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INTRO TO
FILM
STUDIES
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 1
Why Are You Here?
• Why did you decide to take
this class?
• Are you interested in
working in the movie
business someday, or are
you just a movie fan?
• What do you think we will
be doing in this class?
What Will We Be Studying?
• The history of film
• How films are made
• How to appreciate film
• How to analyze film
• How to write about film
• How to make your own
films
What Will We Be Doing ?
• Learning about film
techniques
• Watching film clips for
examples
• Watching and discussing full
length films
• Writing about and giving
presentations on films
• Making short films
What Do We Love About
Movies?
• In your notebook, list
your five favorite movies.
• For each, be prepared to
explain why it is one of
your favorites.
• Discuss
 Teacher Note: Use full class
discussion, think-pair-share, or
group discussion and share out.

What is Film
• What is a movie?
• How is it different from other
art forms that tell stories, like
a book or a play?
• What makes a movie different
than a TV show?
• How is being a filmmaker
different than being a novelist
or painter?
• What are the choices a
filmmaker makes in creating a
movie?
• If you were filming this class
right now, what choices could
you make?
 Teacher Note: Discuss the meaning of each
term. If you feel it will not be disruptive,
students can use their phones to consider
choices. Paper “cameras” or even rolled up

Choices
paper or paper towel rolls could illustrate
some examples.

• When you take a picture

of something with your
phone, what choices do
you have?
 Distance
 Angle
 Framing
 Composition
 Color
 Shape
• Anything else?
 Teacher Note: Discuss the meaning of each
concept. Terms will be introduced later in
the course. If you feel it will not be
disruptive, students can use their phones to

Choices
consider choices. Paper “cameras” or even
rolled up paper or paper towel rolls could
illustrate some examples.

• Since a movie camera

takes “motion pictures,”
what additional choices
does this give you?
 Move or stay still
 Move towards or away
from object
 Move up and down or side
to side
 Follow object or not
• Anything else?
More than Just Pictures
• What other elements
besides photography are
a part of a movie?
 Acting
 What do movie actors do?
 Sound
 Dialogue
 Music
 Sound Effects
 Editing
 What is editing?
 Story
 What is a script?
 Teacher Note: Can be used as an Exit
Ticket.

Your Favorite Films

• Pick one of the five
favorite films you chose.
• Choose one element you
feel was especially good
(for example:
photography, acting,
sound, story, script, etc.).
• Write one sentence
explaining what was so
good about it.
MISE-EN-
SCÈNE
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 2
Mise-en-scène
• French: “Placing on
stage”
• Describes everything in
the filmed image
• What would this include?
• Settings, props, lighting,
costumes, makeup,
actors, cinematography
• We will assume that, in a
great film, every element
has meaning.
Mise-en-scène
• The script says “A man is
standing up against a
wall.”
• As filmmaker, what are
your options?
• Brainstorm and discuss.
Mise-en-scène Examples

Citizen Kane, 1941

Mise-en-scène Examples

Vertigo, 1958
Mise-en-scène Examples

Taxi Driver, 1976

Mise-en-scène Examples

American Beauty, 1999

Mise-en-scène Examples

The Royal Tenenbaums, 2001

Mise-en-scène Examples

There Will Be Blood, 2007

Mise-en-scène Examples

The Great Gatsby, 2013

Mise-en-scène – Points to
Consider
1. In a written narrative,
we receive information
sequentially, in film,
we see it all at once.
2. We take in information
quickly, and therefore,
often subconsciously.
3. Subsequent shots all
stand in relation to
previous shots.
Big Fish, 2003
• What does all this mean?
Mise-en-scène:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify
interesting and
significant elements
of the mise-en-scène.
• American Beauty
(1999)
• Discuss
Mise-en-scène:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify
interesting and
significant elements
of the mise-en-scène.
• Eyes Wide Shut
(1999)
• Discuss
Mise-en-scène:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify
interesting and
significant elements
of the mise-en-scène.
• Marie Antoinette
(2006)
• Discuss
Mise-en-scène:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify
interesting and
significant elements
of the mise-en-scène.
• Lost in Translation
(2003)
• Discuss
CAMERA
DISTANCE
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 3
Shots, Takes, and Scenes
• In order to talk about
film, we will need to
build our film
vocabulary.
• We often discuss film
in terms of:
 A shot
 A take
and
 A scene
The Shot
• What is a shot?
• When you “shoot” a film
with a movie camera,
film runs through the
camera and past the lens.
• A shot refers to one
uninterrupted piece of
film that is run through
the camera.
• Hundreds of shots are
edited together to make a
finished film.
A Take
• What is a take?
• A take is a single
recording of a shot.
• Typically, many takes
will be filmed of each
shot.
• Later, the editor will
choose the best take of
each shot and assemble
these into the final film.
• Hundreds of hours of
takes are filmed and then
thrown away.
A Scene
• What is a scene?
• A scene is the action that
takes place in a single
location and in
continuous time.
• A film is made up of
many scenes.
• Usually, several shots
make up a scene. It is
unusual for a scene to
contain no edits.
Camera Distance
• In composing shots, the
filmmaker can vary the
apparent distance between the
camera and the subject
(person or object) he or she is
filming.
• This can be done by physically
moving the camera closer, or
by using a lens that makes the
subject appear closer.
• Typically, the closer the object
appears, the more importance
it has for the audience.
• This is known as “shot scale.”
Camera Distance
• There are five basic types
of shots:
 extreme close up,
 close up,
 medium shot,
 long shot, and
 extreme long shot.
Extreme
Close-Up
• Isolates an image and
makes it appear relatively
large on the screen.
• If it’s of a face, it might be Do the Right Thing, 1989
just an actor’s eyes or
mouth.
• What impact might an
extreme close-up have on
the audience?
• If it’s of an object, it can
indicate symbolic
importance.
• It can be disorienting for
the audience

The Blair Witch Project, 1999

Close-Up
• If it’s of an actor, its is
typically just the
character’s face.
• Why might a close-up be
used? What impact might
a close-up have on the
audience? Rear Window, 1954
• It can imply beauty of
glamour, can encourage
empathy with the
character, can show that a
character is thinking.
• Often highly emotional.
• Sometimes, you don’t want
to be so close to a
character, especially a
scary one!
The Shining, 1980
Medium Shot
• Medium distance. If
of an actor, it’s from
the waist up.
• Why might a medium
shot be used?
The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1946
• It can be used to
focus the audience’s
attention onto a
particular character.

The Lovely Bones, 2009

Full Shot
• A full shot shows the
entire human body,
head to toe.
• Why might a full shot
be used? 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968

• A full shot shows you

more of the setting.
• It allows you to follow a
character’s movements.
• Useful in dance or
action sequences.

American Gangster, 2007

Long Shot
• A long shot appears
to be taken from a
long distance away.
• Why might a long
shot be used? Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1981

• Emphasizes the
environment that a
character is in.

The Pursuit of Happyness, 2006

Extreme
Long Shot
• Shows the object or
person at a vast
distance surrounded
by a great amount of Stagecoach, 1939
space.
• Why might an extreme
long shot be used?
• Can convey the
enormous size of a
setting.
• Can isolate a character
or make people seem
tiny or unimportant.
Gone With the Wind, 1939
Camera Distance – Points to
Consider
1. The camera distance
symbolizes our distance
from the subject, both
physical and emotional
distance (What do you
think emotional
distance means?)
2. Each film establishes
its own shot scale. This
means that shots exist
in relation to one
another, so one film’s
long shot might be
another film’s medium
shot.
Citizen Kane, 1941
Identify the Camera Distance
Identify the Camera Distance
Identify the Camera Distance
Identify the Camera Distance
Identify the Camera Distance
Identify the Camera Distance
Identify the Camera Distance
Camera Distance:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of and
why.
• Pi (1998)
• Discuss
Camera Distance:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of
and why.
• Days of Heaven (1978)
• Discuss
Camera Distance:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of and
why.
• The Fellowship of the Ring
(2001)
• Discuss
Camera Distance:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of and
why.
• Star Wars (1977)
• Discuss
A Word About Animation
• The next two clips (and some
other clips used in this
course) are animated.

• In animation a film isn’t

photographed from reality,
but created frame by frame,
either with a still camera, by
hand, or with the help of a
computer.

• However, since animators

imitate the same camera
techniques traditional
filmmakers use, we will use
the same terminology when
discussing animated films
and films made with a
Discussion Question: Why would
motion picture camera. animators would use the same
techniques that traditional
filmmakers use?
 A Word About Animation
• Today, many films are
actually a combination of
real life photography and
computer generated
images.
• Computers allow a virtual
“camera” to move in ways
that a real life camera
never could.

Discussion Question: What can a

computer “camera” do that a
regular camera can’t?
Camera Distance:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of and
why.
• The Lego Movie (2014)
• Discuss
Camera Distance:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of and
why.
• How to Train Your
Dragon (2010)
• Discuss
Camera Distance Quiz
1. What is a “shot”?
2. What is a “take”?
3. What is a “scene”?
4. What might an extreme close up photograph?
5. What might an extreme long shot photograph?
6. Why might a filmmaker use a close up?
7. Why might a filmmaker use a medium shot?
8. Why might a filmmaker use a long shot?
9. Why might a full shot be used?
10. What does “shot scale” refer to?
CAMERA
ANGLES
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 4
Camera Angles
• Just as they can select
the distance of the
camera, filmmakers can
also select the angle of
the shot.
• Possible angles are
 eye-level
 low-angle
 high-angle
 bird’s eye
 worm’s eye, and
 Dutch tilt (or canted
angle).
• What purpose do you
think these different
angles serve?
Eye-Level
Shot
• The camera is placed
at the level of the
actor’s eyes. Stagecoach, 1939

• Why might an eye- Forrest Gump, 1994

level shot be used?
• It’s considered
“neutral.”

Titanic, 1997
Low-Angle
Shot
• The director shoots his
or her subject from
below.
Touch of Evil, 1958
• Why might a low-angle
shot be used?
• The camera is “looking
up” at the subject.
• Can make the subject
seem important,
powerful, or
threatening.

Inglorious Basterds, 2009

High-Angle
Shot
• The director shoots
his or her subject
from above. O Brother, Where Art Thou?, 2000
• Why might a high-
angle shot be used?
• The camera is
“looking down” at the
subject.
• Can make the
subject seem weak or
vulnerable.

Matilda, 1996
Bird’s-Eye
Shot
• The director shoots his
or her subject from
directly above: the
highest possible angle.
Titanic, 1997
• Why might a bird’s-eye
shot be used?
• Is a “god-like” view.
• Can imply a dream-
like or “out-of body”
state.
• Presents the context of
what is beneath the
subject.

Kill Bill, 2003

Dutch Tilt
• Named due to its use
in early German films
(“Deutch” means
German).
The Third Man, 1949
• Why might a Dutch
Tilt be used?
• Can show a character’s
unbalanced mental
state.
• Can suggest
corruption, or a world
out of kilter.

Inception, 2010
 Camera Angles – Points to
Consider
1. Camera angles can often
distort what is onscreen,
making a figure appear
larger or smaller, for
example.
2. Camera angles have a
psychological effect on the
audience’s perceptions
3. Angles may sometimes
fulfill the opposite of the
functions defined here.
Activity: Have students take pictures of one
another from various angles and share these
to a common folder. Display, and discuss
the impact each choice has.
The Shining, 1980
Camera Angles:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify which
angles the director
makes use of and
why.
• The Untouchables
(1987)
Camera Angles:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify which
angles the director
makes use of and
why.
• Dead Poets Society
(1989)
Camera Angles:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify which
angles the director
makes use of and
why.
• The Virgin Suicides
(1999)
Camera Angles:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify which
angles the director
makes use of and why.
• Forrest Gump (1994)
Camera Angles:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify which
angles the director
makes use of and why.
• Shrek (2001)
Camera Angles:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify which
angles the director
makes use of and why.
• Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Camera Angles:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify which
angles the director
makes use of and why.
• Zootopia (2016)
Camera Angles Quiz
1. Whymight an eye-level shot be
used?
2. Why might a low angle be used?
3. Why might a high angle be used?
4. Whymight a bird’s-eye shot be
used?
5. Why might a Dutch tilt be used?
OTHER
SHOTS
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 5
In addition . . .
• There are many
other terms used to
explain shots in a
film.
• These can describe
the number of
characters in a shot,
the position of the
camera, and the
Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981
purpose of the shot.
Two Shot
• A shot containing two
figures.
• Tends to show them as Vertigo, 1958
equally important.
• Is useful for
conversations.
• Is considered “neutral.”

Ted, 2012
Three Shot
• A shot containing three
figures.
• It requires greater
camera distance to get The Searchers, 1956
them all in the frame.
• Therefore, it accentuates
the setting more than the
two-shot.

The Darjeeling Limited, 2007

Over-the
Shoulder Shot
• Used to show a
conversation where two
actors sit or stand across Pulp Fiction, 1994
from one another.
• Cross-cutting between
two characters must
follow the 180 degree-
rule.

Election, 1999
180 Degree Rule
• We measure circles in
degrees, from 0 to 360.
• If you were facing
someone and turned 180
degrees, you would have
your back to them.
• What would happen if
you turned around 360
degrees?
180 Degree Rule
• An imaginary line
connects two characters,
or a character and an
object.
• By keeping the camera
on one side of this axis,
one character will
remain frame right, and
the other frame left.
• Otherwise, the audience
may be confused.
• Some filmmakers break
this rule on purpose
The Shining, 1980 (intentionally “crossing the line”)
Reaction
Shot
• A cut away from the main
action to show a character
reacting to something.
• Is usually a close up, Psycho, 1960
shows emotion, and
contains no dialogue from
that character.
• Usually advances the
story, or tells the audience
something about that
character, or how they are
supposed to react.

The Breakfast Club, 1985

Point-of-View
Shot
• Shows a particular
character’s perspective.
• As if you are seeing
through their eyes. Force of Evil, 1948

• Often used in horror or

suspense films.
• Can you think of any
films that have used
point-of-view shots?

Mean Girls, 2004

Establishing
Shot
• An extreme long shot can
introduce a new location.
• In a long shot, all relevant The Bourne Ultimatum, 2007
characters are visible in
their setting
• A master shot will last the
length of the take, and will
be one of the editor’s
options (in addition to
close-ups, medium shots,
etc. obtained through
coverage.
• Coverage refers to shooting
a scene from many different
angles and distances to give
the editor options.
Little Miss Sunshine, 2006
Insert Shot
• Is not of a person.
• Instead, it is used to
emphasize a relevant
object. Dark City, 1998

• Often calls the viewer’s

attention to the time, a
newspaper story, a
symbolic object, police
evidence, or what a
character is seeing (or
not seeing) in a given
scene.
Zodiac, 2007
Crane Shot
• The camera is placed on a
crane and moved from below.
• Can view actors from above
or move up and away from
them.
• Allows for long takes without
cuts.
• Looks as if the camera is
“flying” above and around the
action.
• Can achieve a flowing
rhythm in a film.
High Noon, 1952
Aerial Shot
• An exterior shot filmed
from the air (often by a
helicopter).
• Used to establish a
location, sometimes an The Shining, 1980
exotic one.
• Often used at the
beginning of a film and
behind the titles.
• Can also show the
insignificance of a
character or characters.

American Beauty, 1999

Other Shots:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify which
shots the director
makes use of and
why.
• Vanilla Sky (2001)
Other Shots:
Examples
• In the following film
clips, identify which
shots the director makes
use of and why.
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
Other Shots:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of
and why.
• The Godfather (1972)
Other Shots:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of
and why.
• No Country for Old Men
(2007)
Other Shots:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of
and why.
• The Angry Birds Movie
(2016)
Other Shots:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify which shots the
director makes use of and
why.
• The Princess Bride (1987)
Other Shots Quiz
1. What is a two-shot?

2. What is a three-shot?

3. What is an over-the-shoulder shot?

4. Explain the 180 degree rule.

5. What is a reaction shot?

6. What is a point-of-view shot?

7. What is an establishing shot?

8. What is an insert shot?

9. What is a crane shot?

10. What is an aerial shot?

HISTORY OF
THE MOVIES
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 6
Take a look at each of the
following images . . .
What do these images have
in common?

What does this have to do

with movies?
An Optical Illusion
• Film consists of still
images (like regular
photographs), 24 of
which are projected
per second.
• Our brains interpret
this as movement
and ignore the lines
between each frame.
• The brain provides a
“mental bridge”
between each frame.
Persistence of Vision
• The human brain
has a threshold
below which separate
images exposed to it
will appear
continuous.
• The speed at which
film is projected (24
fps), is below that
threshold.
• Example
A Concise History of the
Origins of Cinema
• Video (25:57)
• Please take notes;
there will be a short
quiz!
 How does each of these films
represent an advance in

Early Films filmmaking?

• Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (1895)

• The Kiss (1896) Each version of A Trip to the
Moon has different music
• A Trip to the Moon (1902) added to the silent film, and
one is hand-tinted. Which do
you prefer?
• The Great Train Robbery (1903)
• The Birth of a Nation (1915) How is the “Tonight,
Tonight” music video an
• Battleship Potemkin (1925) homage to A Trip to the
Moon?

