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The technical side to cinematography
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Did you know it is more to film broadcasting than just visible viewing it? The ability to analyze films implicates closely examination of cinematography. Cinematography refers to the process in film of lighting a shot and achieving quality in the visual images that are captured. The cinematographer in any film is also known as the director of photography and may be either an artist or a technician. It is this individual who is responsible for ensuring that the images appearing on screen are presented to reflect the mood or the emotional effect and the style seen by the film director, producer, and writer as essential to conveying its meaning. The director of photography works closely with the director and interprets the action of the story in terms of light, shade, composition, and camera movement. Other responsibilities include selecting the type of lens to be used for a shot, which influences the appearance of the image, and determining the camera position and angle. The director photographer rarely operates the camera directly; this function is usually the responsibility of the camera operator.
This essay will broaden your ability to view films from behind the scene of film shooting, set design, lighting, screenwriting, casting, makeup, special effects, color, sound effect, dialogue, soundtracks to editing and post production. It will clarify how to analyze films by exposing the art of watching, analyzing and evaluating films from differential approaches.
While it is natural to prefer certain film categories over others, before becoming a receptive viewer one need to consider obstacles to objectivity so they might have the ability to achieve the maximum enjoyments that generates through prejudices and misconceptions b...
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...he shapes and colors of the scenery, sets and costumes. They should all be working together to create a specific mood or ambience. The use of light and darkness can be very important, as can other atmospheric effects such as shadow and fog. In a good film, the background information should enhance the scene not overwhelm it.
Enclosing, the actors may be the most visible elements on the screen, but numerous of other proficient directors performed roles in order to polish the film for cinematic success. As a result when analyzing a film, whether it is a Hollywood blockbuster production or an on stage drama genre be sure to remain objective, focus on the theme and judge that all elements come together in order to guide the audience through the arc of the story.
Works Cited
Boggs, J. M & Petrie, D.W (2008) The Art of Watching Films: 7th ed. McGraw Hill, New York
Braudy, Leo and Marshall Cohen, eds. Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, Fifth Edition. New York: Oxford UP, 1999.
Petrie, Dennis and Boggs, Joseph. The Art of Watching Films. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012.
Identify specific elements of a motion picture that film studios look for in a successful movie.
Lehman, Peter and Luhr, William. Thinking About Movies: Watching, Questioning, Enjoying. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2003.
John Gibbs and Douglas Pye (2005) Style and meaning : studies in the detailed analysis of film. Engalnd: Manchester University Press, pp 42-52.
Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.
...successful collaboration of sound, colour, camera positioning and lighting are instrumental in portraying these themes. The techniques used heighten the suspense, drama and mood of each scene and enhance the film in order to convey to the spectator the intended messages.
In his essay, “It’s Just a Movie: A Teaching Essay for Introductory Media Classes”, Greg M. Smith argues that analyzing a film does not ruin, but enhances a movie-viewing experience; he supports his argument with supporting evidence. He addresses the careful planning required for movies. Messages are not meant to be telegrams. Audiences read into movies to understand basic plotlines. Viewers should examine works rather than society’s explanations. Each piece contributes to Smith’s argument, movies are worth scrutinizing.
Barsam, Richard. Looking at Movies An Introduction to Film, Second Edition (Set with DVD). New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. Print.
Piper, Jim. Get the Picture? The Movie Lover’s Guide to Watching Films. 2nd ed. New York, New York: Allworth, 2008. Print.
Barsam, R. M., Monahan, D., & Gocsik, K. M. (2012). Looking at movies: an introduction to film (4th ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co..
“Entertainment has to come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine, some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything’s not okay.” - David Fincher. David Fincher is the director that I am choosing to homage for a number of reasons. I personally find his movies to be some of the deepest, most well made, and beautiful films in recent memory. However it is Fincher’s take on story telling and filmmaking in general that causes me to admire his films so much. This quote exemplifies that, and is something that I whole-heartedly agree with. I am and have always been extremely opinionated and open about my views on the world and I believe that artists have a responsibility to do what they can with their art to help improve the culture that they are helping to create. In this paper I will try to outline exactly how Fincher creates the masterpieces that he does and what I can take from that and apply to my films.
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence is a Steven Spielberg science fiction drama film, which conveys the story of a younger generation robot, David, who yearns for his human mother’s love. David’s character stimulates the mind-body question. What is the connection between our “minds” and our bodies?
Analyzing film has been around since the making of movies in the early 1900s. Here in the United States film really blossomed in the 1920’s. Production of films started on the West Coast in Hollywood. The earliest films were organized into genres or types, with storylines, settings, costumes, and characters (Dirks, 2010). Films are made to entertain, and when viewers watch the film they find themselves drawn into the characters personality and the plot. Because of film’s popularity many people use films as an agent of communication, education, and learnin...
Offering the unique ability to visually and audibly convey a story, films remain a cornerstone in modern society. Combined with a viewer’s desire to escape the everyday parameters of life, and the excitement of enthralling themselves deep into another world, many people enjoy what films stand to offer. With the rising popularity of films across the world, the amount of film makers increases every day. Many technological innovations mark the advancement of film making, but the essential process remains the same. Pre-production accounts for everything taken place before any shooting occurs, followed by the actual production of the film, post-production will then consist of piecing the film together, and finally the film must reach an audience. Each step of this process contributes to the final product, and does so in a unique right. The process of film making will now start chronologically, stemming from the idea of the story, producing that story into a film, editing that footage together, and finally delivering that story to its viewers.