FILM INTRO The Power & Components of Film

Last Week’s Objectives  Become familiar with a variety of internet tools  Become familiar with social media’s usefulness  Revolutions started from it  Businesses use it  Prospective employees use it to promote themselves  Set up your blog and get your blog task  Write at least 5 posts of at least 150 words each  Focus should not solely be personal, but should be broad enough to interest outside audience

This Week’s Objectives  Understand the power and components of film  Become better at analyzing and critiquing film

Today  Review some more elements of blog – privacy settings, sharing, etc.  Review films that have impacted us & why  Analyze 1 clip in layers  Understand more aspects of blogging  Understand the power of film  Understand some components ActivitiesObjectives

Announcements  Get your blog critiques in pronto

Polls & video Activity #1: More blog features

Project Details  At least 6 posts about a topic that would interest an outside audience (not solely personal)  Should reflect proper grammar & mechanics  Should have a “voice” – be stylistic and interesting  Span a number of days  Includes at least 2 videos and 3 pictures  Includes 5 links to other pages  A widget/gadget

The power of film Activity #2: Think, Pair, Share

“A picture is worth a thousand words” Film’s Power

The Power of Film  In what different ways does film (an intentional visual narrative) have power?  To answer this question, let’s look at your favorite films…  Think of three movies that you’ve seen in the course of your life.  What emotions did that movie have you experience? Here’s a list to help you out: happy, sad, angry, reflective, depressed, excited, scared…

The Power of Film Your Favorite Films Impact on you Impact on culture

Tools of Film How did these film/visual narratives make you experience these feelings?

Practice in film analysis You have all been asked in English classes before to interpret symbols in written texts. Now I’m going to ask you to interpret a visual text. There will be no words, only the moving image.

Practice in Film Analysis Your Task Describe what you see first—use as many descriptive words as you can—think of visual elements: lighting, camera movement, camera angle, props, etc. Record the feelings the image evokes in you. Jot down some ideas of what interpretive message the moving image could communicate.

The Moving Image Gets More Layers Now we’ll add actors, dialogue and action to the scene. What message does this altered scene communicate. Does it change your interpretation?

Film = Visual Storytelling The filmmaker and the audience negotiate a shared experience : sharing in the construction and meaning of the narrative.  the filmmaker’s story  (the story told / the plot)  the audience member’s story  (the story perceived / the total effect)

Film’s Intent Tell a story Kennett’s story definition: Somebody / characters doing something at some place and time The story is the centerpiece Shots, dialogue, lighting, editing, sound serve the story Conflict/Action + Setting = STORY

Film = Visual Storytelling The filmmaker takes the audience “by the brain” and shows us a story The story is told through what we see and hear immediately Filmmaking (a.k.a. constructing visual narratives) is a highly intentional act. “Nothing in a mainstream narrative is there by accident.” --Jill Nelmes

The Tools of Film setting props costume performance lighting camera editing sound mise en scene

What is Film? “The cinema is the greatest means of expression ever invented. But it is an illusion more powerful than any others, and it should therefore be in the hands of the magicians and wizards who can bring it to life.”  -- King Vidor,  American director of 61 feature  films between

Intro Film Activity In your brand spankin’ new journal, reflect on the various types of films that you’ve seen and jot down your response to this question… In what different ways does film have power? How can it be… Destructive? Constructive? Instructive? Inspirational? Think of a film example that would support your points.