1. Cinematography: Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett, 1978)

2. After today’s section we will be able to…
begin reviewing cinematographic techniques of framing and movement
carry over our discussion about ideology in talking about ideological themes in Killer of Sheep through a new focus on cinematography
make an interpretive claim about the film’s theme of entrapment by using cinematographic elements as your support

3. Review Over the last couple weeks we’ve discussed: Realism is a style
Naturalist and theatrical traditions
Illusionism and anti-illusionism
Absorption and distanciation
Cinema’s relationship to indexicality, Hollywood/commercialism, and ideology
Cinematography: concerns the photographic aspects of the shot/scene, including elements framing and movement

4. Clip analysis - worksheet
Looking at the scenes with the broken motor and the children flying
While watching the clip, please note the cinematographic techniques of:
Framing
May include: aspect ratio (academy, widescreen, cinemascope), masks (iris, split screen), onscreen and offscreen space, camera distance, angle, height, or level
Movement
May include: pan, tilt, tracking/dolly shot, steadicam, crane shot, helicopter/airplane shot, drone shot
Sex, race, and class>>> beyond just women’s issues as part of the popular genre of melodrama in the 1950s

5. Essay prompt
How does the cinematography (and mise-en-scene) convey the sense that the characters are trapped?
Establish ideological theme: Who is trapped? Why are they trapped? Does this idea of entrapment relate to larger societal issues, like race, class, and gender?
Support your interpretative claim with salient cinematographic elements that convey this narrative idea stylistically, i.e. camera distance, height, tracking shots