Category: Film Micro Elements

Cinematography, Editing, Mise-en-scene, Sound

Posted on in Film Micro Elements, Textual Analysis Essay

Micro Analysis

Your initial proposal

Please complete this form prior to our lesson on Monday

Group Meeting

I will be meeting with groups of students studying each film early this week.

Your work is assessed in three areas:

  1. Cultural / historical / institutional context surrounding the film (8 marks)
  2. Your analysis of how meaning is constructed in your 5 minute scene (12 marks)
  3. How these micro features link to macro features in the whole film (8 marks)

For a reminder of the assessment and marked exemplar, please click here.

The meeting agenda will be:
  • To share research sources
    • Everyone should have at least one beyond those which I gave you.
  • To clarify the important cultural context surrounding each film
  • To identify key features of the whole film:
    • Genre
    • Representation
    • Narrative
      • Structure
      • Character journey
      • Themes & Conflict
    • Motifs

During the rest of the week you should be completing a close micro analysis of your sequence…

So, let’s get down with the micro…

This is a process that you should be familiar with:

  1. Identify specific examples of production techniques:
    • Cinematography
    • Editing
    • Sound
    • Mise-en-scene
      • These examples must be named with a technical term
  2. Analyse the impact that technique, in combination with others, on the audience?
    • How do ‘we’ read the sequence?
  3. Evaluate how these micro features relate to the whole film

Studying the sequence

You should watch the sequence a minimum of five times.

  1. The first watch without stopping to get a clear gist of the sequence and place it the narrative context of the whole film.
  2. The second and third time should be a stop start screening, where you are looking for specific examples of the film element you are focusing on.
    • You should also consider the immediate emotional impact of the technique (in combination with other micro areas) on the spectator.
  3. The fourth time should be to consider the representation of the characters. What do we now know about the characters that we didn’t know at the beginning of the scene?
  4. The fifth is to try and think about the scene within the whole film how does it contribute to the development of the characters and themes within the whole film

Help Sheets

Here are note making documents to help you as you watch the sequence

Posted on in Cinematography, Editing, Mise-en-Scene, Sound

Micro Analysis

During this week you should be completing a close micro analysis of your sequence from your film.

So, let’s get down to the micro…

This is a process that you should be familiar with:

  1. Identify specific examples of production techniques:
    • Cinematography
    • Editing
    • Sound
    • Mise-en-scene
      • These examples must be named with a technical term
  2. Analyse the impact that technique, in combination with others, on the audience?
    • How do ‘we’ read the text?

Previous blog posts that contain most of the terms your need:

Cinematography
Sound Design
Production Design
Editing

Here are our mind maps on the four micro elements.

Studying the sequence

You should watch the sequence a minimum of five times.

  1. The first watch without stopping to get the gist of the sequence and place it the narrative context of the whole film.
  2. The second and third time should be a stop start screening, where you are looking for specific examples of the film element you are focusing on. You should also consider the immediate emotional impact of the technique (in combination with other micro areas) on the spectator.
  3. The fourth time should be to consider the representation of the characters. What do we now know about the characters that we didn’t know at the beginning of the scene?
  4. The fifth is to try and think about the scene within the whole film how does it contribute to the development of the characters and themes within the whole film

Here are documents to help you make notes on the four micro features as you watch the sequence.

Posted on in Cinematography, Editing, Mise-en-Scene, Sound

Micro Analysis – 28 Days Later

The purpose of scene analysis is to identify narrative, visual and sound elements and to establish the link between minute detail and broader patterns of development in a film’ Pramaggiore, M., 2011

So, let’s get down to the micro…

This is a process of analysis that you should be familiar with:

  1. Identify specific examples of production techniques:
    1. Cinematography
    2. Editing
    3. Sound
    4. Mise-en-scene
  2. These examples should be named with a technical term
  3. Analyse the impact that technique, in combination with others, on the audience?
    1. How do ‘we’ read the text?
Group Essay

How does the scene, ‘Invasion of Jim’s Family Home,’ use film elements to explore the themes in the film and develop the character journey of Jim & Selena?

In this essay you will be working in groups of four. Each member of the group will be responsible for one paragraph as well as the quality of the essay as a whole. It is expected that you comment on and make suggestions for each others’ work.

