Norway: How To Read A Film

Comenius

Reading FilmFilm Analysis

Reading a Film• The dual nature of film:

– Narrative content: • novel• short story

– Visual & Aural content: • Painting / photography• Theatre / drama• Symphony / opera

Reading a Film

• The Visual & Aural

– A unique combination– How films convey the narrative– Less abstract than writing– Must also be "read"

Reading a Film

• The Narrative

– Films can be compared to written texts.

– Contain many narrative elements:• Plot / story• Characters• Setting• Point of view• Themes / Message

Reading a Film

• Film Related to other arts

– The novel - expansive scope of narrative

– Theatre - visual & aural in real time

– Music - evocative like a film's sound picture

– Architecture (environmental art) - requires 3-D spaces

Film Visual

• Mise-en-scene

– Construction of the scene

• How it is done

• Meaning of objects

• Purpose of the arrangement

Mise-en-scene

Film Visual• Symbolism• Signs / connotations / codes – Cowboy• "merely" a cowboy

– ranch hand with specific job

• Symbol for:– Masculinity– America– Historical era

Signs / connotations / codes

Signs / connotations / codes

Signs / connotations / codes

Iconography

• Objects we EXPECT to see on screen in a certain genre

– guns in a thriller

– saloon in a western

– pretty girls in horror flicks

Iconography

Film Visual

• Lighting

– create atmosphere and mood– light and shade can suggest codes of meaning (e.g.

in a horror film)– strong light is harsh, soft light romantic– spotlight picks someone out– full face = trust and honesty– shadows = fear and lack of trust

Lighting

Low-key lighting• High contrast• Dramatic• Dangerous

High-key lighting

• Evenly shaded

• Lit background

• Non-threatening

• Fun

Film Visual• Camera angle

– Width• Wide• Normal• Telephoto

– Elevation• High to Bird's-eye view: • Eye level• Low to Worm's-eye view• Canted

Camera angle

Film Visual• Camera and Lens Movement

– Left / Right: pan, crab or track– In / Out: zoom or track – Up / Down: tilt or ped– Role– Wild Film (speedy, blurred movement)– Handheld (for closeness, intimacy)

Film Visual

• Shot• Editing - the cutting and joining of lengths of film that

makes the narrative flow.

Shot

• Single take• Size (close-up, long shot, panoramic)• Subjective point-of-view-shot (through the eyes of a

character in the movie) .• Eye-line shot (that makes YOU feel like you are part

of the movie, seeing things from your angle).

Shot Size• Long shot• Medium shot• Close up

Editing• Jump-cut = a dramatic cut that breaks the time

continuity/ jumps in time or space• Cross-cut = a cut that follow parallel action in two or

more separate scenes at the same time• Follow-cut = follows an action to its consequence• Fade (sometimes into black)• Split screen• Collage/matte

Visual (special) effects

• Used to create realism and meaning example:

– Space craft in Star Wars

– Animated monkey in King Kong

Frame Rate

• Film speed• Time laps• fast motion• slow motion• freeze frame

Film Sound

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

Film Sound

• Actual sound

• Commentary sound

Actual Sound• Voices of characters

• Sounds made by objects in the story: coffee cup, foot steps

• Music from: instruments, record players, radios, tape players in the scene

• Basic sound effects: dog barking, car passing as it is in the scene

Actual Sound

Commentary Sound

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

Commentary Sound

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

Genre

Analyses

• The point of analysis is to figure out:

– THEMES: What we should think about

– MESSAGES: What we should understand

Further Reading:

Monaco, James. How to Read a Film, The Art, Technology, Language, History and Theory of Film and Media. Oxford University Press Inc, USA. 1981. ISBN 0195028066