Write each under heading discussion 1, discussion 2
As you prepare to write this discussion, take a few moments to do the following:
- Review the Modeled Discussion.
- Read any required and recommended reading materials for this week, especially Chapters 3 and 10 in your text.
- Review the grading rubric for this discussion.
Then, watch the following movie clips, paying special attention to the cinematic elements under the discussion.
Editing - visual transitions between shots that work to move the story forward
- Watch the following clips. Each demonstrates the effective use of editing.
o The Baptism Murders - The Godfather (8/9) Movie Clip (1972) HD
o A Beautiful Mind (4/11) Movie Clip - Nash Cracks the Code (2011) HD
- Transcript
o The Shower - Psycho (5/12) Movie Clip (1960) HD
- Transcript
Cinematography - camera angles, types of shots, framing, and color all working to set a particular mood
- Watch the following clips. Each demonstrates the effective use of cinematography.
o The Long Take: Goodfellas
- Transcript
o Manhattan - The Bridge Scene
- Transcript
o Miriam's Last Breath - Strangers on a Train (4/10) Movie Clip (1951)
- Transcript
Lighting - light and shadow used to affect the mood, the way we view characters, and set the overall tone of the film
- Watch the following clips. Each demonstrates the effective use of lighting.
o Jurassic Park (10/10) Movie Clip - Raptors in the Kitchen (1993) HD
- Transcript
o Lost in Translation (7/10) Movie Clip - Bob and Charlotte Meet (2003) HD
o The Stuff that Dreams Are Made of - The Maltese Falcon (10/10) movie clip (1941) HD
- Transcript
Analyze each of these aesthetic choices by following the instructions below. Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length.
Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references.
- Choose one of the clips from the "Editing" section and analyze the use of editing in one short paragraph. In your analysis, describe the transitions between specific shots and the overall effect this has on the scene.
- Choose one of the clips from the "Cinematography" section and analyze the use of cinematography in one short paragraph. In your analysis, describe the way specific shots are composed, paying particular attention to the camera angles, types of shots, framing, color, and the overall effect this has on the scene.
- Choose one of the clips from the "Lighting" section and analyze the use of lighting in one short paragraph. In your analysis, describe the way the light looks in specific shots, how it affects the mood and the way we view characters, and how it sets the overall tone of the film.
2. As you prepare to write this discussion, take a few moments to do the following:
- Read any required and recommended reading materials for this week, especially Chapter 3 from the text.
- Review the grading rubric for this discussion.
- Select a full-length film from the AFI 10: Top 10 list.
Our textbook sets up a distinction between story and plot, stating that story is what happens in a movie, and plot is how it happens. The distinction may seem minor; however, throughout this course, we will be scrutinizing the various aesthetic choices and cinematic techniques that work together to create meaning in any movie. With that in mind, we can see that how a film presents action can be very important.
Please view the video Adding Pictures and Video to Discussions and Introductions for guidance on how to integrate multimedia with your response.
In at least 200 words, describe the relationship of story to plot in your chosen film. Be sure to:
- Identify the title, writer, director, major actors, and the year.
- Summarize the story and plot of your chosen movie.
- Discuss whether your film is presented chronologically or non-linearly. In your discussion, address the following:
o How did this aesthetic choice contribute to the general effect on the audience?
o How are elements like character development or foreshadowing impacted by the choice of storytelling methods?
- If the film had followed a different presentation style, how would the general effect on the audience have been different?
You must use at least two outside sources, in any combination of embedded video clips, still photos, or scholarly sources. All sources should be documented in APA style
3. As you prepare to write this discussion, take a few moments to do the following:
- Review the Modeled Discussion.
- Read any required and recommended reading materials for this week, especially Chapter 4 from your text and the articles by Grant and Wright.
- Review the grading rubric for this discussion.
- Select a full-length film from the AFI 10 Top 10 list.
Genre, a category of artistic production characterized by similarities in composition and style, is a term used to discuss literature, music, art, and film. It is particularly useful in critical applications because it distinguishes a work within a context of similar works. In film, we are familiar with certain broad genre categories such as horror, science-fiction, romance, and drama.
Understanding genre helps provide the viewer with certain expectations about film. For instance, the film The Conjuring trailer (Version 2) is of the horror genre and thus can be discussed in context with other horror films. More specifically, it is of the sub-genre, supernatural horror, so it can be discussed in context with, say, The Exorcist trailer. Making this distinction enables the audience to situate their reaction within a particular framework.
In this discussion
- Identify a film and classify it according to its genre (or sub-genre). Include a link(s) to a trailer or scene(s) from the film. You may choose to continue with a film you have already discussed.
