A brief history of film

1
A brief history of film

• History, terminology and technique.
• Film 1880-2006

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The earliest movie

• Moving pictures were known before the advent of
  the cinema and commercial film.
• The zoetrope gave the illusion of movement as the
  pictures revolved in the drum and the viewer
  looked through the slot of the view finder.

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The earliest movie

• Commercial films were brief five minute glimpses
  of everyday activity shown on a kinetoscope

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The earliest movie

• Moving pictures are an optical illusion. They are
  a series of still pictures projected rapidly on a
  screen so that the brain - eye thinks it sees
  movement.
• These photos of a nude dancing are typical of
  early film experiments

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Deep Focus
• In these shots the picture shows all the scene in
  focus from foreground to background.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Shallow Focus
• In these shots the picture shows the foreground
  in focus with the background out of focus

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Establishing Shot
• These are shots at the beginning of an action
  that show where the action is taking place. They
  are usually a wide angle shot.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Establishing Shot
• These are shots at the beginning of an action
  that show where the action is taking place. They
  are usually a wide angle shot. Sometimes a
  particular land mark will serve to establish time
  place.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Long Shot
• The camera reveals the subject from head to foot.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Mid Shot
• The camera reveals the subject from head to waist
  or from waist to foot.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Mid Shot
• The camera reveals the subject from head to waist
  or from waist to foot. Details of costume as well
  as face are shown to the audience.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Two shot mid-shot
• The camera reveals head to waist shots of two
  people in the same shot. (Can also be shot as a
  two shot close up.) The subjects are usually
  talking to each other

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Close Up
• The camera is close to the subject and reveals a
  detail (head shoulders) of the subject.

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Terminology

• Close Up
• The camera is close to the subject and reveals a
  detail (head shoulders) of the subject.
• It can reveal aspects of character the director
  wants you to see in the subject. Particularly
  when combined with a selected camera angle. Here
  the low angle is uncomplimentary to Queen Mary.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Extreme close up
• The camera reveals a fine detail of the subject.
  E.g. an eye, the lips, an ear These shots can
  convey emotion or focus attention on the
  behaviour or object

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Extreme close up
• The camera reveals a fine detail of the subject.
  E.g. an eye, the lips, an ear.the words on a sign

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Terminology

• Film can use a matte ( a mask around the object )
  to focus attention on the important piece of the
  subject.
• This was often used in silent films to direct
  attention to the writing or words on a page.
• They can also isolate characters from the action
  or signal their relationship..

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Camera Angles
• These can vary depending on the location of the
  camera above / below or at eye level.
• Low Angle the camera looks up at the subject.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Camera Angles
• These can vary depending on the location of the
  camera above / below or at eye level.
• Low Angle the camera looks up at the subject. It
  can make the subject look imposing and powerful.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Camera Angles
• These can vary depending on the location of the
  camera above / below or at eye level.
• High Angle the camera looks down at the subject.
  It can make the subject look small,
  insignificant, weak...

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Terminology

• The camera can also
• Tilt - move 180o up down on on its tripod
• Pan - move 180o on a horizontal plane (left -
  right - left ) on its tripod.
• Track or Dolly - move beside the character has
  s/he moves through the set.
• The lens on the camera can also zoom in out
  from the action.
• Each of these movements will be used to create a
  particular representation of action in the film.

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Terminology

• Symbolism
• This is important in implying or representing an
  emotion, an attitude or possibly what the subject
  is considering doing.
• Sometimes the action implies all that is needed
  to understand the situation the scream fear.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Symbolism
• This is important in implying or representing an
  emotion, an attitude or possibly what the subject
  is considering doing.
• The subject in the foreground is indicating that
  he is suffering or emotionally upset.

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Terminology

• Film has a terminology that is important when
  discussing the action seen on screen.
• Symbolism
• This is important in implying or representing an
  emotion, an attitude or possibly what the subject
  is considering doing.
• The shattered mirror here represents confusion in
  the subjects thinking.
• This is called Metonymy

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Terminology

• Symbolism
• This is important in implying or representing an
  emotion, an attitude or possibly what the subject
  is considering doing.
• Sometimes the part is to be seen as a whole. Here
  the books are a barrier for the subject. Books
  represent ideas the subject is sheltering from
  attack behind these ideas.
• This is called synecdoche

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Terminology

• Symbolism
• This is important in implying or representing an
  emotion, an attitude or possibly what the subject
  is considering doing.
• Sometimes the part is to be seen as a whole. Here
  the money implies the woman has been paid for sex
  thus representing her sense of guilt and self
  betrayal.
• This is called synecdoche

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Terminology

• Lighting
• Lighting can alter our perception of a character
  or situation by creating areas of light and shade
  within a shot.
• A shot that has lots of light suggests humour,
  pleasure or relaxation.
• A shot with lots of shadow suggests depression,
  sadness or a threat.
• Compare these two slides of the same man to see
  the effect.

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Terminology

• Lighting
• Lighting can alter our perception of a character
  or situation by creating areas of light and shade
  within a shot.
• A shot that has lots of light suggests humour,
  pleasure or relaxation.
• A shot with lots of shadow suggests depression,
  sadness or a threat.
• Compare these two slides of the same man to see
  the effect.

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Terminology

• Lighting

Same man - different lighting and angles The
first photo uses a low angled light to create
shadows - the man looks to be sad and remote. The
second photo uses softer, natural light and a
lower camera angle - he looks serene and amiable.
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Make up

• This is used to alter the actors features so
  that he or she can represent the image of the
  character required by the director of the film.

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Make up

• This is used to alter the actors features so
  that he or she can represent the image of the
  character required by the director of the film.
• Skilful makeup can age the actor or make his
  appearance totally alien.

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Costume

• Costume serves to establish
• time and place
• Social position
• Social attitudes / beliefs
• Character type
• These are conveyed in the codes and conventions
  associated with costume. e.g. In westerns the
  good guy wears a white hat while the bad guy
  wears a black one.

River Queen - set in 19th Century New Zealand.
Note the period costume.
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Colour

• Colour can be used to indicate emotions, possible
  relationships as in this still from Dracula
  (1993) where Lucy is in red - the colour
  associated with Dracula thus indicating her
  victim status.

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Colour

• Colour can show how the audience is to react to
  the character. Dark or cold colours can indicate
  hatred of the character while light or warm
  colours could suggest trust and pleasure.
• Compare the slides of Queen Mary and Elizabeth to
  see how colour is being used to influence
  attitude to each character.