ELEMENTS OF FILM Great Films and How to Teach Them by William Constanza LIGHTING Lighting can express subtleties of character, plot, and setting KEY LIGHT - The primary source of illumination (may be hard or soft light source depending upon the mood of the scene) FILL LIGHT used to illuminate the shadow areas created by the key light (usually a soft light source) BACK LIGHT light that hits a subject from behind; NOT a significant source of illumination; purpose is to ouline the subject and separate it from the background BACK LIGHTING What effect can an exaggerated or emphasized back light give? Take a look at the following clip. What does the director say about Glenn Closes character through the lighting? What can be assumed about the relationship between her character and Robert Redfords character? The Woman in White - The Natural HARD AND SOFT Hard light source hits an object from a single angle; creates hard-edged, well-defined shadows (ex: sunlight on a clear, cloudless day) Soft light source - many rays striking the subject from many different angles; wraps around an object casting less distinct shadows (ex: sunlight on a cloudy day) HARD VS. SOFT Watch this video. What are the different effects of hard lighting versus soft lighting? British Dude - Basics Video (start at 3 mins) HIGH VS. LOW KEY LIGHTING High-key lighting BRIGHT/produces a buoyant mood Party Scene - Citizen Kane Party Scene - Citizen Kane Low-key lighting - DEEP CONTRASTS / produces an eerie, ominous mood Deathbed Scene - Citizen Kane COLOR EXAMPLES OF COLORS IN FILM The Graduate Mrs. Robinson is dresses in stark shades of red and black / Her daughter is often dressed in pink Mrs. Robinson, You're Trying to... (The Graduate) REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE RED JACKETS WORN BY NATALIE WOODS CHARACTER AND JAMES DEANS CHARACTER BREAKING BAD Compare and contrast the images below of Walter White at the beginning of the series (L) and near the end of the series (R). What has changed? What might that suggest about his journey? FRAMING We only see what the camera lets us see our interpretation often depends on deliberate placements of the camera. FOREGROUND what is seen in the lower thir COMPOSITIONAL DOMINANCE This occurs when certain elements within a composition seem to take visual precendence. The viewer naturally tends to see out the most dominant or primary element in a compostion, then moves to scan secondary elements. What does the composition of this shot say about the characters and/or the action of the scene? Now, lets take a look at the same scene in the film. Pay attention to compositional dominance / shot composition. How does it help tell the story thats unfolding on screen? Charles Kane Leaves Home - Citizen Kane RULE OF THIRDS A compositional guideline that exploits the tendency to scan the corners of the frame. The idea is to divide the frame horizontally and vertically into thirds. In effect, another frame is created within the frame, reinforcing the natural tension of the corners. RULE OF THIRDS (CONTD.) By placing objects of key interest (a persons face, for example) at one of the four points where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect, a filmmaker can draw the viewers line of sight to the most significant elements within the shot. AREAS ON A FRAME FOREGROUND this is the lower third of the frame / it shows whatever is closest to the viewer MIDDLE GROUND this is the middle third of the frame / this is usually the main focus of the shot BACKGROUND this is the upper third of the frame / this shows whatever is farthest from the viewer SOUND This encompasses all music, dialogue, voice-over (dialogue that is not synchronous with what is being shown), and natural sounds. Sound contributes to REALISM. Sound can also be symbolic and help to create mood. SOUND (CONTD.) Rebel Without a Cause police sirens are used to begin the movie and they are also present at the end of the movie. What might this suggest about the film? LISTEN to this clip. How does the music enhance or set the mood? The Birds opening sequence - Alfred Hitchcock SOUND (CONTD.) Non-diagetic sound - Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action: 1. narrator's commentary 2. sound effects which are added for the dramatic effect 3. mood music SOUND (CONTD.) Diagetic sound - Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film: 1. voices of characters 2. sounds made by objects in the story 3. music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music) SOUND (CONTD.) Leitmotif - thematic passage of music: a musical theme that recurs in the course of a work to evoke a particular character or situation. Can you think of any examples of leitmotifs? LEITMOTIF (EXAMPLES) Leitmotif Example 1 Leitmotif Example 2 TRANSITIONS IN FILM The simplest transition from one shot to another is called a CUT (because literally, filmmakers would have to cut the film and then splice it together with the next image). What are other types of transitions from shot to shot with which you are familiar? TRANSITIONS (CONTD.) Think of these transitions as punctuation marks. All have their own separate meaning and provide further detail to the viewer that is not directly said. As viewers, we learn to read such transitional devices as clues, even statements, about relationships within the film. TYPES OF TRANSITIONS Fade-out gradually darkens the end of a shot to black Fade-in lightens a shot from black Strange Man - Fade in/out examples Dissolve Briefly superimposes the end of Shot A and the beginning of Shot B Graphic Match links shots by graphic similarities (think Rule of Thirds) Dissolve Examples GRAPHIC MATCH Opening Credit Sequence : A Space Odyssey Dawn of Man : A Space Odyssey Graphic Match : A Space Odyssey