1. Reading Film Film Analysis
Comenius
Reading Film
Film Analysis

2. Reading a Film The dual nature of film: Narrative content:
novel
short story
Visual & Aural content:
Painting / photography
Theatre / drama
Symphony / opera

3. Reading a Film The Visual & Aural A unique combination
How films convey the narrative
Less abstract than writing
Must also be "read"

4. Reading a Film The Narrative Films can be compared to written texts.
Contain many narrative elements:
Plot / story
Characters
Setting
Point of view
Themes / Message

5. Reading a Film Film Related to other arts
The novel - expansive scope of narrative
Theatre - visual & aural in real time
Music - evocative like a film's sound picture
Architecture (environmental art) - requires 3-D spaces

6. Film Visual Mise-en-scene Construction of the scene How it is done
Meaning of objects
Purpose of the arrangement

7. Mise-en-scene

8. Film Visual Symbolism Signs / connotations / codes Cowboy
"merely" a cowboy
ranch hand with specific job
Symbol for:
Masculinity
America
Historical era

9. Signs / connotations / codes

10. Signs / connotations / codes

11. Signs / connotations / codes

12. Iconography Objects we EXPECT to see on screen in a certain genre
guns in a thriller
saloon in a western
pretty girls in horror flicks

13. Iconography

14. Film Visual Lighting create atmosphere and mood
light and shade can suggest codes of meaning (e.g. in a horror film)
strong light is harsh, soft light romantic
spotlight picks someone out
full face = trust and honesty
shadows = fear and lack of trust

15. Lighting

16. Low-key lighting
High contrast
Dramatic
Dangerous

17. High-key lighting
Evenly shaded
Lit background
Non-threatening
Fun

18. Film Visual Camera angle Width Elevation Wide Normal Telephoto
High to Bird's-eye view:
Eye level
Low to Worm's-eye view
Canted

19. Camera angle

20. Film Visual Camera and Lens Movement Left / Right: pan, crab or track
In / Out: zoom or track
Up / Down: tilt or ped
Role
Wild Film (speedy, blurred movement)
Handheld (for closeness, intimacy)

21. Film Visual
Shot
Editing - the cutting and joining of lengths of film that makes the narrative flow.

22. Shot Single take Size (close-up, long shot, panoramic)
Subjective point-of-view-shot (through the eyes of a character in the movie) .
Eye-line shot (that makes YOU feel like you are part of the movie, seeing things from your angle).

23. Shot Size
Long shot
Medium shot
Close up

24. Editing
Jump-cut = a dramatic cut that breaks the time continuity/ jumps in time or space
Cross-cut = a cut that follow parallel action in two or more separate scenes at the same time
Follow-cut = follows an action to its consequence
Fade (sometimes into black)
Split screen
Collage/matte

25. Visual (special) effects
Used to create realism and meaning
example:
Space craft in Star Wars
Animated monkey in King Kong

26. Frame Rate
Film speed
Time laps
fast motion
slow motion
freeze frame

27. Film Sound wind-noise screeching cars background music footsteps
music for mood etc.
narrative (musicals)

28. Film Sound
Actual sound
Commentary sound

29. Actual Sound Voices of characters
Sounds made by objects in the story: coffee cup, foot steps
Music from: instruments, record players, radios, tape players in the scene
Basic sound effects: dog barking, car passing as it is in the scene

30. Actual Sound

31. Commentary Sound Narrator's commentary Voice of God
Sound effect which is added for dramatic effect
Mood music
Film Score

32. Commentary Sound

33. Genre - type of narrative
western
detective story
musical
comedy
thriller
sci-fi
drama
action
horror

34. Genre

35. Analyses The point of analysis is to figure out:
THEMES: What we should think about
MESSAGES: What we should understand

36. Further Reading:
Monaco, James. How to Read a Film, The Art, Technology, Language, History and Theory of Film and Media. Oxford University Press Inc, USA ISBN