History vs. Hollywood Unit 1 Test (smaller) Flashcards
Pre-1920s Film History
Early Cinematic Origins, the Infancy of Film
Pre-1920s Film History
Early Movie Milestones
The Great Train Robbery (1903)
Told a story
Edited images from simultaneous
10 minutes; 14 scenes
D.W. Griffith: first great “artist” of film as director (made 3-hour epic “Birth of a Nation” in 1915 about KKK)
Charlie Chaplin: “The Little Tramp” character established by the mid-1910s
Movies were silent; accompanied in theatres by a live piano player
1930s Film History -
The Talkies, the Growth of the Studios and ‘The Golden Age of Hollywood
1930s Film History
Trends of the 1930s
Genres: Gangster, Western, Dance-Musical, Horror…
Strong Women: Katherine Hepburn, Mae West
Young Stars: Shirley Temple, Mickey Rooney
1940s Film History
The War and Post-War Years, the Beginnings of Film Noir
1950s Film History -
The Cold War and Post-Classical Era, the Era of Epic Films and the Threat of Television
1960s Film History -
The End of the Hollywood Studio System, and the Era of Independent, Underground Cinema
1970s Film History -
The Last Golden Age of American Cinema (the American “New Wave”), and the Advent of the Blockbuster Film
1980s Film History -
Teen-Oriented Angst Films, and the Dawn of the Sequel, with More Blockbusters
1990s Film History -
The Era of Mainstream Films and Alternative or Independent (“Indie”) Cinema; and the Rise of Computer-Generated Films; also the Decade of Remakes, Re-releases, and More Sequels
2000s Films -
he New Millenium, an Age of Advanced Special Effects, and the Search for the Perfect Blockbuster
What is a genre:
A category or type of film.
Genres help to classify or organize films -
they create a “that looks familiar, I have seen that before” reaction in our brains
Can you come up with some examples of storylines that happen in specific genres - For example - in action movies, they always get the bad guy
In rom-coms…
The girl always gets the guy
There’s always a sad moment and it’s raining
A meet-cute
They get together at the end of the film
But they almost didn’t get together
What is iconography?
Repeated images or sounds among a genre.
List the 5 Stages of Genre:
Primitive Stage
Classical Stage
Revisionist
Parody
Extension
Primitive Stage
Early or birth of the genre
Techniques are not well established and conventions not developed - these are the first attempts
Classical Stage
Patterns are continuing
A following has developed
Values of the genre
Revisionist
Iconography is similar, but more complex and ambiguous
Values of the original genre are questioned (maybe the bad guy turns out to be good)
May have to watch closely to see the ties to the original genre
Parody
Similar iconography
The theme will stay the same
Mocking the genre
Stock characters will be over-embellished
Extension
Take the themes and values of the genre
Iconography may change
Structure may change
2 genres I should know…
Film Noir
Blaxploitation
Shot Types:
These terms describe the camera’s viewpoint and show the effect this might have on the audience. The following examples are taken from clips of The Dark Knight.
Camera Movement:
These terms describe the way in which a camera is moved to direct our attention to emphasize a particular viewpoint.
Mise en scène:
This term is used to describe what is in the frame and why.
Lighting:
This term is used to describe how lighting is used to draw attention to a person or object, or to hide it.
Sound:
This term is used to describe the presence and purpose of the soundtrack and other sound effects.
Editing:
This term is used to describe the changing shots within a piece of film.
Title Graphics:
This term is used to describe the title and credits of a film, and what the colours and background can tell us about the genre of the genre of the film.
Long Shot:
A long shot establishes where the scene takes place, showing either a full subject and/or an extensive background.
Mid Shot:
A mid shot shows the torso of the subject and some background.
Close-Up:
A close-up is used to show emotion and/or draw attention to the face or another subject depicted in the shot.
Over the Shoulder Shot:
This is used when two characters are interacting face to face.
Point-of-view Shot:
Depicts the action of the scene from a character’s viewpoint, either to encourage empathy from the audience or to establish mood or importance.
High Angle Shot:
The camera looks down on the person or object, making the person or object appear vulnerable or insignificant.
Low Angle Shot:
The camera looks up at the person or object, making the person or object appear powerful or important.
Panning Shot:
The camera moves slowly across from side to side from a fixed axis.
Tilt Shot:
The camera moves up and down from a fixed axis.
Crane Shot:
The camera, mounted on a crane, moves around at a distance and above ground level.
Tracking Shot:
The camera follows the action, mounted on tracks laid for that purpose, often pulling backward from a scene.
Hand Held:
Used to create a greater sense of authenticity; for example, it could be used to provide eyewitness accounts of a specific character.
Mise en Scène
There are four different things to consider when analyzing what is in a scene, why it was chosen, and whether it is effective:
Setting and props
Costume and makeup
Body language and facial expression
Lighting and colour
Lighting
Lighting quickly creates an atmosphere on screen. If it is dark and shadowy we might be made to feel uneasy, as in a thriller; if the lighting is bright we feel happy and confident. The filmmaker can use lighting to draw our attention to a person/object or equally, to hide them.
Sound
There are three elements to a film soundtrack:
Dialogue
Music
Sound effects
Editing
The speed with which a shot changes can be very effective at creating an atmosphere.
The speed with which a shot changes affects a viewer.