• The Jazz Singer (1927)

How is The Untouchables an
homage to Battleship
Potemkin?
History of the Movies Quiz
1. What is the “Persistence of Vision”?

2. What is a “Zoetrope”?

3. What is a “Magic Lantern”?

4. Which technologies needed to be combined to create

motion pictures?

5. Choose one of the following names and describe that

person’s contribution to motion picture technology:
Louis Daguerre, Edward Muybridge, Lumiere
Brothers, Georges Milies, Edwin S. Porter, Thomas
Edison, D.W. Griffith, Sergei Eisenstein, Lee DeForest.
MODERN
TIMES
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 7
Modern Times
• We will be viewing
Modern Times, a 1936
film directed by
Charlie Chaplin.
• What do you
anticipate a film from
1936 will be like?
• Based upon the title,
what do you think the
film will be about?
Brainstorm and discuss.
Charlie Chaplin
• Lived from 1889-1977
• Was an English actor,
comedian, and filmmaker.
• Endured poverty and
hardship as a child.
• After work on stage, he
began acting in short
films in America in 1914.
• Early in his career, he
began writing and
directing his own films.
The Tramp
• Chaplin created the
character of “The Tramp”
for his second film, in
1914, and would play this
character in most of his
films.
• He acted in 68 short films
between 1914 and 1919.
• His salary began at $150 a
week, but by 1916, he was
earning $670,000 a year
(about $15 million in
today’s dollars).
Some Chaplin Short Films
• When Chaplin began
making films, most movies
were short (10-20 minutes)
and all were silent.
• In the beginning he was
making a film a week, but
as time went on, his films
became longer and more
complex.
• The Tramp (1915)
• Easy Street (1917)
• The Immigrant (1917) View all or part of these three films.
In what ways do his films become more
complex?
Feature Films
• In 1919, Chaplin co-founded
his own distribution
company, United Artists,
which gave him complete
control of his work.
• The Kid (1921), at 68
minutes, was Chaplin’s
longest film to date.
• He wrote, directed,
produced, edited, starred in,
and composed the music for
most of his films.
Feature Films
After The Kid, Chaplin went on to
direct ten more feature films:
A Woman of Paris (1923)
The Gold Rush (1925)
The Circus (1928)
City Lights (1931)
Modern Times (1936)
The Great Dictator (1940)
Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
Limelight (1952)
A King in New York (1957)
A Countess from Hong Kong (1967) Four of these: The Gold Rush, City
Lights, Modern Times, and The Great
Dictator, are considered among the
greatest movies ever made.
Feature Films
• Chaplin starred as “The
Tramp” in nearly all his
films, until 1936.
• Although Hollywood
had mostly transitioned
to “talkies” by the
beginning of the 1930’s,
The Tramp remained
almost entirely silent,
although sound effects
and music were used.
Feature Films
• Chaplin mocked Adolph
Hitler in The Great
Dictator (1940).
• He played a serial killer
in Monsieur Verdoux
(1947).
• His final film – the only
one to be shot in color –
was A Countess from
Hong Kong (1967),
starring Marlon Brando
and Sophia Loren.
Controversy
• Beginning in the 1940’s,
Chaplin’s popularity
declined rapidly due to
negative publicity and
smear campaigns promoted
by J. Edgar Hoover.
• He was accused of
communist sympathies and
was involved in a paternity
suit and scandals involving
his marriages to much
younger women.
• After an FBI investigation
was opened, he left the US
and moved to Switzerland.
Style and Themes
Style Themes
• Restrained slapstick. • Surviving and
remaining positive
• Physical comedy and in the face of a
situation-based hostile world.
humor.
• Retaining dignity in
• Pathos and spite of low social
sentimentality. position.
• Unobtrusive, simple • Draws on tragic and
camera work. controversial issues.
Definitions
Slapstick: a style of
humor involving
exaggerated physical
activity which exceeds
the boundaries of normal
physical comedy.
Pathos: an appeal to the
emotions of the audience.
Modern Times
• In 1931, Chaplin was
unsure if he could make
another film without
dialogue.
• He was convinced that
sound would not work in his
films, but was also obsessed
with a fear of seeming old-
fashioned.
• He spent 16 months
travelling, and met a new
woman, 21-year-old actress
Paulette Goddard, who
would co-star in his new
film.
Modern Times
• Chaplin feared that
capitalism and machinery in
the workplace would
increase unemployment and
hurt the workers of
America.
• Featuring the Tramp and
Goddard as they endure
the Great Depression,
Modern Times took ten and
a half months to film.
• Chaplin intended to use
spoken dialogue, but
changed his mind during
rehearsals.
Modern Times
• Like its predecessor, City
Lights, Modern
Times employed sound
effects and music, but
almost no speaking.
• Chaplin's performance of a
gibberish song did, however,
give the Tramp a voice for
the only time on film.
• It was his first political film,
and attempted to show the
harsh realities of life during
the Great Depression.
Modern Times
• Today, along with The
Gold Rush, City Lights,
and The Great Dictator,
Modern Times is widely
considered to be one of
the greatest films ever
made.
• It is often included in
“top 100” movie lists,
such as that published
by the American Film
Institute.
Discussion After Viewing
• What did you think of the film?

• Why do you think this film is considered “great”?

• What are the major themes of this film?

• What did you think of the cinematography?

• What did you think of the acting?

• What did you think of the use of sound?

• In what ways is this comedic film serious?

• How does this film deal with political and social issues
of its time?
LIGHTING &
COLOR
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 8
Lighting
• Filmmakers use natural and
artificial lighting to achieve a
wide range of visual effects
as well as to influence the
audience’s response to a
scene.
• The angle and direction of
light gives the audience clues
about where and what time
of day the scene is taking
place and where they are
supposed to look.
• How well the movie is lit
influences how the audience
perceives the production
values (and therefore the
quality) of the movie.
Lighting
• Light can be classified in
several ways including:

• How sharp are the

shadows?

• What is the angle of the

light?

• How bright is the light?

• What color is the light?

• How many lights are being

used?
Three-Point Lighting
• Is the standard lighting
scheme for classical
narrative cinema (most
films).
• In order to present an
actor's face (or any object)
with a sense of depth, light
from three directions is
used.
• A backlight picks out the
subject from its
background, a bright key
light highlights the object,
and a fill light from the
opposite side ensures that
the key light casts only
faint shadows.
Three-Point Lighting
• Key Light: main source of light
in a scene; comes from one side or
another.
• Fill Light/ Filler: a balancing
light used to eliminate shadows
created by key light; often
directed at a star's face to
provide a balanced lighted
perspective.
• Back Light: illuminates the
back of a scene and the head and
back of a subject; often creates a
"halo effect" around the head and
shoulders of the subject.
• A fourth light source is usually
aimed at the background behind
the actor to illuminate the
setting. Otherwise the actors
might look like they are floating
in space.
Three-Point Lighting

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Three-Point Lighting

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

High-Key Lighting
• A lighting scheme in which
the fill light is raised to
almost the same level as the
key light.
• This produces images that
are usually very bright and
that feature few shadows on
the principal subjects.
• This bright image is
characteristic of genres such
as musicals and comedies.
• Soft Lighting: creates an
evenly lit world, where
things are known or soon-to-
be known. Usually does not
create suspense or fear, and
does not create strong moral
distinctions between
characters.
High-Key Lighting

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

High-Key Lighting

Marie Antoinette (2006)

Low-Key Lighting
• A lighting scheme that employs
very little fill light, creating
strong contrasts between the
brightest and darkest parts of
an image and often creating
strong shadows that obscure
parts of the principal subjects.
• This lighting scheme is often
associated with "hard-boiled" or
suspense genres such as film
noir.
• Hard Lighting: sharp contrast
between illuminated and
shadowed areas; suggests
mystery, ominous situations,
and fear.
Low-Key Lighting

Citizen Kane (1941)

Color
• While all early films were shot in
black and white, the cinema soon
included color by dyeing the film
stock or painting or stenciling
colors onto the film.
• By the 1930s, filmmakers were
including actual color sequences
in their films.
• Apart from the added realism or
glamour that a color image can
provide, color is also used to
create visual patterns and to
establish character or emotion in
narrative cinema.
• In Federico Fellini's Juliet of the
Spirits (1965) different color
schemes separate reality from
the fantasies of the title
character.
Warm and Cool Colors
• Depending upon the
colors used, the palate
of a film can be
described as “warm,” or
“cool.”
• What effect might this
have on the viewer’s
experience of the film?
• Do particular films
come to mind as being
warmer or cooler?
Warm and Cool Colors

Which is warm and which is cool?

Which is the real frame?
Analyze the use of color in each
of the following frames . . .
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Her (2013)
The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix (1999)
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Amélie (2001)
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Big Fish (2003)
Pleasantville (1998)
Color Associations
• What attributes do you
associate with:
 Red
 Pink
 Yellow
 Orange
 Purple
 Green
 Turquoise
 Beige
 Black
 Gray
 White
 Brown
Contrast
• The ratio of dark to light in an
image.

• If the difference between the light

and dark areas is large, the image is
said to be “high contrast.”

• If the difference is small, it is

referred to as “low contrast.”

• Most films use lower contrast to

achieve a more naturalistic lighting.
High contrast is usually associated
with the low key lighting of dark
scenes in genres such as horror and
film noir.

• A common cliché is to use contrast

between light and dark to
distinguish between good and evil.
Exposure
• A camera lens has an
aperture (opening) that
controls how much light
passes through the lens and
onto the film.
• If the aperture is widened,
more light comes through
and the resulting image will
become more exposed.
Exposure
• If an image is so pale that
the detail begins to
disappear, it can be
described as “overexposed.”
• Conversely, a narrow
aperture that allows less
light through will produce a
darker image than normal,
known as “underexposed.”
• Exposure can be
manipulated to guide an
audience's response to a
scene.
Quality
• The look of an image, its
balance of dark and light, the
depth of the space in focus,
the relation of background
and foreground, etc., all
affect the reception of the
image.
• For instance, the optical
qualities of grainy black and
white in Battle of Algiers
(1965) seem to guarantee its
authenticity.
• On the other hand, the
shimmering Technicolor of a
musical such as Singin' in
the Rain (1952) suggests
glamour and excitement.
Examples
• How to Set Up Three Point Lighting

• Lighting for Film Noir

• The History and Science of Color Film

• The History and Science of Color Temperature

Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify the use of
lighting/ color and its
effect on the scene.
• Mildred Pierce (1945)
Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify the use of
lighting/ color and its
effect on the scene.
• Manhattan (1979)
Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify the use of
lighting/ color and its
effect on the scene.
• Amadeus (1984)
Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the use of lighting/
color and its effect on the
scene.
• Three Colors: Red (1994)
Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the use of lighting/
color and its effect on the
scene.
• Hairspray (1988)
Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the use of lighting/
color and its effect on the
scene.
• Do the Right Thing (1989)
Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the use of lighting/
color and its effect on the
scene.
• Fargo (1996)
Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the use of lighting/
color and its effect on the
scene.
• Pleasantville (1998)
Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the use of lighting/
color and its effect on the
scene.
• Amélie (2001)
Lighting and Color:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the use of lighting/
color and its effect on the
scene.
• Corpse Bride (2005)
Lighting and Color Quiz
1. What is three-point lighting?

2. What is high-key lighting?

3. What is low-key lighting?

4. What does “contrast” refer to?

5. What does “exposure” refer to?

6. What does “film qualiity” refer to?

7. How are musicals typically lit?

8. How are comedies typically lit?

9. How is a film noir typically lit?

10. How is a horror film typically lit?

THE
WIZARD
OF OZ
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 9
The Wizard of Oz
• 1939 American musical
comedy-drama-fantasy.
• Based upon the 1900
novel by L. Frank Baum.
• Notable for its use of
Technicolor, musical
score, and unusual
characters.
• Has become an icon of
American popular
culture.
A Difficult Production
• Nearly 20 screenwriters worked
on different versions of the
screenplay.
• The film went through four
different directors.
• Buddy Ebsen, the original Tin
Man, had to leave after he was
hospitalized for a reaction to the
aluminum powder.
• Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked
Witch) was severely burned in
the Munchkinland scene when
an elevator malfunctioned.
• She then refused to do a scene in
which her broomstick billows
smoke, and her stand in, Betty
Danko, was severely injured.
Technicolor
• The most widely used color
process in Hollywood from 1922-
1952.
• Produced bright and saturated
(and not especially realistic) color
images. Used in many classic
musicals.
• The Wizard of Oz is filmed in
three-strip Technicolor, in which
a beam splitter splits light into
green, red and blue, captured on
three separate rolls of film.
• It was expensive, required a
bulky camera, very bright
lighting (which made film sets
very hot) and careful supervision
of the colors of costumes and sets.
Judy Garland
• (1922-1969) American singer and
actress. Mother of singer-actresses
Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft.
• Made more than two dozen films,
including Meet Me in St. Louis and
Easter Parade.
• Began performing at the age of two,
and appearing in films at 13.
• Struggled with drugs throughout
her life, a condition she blamed the
studio’s harsh treatment of her
when she was a child star.
• First woman to win a Grammy for
“Album of the Year” for Judy at
Carnegie Hall (1961).
• Eventually died of an accidental
overdose at the age of 47.
The Music
• The songs were
composed by Harold
Arlen and lyrics by Yip
Harburg.
• “Over the Rainbow,”
which the studio almost
cut from the film, won
the 1939 Academy
Award for Best Original
Song, and Herbert
Stothart won for Best
Original Score.
Lasting Impact
• The Wiz, an African-American
Broadway adaption, premiered in
1975 and was made into a 1978
film.
• Wicked, a 1995 novel, was adapted
into the 2003 Broadway musical,
which is still running today.
• The film was #6 on the American
Film Institute’s 1998 list of the top
100 American films.
• Walt Disney released Oz the Great
and Powerful, a prequel, in 2013.
• The Wiz Live! Was broadcast on
NBC in 2015.
Discussion Questions
• What did you think of the film?

• Why do you think this film is considered “great”?

• What are the major themes of this film?

• What did you think of the performances?

• What did you think of the use of color and lighting?

• How does the film use symbolism?

• How does the film use irony?

• What impact does the use of a framing device (Oz as a dream)

have on your appreciation of the film?

• Why do you think this film has become such an important part
of American culture?
CAMERA
MOVEMENT
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 10
Camera Movement
• Describes the
physical movement
of the camera during
the course of a given
shot.
Pan
• A camera movement in
which a fixed camera
pivots to the right or
left.
• On the screen, it
produces a mobile
framing that scans the
space horizontally.
• A pan can show a
moving object or a
sweeping landscape.
Whip Pan
• An extremely fast
movement of the camera
from side to side, which
briefly causes the image
to blur into a set of
indistinct horizontal
streaks.
• Often, an imperceptible
cut will join two whip
pans to create a trick
transition between
scenes.
• Commonly used in action
sequences (e.g. in Kung-
Fu movies).
Tilt
• A camera movement in
which camera body pivots
upward or downward on a
stationary support.
• It produces a mobile framing
that scans the space
vertically.
• This will also change the
angle of framing, from high
to low, for example.
• Reveals a vertical object (like
a person or building).
• Can be used to build
suspense as a person is
gradually revealed.
Pedestal Shot
• In a pedestal move, the
camera body will
physically be lowered or
elevated.
• The difference between
tilts and pedestals is that
in the former, the camera
lens is just being aimed
up or down, whereas in
the latter, the camera is
being moved vertically.
• It therefore does not
change the angle like a
tilt would.
Follow Shot
• A shot in which the
framing shifts to keep a
character or characters
onscreen.
• The camera may pan,
track, tilt, or crane to
keep the characters in
the frame.
• Reframing allows the
characters’ actions to
take precedence over the
camera movement.
Tracking Shot
• A mobile framing in which
the camera travels through
space forward, backward, or
laterally.
• A tracking shot usually
follows a character or object
as it moves along the screen.
• Contrary to the pan, which
mimics a turning head, a
tracking shot physically
accompanies the entire
range of movement.
• It therefore creates a closer
affinity with the character or
object moving, since the
spectator is not just
watching him/her moving,
but moving with him/her.
Dolly Shot
• The camera is placed
upon a wheeled support.
• It can be free moving, or
fixed upon rails to allow
identical movement
between takes.
• Dollies are often used
when recording a subject
that moves away or
toward the camera, in
which case the goal is
often to keep the subject
at the same distance
from the camera.
Crane Shot
• A shot with a change in framing
rendered by having the camera
above the ground and moving
through the air in any
direction. It is accomplished by
placing the camera on a crane
(basically, a large cantilevered
arm) or similar device.
• Crane shots often include long
or extreme long shots: they give
the camera a sense of freedom
and flight and often give the
viewer a feeling of omniscience
over the characters.
• Crane shots are often combined
with long takes.
 Handheld/ Steadicam
• The use of the camera operator's body
as a camera support, either holding it
by hand or using a gyroscopic
stabilizer and harness.

