Untitled Flashcards Set

Cinematography

The art of capturing images on film, focusing on camera angles, framing, lighting, and shot types.

Mise-en-scène

The arrangement of everything that appears in the frame, including setting, costume, props, and character placement.

Editing

The process of cutting and assembling film clips to create transitions, pacing, and continuity.

Sound

Elements of dialogue, music, sound effects, and silence within a film.

Oligopoly Structure

An industry dominated by a few major studios controlling production, distribution, and exhibition.

Vertical Integration

When a company controls multiple stages of production, distribution, and exhibition.

Genre System

A strategy where films are made based on audience expectations of specific genres.

Contract System

System where actors and directors were bound by long-term contracts with studios.

Silent to Sound Transition

The shift from silent films to synchronized sound, leading to more realistic storytelling.

Continuity Editing

Editing style focused on maintaining spatial and temporal consistency within a narrative.

Classical Hollywood Style

A film style characterized by clear storytelling, continuity editing, and structured narratives.

Big Five Studios

MGM, RKO, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox—controlled production, distribution, and exhibition.

Little Three Studios

Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and United Artists—focused on production and distribution but lacked theater ownership.

Purpose of Genre

Establishes rules and expectations for audiences, often reflecting societal themes.

Western Genre Elements

Features characters like sheriffs and outlaws, props like guns and horses, and themes of civilization vs. frontier.

Core Theme of Westerns

Reflects concerns about masculinity, control, and fear of losing mastery.

Marx Brothers' Comedy

Anarchic humor with surreal elements, satirizing authority with slapstick and musical performances.

Henri Bergson's Comedy Theory

Comedy arises from mechanical behavior in living beings, highlighting social absurdities.

Lighting in Classical Hollywood

Used to enhance mood, realism, character focus, and genre-specific atmosphere.

The Jazz Singer (1927)

First major film with synchronized sound, marking the transition from silent films to talkies.

1939 Landmark Films

Iconic films like Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Stagecoach exemplifying peak classical storytelling.

Frank Capra's Contribution

Director known for optimistic, humanistic films exploring American values and democracy.

Early Cinema Characteristics

Focused on technological novelty, realism mixed with magical effects, and everyday life scenes.

Exhibition Primacy

Early studios prioritized exhibition profits over production, leading to cost-focused filmmaking.

Vaudeville's Influence

Early cinema adapted from vaudeville, combining narrative with performance elements.

Classical Hollywood Narrative

Structured stories driven by cause-and-effect, with clear resolutions and emotional engagement.

Gangster Genre Structure

Features opposition to society, conflict with social order, and metaphors for societal rejection.

180-Degree System

A filming guideline ensuring consistent spatial orientation in scenes to avoid audience confusion.

Axis of Action

An imaginary line that keeps characters' spatial relationships consistent during a scene.

Hollywood's Geographic Advantage

Location offered favorable weather, varied landscapes, and cost-efficient production conditions.

1930s Genre Categories

Included prestige pictures, musicals, comedies, social problem films, and horror.

Budget Logic in Films

Differentiation between high-budget prestige films and low-budget B-movies.

Logic of Genre System

Created a common language for filmmakers and audiences, providing recognizable film structures.

The Great Train Robbery

Directed by Edwin S. Porter (1903). Early American silent film known for pioneering narrative editing and cross-cutting.

One Week

Directed by Buster Keaton (1920). Silent comedy short known for physical humor and inventive visual gags.

Modern Times

Directed by Charlie Chaplin (1936). Satirical comedy highlighting industrialization and the struggle of workers.

Scarface

Directed by Howard Hawks (1932). A foundational gangster film exploring themes of ambition and violence.

Little Caesar

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy (1931). Early gangster film that helped establish the genre's conventions.

Duck Soup

Directed by Leo McCarey (1933). Political satire featuring the Marx Brothers' absurdist comedy style.

It Happened One Night

Directed by Frank Capra (1934). A screwball comedy credited with establishing genre tropes.

Stagecoach

Directed by John Ford (1939). A landmark Western that elevated the genre's status in cinema.

Citizen Kane

Directed by Orson Welles (1941). Known for innovative cinematography, deep focus, and non-linear storytelling.

Rebecca

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock (1940). Gothic thriller known for atmosphere and psychological tension.

Casablanca

Directed by Michael Curtiz (1942). Romantic drama set during WWII, exploring sacrifice and patriotism.

Production Code

A set of industry moral guidelines that governed U.S. filmmaking from 1934-1968, restricting content on sex, crime, and morality.

Hollywood Studio System

A vertically integrated industrial model where studios controlled production, distribution, and exhibition.

Star System

A marketing strategy where studios promoted actors as celebrities to attract audiences.

Film Noir

A stylistic category marked by cynicism, moral ambiguity, shadowy visuals, and crime-focused narratives.

Prestige Picture

High-budget, artistically ambitious films designed to enhance a studio’s reputation, often literary adaptations or historical dramas.

Influence of WWII on Hollywood

Hollywood produced propaganda films, and many directors served in the war. Themes of sacrifice and patriotism were prevalent.

Art Direction

The visual design of a film, including sets, locations, and props, contributing to the overall aesthetic and mood.

Deep Focus

A cinematography technique where both foreground and background remain in sharp focus, used famously in Citizen Kane.

Genius of the System

The idea that Hollywood's collaborative studio system fostered creativity through teamwork, rather than relying on individual auteurs.

Early Influences on Cinema

Photography, theater, vaudeville, and literature shaped early cinematic storytelling and visual style.

Gangster Film Key Features

Rise and fall of a criminal protagonist, themes of ambition and corruption, urban settings.

Screwball Comedy Features

Fast-paced dialogue, battle of the sexes, often involving romantic misunderstandings and social satire.

Western Genre Features

Frontier settings, moral conflicts, lone hero archetypes, and the clash between civilization and wilderness.

Narrative Clarity in Classical Hollywood

Films aimed for clear and emotionally engaging storytelling, using cause-and-effect logic.

Realism in Classical Hollywood

Achieved through unity of time and space, with continuity editing smoothing over cuts.

Establishing Shot

A shot used to set the scene and establish spatial relationships.

30-Degree Rule

Camera must move at least 30 degrees between shots to avoid jump cuts.

B-Movie Factory

Low-budget production companies known for quickly made films, often on 'Poverty Row.'

Star-Genre Connection

Certain actors become associated with specific genres.

Production Code Core Principles

No glorification of crime, upholding respect for the law, and promoting moral standards.

Delicate Subjects in the Production Code

Topics like crime techniques, sympathy for criminals, and excessive lustful kissing were handled cautiously.

Comedy of Remarriage

A screwball comedy subset where estranged couples rediscover love.

Realism vs. Glamour in Lighting

Realism emphasizes depth and detail, while glamour uses soft focus and diffusion lighting for idealized appearances.

Genre Influence on Lighting

Gangster films often use low-key lighting, while screwball comedies feature high-key lighting for a bright atmosphere.