Film Appreciation Chapter 10

Cinema

A visual art form based primarily on images rather than words.

A shot should provide

Information and emotion.

Two positions which compose the image and manipulate the audience reaction using Shot Length, Camera Angle, and Camera Movement

Director and Cinematographer

Who composes the image and manipulates the audience's reaction with Visual Elements?

Director and Production Designer

The Visual Elements that create the environment of a shot

Scenery, Wardrobe, Props, and Lighting.

Scenery

The Physical Environment of the scene, which sets the mood and period of the film, directs attention to the characters via walls, floor, ground, furnishings, and decorations.

Scenery serves as

The anchor of the pictorial canvas.

Wardrobe

The clothing, hairstyle, and makeup.

What contributes to the wardrobe's design?

Everything about a character's clothing, from the type of fabric to its shape and color.

Props

Objects held in the hands of a character that are used to help drive the character's story.

Small object (i.e., vase)

Set dressing

Large object (i.e., piano)

Scenery

Handheld object (i.e., tv remote)

Prop

Lighting

The deliberate manipulation of light for aesthetic effect in a film.

Lighting

A visual element that has developed as a technique to guide the movie audience through particular emotions or reactions.

Role of The Production Designer

Coordinator of designers in each of the elements.

Another term for the cinematographer

Lighting Designer

What is the second thing in the Pre-production stage for the designers

Separate to work independently on research, design and sketching to ultimately present their ideas to the Director and Production Designer.

Each designer uses a variety of these to create the final look desired by the director

Design elements

What do directional lines evoke?

Different emotional responses in an audience have a unique rhythmic pace in eye movement.

Impact of a horizontal line

Strength and stability

Visual impact of a vertical line

Strength, that’s rather uplifting and spiritual

Visual impact of a diagonal line

Dynamic, interesting, different, strong

Visual impact of a curved line

Soft, feminine, inviting

Directional line that is slow to medium speed

Horizontal and curved

Directional line that is medium to fast speed

Vertical

Directional line that is fast in speed

Diagonal

Effect of Horizontal lines

Calmness, Power, stability, focus.

Affect of the Vertical Line

Creates stateliness and strength.

Affect of vertical lines

Sensation of larger-than-life grandeur.

Affect of Vertical Lines in Lighting

Unnatural eeriness.

The most dynamic directional line that draws the eye's attention and creates movement

Diagonal line

Affect of Diagonal Lines in Scenery

Creates a message of tension or depth

A major design element in Citizen Kane

Lighting

Circle

A complete curve

Affect of a Curved Lines

Inviting, feelings of hope, and femininity, or a sensation of dynamicity.

Light Source Origin

The direction of origin or source of the light creates different emotional connections with the audience.

Effects of Front lighting

Seeing people or objects clearly

Effects of Side lighting

Creates mystery

Effects of Back lighting

Creates uncertainty and fear

Affect of Color

Creates mood

Examples of Warm Colors

Red, yellow, orange

Effect of warm Colors

Passion, love, and warmth

Examples of Cool Colors

Blue and green

Effect of Cool Colors

Emotional distance

Examples of Neutral Colors

Black and white, shades of gray, brown, and beige

Symbol of power and elegance or one of evil and malicious intent. Strongest neutral color

Black

White

Signifies goodness, purity, wholesomeness, moral virtue, and spirituality

Effect of Greys

Competence and professionalism.

Effect of Browns

Warmth and trustworthiness.

Considerations for a designer when creating costumes for a subject

Color and the cut of the garment should compliment the character’s purpose and frame, as well as the scenery

Effect of Neutral Colors in costume design

Balances the character’s mood and persona

Rhythm

The number of places your eye stops on a costume, prop, or piece of scenery.

The effect of rhythm with the longer flow and the fewer stops made by the eye

Stronger character

The effect of rhythm with shorter the flow and the more stops made by the eye

Weaker character

Rhythmic design choices

Affects the audiences reaction to the character’s surroundings and scenery

The first step in Design Description

Describing (via design terminology) what is there, then based on those specific choices, determine why those specific choices were made and how they affect the scene.

Design terminology

line, color, texture, mass, and rhythm

Design description

Describes the visual elements of scenery, costumes, props, and lighting based on a production still

Director of The Maltese Falcon

John Huston

Cinematographer for The Maltese Falcon

Arthur Edeson

Art director for The Maltese Falcon

Robert Haas

Costume designer for The Maltese Falcon?

Orry-Kelly

When was The Maltese Falcon produced?

1941