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Four Elements of Sequence Analysis

  1. Identify the film title and release year.

  2. Analyze formal and stylistic elements (cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing, sound).

  3. Connect the sequence to the film as a whole (thematic or formal development).

  4. Relate to broader course themes (genre logic, director’s style, historical context).

Formal Elements to Focus on in Analysis

  • Cinematography: Camera angles, framing, lighting, shot types.

  • Mise-en-scène: Setting, costume, props, character placement.

  • Editing: Cuts, transitions, pacing, continuity.

  • Sound: Dialogue, music, sound effects, silence.

Key Characteristics of the Early American Film Industry

  • Oligopoly structure (dominated by few major studios).

  • Vertical integration (control over production, distribution, exhibition).

  • Genre system (films made based on genre expectations).

  • Contract system (actors and directors under long-term contracts).

Changes in the Film Industry (Late 1920s–1930s)

  • Transition from silent films to sound.

  • More sophisticated storytelling and realism.

  • Rise of continuity editing and classical Hollywood style.

  • Expansion of genre films and the star system.

Big Five Studios of Classical Hollywood

  1. MGM (Loew’s)

  2. RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum)

  3. Paramount Pictures

  4. Warner Bros.

  5. 20th Century Fox

Businesses the Big Five Were Involved In

  • Production

  • Distribution

  • Exhibition (theater ownership)

Little Three Studios

  1. Universal Pictures

  2. Columbia Pictures

  3. United Artists

Difference Between Big Five and Little Three

  • The Little Three did not own theater chains; they focused on production and distribution only.

Purpose of Genre in Film

  • Establishes a contract between artists and audiences.

  • Defines a film’s world and its rules.

  • Highlights societal absurdities or issues.

Key Elements of the Western Genre (Lee Clark Mitchell)

  • Characters: Ranchers, sheriffs, outlaws, cavalry, saloon girls.

  • Props: Guns, badges, horses, ten-gallon hats.

  • Settings: Small towns, deserts, saloons, wilderness.

  • Problems: Civilization vs. frontier, law vs. justice, masculinity, violence.

Core Theme of the Western Genre (Jane Tompkins)

  • Reflects men’s fear of losing mastery and identity.

  • About reinventing masculinity and control.

Marx Brothers’ Comedic Style

  • Anarchic, surreal humor.

  • Satirical take on authority vs. chaos.

  • Vaudeville roots with ethnic humor and slapstick.

  • Blends comedy with musical performances and loose narratives.

Henri Bergson’s Theory of Comedy

  • Comedy arises from “something mechanical encrusted upon the living.”

  • Tension between human imagination and rigid social conventions.

  • Humor happens when people act mechanically or seem out of place.

Purpose of Lighting in Classical Hollywood Films

  • Serves narrative clarity and realism or glamour.

  • Emphasizes mood, character details, or genre-specific styles.

Four Impacts of Basic Lighting Conventions

  1. Effects lighting: Light sources within the scene.

  2. Composition: Highlights details or spatial depth.

  3. Figure lighting: Emphasizes bodies and faces.

  4. Genre/scene: Supports the tone (e.g., low-key lighting in gangster films).

Significance of The Jazz Singer (1927)

  • First major film with synchronized sound (part-talkie).

  • Marked the transition from silent films to talkies.

  • Led to the dominance of sound films by 1932.

Why 1939 Was a Landmark Year for Classical Hollywood Cinema

  • Released iconic films: Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

  • Represented the peak of classical storytelling and production quality.

Frank Capra’s Contribution to American Cinema

  • Known for optimistic, humanistic films (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington).

  • Explored themes of American values, democracy, and individual morality.

  • Defined an idealized version of America, according to some critics.


    Early Cinema: Key Characteristics

    • Technology as Entertainment:

      • Novelty of Moving Pictures: Early cinema captivated audiences with the technological marvel of moving images.

      • Operational Aesthetic: Audience fascination with how the technology worked.

      • Modernity as Spectacle: Technology offered new ways to experience the modern world.

    • Realism + Magic:

      • Realism of photography mixed with technology’s ability to create magic tricks.

    • Actuality:

      • Scenes from Everyday Life: Early films focused on things like sports (boxing), real-life events (suicides, shipwrecks, etc.).

