Learning Materials - Film Elements

1. Learning Materials – Film Analysis UNIT

2. Table of Contents: LEARNING MATERIALS What are narrative elements ? 2. Discussion points: narrative elements in Vincent (1982). What are mise -en-scene elements ? Discussion points: German Expressionist mise -en-scene elements in Vincent (1982). 5. What cinematic styles and genres referenced in Vincent (1982)? German Expressionism (artistic style) German Expressionist elements in film Examples of German Expressionist films Gothic-horror poetry and narratives Gothic art (symbolism) Gothic-horror visual themes (motifs) 4. Glossary of Terms

3. NARRATIVE ELEMENTS Genre Character Themes Setting Narrative Point of view

4. GENRE French word meaning “kind” or “sort” Genres are formed by conventions and sought to categorise artistic works Click here to return to Narrative Elements slide

5. THEME A unifying or dominant idea central to a text In moving text (film) theme is sometimes conveyed through visual motifs Click here to return to Narrative Elements slide

6. CHARACTER Character: a person in the story who has certain characteristics. Some characters might be: central to the story’s action like a protagonist and or antagonist and some may be static - no change or development by the end of the story). Click here to return to Narrative Elements slide

7. SETTING Setting is a geographic location in which a story takes place, and helps create the main backdrop and mood for the story. Click here to return to Narrative Elements slide

8. NARRATIVE Derives from the Latin verb narrare which means “to tell” A spoken or written account of connected events; a story. Click here to return to Narrative Elements slide

9. POV Point of View In film, point-of-view refers narrative point-of-view, which determines through whose perspective the story is viewed. Click here to return to Narrative Elements slide

10. Key aspects of mise -en-scene Décor Lighting Costume Space

11. Key aspects of mise -en-scene Décor An important element of ‘putting in the scene’ is décor, the placement of objects and the setting of a scene. Décor can be used to amplify character, emotion or the dominant mood of a film.

12. Key aspects of mise -en-scene Lighting The intensity, direction and quality of lighting have a profound effect on the way an image is perceived. Light affects the way colours are rendered, both in terms of hue and depth, and can focus attention on particular elements of the composition.

13. Key aspects of mise -en-scene Space The representation of space affects the reading of a film. Depth, proximity, size and proportions of the places and objects in a film can be manipulated through camera placement and lens, lighting and décor, effectively determining mood or relations between elements in the

14. Key aspects of mise -en-scene Costume Costume simply refers to the clothes that characters wear. Using certain colours or designs, costume is used in narrative cinema to signify characters or make clear distinctions between characters.

15. Mise -en-scene and German Expressionism Formal elements of German Expressionist films According to Nancy West from the University of Missouri, Columbia, the formal elements of German Expressionist film include, but are not limited to, the following: Chiaroscuro lighting: lighting that employs extreme contrasts of light and dark, thus creating dramatic shadows a preoccupation with mirrors, glass, and other reflective surfaces t he use of anthropomorphism, which is the attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behaviour to non-human things an interest in abstractionism, which is a style of art that privileges internal form over pictorial representation

16. Lighting in expressionist films Expressionist films use simple lighting from the front and sides, illuminating the scene flatly and evenly to stress the links between the figures and the décor. In some notable cases, shadows are used to create additional distortion ( see chiaroscuro lighting ). --- Bordwell and Thompson

17. Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Chiaroscuro lighting   lighting that employs extreme contrasts of light and dark, thus creating dramatic shadows

18. Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Chiaroscuro lighting lighting that employs extreme contrasts of light and dark, thus creating dramatic shadows

19.   Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Chiaroscuro lighting   lighting that employs extreme contrasts of light and dark, thus creating dramatic shadows

20. A preoccupation with mirrors, glass, and other reflective surfaces   Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Preoccupation with reflective surfaces

21. Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Preoccupation with reflective surfaces

22. Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Preoccupation with reflective surfaces A preoccupation with mirrors, glass, and other reflective surfaces

23. The use of anthropomorphism anthropomorphism is the attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behaviour to non-human things   Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Anthropomorphism

24. The use of anthropomorphism anthropomorphism is the attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behaviour to non-human things   Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Anthropomorphism

25. Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Anthropomorphism The use of anthropomorphism anthropomorphism is the attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behaviour to non-human things  

26. Formal Elements of German Expressionist Film Anthropomorphism The use of anthropomorphism anthropomorphism is the attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behaviour to non-human things  

27. Glossary of terms mise -en-scene French word meaning “placing on stage ” or “put in the scene” When applied to the cinema, mise -en-scène refers to everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement—composition, sets, props, actors, costumes, sounds, and lighting . The “ mise -en-scène”, along with the editing of a film, influence the realness of a film in the eyes of its viewers Click here to return to Learning Objective Slide Click here to return to Key Aspects of Mise -en-scene Slide

28. Glossary of terms MOTIF In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story . Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative (or literary) aspects such as theme or mood. Click here to return to ‘Gothic-Horror Slide’

29. Glossary of terms Characterisation Characterisation : information that is given about a character This information can be given explicitly (told directly) or implicitly (told indirectly). Click here to return to ‘Characterisation slide’

30. Glossary of terms Multi modal More than one Way of Communicating information Therefore, a multimodal text is a text that uses more than one system of communication. Multimodal texts often employ systems of visual, audial and textual communications, because they (when working together) increase audiences level of engagement and interest. Click here to return to Outline of Assessment Slide Click here to return to Learning Objectives Slide