1. 3 Aspects of Film Literary Elements Dramatic Elements
Cinematic Elements

2. Literary Elements Character Development
DEFINITION: The aspects of film that are shared with literature.
Film Focus = the script
Character Development
Story Structure, Plot, and Conflict
Setting
Point of View (POV)
Symbols, Foreshadowing, flashback
Mood and Theme (can be created through cinematic and dramatic aspects as well)

3. Questions to ask when viewing on a Literary Level:
Who are the characters?
What is the setting?
What is the plot?
From whose point of view is the story told?
What is the film’s theme?
Are there any symbols or recurring images?

4. Dramatic Elements
DEFINITION: The aspects of film that are shared with live drama.
Character portrayal (acting and delivery of dialogue)
Lighting created on set
Costumes, sets, props, make-up
Directors personal stamp

5. Questions to ask when viewing on a dramatic level:
How effective is the acting? Why?
How does the set affect understanding and enjoyment of the story?
How are the costumes and makeup effective in establishing a character?

6. Cinematic Elements
DEFINITION: Elements unique to film (requires some knowledge of technical terms)
Visual images: camera angles, camera placement, frame, composition, focus, etc.
Editing: placement of scenes, cutting scenes
Sound: speech, voice over, sound effects, music, etc.
Special Effects: Illusions in film. Created on-set through mechanical effects and in-camera optical effects.
Visual Effects: Film involving images created and/or manipulated outside of a live action shoot. Often used to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or simply impossible to capture on film. Added post-production. For example: computer generated imagery (CGI)

7. Questions to ask when viewing on a cinematic level:
At what moments did you notice effective(intentional) camera angles, framing, shot composition, etc? How did it related to plot, character, theme, etc?
How did the editing impact the film? Consider pacing, # of edits, length of scenes, etc.
Did you notice any audio effects? What music was in the film? What was the effect?
Describe any special/visual affects you noticed.

8. Your Task
Name three(3) specific film reviewers and cite the publications through which they review their films.
Find an example of a well done film review and explain why it’s a quality example. Include:
Publication, Reviewer, Film Title, Year of Publication
Use three quotes from the film review to reinforce three different qualities that make it an effective review.