film author argument paper

INTRODUCTION TO FILM FORM AND STYLE ​- FTV 113 Section Film form​ refers to the overall system of relationships among the parts of a film. Narrative

● Narrative: ​a chain of events in cause-effect relationship occurring in time & space ● Story: ​the set of ​all ​the events in a narrative, both the ones explicitly presented and those

the viewer infers ● Plot: ​everything visibly and audibly present in the film before us ● The ​screenwriter​ obviously has a lot of control over narrative, but directorial or editing

decisions can also powerfully influence narrative. STORY

Presumed and inferred events

Explicitly presented events Added nondiegetic material (e.g. film score)

​PLOT Film style Film style​ (sometimes called “formal elements” or just “form”) refers to a filmmaker’s choices relating to images and sounds. Scholars often talk about four elements of film style: mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, and sound. Always ask yourself, “Why did the filmmakers make this choice? How does it help them tell the story?”

● Mise-en-scène ​is the director’s control over what appears in the film frame, including: ○ Setting and sets: realistic or not? Colors? Themes? ○ Props: recurring motif? Metaphorical or cultural meaning? ○ Costume and Makeup: stand out or blend in? Convey character traits? ○ Lighting: what kind of mood does it create? ○ Staging/Blocking (of actors, objects): balanced or not? Movement? ○ Acting: stylized (exaggerated) or naturalistic? Recognizable character types?

● Cinematography ​refers to the filmmaker’s choices with the camera and (in some cases) while developing or digitally altering the film. Some choices include:

○ Framing: on- and off-screen space ○ Camera Position: angle, level, height, and shot distance ○ Camera Movement: pan, tilt, tracking shot (camera moves in any direction)

● Editing ​is the coordination of one shot with the next. ○ Shot: one or more exposed frames in a series on a continuous length of film stock ○ Cut: the most basic means of joining two shots ○ Pay attention to the ​relationship​ between two shots. Do they graphically match or

clash? How long are the shots? Do they establish changes in time? (over)

● Sound​ can include any mixture of speech, music, and noise. ○ Diegetic ​sound has a source in the story world (e.g. a character speaking or

playing a guitar) while ​nondiegetic​ sound is represented as coming from a source outside the story world (e.g. the film score or an added sound effect).

In ​Citizen Kane ​(1941), a ​low-angle shot​ (left) makes Kane look more imposing and powerful while the snow globe (right) is an example of a ​prop ​used as a motif-- and metaphorically, to represent Kane’s idyllic childhood. Taking Notes on a Film Careful note taking is essential for film analysis! Look for…

● the ​unusual​ (events or stylistic elements that stand out in the film). ● events or techniques that ​recur​ with regularity (motifs)-- watch for patterns. ● oppositions​ that appear in the film.

It also helps to develop a shorthand for taking notes on films. (For example: ​ct​ for cut, ​la​ for low angle, ​cu​ for close-up, ​ls​ for long shot, ​ps​ for pan shot.) You can even draw lines/arrows to represent interesting camera movements

Screening Questions: ​Medea ​(Ben Caldwell, 1973) ● How does Caldwell use stillness and movement within and between frames? ● What do you notice about editing? How does Caldwell use shot length? ● Does the camera move? What might any movements signify? ● Is this a narrative film? Does it have a story? ● Caldwell describes the film as being about “all of the information that comes into a child

before it’s born” (Field 100). Does that help inform your viewing? ● Do you see any connections to Julie Dash’s work?