hitchcock - winstanley collegehitchcock p t o d i c i e o s n r r a m o o h s u s p e n s e e y e a...
TRANSCRIPT
Hitchcock
p t o d i c i e o s n r r a m
o o h s u s p e n s e e y e a
v r r e a c a c u v d n c m g
i i n o w b a h v r m a d o u
y m c c y r c e u d p o h n f
e b a e a e o m s s r g o t f
f e n g m m t n d a e u o a i
m n h a e c e e g a g i s g n
s i e p e s n o m m d l r e t
m e s f r i y g a h a t n o g
b b r o f n i s h d e n m e r
h e o n g n b e t r a y a l e
p f o m e y v o y e u r i s m
i c n d b o n s h o m o e g g
t h o p e e l y e a i h e n n
Words to find: betrayal, bomb, cameo, confinedspace, enigma, guilt, imagesystem, maguffin, misogyny, montage, perfectmurder, pov, suspense, thewrongman, voyeurism.
© www.teachers-direct.co.uk 2005 - Freely reproducible for classroom use only.
Quiz : Describe the camera shots being used in these stills. Make sure you make reference to all of the elements that we have spoken about so far, including :
Shot Type / Camera Position / Camera Distance / Framing
1 2
3 4
CINEMATOGRAPHY‐FRAMING A key ingredient of cinematography is framing. When we frame something we are making a conscious decision about what to include within that frame and what to exclude. Deciding where to place the camera and what to include/exclude in the shot produces what Bordwell and Thompson call ‘a certain vantage point’ (Bordwell & Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction) It is incredibly powerful in creating meaning, as the camera does not merely record that which is in front of it but can be placed skilfully to create the required impression of identification. This means considering distance, angle, height and level of the camera. Shot size is determined by the framing. There are several different choices of shot and each will be used specifically by a filmmaker to generate a particular meaning or communicate an idea to the audience.
Task 2 : Look at the various types of shot and see if you can identify in what kind of scene they might be appropriate to use. Ignore the content of the shot. This exercise is for you to look at the significance of each shot type and why they might be used in a particular scene. What effect would they achieve ?
Establishing Shot - this is the opening shot of a film or film sequence . Master Shot - this includes all of the action in a particular sequence. At the editing stage, any close-ups on characters or medium close ups of conversations can be inserted into the master shot. The master shot acts as a constant background of action which is punctuated with other shots.
CINEMATOGRAPHY‐DISTANCE Distance refers to the amount of relational space between the audience and the character on the screen. Though the characters are two‐dimensional and the audience is distinctly separate from the screen by dead space, the camera’s perspective, in effect, attempts to provide the amount of space desired subject to the director’s discretion. This space often results in the interaction and psychological connection between the characters and the audience. Task 3 : Look at the shots below. How is the camera used to create the distance between the characters and the audience being used? What effects does this have on the way the audience relates to the characters ?
CINEMATOGRAPHY‐CAMERA POSITION The position of the camera when a shot is filmed has a significant effect on the meanings that are generated. Task 4 : What meanings are generated by the use of these angles ? •Eye level shot (straight angle) – the camera is positioned at chest or head height. •Low‐Angle shot – positions the camera below eye level, looking up at a character, object or action within a scene. •High‐Angle shot – places the camera above eye level, looking down on characters or action.
•Bird’s‐Eye shot (Aerial view) – looks vertically down at the subject. •Point of View shot – presents action as if from the viewpoint of a particular character.
CINEMATOGRAPHY‐CAMERA POSITION
Not to be confused with angles, the height of the camera is also valuable in creating meaning. Keeping a straight angle, the height of the camera can be adjusted for effect. You may wish to film something from a low height but still keep the angle straight on, for example, someone’s footsteps. Similarly having the camera at a high height can create a specific effect. For example, a comic effect can be created if you have two characters of opposing heights and you keep the camera on the taller one, cutting off the smaller character, or vice versa. The LEVEL of the camera is the technique that is used the least, and can only really be explained by example. If the level of the camera is ‘canted’ (sometimes known as a Dutch angle), the image onscreen will appear rotated in some way.
It is an effect that is generally achieved through hand‐held manoeuvre and creates a stylised look. It is more common in TV production than film, as this lends itself more easily to handheld work, and can often be seen in ‘youth’ programmes to give a sense of the unconventional.
Films are not created in a ‘vacuum’ – they are historical artefacts that are effected by the time and place in which they were created. Choose a film that you like and see if you can find out how it has been influenced by its CONTEXTS…..
Name of Film
Date released Country of origin – is it a typical example from that country’s film industry?
What were the relevant social attitudes at the time the film was made? (Eg towards women or a particular race for example) How does the film ‘comment’ on that? Is it through a character for example?
What was the political situation at the time the film was made? Does the film make a comment on this in any way? Are there any political issues discussed?
How was the film funded? What was its budget? What impact did this have on the ‘end result’? Is it a ‘high concept’ film with lots of special FX or a low budget ‘indie’ film with more focus on ‘story’?
Where there any cultural movements in existence at the time the film was made? For example, a particular fashion or style that has influenced the film? Was there are a particular artistic style that has influenced the film?
In what time period was the film made? Can you see any influences of the time period in the film? It is important to note here that you are looking at when the film was made – not the time period that the film is set in.
Director – who directed the film? What challenges did they face when putting the film together? For example, did the budget constraints mean they had to make difficult decisions.