This is an important opportunity to practice and refine your scene analysis skills, as well as to learn from each other.

You will be responsible for one of the following paragraphs:

  • An introduction
  • Analysis of cinematography
  • Analysis of sound design
  • Analysis of mise-en-scene
  • Analysis of editing
  • A conclusion

Collectively you will be responsible for the introduction and conclusion, which you will write last.

In total the essay should be a maximum of 1,750 words.

(more…)

Posted on in Assessment & Feedback, Film Micro Elements

Textual Analysis Essay

Key Information

Here is the guidance from IB about the Textual Analysis Essay:

IB Film Specification Pages on Textual Analysis

Here is the assessment criteria explained:

Assessment Criteria

Unit Schedule & Deadlines
  • Week 1 & 2: Revise and recap textual analysis using a whole class film
    • 28 Days Later (2002) Boyle

Friday 21st Sept: Screen 3 Selected Films at Fermain Valley Hotel Cinema

  • Week 3: Research into context and reception of chosen film.

Friday 28th Sept: Submit textual analysis essay proposal

  • Week 4: Close Analysis of selected scene. Plan & draft essay
  • Week 5: Self Assess draft 1 and redraft.

Friday 12th Oct: Submit for teacher assessment

  • Week 6: Redraft essay

Deadline for final submission: Monday 22nd October at 17:00 

Sequence Analysis

Textual analysis essay structure & content.

Posted on in Cinematography, Genre

Horror Cinematography & Sound Design

Today we are considering cinematography & sound design that is conventional (typical) of horror films.

We will watch Suckablood (BC Horror) in class and use this to consider how the cinematography & sound is typically ‘horror’.

We are seeking to understand how German Expressionist cinematic techniques were the blueprint for horror films.

Task

In pairs, one of you will be exploring cinematography:

  • Framing
  • Compostition
  • Angle
  • Movement
  • Lighting & Colour

Whilst the other considers sound design and music:

  • Diegetic
    • Foley
    • Dialogue
  • Non-diegetic
    • Music
    • Sound Effects
The Video.

Make a short montage in Premiere Pro, which uses titles to identify specific features of cinematography and/or sound, which are conventional of horror.

  • You should aim to find 3-5 examples of sound and 3-5 examples of cinematography

This means the video should be either silent, showing a feature of the cinematography. Alternatively the video should show a still of the scene or a title card and analyse the sound which you are describing as conventional of horror and/or influenced by German Expressionism.

Posted on in Comparative Study, Film Macro Elements, Film Micro Elements

Representation of a Vampire

Let’s do some close analysis of select sequences from our two set texts. You will be allocated two sequences, one from each film. Your job is to explore the representation of the vampire monsters at these moments in the film.

Firstly, do a close micro analysis of:

  • Editing
  • Sound
  • Cinematography
  • Mise-en-scene

Then consider, how these micro features communicate meaning about the nature of these monsters, their representation.

You will be responsible for putting together two slides, one for each film, which compares the scenes and considers what social fears seem to be reflected by Eli & Nosferatu.

Here are the scenes. The scenes your group have been allocated are next to the scene. Please complete two slides in this shared (editable) slideshow:

Posted on in Cinematographer, Cinematography, Film Micro Elements, Production Roles

Advancing your Cinematography

The creative intention for the week

‘To develop my cinematography skills and practice advanced techniques which can be used for expressive meaning in film.’

Session 1 – Filming with Canon DSLR cameras

Menu & Settings

  • Setting the White Balance
  • Grid display
    • rule of thirds / composition
  • Auto and Manual Focus
  • Recording Mode – (movie rec size)
    • 50 fps, 1280×720 (frames per second / resolution)
  • ISO (light sensitivity)
    • darker environment – higher light sensitivity & ISO number
    • lighter environment – lower light sensitivity & ISO number
  • Aperture (quantity of light coming into the lens)
    • low number (eg F1.8 = larger amount of light let in = shallow depth of field)
    • high number (eg F8 = less light let in = deeper focus) 

Different types of lens

  • 18-55 mm kit lens
  • Prime 35 mm lens
  • Telephoto Lens
  • Macro Lens

Session 2 & 3 – Play Time

Choose a minimum of  four techniques to research and practice this week. Two from each list:

List 1
  • Depth of Field & Pulling Focus
  • Filming in Macro
  • Impact of different lenses
  • The Trombone Shot
  • Bokeh
List 2
  • The Rule of Thirds
  • Frames within the Frame
  • Symmetry & Leading Lines
  • High Contrast Lighting (Low Key)
  • The Quadrant System

You will need a clear example of what you’re trying to achieve and also a tutorial video or web page on how to achieve it practically.

