Why are films so popular? Here are five fabulous reasons...

Reason #1. It doesn’t take any work Watching movies is easy. You can sit back, relax, eat some popcorn and enjoy.

Reason #2...You Get Caught Up in the Moment Movies can seem real, as if they’re actually happening!

Reason #3...Films are a part of our Culture Movies influence the way we act and the way we think.

Reason #4...Films are an escape from reality They offer us a break from reality, even if only for a short time.

Reason #5...Movies are Entertaining Watching movies can be fun and exciting!

Why make films? Films Entertain Films Teach Films Inform FILMS COMMUNICATE!!!

TO SEE A FILM, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF A FILM SEEING FILM TO SEE A FILM, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF A FILM

Learn to be Perceptive You can learn to sharpen your perception skills just like any other skill, like playing the guitar or skiing.

Learn to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of film Perhaps the most important part of learning to see the artistry of film is to learn to observe the beauty of the world and the things in it that usually go unnoticed, like a spider’s web or a newly baked pie.

Learn to Identify and Measure Your Responses to Film. Make an effort to think of words that describe your experience as you view the film. Try to respond to the film both intellectually and emotionally. Determine how the filmmaker used various techniques to influence your emotions and reactions. The most valuable part of learning anything is your ability to recognize your growth and understanding of the subject.

The act of seeing a film takes place in the mind.

What exactly is perception? All the things observed by one or more of your senses and comprehended by the brain have a different special meaning to each person.

At this time, please refer to your “Understanding the Film” chart

Examples Learning Techniques the Filmmaker uses How well the the techniques Learning Examples from the film to prove what you say Emotional and psychological responses Your opinions and ideas Recall and memory Learning to identify your own feelings Writing or discussing films Learning to criticize Examples

Factors that Influence What we See Involuntary Attention Voluntary Attention Intensity and Size Novelty and Contrast Movement Motivation Mind-set Life Experience Mind and Body Surroundings Conformity Prejudices

Involuntary Attention We have learned, for the most part, to pay attention only to the things that have some meaning to us. Occasionally, however, we are jarred by an involuntary sight or sound.

Voluntary Attention Whenever you pay attention to one activity, you are choosing between alternatives. As more and more alternatives in the film become apparent, your attention refocuses.

INTENSITY AND SIZE A filmmaker is aware of intensity and size and uses these factors to influence what our sense perceive.

Novelty and CONTRAST Filmmakers try to make their films stand out by finding a unique angle-something to set their film apart from others.

movement We tend to notice objects in motion before we notice inanimate objects. Good filmmakers use motion to help us better understand and perceive the film.

Motivation When we feel like doing something, we are motivated. The motivation to see the film is still there because we want to experience the events firsthand, as they happen.

Mind Set As people grow older, they tend to continue thinking along familiar lines, becoming more set in their pattern of thinking. These views are influenced by many factors including culture, age, gender, upbringing, religion, ethic and racial background and education.

Life Experience Many of our impressions of and decisions about our environment are made instantly, based on the influence of our experiences.

Mind and Body The physical condition of your body actually influences how you perceive films.

Surroundings- the physical condition of the room affects how you perceive the film.

Conformity- some people are influenced most by others.

Prejudices- Every individual watching a film sees it in his or her own unique way.

The filmmaker is the sender of the message If the audience understands the message, communication takes place. The way a film is perceived ultimately affects whether or not the audience can complete the act of communication.

Evaluating the Film Making a critical judgement of a film should be backed up by specifics. Film criticism requires the ability to evaluate, analyze, observe and understand the process of making films.

What NOT to do... “I like the movie.” “It was a great movie.” “It was good.” “The guy was cool.” “The girl was hot.” “There was a lot of funny stuff in the movie.” “I didn’t like the movie very much.” This movie sucked eggs!”

What you SHOULD do... “Even the underdog can be the hero.” “The quality of the acting gave credibility to the plot.” “The overall message of the film is something we all could relate to.” “Her character proved to be more than just a pretty face.”

The Nine Elements of Film 1.) Theme 2.) Plot 3.) Script 4.) Acting 5.) Setting, Costumes & Makeup 6.) Direction 7.) Photography 8.) Editing 9.) Sound

Theme

Theme-the basic idea that a film expresses. Theme may touch on any aspect of life, such as vengeance, love, good over evil, greed, etc. Theme can be expressed through a single repeated or recurring motif, or repeated device. A filmmaker may also use symbols and metaphors to convey a theme. Characters often become symbols with greater meaning. The use of Christian symbolism in Cool Hand Luke represents a “crucified man”.