• Newsreel filmmakers favored smaller

cameras that were quickly adopted by
documentary and avant-garde
filmmakers, notably the cinéma verité
movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

• Also used by young filmmakers since

they were cheap and lent the images a
greater feeling of spontaneity.

• They give a film an unstable, jerky

feel, and allow for a greater degree of
movement and flexibility than bulkier
standard cameras.

• Gyroscopically stabilized "steadicams"

were invented in the 1970s and made
it possible to create smooth tracking
shots without cumbersome equipment.
Thoughts on Movement
• Although camera movements
are often implemented to add
excitement to shots, their best
use is when new information is
revealed.

• Camera movements can be

distracting and even annoying
when overused or used without
a reason.

• Editing and focus are other

ways to achieve movement, but
they do not involve literal
movement of the camera.
Examples
• Camera Movement Tutorial

• Camera Movement and the Art of Cinematography

Camera Movement:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify the
camera movement the
director makes use of
and its effect.
• Gone with the Wind
(1939)
Camera Movement:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify the
camera movement the
director makes use of
and its effect.
• Touch of Evil (1958)
Camera Movement:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify the
camera movement the
director makes use of
and its effect.
• West Side Story (1961)
Camera Movement:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify the
camera movement the
director makes use of
and its effect.
• The Shining (1980)
Camera Movement:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify the
camera movement the
director makes use of
and its effect.
• Goodfellas (1990)
Camera Movement:
Examples
• In the following film
clip, identify the
camera movement the
director makes use of
and its effect.
• Boogie Nights (1997)
Camera Movement:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the camera
movement the director
makes use of and its effect.
• Kill Bill, Volume 1 (2003)
Camera Movement:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the camera
movement the director
makes use of and its effect.
• The Polar Express (2004)
Camera Movement Quiz
1. What is a pan?

2. What is a whip pan?

3. What is a tilt?

4. What is a pedestal shot?

5. What is a follow shot?

6. What is a tracking shot?

7. What is an dolly shot?

8. What is a crane shot?

9. What is the purpose of the Steadicam?

10. What’s a problem with too much camera movement?

FILM
GENRES
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 11
Genre
• Genre refers to a type or
category of film that has its
own recognizable conventions
and stock characters.
• Convention: the way
something is usually done.
• Stock Character: a
stereotypical person whom
audiences readily recognize
from frequent recurrences in
a particular literary
tradition.
Genre
• Genres rely on repetition and
variation rather than
uniqueness, sharing familiar
and recognizable
conventions.
• It is one method of
classifying film.
• One example of a film genre
would be the Western.
• What other film genres can
you think of?
Categorizing Genre
• Many film genres relate to literary
genres.

• Film genres can be categorized by:

 Setting (Western, Sci-Fi)
 Mood (Comedy, Horror)
 Format (Musical, Documentary)

• But also by:

 Style (German Expressionism, Cinéma
Vérité)
 Intended Audience (Family, Kids, Teen,
Adult, Cult)
 Theme (Paranoid Political, Social
Satire)
 Period/ Country (American 1970s,
Soviet 1920’s)
 Intended Venue (Drive-In, Midnight)
Some Examples
Can you think of a film to match each description?
• Action • Coming of Age • Biopic
• Thriller • Biker • Historical
• Prison • Detective • Spy
• Martial Arts • Gangster • Western
• Beach Party • Romance • War
• Costume Drama • Science Fiction • Rom Com
• Horror • Heist • Cult
• Musical • Disaster • Epic
• Mystery • Fantasy • Family
• Film Noir • Comedy
• Crime • Courtroom
Sub Genre
• A subgenre is a smaller category within
a genre category.

• For example:

Horror Comedy
Creature Black Comedy
Ghost Family Comedy
Haunted House Gross-Out
Serial Killer Parody
Splatter Satire
Vampire Slapstick
Zombie Teen

Can you think of other examples?

Film Examples
How might you categorize each of the following films we have seen according to genre?
 Lord of the Rings  The Jazz Singer
 Star Wars  Modern Times
 The Lego Movie  Mildred Pierce
 How to Train Your Dragon  Goodfellas
 Forrest Gump  Amadeus
 Shrek  Hairspray
 Harry Potter  Do the Right Thing
 Zootopia  Pleasantville
 Vanilla Sky  Amélie
 Pulp Fiction  Corpse Bride
 The Angry Birds Movie  The Wizard of Oz
 The Princess Bride  Gone with the Wind
 A Trip to the Moon  Touch of Evil
 The Great Train Robbery  West Side Story
 Battleship Potemkin  The Shining
Conventions
• A convention is a widely used and
accepted device in an art form that
is commonly understood within a
given culture.

• What examples of film genre

conventions can you think of?

• Why might audiences respond

positively to genre conventions?

• What variations are possible

within examples of films from the
same genre?

• Can you think of vastly different

films that share the same genre?

• Can you think of any films that defy

genre classification?
Hybrid Genres
• In some cases, two genres have been
combined to create a hybrid possessing
elements of each genre.

• These include:
 Horror-Comedy
 Sci-Fi-Western
 Western-Musical
 Romantic-Comedy
 Sci-Fi-Horror
 Action-Comedy
 Romantic-Fantasy

• Can you think of an example for each?

• Can you think of other hybrid genres?

See if you can tell which genre
each film belongs to by looking at
its poster.
Film Genres Quiz
1. What is a film genre?

2. List four examples of film genres. (4 points)

3. What is a stock character?

4. List two ways a film can be categorized.

5. What is a sub-genre?

6. What is a convention?

7. What is a hybrid genre?

MOVIE
MUSICALS
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 12
Movie Musicals
• The musical film is a film
genre in which songs sung by
the characters are interwoven
into the narrative (story).
• The songs usually advance the
plot or develop the film's
characters, though in some
cases they serve merely as
breaks in the storyline, often as
elaborate "production
numbers.”
Movie Musicals
• The musical film was a natural
development of the stage
musical after the emergence of
sound film technology.
• Typically, the biggest
difference between film and
stage musicals is the use of
lavish background scenery and
locations that would be
impractical in a real theater.
• Performers often treat their
song and dance numbers as if
there is a live audience
watching. In a sense, the
viewer becomes the audience.
First Musicals
• The 1930s through the 1960s is
considered the golden age of the
musical, when the genre's popularity
was at its highest in the Western
world.
• Hollywood released more than 100
musical films in 1930, but only 14 in
1931.
• By late 1930, audiences had been
oversaturated with musicals and
studios were forced to cut the music
from films that were then being
released.
Busby Berkeley
• The taste in musicals revived again in
1933 when director Busby Berkeley began
to enhance the traditional dance number
with ideas drawn from the drill precision
he had experienced as a soldier during
WWI.

• In films such as 42nd Street and Gold

Diggers of 1933, Berkeley choreographed
in his unique style.

• Berkeley's numbers typically begin on a

stage but gradually transcend the
limitations of theatrical space: his
ingenious routines, involving human
bodies forming patterns like a
kaleidoscope, could never fit onto a real
stage, and the intended perspective is
often the Bird’s-Eye view.
The Depression
• In the 1930s, musicals proved to be a
particularly appropriate genre both for
addressing and escaping the urgent
problems of the Great Depression.

• The very nature of dance itself

suggests a sense of social harmony, for
dancing partners move in step with
each other, and in film musicals dances
are always done perfectly and with
apparent spontaneity.

• While dance was a useful metaphor of

communal order, the lavish spectacles
created by Hollywood musicals also
took audiences' thoughts away from
the sorrows in their own lives.
1940s & 50s
• Musical stars such as Fred
Astaire and Ginger Rogers were
among the most popular and highly
respected personalities in Hollywood
during the golden age.
• During the late 1940s and into the
1950s, a production unit at Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) headed
by Arthur Freed made the transition
from old-fashioned musical films,
whose formula had become repetitive,
to something new.
• Starting in 1944 with Meet Me in St.
Louis, the Freed Unit produced some
of the most popular and well-known
examples of the genre, including
Easter Parade (1948), On the
Town (1949), An American in
Paris (1951), Singin' in the
Rain (1952) and The Band
Wagon (1953).
1960s
• In the 1960s, 1970s and continuing up to
today, the musical film became less of a
bankable genre that could be relied upon
for sure-fire hits. Audiences for them
lessened and fewer musical films were
produced as the genre became less
mainstream and more specialized.
• In the 1960s the success of the films West
Side Story, The Music Man, My Fair
Lady, Mary Poppins, The Sound of
Music, Oliver! and Funny Girl suggested
that the traditional musical was in good
health.
• However, popular musical tastes were
being heavily affected by rock and roll and
the freedom and youth associated with it.
Most of the musical films of the 1950s and
1960s such as Oklahoma! and The Sound
of Music were straightforward adaptations
or re-stagings of successful Broadway
productions, rather than original films.
1970s & 80s
• In the 1970s, film culture and the
changing demographics of filmgoers
placed greater emphasis on gritty realism,
while the pure entertainment and
theatricality of classical era Hollywood
musicals was seen as old-fashioned.
Popular musicals of the 70s included Jesus
Christ Superstar, Cabaret, Hair, and Willy
Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

• In the 1980s, many animated Disney

films of the period included traditional
musical numbers. Starting with 1989's
The Little Mermaid, the Disney
Renaissance gave new life to the film
musical. Other successful animated
Disney musicals included Beauty and the
Beast, Aladdin, The Hunchback of Notre
Dame, and Pocahontas.
21st Century
• In the 21st century the musical
movie was reborn with darker
musicals such as Moulin
Rouge!, Chicago, Dreamgirls,
Sweeney Todd, and Les Miserables.

• One specific musical trend was the

rising number of jukebox
musicals based on music from
various pop/rock artists. Examples
of jukebox musical films
included Mamma Mia, Across the
Universe, Rock of Ages, and Jersey
Boys.

• Disney also returned to musicals

with Enchanted, The Princess and
the Frog, Tangled, and Frozen.
Musical: Examples
• In the following film clips, identify how each film
reflects the conventions and development of the
genre.
• Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

• On the Town (1949)

• An American in Paris (1951)

• The Sound of Music (1965)

• Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

• Hair (1979)

• The Little Mermaid (1989)

• Moulin Rouge! (2001)

• Camp (2003)

• Sweeney Todd (2007)

• The Muppets (2011)

• Frozen (2013)
Movie Musicals Quiz
1. What is a movie musical?

2. What is the difference between film and stage musicals?

3. When was the Golden Age of movie musicals?

4. Who was Busby Berkeley?

5. Why were musicals popular during the Great Depression?

6. Who was Arthur Freed?

7. What types of musicals were made in the 1960s?

8. What types of musicals were made in the 1970s?

9. What types of musicals were made in the 1980s?

10. What is a jukebox musical?

SINGIN’ IN
THE RAIN
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 13
Singin’ in the Rain
• 1952 Musical Comedy Film
• Directed by Gene Kelly and
Stanley Donen
• Starred Gene Kelly, Donald
O’Connor, and Debbie
Reynolds
• Lighthearted depiction of
Hollywood in the late 20’s
as it transitions from silent
films to “talkies”
• A modest hit when
released, now considered
one of the greatest films of
all time.
 Gene Kelly
• Was an American dancer, actor,
singer, film director, producer
and choreographer.

• He was known for his energetic

and athletic dancing style, his
good looks, and the likeable
characters that he played on
screen.

• He was a dominant force in

Hollywood musical films from
the mid-1940s until the form
fell out of fashion in the late
1950s.
 Gene Kelly
• In his films, Kelly freed up the
camera, making greater use of
space, camera movement, angles
and editing, creating a
partnership between dance
movement and camera movement
without sacrificing full-figure
framing.
• Kelly's athleticism gave his moves
a distinctive broad, muscular,
masculine quality.
• He sought to break from the class-
conscious conventions of the 30s-
40s, when tuxedos were the norm,
by dancing in casual or everyday
work clothes, so as to make his
dancing more relevant to the
cinema-going public.
 Stanley Donen
• Is an American film
director and choreographer,
directing 28 films from
1949-1999 including On the
Town, Funny Face, The
Pajama Game, and Damn
Yankees!
• Along with Kelly, is
credited with transitioning
Hollywood musical films
from backstage dramas to a
more integrated art form in
which the songs are a
natural continuation of the
story.
 Donald O’Connor
• Was an American dancer,
singer, and actor, who
appeared in almost 60
films.
• The most distinctive
characteristic of O'Connor's
dancing style was its
athleticism, for which he
had few rivals.
• Yet it was his boyish charm
that audiences found most
engaging, and which
remained an appealing
aspect of his personality
throughout his career.
 Debbie Reynolds
• Is an American actress, singer,
and dancer.

• Was 19 when she filmed

Singin’ in the Rain, her first
leading role.

• She was not a dancer at the

time she made Singin' in the
Rain, and Kelly was critical of
her.

• Years later, she was quoted as

saying that “Singin' in the
Rain and childbirth were the
two hardest things I ever had
to do in my life.”
 Vitaphone
• An analog sound-on-disc system:
the only one which was widely
used and commercially successful.
• The soundtrack was not printed
on the film itself, but issued
separately on phonograph records.
• The discs, recorded at 33 1/3 rpm
(a speed first used for this system)
and typically 16 inches in
diameter, would be played on a
turntable physically coupled to
the projector motor while the film
was being projected.
• Many early talkies, such as The
Jazz Singer (1927), used the
Vitaphone system.
• Replaced by Sound-on-Film.
“Lip Synching”
• In film production, lip
synching is often part of post-
production. Most film today
contains scenes where the
dialogue has been re-
recorded afterwards
• In musical films, actors sang
their own songs beforehand
in a recording session and
lip-synched during filming,
• Many also lip-synched to
voices other than their own.
• In Singin' in the Rain, lip
synching is a major plot
point.
• Ironically, Reynolds herself
was dubbed in "Would You?"
and "You are My Lucky Star"
by an uncredited singer,
Betty Noyes.
 A “Recycled” Musical?
• Singin' in the Rain was • Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929)
originally conceived by • The Broadway Melody (1929)
MGM producer Arthur
Freed (the head of the • Lord Byron of Broadway (1930)
"Freed Unit" responsible
College Coach (1933)
for turning out MGM's •

lavish musicals) as a • Going Hollywood (1933)

vehicle for his catalog of
songs written with Nacio • Stage Mother (1933)
Herb Brown for previous • Sadie McKee (1934)
MGM musical films of the
1929-39 period. • Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)

• Nearly all of the songs • San Francisco (1936)

had already been • Babes In Arms (1939)
featured in films, some
numerous times.
Discussion Questions
• What did you think of the film?

• Why do you think this film is considered “great”?

• What are the major themes of this film?

• What did you think of the cinematography?

• What did you think of the performances?

• Why do you think musicals like this are less popular today?

• What does this film have to say about identity?

• What does this film teach us about the film industry?

COMPOSITION

Film Studies v2.0

Unit 14
The Frame
• Cinema is an art of
selection.

• The edges of the image

create a "frame" that
includes or excludes
aspects of what occurs in
front of the camera.
Composition
• Composition refers to how
the elements of an image
are arranged.

• What makes an image

effective and pleasing to
the eye?

• Obviously, composition long

predates filmmaking.

• What other art forms make

use of composition?

• Discuss the composition of

these two images.
Composition
• Some arrangements are
made by placing figures or
objects in certain positions.
Others are made by choosing
a point of view.

• You can shift your camera

very slightly and make a
dramatic change in
composition.

• Discuss the composition of

these two images.
Composition
• What are the elements that
effect the overall composition
of a frame of film?

• Discuss the composition of

these two images.
Composition
• Question: What is the focus
of your image?

• Do other elements, or the

background, distract from
that focus?
Centering
• Generally, pictures with
subjects directly in the
center tend to be more
static and less interesting
than pictures with off-
center subject placement.

• If you want to make your

center of interest more
dynamic, place it slightly
off center in your frame.

• Discuss the composition of

these two images.
 Rule of Thirds
• Imagine your picture area
divided into thirds both
horizontally and vertically. The
intersections of these
imaginary lines suggest four
options for placing the center
of interest for good
composition.

• The option you select depends

upon the subject and how you
would like that subject to be
presented.

• If you want to make your

center of interest more
dynamic, place it slightly off
center in your frame.
Rule of Thirds
• In each case, why do you
think the subject was
placed where it was?

• Consider the path of a

moving subject and be sure
to leave them space in
which to move.
 Rule of Thirds
• The intersections of the
lines are points of
interest, where
important objects are
placed in the screen.
• These points of interest
are comfortable to the
eye, thus the middle
portion of the frame is
sometimes kept “empty”
or clear.
Rule of Thirds
• Where should my horizon
line go?

• What is the effect of this

choice?
Lines
• Lines also play an important role in
composition.

• Horizontal and vertical lines are

considered tranquil. Diagonal lines are
particularly dynamic.

• The eye follows a path to the subject.

