Space in Cinema, Part ThreeThrough A Glass, Darkly

Edward BowenMTSU EMC 3000

Space• Movies are two dimensional. • Depth in movies is essentially an optical illusion.• This allows depth to be warped, distorted, stretched, and flattened.• This is mostly done with lenses.

Space

Assumptions http://youtu.be/zNbF006Y5x4

And through assumptions of perspective

Space - LensesCamera Obscura (Dark Room)• Take a big box into the sunlight. • Get inside. • Cut a small hole in one side. • Stand clear. • On the side opposite the hole you

will see an image (reversed and upside down) of what's outside.

• You are in a camera obscura. • Put a piece of film where the image

is and expose it. • You are now in a camera.

Space - Lenses• Camera Obscura

Camera-Obscura.mov http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuJ_Jd6Qgyo

Space - Lenses• Lens - A piece of glass or other transparent substance with curved sides

for concentrating or dispersing light rays.

Space - Lenses• Lens - A piece of glass or other transparent substance with curved sides

for concentrating or dispersing light rays.

Space - Lenses• Lens - A piece of glass or other transparent substance with curved sides

for concentrating or dispersing light rays.

Space - Lenses

Jan van Eyck“The Andolfini Portrait

1434

Space - Lenses

Filippo BrunelleshciThe Florence Baptistry

Circa 1420

Space - Lenses• Camera Obscura

David Hockney's Secret Knowledge (part 4/8) http://youtu.be/3vsBaA33GZ0http://www.precinemahistory.net/1400.htmhttp://www.essentialvermeer.com/camera_obscura/co_one.html

Space - Lenses• Normal lens – A lens that creates an image similar to way we

normally see the world.

Space - Lenses• Wide Angle Lenses – Provide a wider field of view, deeper focus,

exaggerated depth; bends space.

Space - Lenses• Wide Angle Lenses – Provide a wider field of view, deeper focus,

and exaggerated depth, bends space.

Space - Lenses• Wide Angle Lenses – Provide a wider field of view, deeper focus,

and exaggerated depth, bends space.

Space - Lenses• Wide Angle Lenses – Provide a wider field of view, deeper focus,

and exaggerated depth, bends space.• Fish eye lens – Extreme wide angle.

Space - Lenses• Wide Angle Lenses – Provide a wider field of view, deeper focus,

and exaggerated depth, bends space. “Seconds” John Frankenheimer (1966)

Rock Hudson... Seconds http://youtu.be/DQhlCRpuX8Y

Space - Lenses• Wide Angle Lenses – Provide a wider field of view, deeper focus,

and exaggerated depth, bends space. “The Shining” Stanley Kubrick (1980)

The Shining - Danny's Wheels http://youtu.be/lvwSi7ta0P4

Space - Lenses• Wide Angle Lenses – Provide a wider field of view, deeper focus,

and exaggerated depth, bends space. “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” Terry Gilliam (1998)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (9/10) Movie CLIP - Dr. Bumquist's Drug Lecture (1998) HDhttp://youtu.be/ObbLapUaZd4

Space - Lenses• Telephoto Lenses – Provide a narrower, magnified field of view,

shallow focus, and compressed depth

Space - Lenses• Telephoto Lenses – Provide a narrower, magnified field of view,

shallow focus, and compressed depth. “The Graduate” (1967) Mike Nichols

Graduate-end-scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9eIXN6Sp40

Space – Lenses• Telephoto Lenses – Provide a narrower, magnified field of view,

shallow focus, and compressed depth. “The Right Stuff” (1983) Philip Kaufman

The Right Stuff Theatrical Trailer http://youtu.be/Ak1n6qQS3_A

Space – Lenses• Telephoto Lenses – Provide a narrower, magnified field of view,

shallow focus, and compressed depth. “Armageddon” (1998) Michael Bay

Most Epic Movie Scene Ever - Armageddon - The Launch http://youtu.be/JZDKbRWGqTw

Space - Lenses• Telephoto Lenses – Provide a narrower, magnified field of view,

shallow focus, and compressed depth. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (2011) Tomas Alfredson

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Airfield http://youtu.be/Ouqe85vvTsw

Space - Lenses• Focus - An image that is sharp with details precisely defined.

Space - Lenses• Focus - An image that is sharp with details precisely defined.• Deep Focus -When everything, or almost everything, in a shot is

clearly in focus, deep focus is achieved.

CINEMA-ESSAY--1---DEEP-FOCUS https://vimeo.com/19915642 http://youtu.be/-U_qLL0L5rU

Space - Lenses• Deep Focus -When everything, or almost everything, in a shot is clearly in

focus, deep focus is achieved. “Citizen Kane” (1941) Orson Welles

Citizen-Kane-—-Fired http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UeqAXas-oA

Space - Lenses• Deep Focus -When everything, or almost everything, in a shot is clearly in

focus, deep focus is achieved. “Citizen Kane” (1941) Orson Welles

Citizen Kane – Perspective http://youtu.be/kiYg8sbhqNc

Space - Lenses• Soft Focus - Certain creative situations call for images that are not

harsh and sharp but muted. Soft focus is usually achieved by placing something in front of the lens (gauze), something on the lens (Vaseline), or slightly defocusing the lens. Older actors used to insist on gauze shots in closeups in order to hide the signs of their age. “Casablanca” (1942) Michael Curtiz

Space - Lenses• Soft Focus - “Vampyr” (1931) Carl Theodor Dreyer

In a Glass Darkly http://youtu.be/qvXsP3lhIPw

Space - Lenses• Soft Focus - “Vampyr” (1931) Carl Theodor Dreyer

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/82463/Vampyr-Movie-Clip-Shadows.htmlhttp://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/82468/Vampyr-Movie-Clip-Coffin.html

Space - Lenses• Shallow Focus – The foreground before and the background beyond

the subject are out of focus, creating a limited depth of focus.• Selective Focus - Deciding which elements in a shot will be in and

out of focus.• Rack Focus - Shifting focus during a shot.

Space - Lenses• Shallow Focus, Selective Focus

CINEMA ESSAY #2: SHALLOW FOCUS https://vimeo.com/24049353 http://youtu.be/6dRc5s2AxgA

Space - Lenses• Shallow Focus, Selective Focus, Rack Focus – ”Young Victoria”

(2010) Jean-Marc Vallee

http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Young Victoria Rack Focus.mov

Space - Lenses• Shallow Focus, Selective Focus, Rack Focus – “Apricot” (2009) Ben

Briand

APRICOT — A Short Film by Ben Briand https://vimeo.com/8076064 http://youtu.be/hIV-TjNEEVc