language of films
DESCRIPTION
It says about the basics of film readingTRANSCRIPT
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‘Language’ of Films
• The great thing about literature is that you can imagine, the great thing about film is that you can’t.
James Monaco
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‘Language’ of Films
• There is no basic linguistic unit, such as a word.• There is no formal grammar.
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• Film does, however, make statements, so it works like a language.
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• The closest devices it has to a real language are: – shots (could be compared to words)– scenes (like sentences) – sequences (like paragraphs)
• However, these are often difficult to differentiate from one another: • A lengthy shot can be considered a scene.• Statements can be made within a shot, using movement,
focus, color, proxemics, camera position, etc.).
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The better a viewer reads an image the more he/she understands:
• Its physical reality• What it means based on cultural
references• Its various sets of meanings
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• When you look at a frame, one of the first things to consider is distance.
• How much do you see of the character(s)?
• Is it a close up?• Is it a full shot?• Is it a medium shot?
• Can you see the whole body or a part of the body?
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What is a shot?
A part of a film between two cutsShots are generally filmed with a single camera
and can be of any duration. A shot in production, defined by the beginning and end of a capturing process
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Different types
• Close ups• Camera angles, close-ups, and editing
techniques contribute to viewers’ feelings toward a character.
• Viewers do not care much either way about characters seen at a distance.
• They are more likely to empathize or identify with a character who is often seen in close-ups.
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• Close up
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Extreme close up shot (ECU)
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• In general the closer the camera gets to the characters, the closer the viewer feels towards the characters.
• This is why close ups are often used for:
love scenes scenes where the character is
suffering or fearful any other scene where the viewer is
supposed to understand what the character is feeling.
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Medium shot
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Long Shot
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Extreme Long Shot (ELS)
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Bird eye view shot
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God Eye View Shot
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• As the camera moves further away from the character(s), the viewer is provided more information about them or about their situation.
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focus
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Deep Focus
In deep focus the foreground, middle-ground and background are all in focus.
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Deep Focus
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Establishing Shot
• It lets the audience have a look at the subject in relation to its
• surroundings. It usually appears at the beginning of a film or
• scene to establish the setting or to introduce a film.
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Establishing Shot
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ELS as “establishing shot”
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Point of View Shot
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Low Angle Shot
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• A frame shot from a low angle makes the subject seem larger.
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• A frame shot from a high angle is often referred to as God’s eye view because it suggests that ‘someone’ is observing the characters. It can suggest danger and helplessness.
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High Angle Shot
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A character that seems larger than another in a frame is usually the dominant character.
From Double Indemnity 1944
From Rebecca
1940
From Gone with the Wind1939
From Letter from an Unknown Woman 1948
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The Departed 2006
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Two shot
• Makes two characters the subject of the frame. It allows you to
• understand how the characters interact and react to each other
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Aura (halo effect)
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Aura (halo effect)
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Making a Film, a Poem
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Simile
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Metaphor
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Synecdoche
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Personification
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Transferred Epithet
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Onomatopoeia
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Montage
• is a technique in film editing in which a series of short shots are edited into a sequence to condense space, time, and information. It is usually used to suggest the passage of time.
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Syntagmatic statements
• Two images juxtaposed suggest a third meaning
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Besides shots and angles, you should also watch for symbols.
Some common symbols are:
Images of entrapment are usually shown through characters framed by doors, gates, or confined spaces (like closets).From The Kid 1921
From Carrie 1976
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Pan’s Labyrinth 2006
Atonement 2007
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The Hours 2002
The Ring 2002
The Painted Veil 2006
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A Beautiful Mind 2001
The Departed 2006
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Images of duality are usually represented by characters reflected in mirrors , water, glass.
Psycho 1960
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The Lady from Shanghai,1947
Taxi Driver 1976
The Matrix 2003
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Mulholland Drive 2001
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Black Swan 2010
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Light cutting through a character(s), lines which divide the frame, usually mark images of characters that are in turmoil.
From The Usual Suspects
From Blade Runner
From The Awful Truth
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Sweeney Todd 2007
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Other Symbols
Christ figures/Biblical References
From Dead Man Walking
Crosses
From The Omen
Pan’s Labyrinth
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Blood
Destruction or desecration of symbols
From Planet of the Apes
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Slumdog Millionaire 2008
Trains
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The Moon Water
Roads
From E.T.
From Jaws
From North by Northwest
…and many others
Trees
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Thank You