the set affect understanding and enjoyment of the story?  How are the costumes and makeup effective in establishing a character?

Cinematic Aspects of Film * Elements unique to film * Requires some knowledge of technical terms

Close Up (CU) A shot of one face or object that fills the screen completely. A shot of one face or object that fills the screen completely. Gives importance to object Gives importance to object Allows us to see the emotion of a particular character Allows us to see the emotion of a particular character USUAL SUSPECTS

High Angle (h/a) Angles are defined by where the camera is placed Camera looks down on what is being photographed Takes away power of the subject of shot HIGH NOON

Long Shot (LS) A relative term A relative term A shot taken from a sufficient distance to show a landscape, a building, or a large crowd A shot taken from a sufficient distance to show a landscape, a building, or a large crowd BULLIT

Questions to Ask… Why was this character shot from this angle? Why was this character shot from this angle? What feeling is imposed by the movement of the camera in this shot? What feeling is imposed by the movement of the camera in this shot? What other camera angles could have been used to shoot this shot, why was this the best one to use? What other camera angles could have been used to shoot this shot, why was this the best one to use?