Static vs. Dynamic Composition
 Shapes
• Geometric shapes can create balance and
unity in the frame, as well as create
symbolic meanings.
• Horizontal lines seem visually at rest
and suggest placidity or peacefulness.
• Vertical lines seem visually at rest and
suggest strength.
• Diagonal lines seem dynamic and
suggest tension or anxiety.
• Binary structures (of two elememnts)
emphasize parallelism.
• Triangle compositions stress the
dynamic interplay among three main
elements.
• Circle compositions suggest security and
enclosure.
Dominant Contrast
• The dominant contrast is the
place your eye goes first, and
can be created by a number of
different techniques.
• The size of an object may draw
our attention to it.
• In black and white movies, the
dominant contrast is generally
achieved through a juxtaposition
of lights and darks. In color
films, the dominant is often
achieved by having one color
stand out from the others.
• Placing one object in sharper Where is the dominant contrast
focus than the rest of the shot
can also create a dominant. in this frame?
Subsidiary Contrasts
• After taking in the dominant,
where does the eye go next?

• The next place your eye goes is

called the subsidiary contrast.

• What are the other main objects

in this shot besides the
dominant?

• In what order does your eye

move to each?

• Sometimes it helps to close your

eyes, open them, and then see
where your eye goes first, Where are the subsidiary
second, etc. contrasts in this frame?
Density
• How much visual information is
packed into the image?

• Is the image stark, moderate, or

highly detailed?

• The amount of visual

information is referred to as the
image’s density.

What is the density of this

frame?
Form (Open or Closed)
• Is the form open or closed?

• Does the image suggest a

window that arbitrarily isolates
a fragment of the scene? Or a
proscenium arch (as in a
theater), in which the visual
elements are carefully arranged
and held in balance?

• Are the figures trapped in the

frame, or can they escape it?

Is the form open or closed?

Framing (Tight or Loose)
• Is the framing tight or loose? Do
the characters have no room to
move around, or can they move
freely without impediments?

• Shots where the characters are

placed at the edges of the frame
and have little room to move
around within the frame are
considered tight.

• Longer shots, in which

characters have room to move
around within the frame, are
considered loose and tend to
suggest freedom. Is the framing tight or loose?
Character Placement
• What part of the framed space do
the characters occupy? Center?
Top? Bottom? Edges? Why?
• The area near the top of the
frame can suggest ideas dealing
with power, authority, and
aspiration.
• The areas near the bottom of the
frame tend to suggest meanings
opposite from the top:
subservience, vulnerability, and
powerlessness.
• The left and right edges of the
frame tend to suggest
insignificance because these are Where are these characters
the areas farthest removed from
the center of the screen. placed in the frame?
 Staging Position
• An actor can be photographed in any of five basic
positions, each conveying different psychological
overtones.
 Full-front (facing the camera): the position with
the most intimacy. The character is looking in our
direction, inviting our complicity.
 Quarter Turn: the favored position of most
filmmakers. This position offers a high degree of
intimacy but with less emotional involvement
than the full-front position.
 Profile (looking of the frame left or right): More
remote than the quarter turn, the character in
profile seems unaware of being observed, lost in
his or her own thoughts.
 Three-quarter Turn: More anonymous than the
profile, this position is useful for conveying a
character's unfriendly or antisocial feelings, for in
effect, the character is partially turning his or her
back on us, rejecting our interest.
 Back to Camera: The most anonymous of all
positions, this position is often used to suggest a What is the staging position of
character's alienation from the world. When a these actors?
character has his or her back to the camera, we
can only guess what's taking place internally,
conveying a sense of concealment, or mystery.
 Character Proxemics
• How much space is there between the
characters?

• The way people use space can be divided

into four proxemic patterns.
 Intimate distances: the intimate distance
ranges from skin contact to about eighteen
inches away. This is the distance of
physical involvement--of love, comfort, and
tenderness between individuals.
 Personal distances: the personal distance
ranges roughly from eighteen inches away
to about four feet away. These distances
tend to be reserved for friends and
acquaintances. Personal distances preserve
the privacy between individuals, yet these
rages don't necessarily suggest exclusion,
as intimate distances often do.
 Character Proxemics
 Social distances: the social distance rages
from four feet to about twelve feet. These
distances are usually reserved for
impersonal business and casual social
gatherings. It's a friendly range in most
cases, yet somewhat more formal than the
personal distance.

 Public distances: The public distance

extends from twelve feet to twenty-five feet
or more. This range tends to be formal and
rather detached.

Do these characters present an

intimate, personal, social, or
public distance?
Balance
• Elements within the frame have
weights. Balance, refers to the
degree to which these weights
are distributed.

• Balance can by symmetrical or

asymmetrical.
Depth
• Foreground and background
elements give depth and
context to an image and can
comment on it.

• Focus can be deep or shallow.

Lead Room
• If a character is looking frame
left, then he should be
positioned frame right.

• This makes the framing

comfortable because the subject
is looking at the open space in
front of him.

• This open space is called lead

room or lead space.
Scale
• If the same object were
filmed at different shot
scales it would often signify
something quite different to
the audience.

• Shot scale can foster

intimacy with a character,
or conversely, it can
swallow the character in its
environment.
Analyze each of the
following frames…
• Is the Rule of Thirds used? • Density? Foreground/ background?

• Are lines used? In what direction? • Is the form open or closed?

• Are shapes used? • Is the framing tight or loose?

• What is the dominant contrast? Subsidiary • Explain the character placement, staging,
contrasts? and proxemics.
• Is the Rule of Thirds used? • Density? Foreground/ background?

• Are lines used? In what direction? • Is the form open or closed?

• Are shapes used? • Is the framing tight or loose?

• What is the dominant contrast? Subsidiary • Explain the character placement, staging,
contrasts? and proxemics.
• Is the Rule of Thirds used? • Density? Foreground/ background?

• Are lines used? In what direction? • Is the form open or closed?

• Are shapes used? • Is the framing tight or loose?

• What is the dominant contrast? Subsidiary • Explain the character placement, staging,
contrasts? and proxemics.
• Is the Rule of Thirds used? • Density? Foreground/ background?

• Are lines used? In what direction? • Is the form open or closed?

• Are shapes used? • Is the framing tight or loose?

• What is the dominant contrast? Subsidiary • Explain the character placement, staging,
contrasts? and proxemics.
• Is the Rule of Thirds used? • Density? Foreground/ background?

• Are lines used? In what direction? • Is the form open or closed?

• Are shapes used? • Is the framing tight or loose?

• What is the dominant contrast? Subsidiary • Explain the character placement, staging,
contrasts? and proxemics.
Aspect Ratio
• The ratio of the horizontal to the vertical
sides of an image.

• Widescreen formats became more popular

in the 1950s and now films are made in a
variety of aspect ratios.

• Until recently, widescreen films were often

trimmed for television or video release,
effectively altering the original
compositions.
Videos
• The History of Aspect Ratio

• Shot Composition Basics

• Composition for Film

Composition:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect
composition within the
frame effects your
experience of the scene.
• Citizen Kane (1941)
Composition:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect
composition within the
frame effects your
experience of the scene.
• The Searchers (1956)
Composition:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect
composition within the
frame effects your
experience of the scene.
• Rear Window (1954)
Composition:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect
composition within the
frame effects your
experience of the scene.
• Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Composition:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect
composition within the
frame effects your
experience of the scene.
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Composition Quiz
1. What is the Rule of Thirds?

2. What effect can lines have in a composition?

3. What is the Dominant Contrast?

4. What are Subsidiary Contrasts?

5. What does Density refer to?

6. What is the difference between an Open and Closed form?

7. What is the difference between Tight and Loose Framing?

8. What does Staging Position refer to?

9. What are Character Proxemics?

10. What does Aspect Ratio refer to?

REAR
WINDOW
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 15
Rear Window
• A 1954 American
Technicolor mystery
thriller film directed by
Alfred Hitchcock.
• The film is considered by
many filmgoers, critics and
scholars to be one of
Hitchcock's best and one of
the greatest movies ever
made.
Alfred Hitchcock
• 1899-1980
• English film director
and producer
• Directed more than 50
films, including:
 The 39 Steps (1935)
 Rebecca (1940)
 Spellbound (1945)
 Strangers on a Train (1951)
 Vertigo (1958)
 North by Northwest (1959)
 Psycho (1960)
 The Birds (1963)
Alfred Hitchcock
• “Master of Suspense”
• Trademarks:
 Murder
 Voyeurism
 Psychology
 Fugitives
 “Icy” blondes
 Twist endings
 Innovative shots/
editing
Voyeurism
• Watching others in private
without their consent
• Analogous with watching
films
• Rear Window explores this
theme; the window is the
movie (or TV) screen
• We usually see what the
main character sees and
are therefore just as guilty
as he
 James Stewart
• (1908-1997) was an American actor
and military officer, known for his
distinctive drawl and down-to-
earth persona.

• A major MGM contract player,

Stewart starred in many films that
are now considered classics

• Known for portraying American

middle-class men struggling in
crisis.

• Appeared in over 80 films,

including Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington, The Philadelphia
Story, and It’s a Wonderful Life
 Grace Kelly
• (1929-1992) was an
American actress who, after
marrying Prince Rainier III
in April 1956, became
Princess of Monaco.
• Before retiring at age 26,
appeared in 11 films
including High Noon, Dial
M for Murder, and To Catch
a Thief
Rear Window
• Shot entirely at Paramount
Studios on an enormous
soundstage
• Was nominated for four
Academy Awards
• One of the American Film
Institute’s top 100 movies
• Inspired many imitative
films such as Body Double
(1984), Sliver (1993), and
Disturbia (2007).
Discussion Questions
• What did you think of the film?

• Why do you think this film is considered “great”?

• What are the major themes of this film?

• What did you think of the cinematography?

• What did you think of the performances?

• Why is it so important that we see the other little stories going

on in the courtyard behind Jeff's apartment? What do they
contribute to the plot?

• In what ways does Jeff's position in the film match that of an

audience watching the movie? What does that say about us and
our desire to watch the movie like Jeff watches his neighbors?

• How does Hitchcock create suspense while never leaving the

confines of Jeff's apartment?
HORROR

Film Studies v2.0

Unit 16
 Horror
• Horror is a film genre seeking to elicit a
negative emotional reaction from viewers by
playing on the audience's primal fears.
Horror films often seek to startle the viewer.
The macabre and the supernatural are
frequent themes. Thus it may overlap with
the fantasy, supernatural, and thriller
genres.
• Horror films often deal with the viewer's
nightmares, hidden fears, revulsions and
terror of the unknown. Plots within the
horror genre often involve the intrusion of an
evil force, event, or personage, commonly of
supernatural origin, into the everyday world.
Prevalent elements include ghosts, aliens,
vampires, werewolves, demons, gore, torture,
vicious animals, evil witches, monsters,
zombies, cannibals, and serial killers.
Conversely, movies about the supernatural
are not necessarily always horrific.
• What’s the scariest film you’ve ever seen?
Horror
• Some of the very first films, by Georges
Méliès, and Edison Studios, for example,
featured supernatural elements or were
portrayals of literary characters such as
Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,
and the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

• German Expressionist filmmakers would

significantly influence later horror films.
Paul Wegener's The Golem (1920) and
Robert Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr.
Caligari (1920) had a great impact.

• The first vampire-themed movie was also

made during this time: F. W. Murnau's
Nosferatu (1922), an unauthorized
adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Horror
• Hollywood dramas used horror themes,
including versions of The Hunchback of
Notre Dame (1923) starring Lon Chaney,
the first American horror movie star.
Other films of the 1920s include Dr. Jekyll
And Mr. Hyde (1920), and The Phantom
Of The Opera (1925)

• These early films were considered dark

“melodramas,” the word “horror” to
describe the film genre would not be used
until the next decade. They were grouped
in with melodramas because of their stock
characters and their emotion- heavy plots
that focused on romance, violence,
suspense, and sentimentality.
Horror
• During the early period of talking pictures,
Universal Pictures began a successful Gothic
horror film series. Tod Browning's Dracula
(1931), with Bela Lugosi, was quickly followed by
James Whale's Frankenstein (also 1931) featuring
Boris Karloff as the monster.
• Some films blended science fiction with Gothic
horror, such as Whale's The Invisible Man (1933)
and, mirroring the earlier German films, featured
a mad scientist. These films, while designed to
thrill, also incorporated more serious elements.
• Frankenstein was the first in a series which
lasted for many years, although Karloff only
returned as the monster in Bride of Frankenstein
(1935)-- the last of Whale's four horror films—and
Son of Frankenstein (1939). The Mummy (1932)
introduced Egyptology as a theme for the genre.
• Universal's horror cycle continued into the 1940s
as B-pictures including The Wolf Man (1941), not
the first werewolf film, but certainly the most
influential, as well as a number of films uniting
several of their monsters.
Horror
• With advances in technology, the tone of
horror films shifted from the Gothic towards
contemporary concerns. Two subgenres
began to emerge: the horror-of-Armageddon
film and the horror-of-the-demonic film.
• A stream of (usually low-budget) productions
featured humanity overcoming threats from
"outside": alien invasions and deadly
mutations to people, plants, and insects. In
the case of some horror films from Japan,
such as Godzilla (1954) and its sequels,
mutation from the effects of nuclear
radiation were featured.
• During the later 1950s, Great Britain
emerged as a producer of horror films. The
Hammer company focused on the genre for
the first time, enjoying huge international
success from films involving classic horror
characters which were shown in color for the
first time. Often starring Peter Cushing and
Christopher Lee, and drawing on Universal's
precedent, these films include The Curse of
Frankenstein (1957), and Dracula (1958),
both followed by many sequels.
Horror
• British director Michael Powell's Peeping
Tom (1960) was the first "slasher" movie.
Next came Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960)
and The Birds (1963), an example of natural
horror in which the menace stems from
nature having gone mad.
• American International Pictures made a
series of Edgar Allan Poe themed films
directed by Roger Corman and starring
Vincent Price, which ended with The Masque
of the Red Death (1964). These productions
paved the way for more explicit violence in
both horror and mainstream films.
• An influential American horror film of this
period was George A. Romero's Night of the
Living Dead (1968). Produced on a budget of
$114,000, it grossed $12 million at the box
office in the United States and $30 million
internationally. This horror-of-Armageddon
film about zombies blends psychological
insights with gore, it moved the genre even
further away from the gothic horror trends of
earlier eras and brought horror into
everyday life.
Horror
• The success of Rosemary's Baby in 1968
led to the release of more films with occult
themes during the 1970s. The Exorcist
(1973), the first of these, was a significant
commercial success. Another popular
occult horror movie was The Omen (1976).
• The ideas of the 1960s began to influence
horror films, as youth involved in the
counterculture began exploring the
medium. Wes Craven's The Hills Have
Eyes (1977) and Tobe Hooper's The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre (1974) recalled the
horrors of the Vietnam war; George A.
Romero satirized consumer society in
Dawn of the Dead (1978); David
Cronenberg continued the "mad scientist"
movie subgenre by exploring
contemporary fears about technology and
society, and reinventing "body horror",
starting with Shivers (1975). Meanwhile,
the subgenre of comedy horror re-emerged
with Young Frankenstein (1974).
Horror
• Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975) began a
new wave of killer animal stories such as
Orca (1977).

• Also in the 1970s, the works of author

Stephen King began to be adapted for the
screen, beginning with Brian De Palma's
Carrie (1976) and The Shining (1980),
directed by Stanley Kubrick.

• Many slasher films were made during the

1970s and early 1980s, such as John
Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), Sean
Cunningham’s Friday the 13th (1980),
Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street
(1984), and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser
(1987). This subgenre would be revisited
in dozens of increasingly violent movies
throughout the subsequent years.
Horror
• The horror genre wore itself out with the
proliferation of nonstop slasher and gore
films in the eighties. To re-connect with its
audience, horror became more self-mockingly
ironic and outright parodic, especially in the
latter half of the 1990s. Wes Craven's
Scream movies, starting in 1996, featured
teenagers who were fully aware of, and often
made reference to, the history of horror
movies, and mixed ironic humor with the
shocks. Along with I Know What You Did
Last Summer and Urban Legend, they
reignited the slasher genre.
• A French horror film Brotherhood of the Wolf
(2001) became the second-highest-grossing
French language film in the United States in
the last two decades. The success of foreign
language foreign films continued with the
Swedish films Marianne (2011) and Let the
Right One In (2008). Japanese films that
have been remade in the US include The
Ring (2002) and The Grudge (2004).
• Another trend was the re-emergence of
psychology to scare audiences, rather than
gore, as in The Others (2001)
Horror
• There was a major return to the zombie
genre in horror movies made after 2000,
such as Resident Evil (2002), 28 Days Later
(2002), I Am Legend (2007), Quarantine
(2008), and Zombieland (2009), and featured
an update on the genre with fast and
aggressive zombies.
• A larger trend was a return to the extreme,
graphic violence that characterized much of
the type of low-budget, exploitation horror
from the post-Vietnam years. Films such as
Audition (1999), Wrong Turn (2003), and the
Australian film Wolf Creek (2005), took their
cues from films like The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre. An extension of this trend was
the emergence of a type of horror with
emphasis on depictions of torture, suffering
and violent deaths, (sometimes referred to as
"torture porn") with films such as Saw and
Hostel.
• Low-budget, “found footage”: horror films
included the Blair Witch Project (1999) and
Paranormal Activity (2007).
Horror:
Examples
• In the following film clips, identify
how each film reflects the
conventions and development
of the genre.
• Nosferatu (1929)
• The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
• Them (1954)
• Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
• The Omen (1976)
• Friday the 13th (1980)
• Scream (1996)
• The Blair Witch Project (1999)
• The Ring (2002)
 Psycho
• 1960 American psychological
thriller/ horror film.

• Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

• Starred Janet Leigh, Anthony

Perkins, Vera Miles, and John
Gavin.

• The screenplay by Joseph

Stefano was based on the 1959
novel of the same name by
Robert Bloch.
 Psycho
• The film was seen as a departure
from Hitchcock's previous films.

• Was filmed on a low budget, with

a television crew and in black and
white.

• Received mixed reviews, but

outstanding box office prompted
reconsideration which led to
overwhelming critical acclaim and
four Academy Award nominations,
including Best Supporting Actress
for Leigh and Best Director for
Hitchcock.
 Psycho
• Considered one of Hitchcock's
best films and praised as a work
of cinematic art by international
film critics and film scholars.

• Set a new level of acceptability

for violence and adult themes in
American films.

• Considered the earliest example

of the “slasher” horror film
genre.

• After Hitchcock's death in 1980,

Universal Studios began
producing follow-ups: three
sequels, a remake, a television
film spin-off, and a TV series.
 Alfred
Hitchcock
• 1899-1980

• English film director and

producer

• Directed more than 50 films

• “Master of Suspense”

• Trademarks
 Murder
 Voyeurism
 Psychology
 Fugitives
 “Icy” blondes
 Twist endings
 Innovative shots/ editing
 Macguffins
 Macguffin
• An object or device in a movie or a
book that serves merely as a trigger
for the plot.
• A goal, desired object, or other
motivator that the characters pursue,
often with little or no narrative
explanation.
• Hitchcock used the term to explain
that that his films were in fact not
about what they appeared to be on
the surface.
• Modern examples include the “Heart
of the Ocean” necklace in Titanic and
the R2D2 droid in Star Wars, as well
as the “Lost Ark,” “Holy Grail,” and
“Crystal Skull” of the Indiana Jones
movies.
 Janet Leigh
• 1927-2004

• American actress

• Appeared in over 50 films

including Little Women,
Houdini, and Touch of Evil.

• Most well known for Psycho.

• Audiences were shocked and

surprised at her early death in
the film.

• Mother of actress Jamie Lee

Curtis (father is actor Tony
Curtis).
 Anthony Perkins
• 1932-1992

• American actor and singer

• Appeared in over 50 films. Also

recorded albums and performed
on stage.

• Best known (typecast, in fact)

for playing Norman Bates,
appearing in three Psycho
sequels.
 Filming
• Paramount disliked the
material, and refused
Hitchcock’s usual budget and
the use of its soundstages

• Hitchcock gave up his director’s

fee in favor of a 60% stake in
the film, financed it himself,
and shot it at Universal, merely
asking Paramount to handle
distribution.

• He shot the film quickly and

inexpensively in black and
white, using his TV production
crew.
 The “Shower Scene”
• The murder of Leigh's character
in the shower is the film's
pivotal scene and one of the
best-known in all of cinema.
• It was shot from December 17–
23, 1959, and features 77
different camera angles.
• Leigh herself was so affected by
this scene when she saw it, that
she no longer took showers
unless she absolutely had to;
she would lock all the doors and
windows and would leave the
bathroom and shower door
open.
 Controversy
• Scenes showing an unmarried
couple in bed, Marion in her
bra, and a flushing toilet, were
considered taboo under the
production code.

• Censors could not agree on

whether or not nudity was
shown in the shower scene.

• Hitchcock enforced a “no late

admissions” policy, which
theater owners opposed at first.
 Interesting Facts
• Janet Leigh said she was the
only actress shown in the
shower, but Marli Refro later
claimed she served as Leigh’s
body double.

• An Edward Hopper painting

inspired the look of the Bates
house.

• The novel the film was based on

was loosely inspired by the true
story of murderer and grave
robber Ed Gein.
 Motif
• In a narrative (novel, story, play,
film), a motif is any recurring
element (object, contrast, idea)
that has symbolic significance in
a story.

• Motifs repeat multiple times in a

film, and help develop the theme,
or main idea of the film.

• For example:
 Time and clocks in Modern
Times
 Precious metals and stones in
The Wizard of Oz
 Appearance vs. Reality in
Singin’ in the Rain.
 Motifs in Psycho
• Birds

• Shadows/ Light vs. Darkness

• Mirrors

• Water
Discussion Questions
• The opening moments of Psycho suggest a documentary, with
exact time and place indicated. What might be a viewer’s
expectations after such an opening?
• The early parts of Psycho encourage the audience to identify
with Marion (Janet Leigh). With whom do we identify in the
rest of the film? How does Hitchcock encourage this
identification?
• Hitchcock filmed Psycho on a fairly low budget and in black and
white (even though six of his previous seven films had been in
color). Does the somewhat “tacky” look of the film add to or
detract from your enjoyment of Psycho? Why?
• Although Marion Crane is a thief, she seems sympathetic to us.
Why? What is it about the nature of her crime and/or her
personality that makes her seem relatively innocent?
• Many people think that Bernard Herrmann’s music contributes
mightily to this film’s effect. In what ways is the music
particularly effective?
LENSES &
FOCUS
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 17
Focus
• Focus refers to the degree to
which light rays coming from
any particular part of an object
pass through the lens and re-
converge at the same point on a
frame of the film negative,
creating sharp outlines and
distinct textures that match the
original object.

• This optical properties of the

movies creates variations
in depth of field--
through shallow focus, deep
focus, and techniques such
as racking focus.
Deep Space
• A film utilizes deep space
when significant elements
of an image are positioned
both near to and distant
from the camera.

• For deep space these

objects do not have to be in
focus, a defining
characteristic of deep focus.
Staging in deep space is the
opposite of staging
in shallow space.
Shallow Space
• The opposite of deep space, in
shallow space the image is
staged with very little depth.

• The figures in the image

occupy the same or closely
positioned planes. While the
resulting image loses realistic
appeal, its flatness enhances
its pictorial qualities.

• Striking graphic patters can

be achieved through shallow
space.
Depth of Field
• The distance in which all
elements in an image are in
sharp focus.

• Bright light and a narrow

lens aperture tend to produce
a larger depth of field, as
does using a wide-angle
rather than a long lens.

• A shallow depth of field is

often used as a technique to
focus audience attention on
the most significant aspect of
a scene without having to use
a cut-in edit.
Depth of Field
• Three parts of the camera
affect depth of field:
 Aperture
 Focal length
 Focus distance

• The Aperture
 The aperture is the factor that
most influences depth of field.
The wider the aperture is, the
shallower depth of field will
be. A low f-number such as
f/2.8 will likely render an
image with some soft focus.
Conversely, the narrower the
aperture is, the deeper depth
of field will be.
Depth of Field
• Focal Length: The longer
the lens, the shallower depth
of field is. A wide angle lens
(a short lens), for instance,
would render an image with
more depth of field than one
with a telephoto lens (a long
lens).
Depth of Field
• Focus Distance: The closer
the focus distance is to the
camera, the less depth of
field you have.

• On close-ups of actors or
objects, part of the frame is
usually blurrier than on long
shots of landscapes.
Deep Focus
• Like deep space, deep focus
involves staging an event on
film so that significant
elements occupy widely
separated planes in the
image.

• Unlike deep space, deep focus

requires that elements at
very different depths of the
image all be in focus.
Shallow/ Selective
Focus
• A restricted depth of field,
which keeps only one plane
in sharp focus; the opposite
of deep focus.

• Used to direct the viewer's

attention to one element of a
scene.

• Shallow focus is very common

in close-up.
Racking Focus
• Racking focus refers to the
practice of changing the focus
of a lens so that an element
in one plane of the image
goes out of focus and an
element at another plane in
the image comes into focus.
• This technique is an overt
way of steering audience
attention through the scene,
as well as of linking two
spaces or objects.
• Racking focus is usually done
quite quickly; in a way, the
technique tries to mimic a
person’s brief glance and can
be used to quicken the tempo
or increase suspense.
Telephoto Lens
• Reduces the depth and volume
of images within the frame.
• This lens usually isolates a
single image in focus, leaving
the rest of the focal planes
within the frame in less focus
(i.e., the opposite effect of the
wide-angle lens).
• An image shot with an
extremely long lens is called a
telephoto shot.
• One effect of using a long lens
is to compress the
apparent depth of an image, so
that elements that are
relatively close or far away
from the camera seem to lie at
approximately the same
distance.
Zoom Lens
• A zoom lens is a mechanical
assembly of lens elements for
which the focal length (and
thus angle of view) can be
varied, as opposed to a fixed
focal length (FFL) lens
(prime lens).

• Zoom lenses, like dolly and

tracking shots, can create
movement.

• Fixed lenses are typically

used in film, due to their
better image quality.
Zoom Shot
• The zoom shot uses a lens
with several elements that
allows the filmmaker to
change the focal length of
the lens while the shot is in
progress.
• We seem to move toward or
away from the subject,
while the quality of the
image changes from that of
a shorter to a longer lens, or
vice versa.
• The change in apparent
distance from the subject is
similar to
crane or tracking shots, but
changes in depth of field
and apparent size is quite
different.
• Zooms are sometimes used
at the beginning of a scene, The Conversation (1974)
or even of a film, to
introduce an object or
character by focusing on it.
Dolly Zoom Shot
• In a Dolly Zoom, the camera
moves closer to a subject while
at the same time zooming out its
field of view.
• The effect could also be achieved
in reverse: the camera dollies
away from the subject while
zooming in its field of view.
• The effect is jarring - the world
seems to become a foldable
accordion; we rarely see these
two processes happening at the
same time in cinema.
• Often used to represent the
sensation of vertigo, a "falling-
away-from-oneself feeling" or a
feeling of unreality, or to
suggest that a character is
undergoing a realization that
causes him or her to reassess
everything he or she had
previously believed.
Dolly Zoom Shot
Wide-Angle Lens
• Places most or all focal planes on
the screen in focus for the viewer--
that is, more objects come into
focus.

• This lens also exaggerates depth

within the frame, and it may even
distort images or boundaries
within the frame when used for a
medium or close-up shot. Also, the
sense of movement within the
frame increases.
Wide-Angle Lens
• A lens of short focal length
affects a scene's perspective
by distorting straight lines
near the edges of the frame
and by exaggerating the
distance between foreground
and background planes.

• In doing so, it allows for

more space to enter the
frame, which makes it more
convenient for shooting in a
closed location, for instance a
real room, rather than a
three-wall studio room.

• In addition, a wider lens

allows for a bigger depth of
field. In 35mm filming, a
wide angle lens is 30mm or
less.
Extreme Wide-Angle Lenses
Videos
• Filmmaking Tips: Lenses

• Introduction to the Dolly Zoom

• Evolution of the Dolly Zoom

• Movement through Depth

Lenses & Focus:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the use
of lenses and focus has on
your experience of the
scene.
• Vertigo (1958)
Lenses & Focus:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the use
of lenses and focus has on
your experience of the
scene.
• The Graduate (1967)
 Lenses & Focus:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the use of
lenses and focus has on your
experience of the scene.
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
 Lenses & Focus:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the use of
lenses and focus has on your
experience of the scene.
• The Conversation (1974)
Lenses & Focus:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the use
of lenses and focus has on
your experience of the
scene.
• Jaws (1975)
Lenses & Focus:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the use
of lenses and focus has on
your experience of the
scene.
• Brazil (1985)
Lenses & Focus:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the use
of lenses and focus has on
your experience of the
scene.
• The Good Dinosaur (2015)
Lenses & Focus:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the use
of lenses and focus has on
your experience of the
scene.
• Do the Right Thing (1989)
Lenses & Focus:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the use
of lenses and focus has on
your experience of the
scene.
• Barton Fink (1991)
Lenses & Focus Quiz
1. What is Focus?

2. What is Depth of Field?

3. What three elements affect the Depth of Field?

4. What is Deep Focus?

5. What is Shallow or Selective Focus?

6. What is Racking Focus?

7. What is a Telephoto (Long) Lens?

8. What is a Wide Angle (Short) Lens?

9. What is a Zoom Lens?

10. What is the effect of a Dolly Zoom Shot?

REBEL
WITHOUT A
CAUSE
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 18
Rebel Without a
Cause
• A 1955 American drama about
emotionally confused
suburban, middle-class
teenagers.
• Previous films on the subject
had always depicted “juvenile
delinquents” in urban
environments.
• The film was a groundbreaking
attempt to portray the moral
decay of American youth,
critique parental style, and
explore the differences and
conflicts between generations.
James Dean
• 1931-1955, American
Actor
• Starred in three movies,
East of Eden (1955), Rebel
Without a Cause (1955),
and Giant (1956).
• Died in a car crash at the
age of 24.
• Only East of Eden had
been released before his
death.
• Nominated for two
posthumous “best actor”
Academy Awards.
Natalie Wood
• 1938-1981, American Actress
• Began acting in movies at
age four.
• Appeared in 47 films,
including Miracle on 34th
Street (1947), The Searchers
(1956), Splendor in the Grass
(1961), and West Side Story
(1961).
• Nominated for an Academy
Award for Best Supporting
Actress for Rebel.
• Drowned on a boat trip at age
43 under mysterious
circumstances.
Sal Mineo
• 1939-1976, American Actor
• Appeared in 22 films,
including Giant (1956), Tonka
(1958), The Gene Krupa Story
(1959), and Exodus (1960).
• Nominated for an Academy
Award for Best Supporting
Actor for Rebel.
• After Rebel, was typecast into
“troubled teen” roles.
• Was stabbed to death in 1976
at the age of 37.
Production
• When production began, Warner Bros.
considered it a B-movie, and the director
used black and white film stock. When
the studio realized James Dean was a
rising star, filming was switched to color
and many scenes had to be re-shot.

• Director Nicholas Ray at first did not

want Natalie Wood to play Judy as she
did not, for him, fit the juvenile
delinquent profile. After she got into a car
accident with a group of friends, she got
the role.

• Originally the movie opened with a man

coming home with Christmas gifts who
gets punched by a gang of teenagers who
steal the man’s gifts. The toy monkey
falls and James Dean sees it in the street.
Cinemascope
• An anamorphic lens technique
used in the 1950s for shooting
widescreen movies.
• An anamorphic lens allows
widescreen films to be shot with a
special lens onto standard 35mm
film and then stretched by a lens
during projection.
• Can create an aspect ration of up
to 2.66:1, almost twice as wide as
the “Academy” standard of 1.37:1.
• Created in the 50s, along with
Cinerama and 3D, to combat the
decline of movie attendance as
television became more popular.
• By 1958, had been replaced by
Panavision lenses.
Discussion Questions
• Do the “rebels” of the film have causes? If so, what are they?

• What does the film tell you about the United States in the
1950s? Would you want to have lived then?

• Why do you think the filmmakers wanted to focus on middle

class suburban kids as opposed to city kids?

• What does the film have to say about gender roles?

• What do you think the purpose of the planetarium is to the

theme of the film?

• How does the film, rather than encouraging delinquency, call

for a more traditional, pre-WW2 family structure?

• Do you think the film has anything to say to teenagers today?

• What did you notice about the cinematographer’s use of angles

(low, high, canted)? Color? Widescreen?
THE
GRADUATE
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 19
The Graduate
• The Graduate is a 1967
American comedy-drama film
directed by Mike Nichols.

• It is based on the 1963

novel The Graduate by Charles
Webb, who wrote it shortly after
graduating from college.

• The screenplay is by (Calder

Willingham and) Buck Henry,
who also appears in the film as
a hotel clerk.
 Mike Nichols (Director)
• (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky,
1931) is a German-born American
television, stage and film director,
writer, producer and comedian.

• In 1968 he won the Academy Award

for Best Director for The Graduate.

• Other noteworthy films include

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,
Catch-22, Carnal Knowledge,
Silkwood, Working Girl, The
Birdcage, Closer, Charlie Wilson's
War, and the TV mini-series Angels
in America.

