film exam 3 Flashcards
1
Q
three approaches to editing
A
- classical continuity editing
- formal montage
- disjunctive editing
2
Q
classical continuity editing
A
- rhythm
- time
- narrative coherence
- invisibility
3
Q
classical continuity editing (rhythm)
A
- directors that have lost narrative coherence through mis en scene, can save the film’s rhythm through editing
4
Q
classical continuity editing (time)
A
- editing can be used to expand and compress time, just as cinematographers can use lenses compress and expand space
- scenes can be lengthened or shortened
- actor’s performances can be improved through selective cutting
5
Q
classical continuity editing (narrative coherence)
A
- most essential part of classical editing
- story is told by making judicious choices of the best images and sounds.
6
Q
classical continuity editing (invisibility)
A
- editing is often referred to as “the invisible art”
- the creation of an illusion of continuous action, even though the film is made up of different kinds of shots.
7
Q
formal montage
A
- Kuleshov effect
- Formalist Soviet Montage
8
Q
formal montage (Kuleshov effect)
A
- the discovery that editing could be used to create meaning other than through the strict classical continuity approach
- discovered by Lev Kuleshov in the late 1910’s.
- paired a shot of an actor’s facial expression with three different shots including a bowl of soup, an attractive woman, and an old woman in a coffin.
- showed three different emotions with one shot
- called the Kuleshov effect
9
Q
formal montage (formalist Soviet montage)
A
- editing theory created by Sergei Eisenstein
- took Kuleshov’s theory to another level
- believed that there should be a dynamic collision between antithetical shots to present new meanings
- not necessarily for continuity, but for construction of new meaning
- relates shots by subject, theme, and/or mood
- Koyanosquatsi (1982) is a famous film touching on the impact of humans on the world through graphic and thematic means
10
Q
Disjunctive editing
A
- first appeared during the Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave)
- Directors such as Jean Luc Godard and Francois Truffait mixed classical Hollywood Cinema techniques of linear editing along with radical anti-classical techniques.
- were more self-reflexive forms of editing where editing was not invisible and were apparent
- non-linear editing approach
11
Q
concepts of continuity editing
A
- establishing a shot
- shot and reverse shot
- reaction shots
- parallel editing
- inserts and cut-ins
- 30-degree rule
- 180-degree rule and crossing the line
- flashbacks and flash-forwards
- pace
12
Q
establishing a shot
A
- a shot, typically a wide shot
- establishes the setting and spacial relations among actors and objects in a scene
13
Q
shot and reverse shot
A
- shots that alternate between two or more characters
- often in conversation
14
Q
parallel editing
A
- alternating shots of action from different locations all happening at the same time
15
Q
inserts and cut-ins
A
- usually closer shots that interrupt a wider shot providing information or emphasis
- example: during a long shot, an actor looks down at her desk to see a close up of a phone
16
Q
30-degree rule
A
- rule of thumb stating that the camera angle must change by at least 30 degrees when cutting to another angle
- if less than 30 degrees, cut will be noticeable
17
Q
180-degree rule
A
- continuity is maintained when cutting between two actors
- only when left to right relationship is maintained
18
Q
flashbacks and flash-forwards
A
- cutting a scene or sequence in the past or jumping ahead to the future
19
Q
pace
A
- the rhythm of editing, whether fast or slow
- important since it is the most musical of editing characteristics
20
Q
transitions between shots
A
- cut
- match cut
- jump cut
- fade in and fade out
- dissolve
- wipe
- freeze frame
21
Q
cut
A
- a direct change from one shot to another
22
Q
match cut
A
- a change from one shot to another where spatial and temporal relations are maintained
- invisible to the audience
- common match cuts: eye-line match, action match, and graphic match
23
Q
jump cut
A
- a change between shots where spatial and temporal relations are not maintained
- audience is made aware of the mismatch
24
Q
cut
A
- a direct change from one shot to another
25
Q
match cut
A
- a change from one shot to another where spatial and temporal relations are maintained
- invisible to the audience
- common match cuts: eye-line match, action match, and graphic match
26
Q
jump cut
A
- a change between shots where spatial and temporal relations are not maintained
- audience is made aware of the mismatch
27
Q
fade in and fade out
A
- a cut where the shot turns darker until it becomes black (fade out) or turns from black to an image
28
Q
dissolve
A
- a transition from one shot to another where the new image is temporarily superimposed as the original image fades
29
Q
master scene
A
- shooting the entire scene, called the master, in a long shot
- next shoot the entire scene again with medium shots, and then again with close ups of each principle actor’s dialogue or reactions
- shots are called coverage
- advantageous because one gets many different angles and shot sizes within a scene for more choices during editing
- allows editor to choose the best takes from a scene
- disadvantageous because it calls for much planning and actions must be repeated identically for continuity
- improvisation is more difficult
30
Q
freeze frame
A
- a moving image transforms into a still image
31
Q
shooting strategies for continuity
A
- master scene
- shot by shot
- triple-take
32
Q
master scene
A
- shooting the entire scene, called the master, in a long shot
33
Q
shot by shot
A
- scenes are carefully planned or storyboarded
- most flexible approach
- disadvantageous because there may not be enough footage and mismatches can occur
- highly skilled directors needed to envision what shots are needed within the editing process
34
Q
triple-take technique
A
- commonly used in documentary films
- illustrates how a particular event or controlled process takes place
- breaks complicated action or longer scenes into three consecutive shots.
