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

2. 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?

3. 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?

4. 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.

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

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

7. 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!

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

9. What do these costumes say about these characters?

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

11. 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.

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

13. 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.

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

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

16. When have you noticed camera movements in film?

17. 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

18. Let’s see some examples
See video

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

20. What role does lighting play in film?

21. 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

22. 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?

23. Key Light

24. Soft Light
Dreamy feel
Soft focus
Hides imperfections

25. Spot Light

26. Test yourself with lighting!

27. How does the lighting help
tell the story?

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

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

30. 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

31. Famous Movie Mistakes

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

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

37. 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

38. Questions?