Plot The plot is simply what is happening in the film. It is the storyline. Questions you’ll want to consider in describing a movies plot include: 1.) How does the plot develop the story? 2.) Are there subplots? 3.) Who does what? Where? When? How? 4.) What influences the characters in their actions? 5.) How does the plot relate to the theme? 6.) Is the plot interesting/exciting? 7.) Is it believable? 8.) Is it complicated?

The Script The script describes the scenes, specifies who and what the characters are, how they appear and what they do and say. Questions you’ll want to ask in testing the value of a script are: 1.) Does the dialogue between the characters seem real? 2.) Does the continuity of the film hold together? 3.) Does the script fully support the theme? 4.) Does it help further the plot? 5.) Is the idea of the film clear to you?

Acting Actors/Actresses with talent and ability in creating characters will capture our interest and gain our sympathy. Whatever methods the director uses, it is the acting that will most likely be remembered by the audience. Some questions to ask when evaluating performances: 1.) Did I identify with the actor? 2.) Did they cause me to react emotionally to the film? 3.) Was I conscious of the actor playing the part or was I too caught up in their character? 4.) Were the small roles played as well as the major ones.

Setting, Costume & Makeup

Setting, Costume & Makeup Con’t. Questions to ask when judging the setting, costumes and makeup in a film include: 1.) Did they help make the film better? 2.) Did they create the right atmosphere? 3.) Did they blend in unobtrusively with the plot and theme? 4.) How did they help to understand the characters better? 5.) Were they appropriate and accurate for the time period?

Direction The director of the film puts it all together. The director is the creative force that pulls the film together. The director is the head of film production unit and is responsible for translating words on paper into images on screen. The director ultimately makes the final decisions on almost every aspect of the film. The cinematic approach the director chooses is crucial to the overall unity of the film.

Direction Con’t. Questions to ask when evaluating film direction include: 1.) Did all of the components of the film work well together? 2.) Did any parts of the film seem to be controlled? 3.) Did the film succeed in its original purpose?

Photography The cinematographer is the director of photography for the film. They work closely with the director to keep the look of the film “true” to the director’s. They supervise a number of camera operations. Here are questions to ask as to the quality of the photography: 1.) Did the photography add to the film? 2.) Did it seem to blend with all of the other components? 3.) How did the camera move? 4.) Was the photography effective? 5.) Did the photography achieve the specific images that would best tell the story?

E d I t I n g The editing of the film should not be noticeable, at least not to the point that we are aware of the scenes changing. Good editing should help the audience to follow the plot more easily and also discover the other film elements. Questions to of the editing include: 1.) Was there a smooth flow from beginning to end? 2.) Did the editing help you see and understand the film better? 3.) Did the editing allow you discover and understand the other film elements?

Sound There are three kinds of sound in a film: natural sounds, music and dialogue. All three help to create a realistic atmosphere. Questions to ask in evaluating sound and music include: 1.) Did the sound and music add or detract from the film? 2.) Did the sounds make the movie seem more real?

How Does the Film Work For You? No single film can achieve a perfect score using all of these criteria. Your job is to measure the effectiveness of the film for YOU. YOU must learn to start evaluating a film not in terms of “good” or “bad”, but in terms of how successful the film was for YOU.

Entertainment Value

Entertainment Value The entertainment value of a film is very important. If a film doesn’t hold your attention, it accomplishes nothing. Entertainment is not a diversion from learning, but actually a very important part of learning.

Educational Value We can learn something from any film. Nearly every single film, even those we find the most entertaining, can instruct us about something, some aspect of life. Many of them deal with social, psychological or emotional problems and issues in provocative ways,

Artistic Value When all parts of the film are done well, the film has artistic value. The superiority of one or two elements doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire film cab considered artistic. Science-fiction films and Westerns have just as much artistic value as as dramatic films. For a film to truly have artistic value, artistry must be found in all its parts.

Discussing the Film Talking about film helps you: Understand the film better by hearing the views of others Understand how and why other people have different viewpoints Exercise your own opinions and feelings about film and its relationship to life. Become more articulate about your reactions. Grow more proficient in your perceptive, intellectual and emotional skills. Enjoy the film.

(without sounding like a freakin’ idiot!!!) Congratulations!!!!!!! You are now ready to : 1.) watch 2.) appreciate 3.) write about & 4.) talk about films (without sounding like a freakin’ idiot!!!)