• Nichols is one of a small group of

people who have won an Emmy,
Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.
 Dustin Hoffman (Actor)
• (born 1937) is an American actor
with a career in film, television, and
theatre since 1960. He has been
known for his versatile portrayals of
antiheroes and vulnerable
characters.
• His breakthrough film role was as
Benjamin Braddock, the title
character in The Graduate.
• His most notable films also include
Midnight Cowboy, Little Big Man,
Straw Dogs, Lenny, Marathon Man,
All the President's Men, Kramer vs.
Kramer, Tootsie, Rain Man, and
Wag the Dog.
• Hoffman has appeared in over 60
films and been nominated for seven
Academy Awards, winning two.
 Dustin Hoffman (Actor)
• Although Life magazine joked that
"if Dustin Hoffman's face were his
fortune, he'd be committed to a life
of poverty,” The Graduate was a
gigantic box-office hit, making
Hoffman a major new star at the
same time.
• Time magazine called Hoffman "a
symbol of youth" who represented "a
new breed of actors." The film's
screenwriter, Buck Henry, notes
that Hoffman's character made
conventional good looks no longer
necessary on screen.
• Hoffman represented a new
generation of actors who brought to
their roles a candor, ethnicity, and
eagerness to dive deep into complex,
even unlikable characters.
 Anne Bancroft (Actress)
• Anna Maria Louisa Italiano (1931 –
2005), known professionally as Anne
Bancroft, was an American actress.
• Respected for her acting prowess and
versatility, Bancroft was often
acknowledged for her work in film,
theatre and television. She won one
Academy Award, three BAFTA
Awards, two Golden Globes, two Tony
Awards and two Emmy Awards.
• She appeared in over 50 films,
including The Miracle Worker (1962),
The Turning Point (1977), and Agnes
of God (1985).
• Was only 6 years older than Dustin
Hoffman.
• She was married to director Mel
Brooks from 1964 until her death.
 Katherine Ross (Actress)
• (born 1940) is an American film and
stage actress.

• She starred in three of the most

popular films of the 1960s and
1970s: The Graduate (1967), Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
(1969), and The Stepford Wives
(1975).

• She won a Golden Globe Award and

received an Academy Award
nomination for Best Supporting
Actress for The Graduate.

• Many famous actors and actresses

were considered for the lead roles.
Some were rejected, some turned the
role down.
Some of the Actors Considered for the Film
 Music
• The film boosted the profile of folk-rock duo
Simon & Garfunkel. Originally, Nichols
used existing songs like "The Sound of
Silence" merely as a pacing device for the
editing before deciding to include them on
the soundtrack, an unusual move at that
time.

• Paul Simon wrote two songs for the film

that director Mike Nichols rejected:
“Punky's Dilemma” and “A Hazy Shade of
Winter.” The song “Mrs. Robinson” was not
written for the movie; it was the working
title of a song Simon was then writing
(originally called "Mrs. Roosevelt“). Simon
and Garfunkel only sing the chorus.

• On the strength of the hit single "Mrs.

Robinson,” the soundtrack album rose to the
top of the charts in 1968 (knocking off The
Beatles' White Album). However, the
version that appears in the film is markedly
different from the hit single version, which
would not be issued until Simon and
Garfunkel's next album, Bookends.
 Reception
• On its initial release, The Graduate grossed
$50 million, making it both the highest
grossing film of 1967 and one of the highest
grossing films in history up to that date.

• It was nominated for seven Academy

Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor,
Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best
Adapted Screenplay and Best
Cinematography. Mike Nichols won
the Academy Award for Best Director.

• It is still considered one of the greatest films

ever made, ranking #7 on AFI’s 1998 list of
the 100 Greatest Movies.
FILM
COMEDIES
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 20
Comedy
• A genre of film in which the
main emphasis is humor and
the intention is to make the
audience laugh.
• Traditionally has a happy
ending.
• One of the earliest film
genres.
• Often puts more emphasis
than other genres on
individual stars (former
stand-up comics, for
example).
Early Comedies
• Early silent comedies used
Slapstick – exaggerated
boisterous action and physical
activity – to achieve humor
without sound.
• Popular comedy stars of the
silent era included Charlie
Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and
Buster Keaton.
• Once sound had been
introduced, humorous dialogue
was added to the exaggerated
situations and physical comedy.
Comedy Subgenres
• There are many subgenres of
film comedies. These include:
 Fish Out of Water
 Main character is in an
unfamiliar environment
 Parody or Spoof
 Satirizes another film genre by
exaggerating its conventions
 Anarchic Comedy
 Stream-of-Consciousness humor
lampooning authority
 Black Comedy
 Deals with dark subjects in a
comedic manner. Can include
satire.

• Can you think of other

comedy subgenres?
Satire
• Satire is a type of art in which
the evils of individuals or
society are held up to ridicule,
with the intent of shaming them
into improvement.
• Although satire is usually
meant to be humorous, its
greater purpose is to draw
attention to issues in society
and improve them.
• Can you think of any satire
you have seen in movies or
on television?
Hybrid Subgenres
• There are also many hybrid
subgenres of film comedies.
• These include:
 Action-Comedy
 Fantasy-Comedy
 Comic Science Fiction
 Romantic Comedy
• Can you think of any
other comedy hybrid
genres?
Can you think of other examples?
Fish Out of Water Action-Comedy
My Cousin Vinny Beverly Hills Cop
Legally Blonde 21 Jump Street
Big The Incredibles
Parody Fantasy-Comedy
Blazing Saddles Groundhog Day
Walk Hard Night at the Museum
Scary Movie Shrek
Anarchic Comedy Comic Science Fiction
Duck Soup Back to the Future
Animal House Ghostbusters
A Hard Day’s Night Men in Black
Black Comedy Romantic Comedy
Dr. Strangelove When Harry Met Sally
M.A.S.H. Pretty Woman
Heathers You’ve Got Mail
Comedy: Examples
• In the following film clips, identify what techniques are used to
create humor and indicate the sub-genre or hybrid genre each
film belongs to:

• Safety Last (1923)

• The Circus (1928)

• A Night at the Opera (1935)

• The Naughty Nineties (1945)

• Dr. Strangelove (1964)

• The Graduate (1967)

• Young Frankenstein (1974)

• Annie Hall (1977)

• Animal House (1978)

• Caddyshack (1980)

• Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

• Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

• Mean Girls (2004)

• Walk Hard (2007)

SOME LIKE
IT HOT
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 21
Some Like It Hot
• A 1959 American romantic
comedy - directed by Billy
Wilder - set in 1929, during
Prohibition.
• About two male musicians
who dress in drag to escape
from mafia gangsters who
they witnessed committing
murder (based on the St.
Valentine’s Day Massacre).
• Considered one of the
greatest film comedies of all
time.
Billy Wilder
• 1906-2002, Austrian-born
Jewish-American filmmaker,
screenwriter, producer, artist
and journalist.
• Left Berlin for Paris after the
rise of the Nazi Party, and
moved to Hollywood in 1933.
• His career spanned more than
fifty years and sixty films,
including Double Indemnity
(1944), The Lost Weekend
(1945), Sunset Boulevard
(1950), Sabrina (1954), The
Seven Year Itch (1955), and
The Apartment (1960).
Tony Curtis
• 1925-2010, American
actor.
• Appeared in over 100
films, including Houdini
(1953), Sweet Smell of
Success (1957), and
Spartacus (1960).
• His first wife was actress
Janet Leigh (star of
Psycho), and their
daughter is actress Jamie
Lee Curtis.
Jack Lemmon
• 1925-2001, American actor and
musician.
• Starred in over 60 films
including Mister Roberts (1955),
The Apartment (1960), Days of
Wine and Roses (1962), The Odd
Couple (1968), Glengarry Glen
Ross (1992), and Grumpy Old
Men (1993).
• Was nominated eight times for
the Academy Award, winning
twice.
• Worked frequently with
directors Billy Wilder, Blake
Edwards, and Richard Quine, as
well as actor Walter Matthau.
 Marilyn Monroe
• 1926-1962, American actress and model,
famous for playing comic "dumb blonde"
characters, she became one of the most
popular “sex symbols” of the 1950s and
continues to be a pop culture icon today.

• Appeared in 29 films, including Niagara

(1953), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953),
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), The
Seven Year Itch (1955), Bus Stop (1956),
and The Misfits (1961).

• She had two highly publicized marriages,

to retired baseball star Joe DiMaggio and
playwright Arthur Miller.

• Struggled with substance abuse,

depression, and anxiety, and died at the
age of 36 from an overdose of barbiturates.
Production
• Based on the 1936 French film
Fanfare of Love and its German
remake.
• Produced in black and white,
even though color films were
increasing in popularity at the
time, to make the male actors’
drag makeup less garish.
• There were many problems on set
with Marilyn Monroe, who lacked
concentration and suffered from
addiction to pills at the time. She
could not memorize many of her
lines and required 47 takes to get
"It's me, Sugar" correct.
Legacy
• Received six Academy Award
nominations, including Best
Actor for Jack Lemmon and
Best Director and Best
Screenplay for Billy Wilder.
• As a result of its success in
spite of its risqué content, it
weakened the Motion Picture
Production Code.
• Voted the top comedy of all
time by the American Film
Institute.
Discussion Questions
• How are women portrayed in the film? What female
stereotypes does the film depict?

• How are men portrayed in the film? What male stereotypes

does the film depict?

• What do Joe and Jerry realize about the way men treat women
once they pretend to be women themselves?

• What do you make of the character of Sugar? Be specific and

mention several different moments from the film in your
answer.

• Does the film challenge the conventional portrayal of gender

roles or confirm them? Explain.

• Is Some Like it Hot merely a product of the attitudes of the

1950s, or does its message still have relevance today? Explain.
FILM
EDITING
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 22
Editing
• Editing is part of the post-
production of a film. Usually,
it begins immediately after
principal photography.

• Editing is the art of

assembling shots together to
tell the visual story of a film.

• The editor gives final shape to

the project. They are called the
third storytellers of a movie
because, after the writer and
director, the editor will truly
define the story that audience
will see.
History of Editing
• In the beginning of cinema, films had
no cuts or edits whatsoever. The
camera ran for as long as the film reel
was.
• During screening, the 1-reel footage
was shown in its entirety to a paying
audience. Soon, viewers got bored
however.
• Editing was the solution. Edgar S.
Porter, an early film pioneer,
experimented with the two main
principles of
editing: ellipsis and cross-cutting.
• Both techniques contributed for his
achievements with the movies Life of
an American Fireman (1903), and The
Great Train Robbery (1903).
Life of an American Fireman (1903)
 Ellipsis
• Ellipsis is both
a storytelling device and also
the most basic idea in film
editing.
• Ellipsis describes leaving out a
section of the story that is
either obvious enough for the
public to fill in or concealed for
a narrative purpose, (such as
suspense or mystery).
• Most movies take place over at
least a few days of story time.
Many take place over several
months and years. But how can
a film be reduced to 100
minutes of running time?
• Alfred Hitchcock famously
said: “What is drama but life 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
with the dull bits cut out?”
Cross-cutting
• Cross-cutting is the technique of
alternating between two or more
scenes that often happen at the
same time but in different locations.
• These different sequences of events
are shown simultaneously because
there is usually some type of
connection between them. This
connection is either understood by
the audience throughout the
sequence, or will be revealed later on
in the movie.

Cross-cutting between three

scenes in Inception (2010)
Transitions
• The shot is defined by editing but
editing also works to join shots
together.

• In film editing, a transition refers

to how one shot ends and the next
begins, and the visual device that
bridges one to the other.

• Many different types of transitions

have been employed since the
early years of cinema.

• Some are outdated, but others are

still often used today.

• We will discuss the cut, fade

in/out, dissolve, wipe, and iris.
 The Cut
• The most basic and common type of
transition is the cut. A cut happens
when one shot instantly replaces the
other. Cuts are so widely used that
movies normally include thousands of
them.

• The abrupt replacement of one shot by

the other often demands a certain
interpretation from the viewer, creating
a juxtaposition, for example.

• Cuts became industry standard for two

reasons:
 First, during the early years of cinema,
the editor could very easily cut
the celluloid strip with a blade or
scissors and splice it together. Any
other type of transition would require
further processing from a specialized
lab, therefore increasing costs.
 Second, other types of transition can
be distracting to the audience.
Fade In/ Out
• Fade ins and fade outs are common
transitions in movies.
• Fade outs happen when the picture is
gradually replaced by black screen or
any other solid color. Traditionally,
fade outs have been used to conclude
movies. Fade ins are the opposite: a
solid color gradually gives way to
picture, commonly used in the
beginning of movies.
• An average feature film will usually
only have a couple of fades. Fades are
used sparingly because they imply the
end of a major part of the story. Fades
are also used to allow the audience
time to catch their breath after an
intense sequence.
Dissolve
• Also known as overlapping, a
dissolve is when one shot is
gradually replaced by the next.
• For a few seconds, they overlap,
and both are visible.
• Dissolves can be used as a fairly
straightforward editing device
to link any two scenes, or in
more creative ways, for instance
to suggest a hallucinatory
state.
Wipe
• A transition between shots
in which a line passes
across the screen,
eliminating the first shot as
it goes and replacing it with
the next one.
• A very dynamic and
noticeable transition, it is
usually employed in action
or adventure films. It often
suggest a brief jump in time
and a direct connection
between the two images.
• Wipes were fashionable
during the 1950s-60s.
Iris
• A round, moving mask that
can close to end a scene (iris-
out) or emphasize a detail, or
it can open to begin a scene
(iris-in) or to reveal more space
around a detail.
• Iris is a common device of
early films (at a time when
some techniques
like zooming were not
feasible), so much so that
when it is used after 1930 it is
often perceived as charmingly
old-fashioned or nostalgic.
Matches
• Editing matches refer to
techniques that join as well as
divide two shots by making
some form of connection
between them.
• That connection can be
inferred from the situation
portrayed in the scene (for
example, eyeline match) or
can be of a purely optical
nature (graphic match).
 Eyeline Match
• In an eye-line match, a shot of a
character looking at something cuts
to another shot showing exactly what
the character sees. The camera
temporarily becomes the character’s
eyes.

• In many cases, when the sequence

cuts to the eye-line, camera
movement is used to imply movement
of the character’s eyes. For example,
a pan from left to right would imply
that the character is moving his/her
eyes or head from left to right.

• Because the audience sees exactly

what the character sees in an eye-line
match, this technique is used to
connect the audience with that
character.

• Eyeline matches can be a very

persuasive tool to construct space in a
film.
Graphic Match
• In a graphic match, two
successive shots are joined so as
to create a strong similarity of
compositional elements (e.g.,
color, shape, size).
• Graphic matches can also be
used to create smooth
transitions or make symbolic or
metaphorical associations.
Match on Action
• Match on Action is an editing
technique that cuts two alternate views
of the same action together at the same
moment in the action in order to make it
seem uninterrupted.

• This allows the same action to be seen

from multiple angles without breaking
its continuous nature. It fills out a scene
without jeopardizing the reality of the
time frame.

• A match on action adds variety and

dynamism to a scene, since it includes
two movements: the one that actually
takes place on screen, and an implied
one by the viewer, since his or her
position is shifted.
Shot Duration
• Only since the
introduction of editing to
the cinema at the turn of
the 20th century has not-
editing become an option.
• The decision to extend a
shot can be as significant
as the decision to cut it.
 Long Take
• A shot that continues for an unusually long
time before the transition to the next shot.

• Most contemporary films tend to have faster

editing rates than earlier films, especially
after the influence of music videos in the
1980s.

• In general, any shot above one minute can be

considered a long take.

• Unless shot at a fixed angle, with a fixed

camera and no movement, long takes are
extremely hard to shoot. They have to be
choreographed and rehearsed to the last
detail, since any error would make it
necessary to start all over again from scratch.

• Sophisticated long takes are often seen

as marks of a filmmaker’s virtuosity.

• Aside from the challenge of shooting in real

time, long takes decisively influence a
film's rhythm. Depending on how much
movement is included, a long take can make a Touch of Evil and The Player, two
film tense, stagnant and spell-binding, or films with exceptionally long opening
daring, flowing and carefree.
takes
Overlapping Editing
• Cuts that repeat part or all
of an action, thus expanding
its viewing time and plot
duration.
• Most commonly associated
with experimental
filmmaking, due to its
temporally confusing and
purely visual nature, it is
also featured in films in
which action and movement
take precedence over plot
and dialogue: sports
documentaries, musicals,
martial arts films, etc.
Rhythm
• The perceived rate and regularity
of sounds, series of shots, and
movements within the shots.
• Rhythm is one of the essential
features of a film, for it decisively
contributes to its mood and overall
impression on the audience.
• It is also one of the most complex
to analyze, since it is achieved
through a combination of
cinematography, sound, and
editing.
Bananas and Interiors, both by Woody Allen.
One is fast paced and zany, the other slow
and serious.
Jump Cut
• An elliptical cut that appears to be an
interruption of a single shot. Either the
figures seem to change instantly
against a constant background, or the
background changes instantly while the
figures remain constant.

• Jump cuts are avoided in classical

Hollywood continuity editing, but
feature prominently in avant-garde and
radical filmmaking.

• When the French New Wave films of

the 1960s made jump cuts an essential
part of their playful, modern outlook,
many directors from around the globe
started to use jump cuts --either
creatively or in a last ditch attempt to
become “hip.”

