Lesson 4 - Editing

The Odessa Steps sequence - Battelship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925)

Don't Look Now (Nic Roeg, 1973)
Apocalypse Now Opening Sequence from Mike O on Vimeo.

Lesson 3 - Cinematography

 

The famous "Copacabana Shot" from Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990)

Lesson 2 - HW (Set 3)

Mise en scéne HW

For your HW, you must write the opening scene of an imaginary film in which mise en scéne plays a significant role in the communicating the scene’s meaning. Remember, MES includes lighting, props, setting/location, costume/make-up and body /language performance.

Use the following format:

TITLE

Scene direction  This should  include notes on how film-makers would set up the scene as a whole  – so directions for setting, location, and lighting i.e. It is a dark and stormy night in Transylvania. A long shot of a castle with gothic turrets fills the screen. Thunder roars, rain begins to pour and lighting cracks across the sky.  Try and include lots of details here.

Shot direction  –  This is what we’d see in a specific shot. This would include camera directions and character directions – names of characters, what they  look like and what they are doing) Try and include at least 5 shots i.e.

SHOT 1 The camera zooms in through a window in the castle. We see a medium long shot of DRACULA lying in his coffin. He is dressed in a smart black suit and we can just see the hints of a red velvet lining on his cape. He sits up.

SHOT2 Medium close up of DRACULA’S FACE. He opens his mouth and speaks, and we can see his fangs. His voice is heavily East European in accent.

DRACULA

I vant to drink blood!

Note here that the dialogue is the shortest part of the direction. Dialogue should be minimal. You may even wish to make your film silent! Character’s name should be capitalised and dialogue should be idented to the centre to the page.

DUE DATE: Friday, 20^th September 2013

Lesson 2 - Mise en scene

AS FILM STUDIES: Mise- en- scene

 Cinematography (lit. writing in movement) is basically moving photography (lit: writing in light). As photography must have an object to photograph, cinematography must have an object to film. This may be done be placing objects in front of the camera or by putting the camera before objects found “on location”. Mise en scene is a French term borrowed from the theatre, which literally means “placed on stage”. Mise en scene can be thought of as what cinema has in common with theatre.

 

Every image we see on a film is the result of numerous choices. Each element we see has been placed there. The questions we have to ask are “why?” and “to what effect?”

The elements of mise en scene are:

 

·       Setting/decor

·       Costume and make up

• Body language/movement
• Lighting
• Props

Mise en scene should not be thought of simply as “props”. The information given in mise en scene can inform the viewer about all aspects of the film and as we will see, careful selection of these five elements can lead to the construction of a completely different world. 

Setting & Décor

Setting can provide not only geographical backdrop to a film but can also provide us with emotional or psychological tone. It can set tone and atmosphere and provide information on the historical time of the film or the state of the mind of the protagonists. How a room is decorated and how objects are used to furnish that room provides another way in which meaning can be evoked. Décor can relay information about character, genre atmosphere and setting.

Costume and make up

Think of the judgements you make about people in your day-to-day life based on their clothing and you will understand the power of costume. Costume can ground a film historically (think of the elaborate costumes required for BBC period dramas) and provide information on social and cultural background. Naturalistic costumes can show social class, and OTT costumes help create the atmosphere of fantasy films.

Costume changes are often used to indicate narrative changes, or changes in a character’s mood or role (think of Cinderella and other “rags to riches” stories). Sexual attraction and power (both very important in film narrative) can both be expressed through costume. 

Body Language/Movement

The way characters stand, move or rest is a key to us for “reading” their characters. A nervous character may be jumpy and continuously looking round, while a confident character may walk slowly with their head held high. Body language can be an indicator of how a character feels at any point. Certain body language can become linked with the role of particular actors – John Wayne’s walk became famous for example, and showed him as powerful, confident and in control. Body language can also indicate characters’ relationships to one another – a character who is more powerful, or a threat, may loom over another.

Lighting

  

It is worth remembering that nothing can be seen (and therefore filmed) without light. Lighting is hugely important in generating mood and atmosphere.  It can throw shadows, illuminate key objects or exaggerate or emphasis a characters feature. Lighting can intensify or soften the mood of a film or a character.

Two examples might be top-lighting and under-lighting. Top-lighting will often flatter a character and can be used to show beauty or glamour, while under-lighting has the opposite effect, and can create an eerie or ominous mood. 

Props

Iconography and props can play a key role in determining the plot of a film – a camera might linger on a murder weapon, or a pile of cash. They can show us a film’s genre (think of a sheriff’s badge or six-shooters). Props can also be used to provide information about characters or to dramatise key moments in a film i.e. Luke Skywalker’s “light sabre” – a warm colour vs. the blue tones of Darth Vader’s.

Lesson 1

As Film Booklet by danlowe

Unit Content

FM1 Exploring Film Form (40%)

This is a coursework unit, worth 40% of the AS.  In this unit we study how to undertake basic film analysis.  We teach you how films ‘make meaning’ through a variety of devices and techniques.  We study a range of films, mainly through short extracts.  These include mainstream films from popular film genres, as well as more experimental and unusual films.  You develop your awareness and understanding of the possibilities of camerawork, editing, sound, performance and mise-en-scene.

You write an essay (1500 words) analysing a film extract of your choice.  You write about how one or more of the ‘micro features’ of film (mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, performance and sound) create meaning and generate response in a sequence of no more than five minutes. You should support your written work with visuals to illustrate your points.

Creative Work.  Here you have a chance to demonstrate your understanding in a creative manner.  Working in groups, you complete a short video piece that demonstrates your understanding of how film is constructed.  You write:

·        A brief ‘aims and context’ for the film, carefully explaining your role in the project.

·        The filmed extract itself lasting approx 3 minutes.  You work as part of a group and take on a specific role such as editor, cinematographer, sound editor, lightinng and set designer.

·        A short reflection/self evaluation of what you have done (500 words).  It is essential that you write about the role that you took on, and focus your analysis on this aspect.  The evaluation should ideally contain some ‘screen grabs’ from your film.

You submit your FM1 work in a folder with a coversheet.  It is marked by your teachers and moderated externally.