- main idea is to overlap the action at the beginning and end of each shot
- Joseph mascelli’s “The five c’s of cinematography” describes this
- action at end of first shot begins the second and so on to provide perfect matching
- disadvantages: editor can end up with a collection of distracting angles and shot sizes that lack mood or thematic value
35
Q
What defines a director’s directorial tendencies?
A
- approaches that can be applied to any of the style and personal vision categories
- realism vs formalism
- montage vs mis-en-scene
- invisible vs self-reflexive
36
Q
abstract ideas and internal state of beings
A
- what director’s or auteurs strive to visualize regarding certain aspects of the human experience
- an attempt to go beyond realism of photography and bring out a special meaning or illumination
37
Q
What defines a director’s style and personal vision?
A
- choice of genre or narrative interest
- recurrent themes (world view)
- camera style (composition, framing, movement, lighting)
- editing style and mis-en-scene
38
Q
What defines a director’s directorial tendencies
A
- approaches that can be applied to any of the style and personal vision categories
- realism vs formalism
- montage vs mis-en-scene
- invisible vs self-reflexive
39
Q
Carol Reed
A
- British filmmaker (1906-1876)
40
Q
Carol Reed Stylistic signature
A
- novelistic filmmaker
- most preferred his films over their source novels
- transformed poorly drawn novel characters into living, breathing people with real complicated lives
- directed great performances
- preferred real locations (realism), but used camera and lighting in expressionistic ways.
- highly effective use of mood and atmosphere
- interesting camera angles
- including dutch tilt in “The third man”
41
Q
Carol Reed World View
A
- people are highly complicated and not predictable
- there are mostly grey areas in life, makes conflict difficult to resolve. no easy answers.
- things usually don’t work out. life is often disappointing.
- very mature world-view
42
Q
Carol Reed significant films
A
“odd man out”
“the fallen idol”
“the third man”
“oliver”
43
Q
Frederico Fellini
A
- Italian director (1920-1993)
44
Q
Frederico Fellini Stylistic Signature
A
- juxtaposition: juxtaposed reality against constructed situations for ironic effect.
- placed objective and subjective views of the character side by side so that we are aware of the difference
- minimized traditional drama or tranformed it
- preferred episodic stories
- explored the thin line between beauty from grotesque
- celebrated the power of imagination in the life of his characters
45
Q
Ozu, Yasujiro sylistic signature
A
- formal closed framing
- very little camer movement
- avoided over the shoulder shots
- emphasis on cinematography (the permanent)
- emphasis on the particular, not the general (as in Haiku poetry)
- gestures are important
- family as a subject of interest
- conflicts that develop between personal desire and societal demands
- transitions that create conflict (growing up, marriage, cultural evolution)
- strong female characters
- transition shots are punctuated moments of contemplation.
- strong graphic elements utilizing lines, space, and form, weight and balance
- narrative ellipses, nothing is spelled out
- major events usually occur off screen
- showed slower and less dramatic pace of life
- camera usually three feet high, at level of his seated characters
46
Q
Frederico Fellini significant films
A
“La Strada”
“La Dolce Vita”
“8 1/2”
“Armacord”
47
Q
Ozu, Yasujiro
A
- Japanese director (1903-1964)
48
Q
Ozu, Yasujiro sylistic signature
A
- formal closed framing
- very little camer movement
- avoided over the shoulder shots
- emphasis on cinematography (the permanent)
- emphasis on the particular, not the general (as in Haiku poetry)
- gestures are important
- family as a subject of interest
- conflicts that develop between personal desire and societal demands
- transitions that create conflict (growing up, marriage, cultural evolution)
- strong female characters
- transition shots are punctuated moments of contemplation.