• Rather than presenting a film as a

perfectly self-contained story that
seamlessly unfolds in front of us, jump
cuts call attention to both the
artificiality and the difficulties of
telling such a story.
Shot/ Reverse Shot
• Shot/Reverse Shot is an editing
technique in which multiple shots
are edited together in a way that
alternates characters, typically to
show both sides of a conversation.
• There are multiple ways this can
be accomplished, with common
examples being over the shoulder
shots, angled shots, left/right
alternating shots, and often a
combination of the three.
Superimposition
• The exposure of more than one
image on the same film strip.
• Unlike a dissolve, a
superimposition does not signify
a transition from one scene to
another.
• The technique was often used to
allow the same performer to
appear simultaneously as two
characters on the screen, to
express subjective or intoxicated
vision, or simply to introduce a
narrative element from another
part of the world of the story into
the scene.
Editing Styles
• The patterned use of
transitions, matches and
shot duration can be
identified as a cinematic
style.
• Editing styles are usually
associated with historical
moments, technological
developments, nations, or
particular directors.
Continuity Editing
• A system of cutting to maintain
continuous and clear narrative action.
• Continuity editing relies upon
matching screen direction, position,
and time from shot to shot.
• The film supports the viewer's
assumption that space and time are
continuous between successive shots.
Also, the story is more readily
understood when directions on the
screen match directions in the world of
the film.
• Techniques like the 180 degree rule
ensure that the audience understands
the layout of the scene.
• This sense of a consistent space is
reinforced by the use of editing
techniques such as the eyeline
match and match on action.
Montage
• An approach to editing developed by
the Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s.
• It emphasizes dynamic, often
discontinuous, relationships between
shots and the juxtaposition of images to
create ideas not present in either shot
by itself.
• Sergei Eisenstein, in particular,
developed a complex theory of montage
that included montage within the shot,
between sound and image, multiple
levels of overtones, as well as in the
conflict between two shots.
• Soviet Montage proved to be influential
around the world for commercial as
well as avant-garde filmmakers.
The “Kuleshov Effect”
• Lev Kuleshov, a Soviet filmmaker, was
among the first to dissect the effects
of juxtaposition on the audience.
• Through his experiments and
research, Kuleshov discovered that,
depending on how shots are
assembled, the audience will attach a
specific meaning or emotion to them.
• In his experiment, Kuleshov cut the
same shot of an actor with shots of
three different subjects: a girl in a
coffin, a hot plate of soup, and a pretty
woman lying in a couch. The footage of
the actor was the same expressionless
gaze. Yet the audience raved about his
performance, saying first he looked
sad, then hungry, then lustful.
• Hitchcock on the Kuleshov Effect
Cheat Cut
• A cut which purports to show
continuous time and space from
shot to shot but which actually
mismatches the position of
figures or objects in the scene.
• Cheat cuts were also often used
to disguise the relatively short
stature of leading men in relation
to their taller female co-stars.

Where did the wall go?

Videos
• The History of Cutting: The Birth of Cinema and Continuity Editing

• The History of Cutting: The Soviet Theory of Montage

• The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

• Hitchcock on Editing

• 10 Most Effective Editing Moments of All Time

• How to Cut a Film: The Secrets of Editing

• Editing Techniques in the Films of Scorsese

• The Evolution of Modern Non-Linear Editing – Part 1

• The Evolution of Modern Non-Linear Editing – Part 2

Film Editing:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the editing
has on your experience of the
scene.
• Man with a Movie Camera
(1929)
Film Editing:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the editing
has on your experience of the
scene.
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Film Editing:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the editing
has on your experience of the
scene.
• Rocky (1976)
Film Editing:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the editing
has on your experience of the
scene.
• Marie Antoinette (2006)
Film Editing:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the editing
has on your experience of the
scene.
• Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Film Editing:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the editing
has on your experience of the
scene.
• The Godfather (1972)
Film Editing:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the editing
has on your experience of the
scene.
• The Player (1992)
Editing Quiz
1. What is a Transition?

2. What is a Dissolve?

3. What is an Eyeline Match?

4. What is a Graphic Match?

5. What is Parallel Editing?

6. What is a Jump Cut?

7. What is Continuity Editing?

8. What is Montage?

9. What is the “Kuleshov Effect”?

10. What is Ellipsis?

SOUND
DESIGN
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 23
Film Sound
• Sound, voice and music are very
important parts of most films.

• Even the earliest silent films were

often shown with live musical
accompaniment.

• Sound enhances the imaginary

world. It can provide depth,
establish character and
environment, introduce a new scene
or cue the viewer to important Very early sound recording.
information.
Diegetic vs. Non-Diegetic Sound
• Diegesis: A word that describes the
world experienced by the characters
in a narrative.

• Diegetic sound is any sound that

the character or characters on
screen can hear. For example, the
sound of one character talking to In Say Anything, the music from the boom
box is heard by the characters.
another would be diegetic.

• Non-diegetic sound is any sound

that the audience can hear but the
characters on screen cannot. Any
appearance of background music is
a prime example of non-diegetic
sound.

• Example Marion Crane does not hear Bernard

Herrmann’s score in Psycho.
Direct Sound
• Direct sound is all of the sound
that is recorded at the time of
filming.

• Using direct sound places

emphasis on the characters’
dialogue and creates a more
realistic, believable ambiance
(atmosphere).

• Example

French New Wave films, like Breathless,

predominantly used Direct Sound.
Non-simultaneous Sound
• Non-simultaneous sound is
essentially sound that takes place
earlier (or later) in the story than
the current image we are seeing.

• This type of sound can give us

information about the story without
us actually seeing these events
taking place.

• Example
Voiceover, used in Fight Club, is one example of
non-simultaneous sound.
Synchronous Sound
• Synchronous sound is sound that
is matched with the action and
movements being viewed.

• For example, a character is playing

the piano, and the viewer hears the
sounds of the piano simultaneously.

• Example

While body mics are used to record these

actors’ dialogue, the boom mic will pick up
other synchronous sounds to be mixed in.
Post-synchronization Dubbing
• Post-synchronization
dubbing describes the process of
adding sound to a scene after it is
filmed.

• For example: explosion sounds and

music.

• Example

Since light sabers aren’t real, their sounds must be added

in post-production.
Off-screen Sound
• Off-screen sound describes sound
assumed to be in the space of a
scene yet remaining off-screen while
the action takes place
simultaneously.

The character hears something, but we can’t see what

it is yet. It looks like it’s to the right of the frame
somewhere.
Sound Perspective
• Sound perspective refers to the apparent
distance of a sound source, evidenced by its
volume, timbre, and pitch.
• This type of sound editing is most common in
how the audience hears film characters’
speech.
• While the scene may cut from a long shot of a
conversation to a medium shot of the two
characters to close-up shot/ reserve-shot
pairing, the soundtrack does not usually
reproduce these relative distances and the
change in volume that would naturally occur. If the sound of the oncoming hoof beats
is getting louder and more distinct, the
• Actors in these situations are miced so that the sound editor is making use of sound
volume of their voices remains constant and perspective.
audible to the audience.
• Sound perspective can also give us clues as to
who is present in a scene, where they are, and
their relative importance to the film’s
narrative.
• Example
Sound Bridge
• A sound bridge is a type of sound
editing that occurs when sound
carries over a visual transition in a
film.
• This type of editing provides a
common transition in the continuity
editing style because of the way in
which it connects the mood, as In a famous example from The Graduate,
suggested by the music, throughout a sound bridge of dialogue is used between
multiple scenes. two scenes for humorous effect.

• For example, music might continue

through a scene change or throughout
a montage sequence to tie the scenes
together in a creative and thematic
way.
• Another form of a sound bridge can
help lead in or out of a scene, such as
when dialogue or music occurs before
or after the speaking character is seen
by the audience.
• Example
Voice Over
• A voice over is a sound device wherein
one hears the voice of a character
and/or narrator speaking, but the
character in question is not speaking
those words on screen.

• This is often used to reveal the

thoughts of a character through first
person narration.

• Third person narration is also a

common use of voice over to provide
exposition.

• Example

Films made of novels with first person

narration, like The Great Gatsby, often
must make use of voice over to preserve
important parts of the text and provide
exposition.
Sonic Flashback
• A sonic flashback describes the
technique of using sound from earlier
in the film during a later scene.

• One character may be present on the

screen, but he or she is hearing a
voice or action from a previous time in
his or her head, often showing an
important revelation or realization on
their part.

• Example

The climactic revelation at the end of The

Sixth Sense, uses sonic flashback to show
the realizations occurring in the main
character’s head.
Foley
• Foley is the reproduction of
everyday sound effects that are added
to film, video, and other media
in post-production to enhance audio
quality.

• These reproduced sounds can be

anything from the swishing of
clothing and footsteps to squeaky
doors and breaking glass.

• The best foley art is so well

integrated into a film that it goes
unnoticed by the audience.

• Foley helps to create a sense of

reality within a scene. Without these
crucial background noises, movies feel
unnaturally quiet and uncomfortable.

• Example
ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)
• ADR is the process of re-recording
dialogue by the original actor after the
filming process to improve audio
quality or reflect dialogue changes
(also known as "looping”).
• ADR is also used to change original
lines recorded on set to clarify context,
improve diction or timing, or to
replace an accented vocal
performance.
• Noise from the set, equipment, traffic,
wind, and the surrounding
environment often results in unusable
production sound.
• During post-production, a
supervising sound editor, or ADR
supervisor, reviews all of the dialogue
in the film and decides which lines
must be re-recorded.
• Example
Music
• A film score is original music written
specifically to accompany a film.

• The majority of film scores have been

orchestral, and rooted in the Western
Classical tradition.

• The score is often recorded so that

dramatic events in the music match
dramatic events onscreen.

• In early films, orchestral music is

considered non-diegetic, and vocal
music is considered diegetic.

• This began to change in the 1950s,

and since then, many films make use
of non-diegetic popular and
contemporary songs with vocals.

• 100 Greatest Music Scenes in Movies

Videos
• The History of Sound at the Movies
• The Science and Engineering of Sound
• Introduction to Foley and Sound Effects for Film
• Introduction to Automated Dialogue Replacement
• The Fundamentals of Sound in Post Production
• The Basics of Recording Audio for Digital Video
• Sound Design in Star Wars: Episode II
• Sound Design in Wall-E
• Gary Hecker: Foley Artist
• Sound Production of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Sound Design:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the sound
design has on your
experience of the scene.
• Annie Hall (1977)
Sound Design:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the sound
design has on your
experience of the scene.
• The Godfather (1972)
Sound Design:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the sound
design has on your
experience of the scene.
• Apocalypse Now (1979)
Sound Design:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the sound
design has on your
experience of the scene.
• M.A.S.H. (1970)
Sound Design:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the sound
design has on your
experience of the scene.
• Star Wars (1977)
Sound Design:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the sound
design has on your
experience of the scene.
• Goodfellas (1990)
Sound Design:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the sound
design has on your
experience of the scene.
• Eraserhead (1977)
Sound Design Quiz
1. What is Diegetic Sound?

2. What is Non-Diegetic Sound?

3. What is Non-Simultaneous Sound?

4. What is Direct Sound?

5. What is Sound Perspective?

6. What is a Sound Bridge?

7. What is a Voice Over?

8. What is Foley?

9. What is A.D.R.?

10. What is a Film Score?

ROCKY

Film Studies v2.0

Unit 24
Rocky
• 1976 American sports drama
film directed by John G.
Avildsen and both written by
and starring Sylvester
Stallone.
• It tells the rags to riches story
of Rocky Balboa, an
uneducated Italian-American
boxer working in a meat
warehouse in the slums of
Philadelphia.
• Considered one of the greatest
sports films of all time.
Rocky Facts
• Stallone wrote the
screenplay in just three
and a half days.
• The film was shot on a low
budget of just over $1
million in only 28 days.
• Rocky earned $225 million,
becoming the highest
grossing film of 1976.
• It spawned six sequels:
Rocky II through V, Rocky
Balboa, and Creed.
Casting
• The studio (United
Artists) viewed Stallone’s
script as a possible
vehicle for an established
star like Robert Redford,
Burt Reynolds, Ryan
O’Neal, or James Caan.
• Stallone said he would
have never forgiven
himself if the film
became a success with
someone else in the lead.
Shooting
• Inventor/ operator
Garrett Brown used his
new Steadicam invention
to smoothly film Rocky’s
run through Philadelphia
streets and up the Art
Museum’s flight of stairs.
• Rocky was only the third
film to use the Steadicam.
Sylvester Stallone
• Born 1946, is an American
actor, filmmaker, and
screenwriter.
• Appeared in over 50 films,
many of them action
movies, including six Rocky
sequels, four Rambo films,
and three Expendables
films.
• Nominated for best actor
and best original
screenplay for Rocky.
Talia Shire
• Born 1946, is an American
actress who has appeared in
over 50 films.
• Best known for her roles as
Connie Corleone in the
Godfather films and as Adrian
in the Rocky series.
• She is the sister of director and
producer Francis Ford Coppola,
mother of actor and musician
Jason Schwartzman, and aunt
of actor Nicholas Cage and
director Sofia Coppola.
Legacy
• With its high earnings and low
budget, Rocky is notable for its
financial return of over
11,000%.
• Won the Academy Awards for
Best Picture and Best Director.
• In 2006, selected for
preservation in the United
States National Film registry
by the Library of Congress.
• Has appeared on several of the
American Film Institute’s 100
Years lists (#78 of 100 Movies,
#2 sports film).
Discussion Questions
• How does Rocky comment on the American Dream?
• Why do you think the movie is set in Philadelphia during the
bicentennial?
• How does the character of Rocky Balboa function as an
underdog in the film? Why do you think audiences tend to root
for the underdog?
• How does the character Apollo Creed function as a foil to the
Rocky character? Does he represent the villain of the film, or
something else?
• How is the character of Adrian both similar to and different
from Rocky?
• Explain the function of the character of Paulie. Why does he
get so upset with Rocky and Adrian?
• What did you think of the ending? Was the outcome of the fight
important? Explain.
FILM
ACTING
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 25
Acting
• Acting is the work of an actor or
actress in theatre, television, film,
or any other storytelling medium
who tells a story by portraying a
character and, usually, speaking or
singing the written text.
• Acting requires a wide range of
skills, including vocal projection,
clarity of speech, physical
expressivity, emotional facility, a
well-developed imagination, and the
ability to interpret drama. Acting
also often demands an ability to
employ dialects, accents and body
language, improvisation,
observation and emulation, mime,
and stage combat.
Great Performances
• Which actors/ actresses and
movie performances have you
been most impressed by?
• What was it about the actor/
performance?
• What examples of bad film
acting have you encountered?
• What was wrong with these
performances?
• Have you noticed different styles
of/ approaches to film acting?
Film vs. Theater Acting
• Unlike the theater actor, who gets to
develop a character during the course of a
two- or three-hour performance, the film
actor lacks continuity, forcing him or her
to come to all the scenes with a character
already fully developed.
• Since film captures even the smallest
gesture and magnifies it 20 or 30 times,
cinema demands a less flamboyant and
stylized bodily performance from the actor
than does the theater.
• The stage is more friendly to the
physically “flawed,” while film - despite
the advantages of makeup, lighting, soft
focus, etc. - is relentlessly cruel to any
sign of “imperfection” in the actor or
actress.
• The performance of emotion is the most
difficult aspect of film acting to master:
While the theater actor can use
exaggerated gestures and exclamations to
express emotion, the film actor must rely
on subtle facial ticks, quivers, and tiny
lifts of the eyebrow to create a believable
character.
Changes Over Time
• Generally, acting on film
throughout the twentieth
century has moved from highly
stylized to more naturalistic.
• This is a product of the
transition from live theater to
film, silent films to talkies,
improvements in sound
recording and photography, the
fall of the classic Hollywood
studio system, the French New
Wave and New Hollywood, and
the rise of “method acting.”
Two Schools of Film Acting
• The two most prevalent acting
styles in English-language film are
“Classical” Acting or the Repertory
System (most associated with
England) and “The Method” (most
associated with the USA).

• The (probably apocryphal) legend

from the set of Marathon Man -
Olivier to Hoffman: “Try acting, my
dear boy, it’s much easier.”
“Classical” Acting
• Many British actors are trained in the
repertory theaters of England, where
they receive rigorous training, often in
Shakespearean acting.
• Repertory actors learn all kinds of
skills in the course of their "classical"
training: gesture, accents, body
movement, dancing, the use of
makeup, and so on.
• This allows the "rep actor" to create
his or her character by moving from
the external elements to the "inner
reality" that is the character.
(Working from the outside in).
• In other words, the repertory actor
studies the various aspects of the
character and decides what particular
attributes of his or her craft – dialect,
facial expression, walk, makeup,
costume - will render the most
effective performance possible.
Some “Classical” or “Rep” Actors
• Patrick Stewart • Orson Welles

• Judi Dench • Maggie Smith

• Ian McKellen • Meryl Streep

• Cate Blanchett • Liev Schreiber

• Benedict Cumberbatch • John Lithgow

• Ralph Fiennes • Bette Davis

• Jeremy Irons • Vivien Leigh

• Viola Davis • Sigourney Weaver

• Alan Rickman • Laurence Olivier

• Helen Mirren • Angela Bassett

“The Method”
• Method acting refers to the system of acting
developed by Constantin Stanislavski that
emphasized the emotional and psychological
bond between actor and character, the goal of
which was to discover the "inner spirit" of the
latter. Later, Stanislavski's method of
teaching acting was adapted by Lee
Strasberg for American actors.