      • Ripped from the Headlines: Stories were often based on current events.

    • Presentation Style:

      • Modeled on theater (camera as audience).

      • Frontal Composition: Flat, shallow space; little to no camera movement.

      • Single Shot Films: Films often were one shot long due to technical limitations.

    • Fairground Attractions:

      • Early cinema often combined with carnival-style performances, like phantom rides.

    Purpose of Early Cinema (Latham Eidoloscope, 1895):

    • Aimed to provide life-sized, immersive presentations of everyday activities, sports, crime, and dramatic events like circuses or shipwrecks.

    Key Themes 1893-1920s

    • Cinema as a New Technology:

      • Initially part of a larger industry, uncertain use but quickly became popular entertainment.

      • Industrial Production of Entertainment: Efficient production, best performers for all audiences.

    • Why Did Movies Become Mass Entertainment So Quickly?:

      • Factors: market demand, industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and migration.

    Origins of the Classical Studio System:

    • Exhibition Primacy: Early film studios, like MGM and Paramount, were started by theater owners.

    • Two-headed Companies: Production was seen as a cost center, exhibition was the profit center.

    • Early studios were focused on exhibition and controlling production costs.

    Form of Early Silent Film (1893-1908)

    • Early films: mostly one-shot, short films (one minute or so).

    • 1895-1900: Transition to longer films, projection for larger audiences.

    • Multi-reel Projection: Allowed for multiple short films to be shown in a program.

    Early Experiments with Narrative:

    1. Edwin S. Porter: Introduced the story film (1895-1908).

    2. D.W. Griffith: Developed proto-classical narrative techniques (until 1917).

    3. Classical Hollywood Cinema: Emerged around 1917.

    Vaudeville and Early Cinema:

    • Vaudeville Influence:

      • Stage shows with a variety of acts (comedy, magic, acrobatics).

      • Transitioned into film as movie theaters adopted vaudeville-style performances (1900s).

    • Vaudeville’s Impact on Early Cinema:

      • Early cinema combined variety acts with films.

      • Film as both a narrative and a performance medium.

    • Vaudeville Show Structure:

      • 8-14 acts (8-20 minutes each).

      • Self-contained Acts: No ongoing narrative between acts.

    Classical Hollywood Cinema (CHC):

    • Primacy of Narrative:

      • Films focus on a clear narrative with a cause-and-effect structure.

    • Editing and Cinematography:

      • Editing emphasizes clarity and efficient storytelling (match on action, shot/reverse shot).

      • Invisible Artifice: Editing and cuts are designed not to disrupt the story.

    • Space and Objects Support Narrative: Elements in a scene serve to enhance the story.

    • "Walk-and-Talk" and “Stand-and-Deliver”: Standard forms of conversation-driven action.

    The Gangster Genre:

    • Gangster Formula:

      1. Opposition to Society: Main character defies social order.

      2. Conflict with Society: Focus on lawlessness and social rules.

      3. Metaphor for Broader Themes: Gangster as a symbol of societal rejection.

    • Gangster as Tragic Hero:

      • A figure doomed by success, as success often involves crime, aggression, and violence.

    Structure of Classical Hollywood Cinema:

    1. Narrative as Primary Objective.

    2. Clear and Unambiguous Story: Emotionally appealing to broad audiences.

    3. Consistency of Time and Place: Helps maintain realism.

    4. Invisible Editing: To create seamless transitions and maintain immersion.

    • 180-Degree System: Rules for consistent spatial orientation to avoid confusion.

      • Axis of Action: Establishes the line between two characters’ perspectives.

    Hollywood & Early Studio System:

    • Why Hollywood?:

      • Favorable weather for shooting, varied landscapes, cheap land, and labor.

      • Distance from legal and moral concerns (e.g., patent wars, moral panics).

    • First Studios: Nestor in 1911, early growth of Hollywood as the center of film production by 1915.

    Genres and Production in 1930s:

    • Major Genres: Prestige, musicals, comedy, social problem films (gangster, crime, prison), horror.

    • Budget Differences:

      • High-budget prestige films vs. low-budget B-movies.

    • Logic of Genres:

      • Common language for audiences and filmmakers.

      • Product Identity: Studios used genres to inform customers and generate instant recognition