For each technique you should aim for either a shot of about 10-15 seconds or two to three different shorter examples of the same technique being used in different ways.

Session 4 The Edit

  • Use WeVideo to edit.
  • Upload your footage
  • Create a montage of cinematography techniques,
  • Name the kit / technique in a caption at the start.
  • At the end use a caption to suggest a potential meaning or impact of the technique on the audience

Reflective Journal

A short 1-2 minute video of your various experiments with composition. This will have been exported from WeVideo to YouTube – which should be possible directly.

A reflection on how it is possible to use camera to communicate meaning.

Posted on in Film Micro Elements, Sound

Sound in Film

We have already done some basic exploration of sound when we did the foley sound exercise. This week we are going to go into much more detail in terms of how to describe sound in film and analyse the meaning communicated.

We will be completing an analysis at the end of the week.

Terms

You need to be able to describe all the elements of sound that feature in a film. Here is a diagram of those elements that you need to describe and analyse.

Sound Diagram

Diegetic Sound (includes foley)

Non-Diegetic Sound

We’re going to do an analysis of the sound in this sequence from The Return of the Jedi (1983) Marquand, from the beginning to 5.04.

Watch through the clip and make notes using a copy of this document to make your notes.

They key to this is to describe the examples of the various sounds from your text clearly. Here is a blog with some useful ideas about how to describe music.

Sound Recording Task

Record dialogue in a scene using the boom and shot gun mic.

Here is the sequence, from 4.49 until the end.

Here is the script

We will be filming on one camera from two angles and recording using a shotgun mic, external recorder and boom.

We will sync up the sound and video in post using WeVideo. I will upload the footage and you will have to edit the video and sound together.

Here is a link to let you register with our WeVideo account.

  • Here is the group project link to WeVideo for Mr Gregson’s class.
  • Here is the group project link to WeVideo for Miss Hales class.
Posted on in Editing, Film Micro Elements

Introduction to Editing

Editing, the connectives in Film Language

Think of cut as connectives in a sentence….

…so, and, then, but, however, meanwhile…

How then does does editing create meaning if it’s just simple links in the film?

Well first of all, the edit constructs the meaning in the minds of the audience. Introducing…

…The Kuleshov Effect

 
Editing – Time, Space and Attention

So…OK…it’s the connectives of film, such as: ‘so’, ‘and then’, ‘however’, ‘meanwhile’… which the audience link to make sense of two images.

  • It’s also think about how editing shifts the film in time…such as, ‘Later that day’, ‘Earlier’, ‘The following Morning’, ‘8 years later…’, ‘Flashback…to recap important narrative information’…
  • It can also be used to draw audience attention to specific elements of mise-en-scene which are important. This is usually in the shape of characters view of what they see, although not always (often the audience know more than the characters). Ironic that…
SLIDESHOW TIME…
 
PRACTICAL TASK – Recreate the Kuleshov Effect

Working in pairs of two.

  • One pair shoots a series of reactions in MCU and.
  • A series of objects or events
  • Swap footage and using the other groups reactions / objects, along with your own…
  • Edit together in 3-5 different ways to create different meanings / ideas
Independent Study

Watch & summarise the videos in 5 bullet points

Textual Analysis of Editing

Identify the editing techniques used in this sequence.

Analyse how these editing techniques create meaning and sense for the audience.

You should use this handout to complete your TEA and then upload to your reflective journal under editing, along with a link to the clip.

Posted on in Extras, Film Macro Elements, Film Micro Elements, Information

Recap of Autumn Term 2017

We covered a lot of important concepts last term that we need to build upon in the rest of the course.

Task 1

Class brainstorm of the key things we have learnt in Film.

Task 2

Create a visual representation of one of those concepts in small groups.

Task 3

Contribute to a class glossary of terms for the concept you have been allocated.

Task 4

Find a film that your’re excited about and apply one macro to the film and one micro to a sequence.