- strong graphic elements utilizing lines, space, and form, weight and balance
- narrative ellipses, nothing is spelled out
- major events usually occur off screen
- showed slower and less dramatic pace of life
- camera usually three feet high, at level of his seated characters
49
Q
Ozu, Yasujiro world view
A
- life is sad so we must react to events with calm acceptance
- things are transient, and life is impermanent.
- the cycle of nature mirrors the cycle of life.
50
Q
Ozu, yasujiro significant films
A
“early summer”
“tokyo story”
“late spring”
“late autumn”
51
Q
Michelangelo Antonioni
A
- italian director (1912-2000)
52
Q
Michelangelo Antonioni stylistic signature
A
- focused on character and theme
- very little plot and minimal drama
- explored characters in stasis
- ungrounded, de-centered, and lack of purpose
- resist simple interpretation, highly complex
- environment is in counterpoint to the characters
- meaning expressed principally through cinematography
- self-reflexive view
- long takes with unusual compositions, framing, and editing strategies
53
Q
Michelangelo Antonioni world views
A
- people retain rigid morality of primitive age and are unable to adapt to the complexity of the modern world
- objects and machines of modern world are often more interesting than people
- people are so empty spiritually, that they are principally motivated to pursue money and sex as a way to fill their emptiness.
- when fulfillment is not reached they wonder why
54
Q
Michelangelo Antonioni significant films
A
"cronace di un amore "l'ayventura" "la notte" "L'eclisse" "blow-up"
55
Q
Zhang, Yimou
A
- Chinese director (1951- )
56
Q
Zhang, Yimou stylistic signature
A
- focus on character and theme
- very little plot and minimal drama, often ambiguous endings
- one of the most versatile of major directors
- moves between formalism and realism with great dexterity
- creates films from a single image-idea that informs the genre, dramatic structure, color and overall visual style of each film
- emphasizes the transient and impermanent nature of life.
- this view, same as Ozu’s, is one of the great contributions of Asian Cinema
- bold, lush cinematography, rich in color and texture.
- emphasizes female beauty
- breaks cultural and traditional rules of visual arts
- asymmetrical framing often apparent
57
Q
Zhang, Yimou world view
A
- words are finite but the heart is infinite
- women, and in particular, the desires of women, are a powerful force of nature
- resilience and stubbornness are necessary for survival in the face of adversity and hardship
58
Q
Zhang, Yimou significant films
A
"red gorghum" "ju don" "raise the red lantern" "to live" "the road home" "the story of qui ju" "hero" "the house of flying daggers"
59
Q
three perspectives of performance
A
- philosophies of acting
- styles of acting
- categories of actors
60
Q
philosophies of acting
A
- how an actor should be trained and what techniques to be applied in the creation of a character
61
Q
styles of acting
A
- what style of acting is needed within the context of the genre
- one style is better for comedy as opposed to a drama
62
Q
categories of acting
A
- how the star system can expand or limit an actors’ range
63
Q
Technical approach to acting
A
- identified along with a British theatrical tradition of acting
- external
- outside-in
- intellectual understanding of character
- emphasis on the body and creation of the movements of the character
- correct physical actions lead to correct emotional reactions
- for training: be obervant of physical actions and accents of different people.
- many devoted to the training of voice and mastery of body movements
64
Q
Method approach to acting
A
- American style of acting based on the teachings of Constantin Stanislavsky
- internal
- inside-out
- emotional understanding of the character
- emphasis on the emotional history of character
- correct emotion within actor will lead to correct physical reaction
- for training: development of a rich sense memory of different emotions
65
Q
rational actor
A
- plans out every detail of voice intensity, movement and gesture
66
Q
Technical approach to acting
A
- identified along with a British theatrical tradition of acting
67
Q
Method approach to acting
A
- American style of acting based on the teachings of Constantin Stanislavsky
68
Q
Constantin Stanislavsky
A
- originator of the ideas that resulted in the method approach to acting
- greatest discovery was the nexus
69
Q
Stanislavsky’s nexus
A
- concept that describes how the actors body can function as the link that brings all of his or her past experiences of taste, touch, sight, smell and sound together.
- this link enables active retrieval of one’s inner emotional life at will
- actors can draw on these experiences to bring out the emotions necessary for a scene
- lee strasburg said “the emotions are hung on the strings of the five senses”
70
Q
representational acting
A
- creates the complete illusion that he or she is the character being performed.
- actor is giving a representation of real life that would continue on even if the audience were not present
- suits realistic films
- style most often seen
71
Q
presentational acting
A
- embraces theatricality
- not concerned with realism
- mostly associated with Greek and Shakespearean dramas.