• While repertory-trained actors might spend

months thinking about the specific techniques
to bring to bear on a given performance,
method actors searched their own personal
experiences and emotional lives in order to
immerse themselves profoundly (and often
obsessively) in the lives of their characters.
(Working from the inside out).

• Acting teachers such as Stella Adler, Sanford

Meisner, and Robert Lewis broke with
Strasberg over elements of the Method, and
taught their own varieties of it.
Some “Method” Actors
• Johnny Depp • Al Pacino
• Christian Bale • Paul Newman
• Marlon Brando • Dustin Hoffman
• Nicolas Cage • Adrien Brody
• Robert De Niro • Joaquin Phoenix
• James Dean • Sean Penn
• James Franco • Jake Gyllenhaal
• Jane Fonda • Natalie Portman
• Jared Leto • Scarlett Johansson
• Jack Nicholson • Alec Baldwin
Practical Aesthetics
• Practical Aesthetics is an acting technique originally
conceived by David Mamet and William H. Macy,
based on the teachings of Stanislavsky, Sanford
Meisner, and the Stoic philosopher Epictetus.

• It is based on the practice of breaking down a scene

using a four-step analysis:
 1) The "Literal": The most basic description of what is
taking place.
 2) The "Want": What does one character ultimately wants
the other character to say or do.
 3) The "Essential Action": A description of what the actor
(as opposed to the character) wants within the scene.
 4) The "As If": This relates the "essential action" to the
actor's own life. This step is a memory device, a spark to
involve the actor in the scene. It helps the actor escape the
fiction, find the truth, and apply it elsewhere.

• It is in response to "The Method,” which some believe

uses more introverted and self-based practices. It
asks an actor only to commit his will to the pursuit
of an action based on the other actor.
Improvisation
• Improvisation is the spontaneous
performance of dialogue and action that
hasn't been written or rehearsed (at least
in detail) beforehand.

• Not surprisingly, silent cinema is full of

improvisation.

• Some sound film directors—Jean-Luc

Godard of the French New Wave is the
most famous example—hired untrained
people virtually off the street to portray
their characters, thinking that
nonprofessionals would deliver convincingly
raw performances without the baggage of
their training.

• In recent times improvisation has been

used most effectively by less Hollywood-
constrained directors, such as John
Cassavetes, Martin Scorsese, and Robert
Altman.
Film Acting:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the acting
has on your experience of the
scene.
• The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Film Acting:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the acting
has on your experience of the
scene.
• Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Film Acting:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the acting
has on your experience of the
scene.
• Taxi Driver (1976)
Film Acting:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the acting
has on your experience of the
scene.
• This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Film Acting:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the acting
has on your experience of the
scene.
• The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
Film Acting:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the acting
has on your experience of the
scene.
• Gosford Park (2001)
Film Acting:
Examples
• In the following film clip,
identify the effect the acting
has on your experience of the
scene.
• There Will Be Blood (2007)
RAGING
BULL
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 26
Raging Bull
• 1980 Biographical Sports
Drama
• Adapted from boxer Jake
LaMotta’s autobiography
• Directed by Martin Scorsese
• Introduced unknowns Joe Pesci
and Cathy Moriarity
• DeNiro gained 60 pounds to
play LaMotta in his older years
• While it initially received mixed
reviews, it is now considered
one of the greatest American
films ever made
Development
• DeNiro read LaMotta’s
autobiography while on the set
of The Godfather: II, and, while
unimpressed with the writing,
became fascinated by the
character.

• While initially uninterested in

directing, and battling a serious
cocaine addiction, Scorsese
eventually agreed to make the
film for DeNiro, hoping to save
his career and life, and
believing it to be his last feature
film.
Process
• Scorsese shot the film in high
contrast black and white to
distinguish it from other
current films, and avoid the
issue of fading color film stock.

• DeNiro and Scorsese did

extensive, uncredited rewriting
on the original script.

• DeNiro met with LaMotta and

his ex-wife Vikki on numerous
occasions.

• LaMotta trained DeNiro,

sparring over 1000 rounds with
him, to get him in shape for the
role.
Technique
• Rather than using multiple
cameras – outside the ring - to
shoot the fight sequences, Scorsese
put a single camera inside the ring
and choreographed it like a third
fighter.

• During camera setups, DeNiro

would slug away at a punching bag
in order to keep up his sweat,
intensity and exhaustion.

• Scorsese also utilized boxing rings

of different shapes and sizes,
according to his photographic
needs.
Accolades
• Raging Bull was nominated for
eight Academy Awards:

• Best Picture, Director, Actor,

Supporting Actor, Supporting
Actress, Cinematography, Sound,
and Editing, winning for Actor and
Editing (Thelma Schoonmaker).
Martin Scorsese
• Born 1942, is an American director,
screenwriter, producer, actor, and film
historian.

• His films often address Italian-American

identity, Roman Catholic guilt and
redemption, machismo, crime, and gang
conflict.

• With 8 Best Director nominations, he is

the most nominated living director.

• Has directed 23 films, including Mean

Streets, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Cape
Fear, Casino, Gangs of New York, The
Departed, and The Wolf of Wall Street
Robert DeNiro
• Born 1943, is an American actor and
producer, who has starred in over 90
films.
• Worked with close friend Martin
Scorsese on a number of significant
movies.
• A method actor, known for commitment
to roles, including gaining weight,
grinding teeth down, learning to play the
saxophone, etc.
• Films include: The Godfather: Part II,
The Deer Hunter, The King of Comedy,
Brazil, The Untouchables, A Bronx Tale,
Sleepers, Jackie Brown, Meet the
Parents, and Silver Linings Playbook.
MOVEMENTS
IN CINEMA
Film Studies 2.0
Unit 27
German Expressionism
• Existed in Germany, mostly in
the 1920’s, a result of isolation
due to WWI.
• Highly symbolic and stylized
films with non-realistic,
geometrically absurd sets.
• Plots often dealt with madness,
betrayal, and other
“intellectual” topics.
• Reaction against realism.
Distortion used to represent an
inner reality.
• Influenced Hitchcock, Ridley
Scott (Blade Runner), Woody
Allen (Shadows and Fog), and
Tim Burton (Batman, Edward
Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd)
among many others
German
Expressionism:
• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
• Nosferatu (1922)
• Metropolis (1927)
(French) New Wave
• A term coined by critics to
describe a group of French
filmmakers of the 1950s and
60s, including Jean-Luc Godard,
François Truffaut, and Éric
Rohmer.

• Characterized by its rejection of

stuffy, literary “period pieces,”
its youthful iconoclasm, wish to
address current social issues,
and experimentation.

• Used portable equipment, film

that required little light, direct
sound, jump cuts, and
improvised dialogue for a low-
budget “documentary” style.

• Responsible for “auteur theory.”

(French)
New Wave:
• The 400 Blows (1959)
• Breathless (1960)
AUTEUR
THEORY
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 28
Auteur Theory
• Auteur Theory is a way of looking
at filmmaking in which the
director is viewed as the major
creative force: the “author” of the
film, just like the author of a novel,
play, or piece of music (“Auteur” is
French for “author”).

• Since film is a collaborative art

form, this theory is not universally
accepted.

• In auteur theory, elements such

as camera placement, blocking,
lighting, and scene length, rather
than plot, are thought to convey the
true message of the film.
Auteur Theory
• The concepts behind auteur
theory were first introduced
by German director Max
Reinhardt in the early days of
cinema, formally presented by
French film theorists André
Bazin and Alexandre Astruc in
the late 40s, and dubbed
“auteur theory” by American
film critic Andrew Sarris in the
60s.
• “Auteur” directors use each of
their films to express their
thoughts and feelings about the
subject matter as well as their
The “trunk shot” is a recurring visual technique used by
view of the world. Quentin Tarantino in many of his films.
• Most of our most treasured film
directors tend to have a
signature, immediately
recognizable style.
 Some “Auteur” Directors
• Woody Allen • Stanley Kubrick
 Annie Hall, Manhattan,  Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space
Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange,
and Misdemeanors The Shining

• Paul Thomas Anderson • David Lynch

 Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-  Eraserhead, The Elephant Man,
Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive

• Wes Anderson • Martin Scorsese

 Rushmore, The Royal  Taxi Driver, Raging Bull,
Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, Goodfellas, Casino
The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Stephen Spielberg
• Francis Ford Coppola  Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark,
 The Godfather, The Conversation, Schindler’s List, Saving
The Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Private Ryan
Now
• Quentin Tarantino
• Alfred Hitchcock  Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction,
 Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill
North by Northwest
• Others?
Videos
• The Origins of Auteur Theory
• What is Auteur Theory?
Auteur Theory Quiz
1. What is Auteur Theory?

2. What role did France play in the rise of Auteur Theory?

3. Why might some critics disagree with Auteur Theory?

4. Name three directors who are considered auteurs.

STEVEN
SPIELBERG
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 29
Steven Spielberg
• (born December 18, 1946)
is an American director,
producer, and screenwriter.
• He is one of the most
popular directors and
producers in film history.
• He is also one of the co-
founders of DreamWorks
Studios.
• His films have grossed over
$9 billion, making him the
highest-grossing director in
history.
Biography
• Born into an Orthodox
Jewish family in Cincinnati,
OH.
• Began making home movies
in his early teens.
• While a student at Cal State
University, took an unpaid
internship at Universal
Studios in the editing
department.
• Began directing films for TV
in the early 70s, and his first
theatrical feature in 1974.
Films
• Has directed over 30 films and
been producer or writer on over
80 more.
• Films include science fiction
and adventure films like Jaws
(1975), Close Encounters of the
Third Kind (1977), and
Jurassic Park (1993).
• He has also made humanistic
and historical films such as
The Color Purple (1985),
Schindler’s List (1993), and
Lincoln (2012).
Collaborators
• Spielberg has worked on
multiple films with actors
Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison
Ford, Tom Hanks, Tom
Cruise, and Shia LeBeouf.
• He has worked with editor
Michael Kahn for over thirty
years.
• Composer John Williams
has scored every one of his
films except for three.
Awards
• He has won three Academy
Awards - two for “Best
Director” - and has been
nominated seven times.
• Ten of his films were
nominated for “Best Picture”
(Schindler’s List won).
• Three of his films – Jaws,
E.T., and Jurassic Park,
broke all box office records
upon their release.
Style
• Awestruck reaction shots (“The Spielberg Face”)
Style
• Reaction shot + Reflection of what they’re seeing
(“The Reflection Shot”)
Style
• Intense streams of glowing light/ silhouettes
Themes
• Absent fathers/ divorce
• Child’s perspective
• Ordinary people in
extraordinary
circumstances
• Loss of innocence/
Coming-of-age
• Optimism/
sentimentality
Video
• The Passions and Techniques of Stephen Spielberg
Raiders of the Lost
Ark
• 1981 American action-
adventure film.
• Story by George Lucas (Star
Wars) and Philip Kaufman
(The Right Stuff).
• Modern version of the
“serials” of the 1930s and 40s.
• Nominated for nine Academy
Awards, winning four.
• Considered one of the greatest
films, movie heroes, and
scores ever.
Discussion Questions
Raiders of the Lost Ark
1. Is Indiana Jones purely a hero, or also somewhat of an anti-hero?
2. Is this film intended purely to entertain, or does it make any kind
of statement?
3. How does this film end? Why do you think the filmmakers chose
to end it as it does?
E.T.
the Extraterrestrial
• 1982 American science
fiction fantasy film.
• Was shot mostly
chronologically to help the
performances of the young
actors (including Drew
Barrymore, in her second
film role).
• At the time, surpassed Star
Wars as the highest grossing
film of all time.
• Widely regarded as one of
the greatest films of all time.
Discussion Questions
E.T. the Extraterrestrial
1. In what ways is the absence of Elliott’s father important to the
plot and themes of the film?
2. How does the character of E.T. compare to our preconceptions
about movie aliens?
3. E.T. has been criticized as being emotionally manipulative. Did
you feel this way?
Empire of the Sun
• 1987 American epic coming-
of-age war film based on J.
G. Ballard's semi-
autobiographical novel of the
same name.
• Received critical acclaim but
was not immediately a box
office success.
• Second film for actor
Christian Bale, known for
later roles in The Fighter,
American Hustle, and The
Dark Knight Rises
Discussion Questions
Empire of the Sun
1. What does the film communicate about issues of social class?
National identity?
2. How does Jim change throughout the course of the film?
3. How does this film mark a development in Steven Spielberg as a
director?
WES
ANDERSON
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 30
Wes Anderson
• American film director and
screenwriter.

• Born in Texas in 1969.

• Films tend to be fast-paced

character-driven comedies with
melancholic elements.

• Uses flat space camera moves,

symmetrical compositions, snap
zooms, slow motion walking
shots, a deliberately limited
color palate, and meticulous
(often hand made) art direction.

• Movies have the feel of self-

contained worlds.
Wes Anderson
• Often uses 1960s & 1970s popular music.

• Frequently collaborates with the same

actors, crew, composer, co-writers, etc.

• Makes extensive and careful use of

typography.

• Filmography
 Bottle Rocket (1996)
 Rushmore (1998)
 The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
 The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
 The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
 Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
 The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Wes Anderson: Film Examples
• In the following film clips, identify how each film reflects
Anderson’s unique style.
• Rushmore (1998)
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
• Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
The Royal Tenenbaums
• 2001 American Comedy-Drama

• Directed by Wes Anderson

• Co-written by Anderson and

Owen Wilson

• Features an ensemble cast

including Gene Hackman,
Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray,
Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller,
Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, and
Danny Glover.
TERRY
GILLIAM
Film Studies v2.0
Unit 31
Terry Gilliam
• (born 1940) is an American-born
British screenwriter, film
director, animator, actor and
member of the Monty Python
comedy troupe.

• Gilliam has directed 12 feature

films, including (in addition to
those already mentioned) Monty
Python and the Holy Grail
(1975, co-directed), The Fisher
King (1991), Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas (1998) and The
Brothers Grimm (2005).
Terry Gilliam
• His films are usually highly
imaginative fantasies. Most of
Gilliam's movies include plot-
lines that seem to occur partly
or completely in the characters'
imaginations, raising questions
about the definition of identity
and sanity.
• He often shows his opposition to
bureaucracy and authoritarian
regimes. He also distinguishes
"higher" and "lower" layers of
society, with a disturbing and
ironic style.
• His scripts feature black
comedy and often end with a
dark tragicomic twist.
Brazil
• Brazil is a 1985 British film
directed by Terry Gilliam and
written by Gilliam, Charles
McKeown, and Tom Stoppard.

• The film is a dystopian

fantasy/satire on bureaucratic
society.

• The film stars Jonathan

Pryce and also features Robert
De Niro, Kim Greist, Michael
Palin, Katherine Helmond, Bob
Hoskins, and Ian Holm.
Trilogies?
• Though a success in Europe, the
film was unsuccessful in its initial
North American release. It has
since become a cult film.
• Gilliam sometimes refers to this
film as the second in his “Trilogy
of Imagination” films, starting
with Time Bandits (1981) and
ending with The Adventures of
Baron Munchausen (1989). All are
about the “craziness of our
awkwardly ordered society and
the desire to escape it through
whatever means possible.”
• In 2013, Gilliam also
called Brazil the first installment
of a dystopian satire trilogy it
forms with 1995's 12 Monkeys and
2013's The Zero Theorem.
Retrofuturism
• The film was inspired by George
Orwell’s novel 1984, although
Gilliam admitted to having
never read it. Other influences
include Fritz Lang, Humphrey
Bogart, and Battleship
Potemkin.

• In order to avoid the trap of, as

a futuristic film, quaintly
evoking the naïve past in which
it was made, Gilliam adopted a
style that has since been called
“retro-futurism” or “sci-fi noir.”
It is a vision of the 1980s as a
1940s filmmaker might have
seen it.
Visuals
• In addition to intense detail in
lighting and production design,
the film is visually notable for
its use of tilted camera angles
and very wide lenses, including
14mm, 11mm, and 9.8mm (one
of the first lenses of its kind
that did not fish-eye.

• This results in perspective

distortion, extreme deep focus,
and an immersive, dense
atmosphere.

• Informally, the 14mm lens has

become known as “The Gilliam”
among filmmakers.
Challenges
• Like its predecessor Blade
Runner (1982), Brazil was
altered by the studio in the US,
and originally released with a
“happy ending.” It has since
been restored by the filmmaker.

• While many of his films have

been critically acclaimed, and
some have been very financially
successful, Gilliam has endured
some very expensive films beset
with production problems,
including The Adventures of
Baron Munchausen, 1999s The
Man Who Killed Don Quixote,
and The Imaginarium of Doctor
Parnassus (2009).
Influence
• Films that drew influence from
Brazil include Tim Burton’s
Batman (1989), Jeunet and
Caro’s Delicatessen (1991) and
The City of Lost Children
(1995), the Coen Brothers’ The
Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Alex
Proyas’s Dark City (1998),
Darren Aronofsky’s Pi (1998),
and the film Sucker Punch
(2011).

• It has also provided inspiration

for steampunk culture and
design.