History, Form, Genre, and Narrative in Film

Flashcards covering film history, technological developments, auteur theory, ratings systems, form vs. content, genre, and three-act narrative structure.

What surviving short film from 1888 is recognized as one of the earliest recorded films?

Roundhay Garden Scene.

Which 1878 series of motion-capture photographs was created to analyze animal locomotion?

The Horse in Motion (1878).

What is celluloid, when was it introduced into filmmaking, and what is its primary archival drawback?

Celluloid was introduced in 1882 as an early plastic medium that became standard until the 1950s; although inexpensive and durable, it causes archival issues today because it physically deteriorates over time.

How did early international film movements in Japan, Germany, and France differ during the 1910s and 1920s?

The Japanese Pure Film movement urged a departure from theatrical conventions, German expressionism prioritized inner emotion over realistic depiction (e.g., The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari), and French impressionism pioneered early avant-garde filmmaking.

What was the first commercial feature film released with synchronized sound, and in what year did it premiere?

The Jazz Singer, released in 1927.

What was the Hays Code, when was it established, and why did Hollywood studios adopt it voluntarily?

Introduced in 1930, the Hays Code set strict self-censorship guidelines on film content (such as sex, alcohol, and moral justice); studios voluntarily adopted it to head off government-imposed censorship following public industry scandals.

Which 1958 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock contains the first computer-generated imagery (CGI) shot in cinema?

Vertigo (1958).

What is auteur theory, when was the term first translated into English, and who is an example of an American auteur director?

First used in English in 1962, auteur theory posits that the director is the primary 'author' of a film whose body of work shares distinct stylistic traits; Stanley Kubrick is a noted example.

When was the MPAA rating system created to replace the Hays Code, and what were its initial four ratings?

Introduced in late 1968, its initial ratings were G (general audiences), M (mature audiences), R (restricted under 16 without parent/guardian), and X (no admission under 16).

What rating was added to the MPAA system in 1984?

The PG-13 rating.

What is intellectual property (IP), and what constitutes transformative fair use under copyright law?

Intellectual property refers to legally owned ideas and creative works; transformative fair use allows non-permission usage of copyrighted material for criticism, comment, research, or parody.

Which 1999 blockbuster featured widespread use of digital visual effects and CGI, marking a major transition in digital filmmaking?

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).

How did the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks influence American cinema and media culture?

They catalyzed patriotic sentiment and tolerance for privacy invasion, heightened anti-Muslim bias, and increased commercial appetite for superhero blockbusters and stories set around Middle Eastern conflict (e.g., Argo).

What primary issue drove the 2023 Writers Guild strike in Hollywood?

A 6-month strike centered around the unregulated use of artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT) in writing film and television scripts.

What did media theorist Marshall McLuhan mean by his 1964 phrase 'the medium is the message'?

That the form and characteristics of the medium itself—its pacing, structure, and technological constraints—shape meaning independently of the specific content conveyed.

What is the distinction between content and form in cinema?

Content is what happens in the story (characters, plot, setting, themes), while form is how the story is told through technical choices (lighting, camera angles, editing, sound, acting).

What is the projection frame rate for standard motion pictures, and how did early silent films and animation differ?

Standard cinema projects at $24\,\text{fps}$, whereas early silent films projected at $16\text{--}18\,\text{fps}$ and classic animation was drawn at $12\,\text{fps}$.

Which editing and framing rule maintains spatial continuity by keeping all camera setups on one side of an imaginary axis of action?

The $180^\circ$ rule.

What is the operational difference between undercranking and overcranking a film camera?

Undercranking exposes footage at a slower rate (e.g., $12\,\text{fps}$) to yield fast-motion playback at $24\,\text{fps}$, whereas overcranking exposes footage at a higher rate (e.g., $48\,\text{fps}$) to yield slow-motion playback at $24\,\text{fps}$.

What defines a non-linear narrative in film?

A storytelling structure where events are presented out of chronological sequence, as seen in films like Pulp Fiction (1994) or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

What is a narrative trope, and what is a MacGuffin?

A trope is a recurring narrative device or motif across stories; a MacGuffin is a specific trope referring to a desired object that serves solely to motivate character action and plot.

Why is animation categorized as a medium or format rather than a narrative genre?

Because animation is defined by its creation technique (drawn, stop-motion, CGI) rather than specific thematic conventions or story structures, allowing it to span any genre.

According to Looking at Movies, how are 'genre films' traditionally viewed relative to 'non-genre films'?

Genre films are often categorized as formulaic, commercial works 'prone to mediocrity,' whereas non-genre films are usually regarded as serious dramas grounded in realistic settings.

What are the key narrative and stylistic tropes of the slasher film subgenre?

Characteristics include a group of young adult targets, an unknown killer, explicit sex and violence, low budgets, campy tone, character miscalculations, and a surviving 'final girl.'

In narrative film analysis, what is diegesis, and how do diegetic elements differ from non-diegetic elements?

Diegesis is the total world of the story; diegetic elements exist within this world and can be experienced by characters, while non-diegetic elements (such as background musical score or voiceover commentary) exist outside the story world.

What is the fourth wall in film and theater?

The imaginary boundary separating the actors from the audience, which can be broken (e.g., in Annie Hall) for direct audience address.

What is the catalyst (or inciting incident) in narrative structure?

The specific event that disrupts the existing status quo, alters character goals, and initiates the central plot.

According to the lecture's conflict taxonomy, which types of conflict are exemplified by Psycho (1960) and 127 Hours (2010)?

Psycho exemplifies 'Character vs. Society,' while 127 Hours exemplifies 'Character vs. Nature.'

What structural milestones define Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 in classic Three-Act Structure?

Act 1 includes exposition, catalyst, and plot point 1; Act 2 includes rising action, midpoint twist, and plot point 2; Act 3 includes pre-climax buildup, climax, and resolution/denouement.

In the Three-Act structural analysis of Star Wars (1977), what event functions as the Midpoint of Act 2?

The capture of the Millennium Falcon by the Death Star's tractor beam.