Midterm Flashcards
illusion of motion depends on what?
illusory motion, cognitive effects of interacting color contrasts, object shapes, position
Earliest founders of cinema technology?
George Melies, Lumiere brothers
Film gauges
8 mm, 16 mm, 35 mm, 65/70 mm
How do digital cameras record the image?
tiny light-sensitive diodes that convert light into electrical charges, sensor called CCD or CMOS sensor; image is recorded as pixels
different stages of film production
development, pre production, production, post production, distribution
components of pre production
casting, finding crew, location scouting, obtaining permits
production jobs
actor, producer, camera operator, production assistant
what is a storyboard
graphic representation of how the film will unfold, shot by shot
components of post production
editing footage, special effects, scoring, editing sound, color grading/correction
why are movies a business?
trying to sell the film to an audience, must appeal to an audience if you want to make money
know the film hugo well
ok
film form
segmentation of plot to see structure of film, creative decisions of filmmaker, overall relationship between all elements
ways film form is structured
narrative structure=linear/chronological
are form and content closely knit?
form creates patterns/expectations,
role of characters in a film
to tell the story, protagonist/antagonist
patterns in film/their effects
focuses/recaptures audience’s attention, connects ideas and sequences, cause & effect,
4 levels of meaning that can be discussed in an element of film
referential meaning, explicit meaning, implicit meaning, symptomatic meaning
referential meaning
based on information provided in film
explicit meaning
what is the POINT of the film?
implicit meaning
suggests general meaning to the film, more abstract, based on interpretations,
symptomatic meaning
gives meaning in relation to time and space of the setting, values and ideology of society
motif
similarity/repetition, what is repeated in the film? what are some similar elements?
how do similarity and repetition variations work in a film?
develop motifs that have contributed to the ultimate meaning of the film
plot segmentation
outline of major/minor parts/scenes of film’s narrative; helps to see general shape of film and its components, deciphers similarities between beginning/ending sequences
orson welles
director of citizen kane, starred in his own film Citizen Kane, known for radio show War of the Worlds before he began a career in film
know citizen kane well
ok
components of narrative form
chain of events that are linked by cause and effect in a specific time and space; where/when/how does film start, where/when/how does it end, what is initial conflict, plot vs story
plot vs story
plot- sequence of events within a story/description of what happens and why
story- includes setting, characters, theme/other elements that influence how the events are told
role of characters in narrative form
causes of the plot, move it forward, protagonists, antagonists
how does time unfold in a film?
temporal order (chronological), flashbacks/forwards, time period
what is the significance of location?
help clarify a given story’s themes, help to understand a character’s worldview through how they think about their surroundings
how do we tell if a film has closed or open structure?
Closed Film: world of film is all that exists Open Film: world of film is a momentary frame around an ongoing reality
what is the role of the climax in a film?
high point of film where protagonist determines final action to be taken to resolve the conflict, most intense point in the film
what is usually followed by the climax scene?
resolution, falling action, the end of the film where the conflict is either solved or not solved
are films always focused on a character? what else can it be focused on?
no
they can focus on places, concepts, events (documentaries)
know the godfather well
ok
what is mise en scene?
visual elements of a scene, elements like lighting, actors, decor, makeup
what are some elements of mise en scene?
lighting, costume, makeup, set decor, setting, color scheme
what are props?
any moveable item that is used by a character in a film
what is the significance of location/costume/color in mise en scene
they are important to note as they can be seen as motifs, whether or not they stand out/blend in
what is 3-point lighting
traditional method for illuminating a subject an a scene with light sources from three distinct positions
what is high/low key lighting?
high key lighting- reduces lighting ratio in the scene, meaning there is less contrast between light and dark areas
low key lighting- creates a greater contrast between dark and light areas w majority of the image in shadow
how does directional light work?
where you place the light on a subject will determine what kind of light/shadow appears on them
ex. placing a light to the side of the subject allows for depth/texture to show on the person’s face as opposed to just placing the light head-on, making the subject appear flat
what are some acting styles?
realism, Stella Adler, psychological, stereotyped (typecasting) classical acting, method acting
what is blocking?
working w/talent to decide where they will move throughout the set in a scene, also involves working out where cameras and lights will move as the scene progresses
how is space planned and shown in a film?
relationship of acting to setting (costume and makeup), how viewers attention is guided, balanced, unbalanced, symmetrical, deep space, shallow space
know the royal tenenbaums well (especially margots change throughout the film)
ok
what is cinematography?
the photographic image, controlled by the camera and light, “the art and technology of making motion pictures”
who is in charge of cinematography?
cinematographer, director of photography
what are some elements controlled by cinematographer
framing, camera motion, camera angle, lens choices, depth of field, zoom, focus
what are some different speeds of motion?
accelerated, slow motion, freeze frame, time lapse, high speed
what is a normal frame rate?
24 fps
what is time-lapse photography
long periods shortened dramatically into a minute or under
what is the effect of a wide angle lens in our sense of space in a shot? a telephoto lens? normal lens?
- wide angle lens allows depth and a long range of focus
- telephoto lens allows shallow depth of field and focus range
- normal lens medium range of depth and focus
what focal length does a wide angle lens use
35 mm or shorter
what is a shot, scene, sequence
shot- moment the camera starts rolling until the moment it stops
scene- section of a movie in a single location and continuous time made of a series of shots
sequence- series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit
what are some different shot sizes
establishing shot, wide shot, extreme close up, close up
what are two aspect ratios in cinema?
16:9, 4:3
what are some different angles you can shoot your subjects?
close up, extreme close up, medium
what are some ways you can move your camera with a stationary tripod?
pan, tilt
what are some ways you can move your camera through space?
tracking, dollying
what is a long take?
a single shot with a much longer duration than the conventional editing pace of a movie
know onoda well
good luck w/that one