- Discuss the conventions that are typical in films of that genre (or sub-genre).
- Explain how this specific film meets the expectations of its genre.
Include the name or partial name of the film you identified in the "Subject" line of your discussion. Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.
4. Mise en scène is a term meant to encompass the arrangement and use of a variety of design elements in creating the visual theme of a film. Please look through Chapter 5 (Mise en Scene and Actors) for more information on this term.
As you prepare to write this discussion, take a few moments to do the following:
- Read any required and recommended reading materials for this week, especially Chapter 5 (Mise en Scene and Actors).
- Review the grading rubric for this discussion.
- Select a full-length film from the AFI 10 Top 10 list.
It can be easier to grasp the importance of the term mise en scène if we break it down into its component elements. This week, we'll look at the impact of lighting choices on the creation of meaning in a film.
In any film, the intensity and direction of lighting will influence how an image is perceived by the viewer, and it can establish or enforce particular themes. Think back over films you have watched and consider how the use of lighting in key scenes helped establish the theme or tone.
Please view the video Adding Pictures and Video to Discussions and Introductions for guidance on how to integrate multimedia with your response.
Using specific examples from your chosen film, write a post in which you
- Identify the type of lighting used in the film (traditional three-point, high-key, or low-key) and assess the impact of the lighting used to establish the theme.
o What are the benefits of the style of lighting used?
o How did this technique contribute to the theme?
o How was the lighting technique suited to the genre of the film? For example, documentary films tend to rely on natural light as a way of creating an overall tone of authenticity.
- Compare how the scene would play if different choices had been made.
You must use at least two outside sources, in any combination of embedded video clips, still photos, or scholarly sources. All sources should be documented in APA style
It is suggested that you approach this post by focusing your attention on the same film you will write about in this week's "Genres and Genre Film" assignment.
5. As you prepare to write this discussion, take a few moments to do the following:
- Review the Modeled Discussion.
- Read any required and recommended reading materials for this week, especially Chapter 7 from the text.
- Review the grading rubric for this discussion.
- Explore movie clips from the Movieclips website or the Internet Movie Database - IMDB.
Choose a clip that you wish to analyze. The clip you choose must be from a film (preferably from a film with which you are familiar) - not a film trailer or a mash-up. Re-watch your chosen movie clip while closely observing the mise en scène. What analysis can you make about the placement and movement of characters and props in the scene as they relate to camera shots, color, lighting, and other elements of cinematography?
In your discussion, analyze at least three elements of cinematography and editing (e.g., lighting, color, shots, focus, transitions, and types of cuts) by evaluating the dramatic impact of the scene. Interpret the scene based on your analysis. In your view, what mood, symbolism, or meaning results from the scene's creative editing and cinematography?
Include the name or partial name of the film clip you analyzed in the "Subject" line of your discussion. Include the link to your film clip in the body of your post. Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.
6. As we have been discussing, the mise en scène of a film is the use of a variety of design elements to create the visual theme. As you prepare to write this discussion, take a few moments to do the following:
- Read any required and recommended reading materials for this week, especially Chapter 5 (Mise en Scene and Actors).
- Review the grading rubric for this discussion.
- Select a full-length film from the AFI 10 Top 10 list.
Last week, we examined how different lighting styles and choices affected the final impact of a film. This week, we will consider different types and categories of sound at work in film and assess how they contribute to the overall sense of meaning in a film.
There are many types of sound in a film. Some are diegetic (sounds that are represented as coming from within the world of the film); others are non-diegetic (sounds that come from outside the world of the film). Your text describes the different categories of sound that fall under those types. What types of sounds, and what categories, are most effectively used in the film under consideration?
Please view the video Adding Pictures and Video to Discussions and Introductions for guidance on how to integrate multimedia with your response.
Using specific examples from your chosen film, construct a discussion post of at least 200 words in which you
- Describe each of the three basic categories of sound (dialogue, sound effects, and music).
- Explain how the different categories of sound are being used in your chosen film.
o Assess the impact of sound in establishing the theme.
o How does the use of sound inform the mood of the scene, or the film overall?
o Can you identify specific sounds in your film that allow you to infer a particular genre?
o Since each category of sound may produce a range of effects, how might you characterize the effects in your film? For example, realistic and expected sound effects may have a different effect on a viewer than exaggerated or unexpected ones.
- Assess how the scene or sequence would play differently if you changed or removed a key category of sound.
You must use at least two outside sources, in any combination of embedded video clips, still photos, or scholarly sources. All sources should be documented in APA style. It is suggested that you approach this post by focusing your attention on the same film you will write about in this week's "Establishing Theme" assignment.