- goal is to intensify and heighten conflicts and emotions of characters so they stand out from real life
72
Q
clearest distinction between representational and presentational acting, according to Stanley Kahan
A
- representational acting is centered on the other actors in the play and within the area of the stage itself
- presentational acting tends to be audience-centered, with continual awareness of the existence of the audience as the focal point of the action.
73
Q
categories of actors
A
- leads
- supporting (characters)
- non-professional performers
- extras
74
Q
lead actors
A
- men and women who are usually cast in the principal roles of the film
- most often these actors are stars as well, but occasionally character actors will be cast in lead roles
- very often lead stars will play supporting roles and character actors will try lead roles to become leading actors
75
Q
character actors
A
- usually play secondary or supporting characters
- often typecast because of specific appearance
- often recognizable but name is unknown
76
Q
non-professional performers
A
- people with no professional training are chosen for their naturalism or representative types
- unknown famous people
- major sports figures, pop-stars, jounalists, politicians, etc..
77
Q
extras
A
- actors cast in non-speaking parts in order to enhance the realism of the film
- often called background actors
78
Q
types of star actors
A
- personality star
- actor star
79
Q
personality star
A
- actors play limited roles that fit closely to their public persona
- brings public history to their performances that provide the basis of audience identification
- ex: ben stiller, harrison ford, cameron diaz, clint eastwood, bruce willis
80
Q
what is art direction?
A
- to create the world that the character will inhabit
- the world will reflect and show the state of the character and provide info without the use of expository dialogue
- helps the audience to get a feel for the character
81
Q
Robert Bresson’s style of directing
A
- highly exacting approach to acting
- disliked technical and emotional techniques, saying they were inherently dishonest
- used nonprofessional actors
- worked with them only once
- didn’t see them as actors, rather they were models
- would exhaust his actors with multiple takes to bring out genuine movement and emotion
- flat style but intriguing
- similar to Ozu
- called transcendental style
82
Q
Production designer or Art director
A
- at the most basic level, the people and physical objects of the world will be the subjects that need to be photographed
- production designer makes sure these people and objects are interesting
- creates the world for the actors to inhabit
- the world will support the overall theme in addition to character and plot
- the name production designer is usually given for historical periods and those sets needing great stylizations
83
Q
early film theory
A
- film tended to be looked at as either a realist or formalist perpective
- asked questions of :
- what are the raw material of film
- what are the methods and techniques that shape the raw material
- what are the forms and shapes ex: what kinds of films have been made and what kinds of films might be possibly made
- what is the purpose and value of film
84
Q
production designer’s team
A
- art director: functions as a PD on smaller productions
- set designer: essentially a draughtsman for the interior sets
- set construction: carpenter that builds sets
- set decorator: set dressers, arrange ojects
- painters: for sets and backdrops
- costume designer: designs and selects costumes
- costumer: makes sure the costumes are made properly
- make-up artist: make up or prosthetics
- hair stylist: hair continuity
- property master: in charge of items handled by actors
- model maker: makes miniature models for shot planning
- greens department: in charge of plants, trees, etc.
85
Q
first film theorists: Hugo Munsterberg
A
- a gestalt psychologist
- argued that the illusory nature of film is the most salient characteristic
- art of mind: how the mind constructs a complete perception out of separate sensations were of interest to him
86
Q
first film theorists: Rudolf Arnheim
A
- background in art criticism and perceptual psychology
- material limitations are utilized to create the perfect illusionism
- disapproved of sound
- called the 1920’s silent era the perfect form
- he said sound ruined the art of film
87
Q
first film theorists: Sergei Eisenstein
A
- russian constructivist who studied engineering
- each shot is a building block with which the content must be totally controlled
- cinema art is achieved through the montage
- realism is important
- artistic creation through montage is the goal of the art of film
88
Q
first film theorists: realists
A
- siegfried kracauer
- andre bazin
89
Q
first film theorists: siegfried kracauer
A
- believed that the appropriate content for cinema was the real “photographic world”
- form is much less important
- fascinated by how the physical world looked more interesting and important through photography
- wrote book called “theory of film: the redemption of physical reality”
90
Q
first film theorists: Andre Bazin
A
- most influential of all early theorists
- also a major film critic of the 1930-50s
- valued documentary realism and mis-en-scene over montage
- enduring contribution is his emphasis on the importance of the director as the auteur.
