Exam 1 - Short Answer

Question 1

What are the five preconditions for cinema?

Answer 1

• Knowledge of the illusion of motion
• rapid photography
• flexible film base
• projector
• intermittent mechanism

Question 2

tinting

Answer 2

• positive prints are immersed into dye baths, scene by scene
• brighter areas uniformly colored, darker parts remain black

Question 3

toning

Answer 3

-replacing the silver in the emulsion with another chemical
-darker areas are colored, white areas remain white

Question 4

stencil coloring

Answer 4

• stencils were cut from a copy of the film with a different stencil for each color
• assembly lines of women workers then painted the colors frame by frame on each release print

Question 5

Three factors that contributed to the Nickelodeon boom

Answer 5

• moviegoing became less a novelty and more a regular entertainment when production companies turned away from actualities toward story films
• Producers took to renting rather than selling films so exhibitors could change their program throughout the week
• They were not seasonal, so they were cheaper than vaudeville houses and more regularly available than traveling exhibitions

Question 6

Two claims of “Lost Cause” propaganda w/ concrete examples from The Birth of a Nation

Answer 6

• describes the South as a more Christian and Kindly culture than the North –> the “genteel” South, the northern Stoneman family vs. the southern Cameron Family
• describes slavery as a mostly benevolent institution –> slaves are given a long break for supper and stereotypes are used such as “happy darkies” “mammies” and the Cameron family’s workers are seen as deeply caring for the family and happy to work for them

Question 7

Two central aims of French Impressionist cinema

Answer 7

• exploration of subjectivity (psychology and emotion)
• pictorial beauty (photogenie)

Question 8

Five specific devices of the camera and its distinctive use of editing contributing to the two main goals of French Impressionist cinema

Answer 8

• close-ups and selective framing –> expressive instead of narrative, psychology
• superimposition –> gives outer expression to inner emotions
• distortion –> shooting into curved mirrors, showing drunkenness or psychology
• camera movement
• visual rhythm and rapid editing to explore characters’ mental states

Question 9

Five different distinctive uses of cinematic techniques used in German Expressionist cinema

Answer 9

• composition –> all elements of the mise-en-scene blend
• distortion and exaggeration –> pointed buildings, tall chairs, leaning sets
• exaggerated acting to match the style of the settings, dancelike figure movement dictated by the set
• slower-paced editing to fully display the mise-en-scene and composition
• the camerawork is functional rather than spectacular –> false perspective to form composition

Question 10

Three distinctive characteristics of German Expressionist narrative

Answer 10

• set in the past or in exotic locales or involve elements of fantasy or horror
• frame stories or self-contained stories embedded within the larger narrative structure
• could be set in the present but were satirical or making social commentary