1. Introduction to
Cinema
1er Bachillerato Bilingue
Cinema/Cinematography
A. G.
2. Schedule/ Syllabus
» 3-Week Unit (with
the possibility for
extensions). Week
1 will include:
Early History of Film
What is a movie
and how do we
analyze it?
Form and Narrative
3. Schedule/Syllabus
» Week 2 will include:
Mis-En-Scene and Design
Acting and Performance
Cinematography and Editing
4. Schedule/Syllabus
» Week 3 will
include:
Different Genres In
Cinema
Documentary Non-
Fiction
Animation
An Exam?
5. Extensions
» Project week!
Design your own
movie poster
Create a back-
cover for a DVD
Host the Oscars!
6. What is “film”?
» Is a film a series of moving pictures?
No!
A film is a group of images displayed
one after the other at a high speed to
create the illusion of movement.
7. Origins of Film
» Complicated story
with many different
interpretations
» Leland Stanford and
the Horse Bet, 1878
$25,000 bet
Photographer Eadward
Muybridge
12 cameras + 12
pictures
8. Origins of Film Continued
» William Dickson and
Thomas Edison
recorded moving
pictures on a film strip
in 1890
» The Kinetograph and
Kinetescope
» Only 1 person at a
time could watch the
images
12. "Our invention can be
exploited for a certain time
as a scientific curiosity, but
apart from that, it has no
commercial future
whatsoever." — Auguste
Lumière
13. Origins of Film Continued
» Advent of THE
STORY
» Stories told
through silent films
» Then, stories told
through films
combining visual
and auditory
elements
14. Origins of Film Continued
» Expansion of cinema
industry:
1922, 40 million
Americans attend the
movies weekly
1931, average weekly
movie attendance
jumps to 75 million
Expansion of theaters
Explosion of Hollywood
15. Major Changes to the
Modern Film Industry
» Commercializaion
of TV
» 3D Capabilities
» Wrap-Around
Screens
» Special Effects
» Animation
» The Digital
Movement
16. Homework :)
» Answer the questions on the “Intro
to Film and Cinema” handout. Be
prepared to share your answers in
class.
17. Seven Approaches for
Analyzing a Film
» 1) The Technical Approach
What is the technical quality of the film
overall?
What filmmaking techniques are used,
and what effects do they create?
What are the strongest technical
points, and what are the weakest?
18. Seven Approaches for
Analyzing a Film
» 2) The Directorial Approach
How would you describe the director’s style
based on this film and other films by him/her?
How do various elements of the film reflect the
director’s artistic or life philosophy?
Does this film reflect a new direction for this
director? How is it similar and/or different from
the director’s other films?
19. Seven Approaches for
Analyzing a Film
» 3) The Genre Approach
In what ways does this film fit into the
criteria associated with this genre?
What are the variations on the
standard genre that this film presents?
How do these variations make the film
interesting or unique?
What values or beliefs are reflected in
the film? Give examples.
20. Seven Approaches for
Analyzing a Film
» 4) The Psychological Approach
Do any of the characters possess universal
qualities? If so, which qualities?
What aspects of human nature does the film
help us understand?
Examine the relationships between
characters. What problems are explored?
What insights are revealed about human
relationships?
21. Seven Approaches for
Analyzing a Film
» 5) The Sociological/Political Approach
From what social class does the main
character come? How is this class portrayed?
How does this impact the film?
What seems to be socially and politically
important to the characters?
Does the film seem to support a traditional
values system or does it question that view?
22. Seven Approaches for
Analyzing a Film
» 6) The Performance Approach
How well-suited is the main
actor/actress to his/her role?
How is it similar to or different from other
roles played by this actor?
How do the supporting actors interact
with the main actors, and how do
these relationship affect the film?
23. Seven Approaches for
Analyzing a Film
» 7) Overall Approach
How powerful is this star’s performance?
How does the film reflect the style of this
particular director?
How does the film work as an example of this
genre?
What is the theme of the film? How important
or creatively-expressed is the theme?
Is the film emotionally effective? In what way?
24. Pre-Break Overview
» What is a film?
» Early history of film
» 7 approaches for analyzing a film
» Clips to illustrate film analysis process