91
Q
film theorists: realists
A
- siegfried kracauer
- andre bazin
92
Q
film theorists: siegfried kracauer
A
- believed that the appropriate content for cinema was the real “photographic world”
- form is much less important
- fascinated by how the physical world looked more interesting and important through photography
- wrote book called “theory of film: the redemption of physical reality”
93
Q
film theorists: Andrew Bazin
A
- most influential of all early theorists
- also a major film critic of the 1930-50s
- valued documentary realism and mis-en-scene over montage
- enduring contribution is his emphasis on the importance of the director as the auteur.
94
Q
Contemporary film theory
A
- film theory has become almost exclusively the province of academia
- film theory is highly specialized and there is an agreement on the complexity of film as an art
- more specialized, rather than grand theories
95
Q
Robert Warshow, James Agee, Otis Ferguson
A
- film critics writing for popular magazines
- wrote on which movies were worthwhile
- said that American cinema was still very artistically immature compared to Europe and Asia
96
Q
1950s vibrant film culture
A
- American film benefited from the influx of international films
- art theaters developed providing artistic international film to the masses
- was an era of innovation
- inspired writers and filmmakers
97
Q
important critics of the 1950’s and 1960’s: intellectuals
A
- dwight macdonald
- stanley kauffman
- john simon
98
Q
important critics 1950s intellectuals: dwight macdonald
A
- defined audiences and films in terms of tastes they appealed to
- high brow: highly educated audience with exacting taste
- middle brow: the informed mostly college educated audience
- low brow: non-college educated audience
99
Q
important critics of 1950s: populists
A
- andrew sarris: introduced and promoted auteurism to the US, tried to revive the studio era
- pauline kael: most influential of all time
- never went to a film more than once
- feared movies were becoming too high-brow
- accused of liking alot of trashy movies
- liked movies that inspired the younger generation
100
Q
important critics 1950s intellectuals: john simon
A
- most austere and critical of all
- emphasized the influence of drama and fiction
101
Q
important critics of 1950s: cross-overs
A
- Manny farber: a writer, painter, and professor at ucsd
- one of the most original and passionately engaged critics
102
Q
important critics of 1950s: populists
A
- andrew sarris
- pauline kael
103
Q
the sarris- kael controversy
A
- Sarris wrote a book of auteurism and pointed out the rating of popular directors
- he marked directors with strong world views over directors with stronger individual films
- Kael and Sarris argued over this in many popular journals
- helped bring out that idea that style alone was not the key to great films. more is needed for great filmmaking
104
Q
three films considered the best on sights and sounds list
A
- Vertigo
- Citizen Kane
- Tokyo Story
105
Q
sound in early silent films
A
- silent films never really silent
- always had music.
- some theaters had sound effects
- vitaphone system: vinyl phonograph recording that ran in sync with the film
- Warner bros. released “The Jazz Singer” in 1927
- this ended the silent era
106
Q
Elements of Film Sound
A
- diagetic sound
- non-diagetic sound
107
Q
diagetic sound
A
- sound from a source within the world of the film
- ex. dialogue, radio, rain
108
Q
non-diagetic sound
A
- sound that does not come from the world of the film
- ex. soundtrack
109
Q
speech
A
- dialogue
- narration
110
Q
sound effects
A
- the physical world: rain, fire, thunder, usually created by Foley artists
- people: walking, running, opening doors, starting cars, airplanes
111
Q
ambient sounds
A
- location sounds: muffled conversation, creaking hardwood floors
112
Q
two ways musical scores function
A
- to provide structural rhythms, or to stimulate emotions
113
Q
silence
A
- dramatic silence: creating an awareness of the lack of sound
114
Q
anatomy of soundtrack
A
contemporary theaters are equipped with one or more sound systems
- digital sound track
- analog sound track
- DTS (time code for audio cd)
- SDDS track
115
Q
two ways musical scores function
A
- to provide structural rhythms, or to stimulate emotions
-
116
Q
creative uses of music in film
A
- providing transition
- setting tone of film
- providing a sense of time and place
- describing a character
- dramatizing dialogue
- building dramatic tension
- foreshadowing events
- narrating an inner story
- providing meaning to visual images
- covering weaknesses in the narrative
117
Q
transitions in sound editing: what to listen for
A
- transitions provide continuity or discontinuity and direct the viewers attention when cutting into new shot
- shot A ends, sound 1 ends then shot B begins, sound 2 begins
- sound dissolve: as shot A and sound 1 ends, sound 2 begins and fades into shot B
- as shot A becomes shot B, the sound overlaps into shot B
- sound for shot B begins long before shot B actually begins
- a single sound is used to connect several shots
