language of films

‘Language’ of Films

• The great thing about literature is that you can imagine, the great thing about film is that you can’t.

James Monaco

‘Language’ of Films

• There is no basic linguistic unit, such as a word.• There is no formal grammar.

• Film does, however, make statements, so it works like a language.

• The closest devices it has to a real language are: – shots (could be compared to words)– scenes (like sentences) – sequences (like paragraphs)

• However, these are often difficult to differentiate from one another: • A lengthy shot can be considered a scene.• Statements can be made within a shot, using movement,

focus, color, proxemics, camera position, etc.).

The better a viewer reads an image the more he/she understands:

• Its physical reality• What it means based on cultural

references• Its various sets of meanings

• When you look at a frame, one of the first things to consider is distance.

• How much do you see of the character(s)?

• Is it a close up?• Is it a full shot?• Is it a medium shot?

• Can you see the whole body or a part of the body?

What is a shot?

A part of a film between two cutsShots are generally filmed with a single camera

and can be of any duration. A shot in production, defined by the beginning and end of a capturing process

Different types

• Close ups• Camera angles, close-ups, and editing

techniques contribute to viewers’ feelings toward a character.

• Viewers do not care much either way about characters seen at a distance.

• They are more likely to empathize or identify with a character who is often seen in close-ups.

• Close up

Extreme close up shot (ECU)

• In general the closer the camera gets to the characters, the closer the viewer feels towards the characters.

• This is why close ups are often used for:

love scenes scenes where the character is

suffering or fearful any other scene where the viewer is

supposed to understand what the character is feeling.

Medium shot

Long Shot

Extreme Long Shot (ELS)

Bird eye view shot

God Eye View Shot

• As the camera moves further away from the character(s), the viewer is provided more information about them or about their situation.

focus

Deep Focus

In deep focus the foreground, middle-ground and background are all in focus.

Deep Focus

Establishing Shot

• It lets the audience have a look at the subject in relation to its

• surroundings. It usually appears at the beginning of a film or

• scene to establish the setting or to introduce a film.

Establishing Shot

ELS as “establishing shot”

Point of View Shot

Low Angle Shot

• A frame shot from a low angle makes the subject seem larger.

• A frame shot from a high angle is often referred to as God’s eye view because it suggests that ‘someone’ is observing the characters. It can suggest danger and helplessness.

High Angle Shot

A character that seems larger than another in a frame is usually the dominant character.

From Double Indemnity 1944

From Rebecca

1940

From Gone with the Wind1939

From Letter from an Unknown Woman 1948

The Departed 2006

Two shot

• Makes two characters the subject of the frame. It allows you to

• understand how the characters interact and react to each other

Aura (halo effect)

Aura (halo effect)

Making a Film, a Poem

Simile

Metaphor

Synecdoche

Personification

Transferred Epithet

Onomatopoeia

Montage

• is a technique in film editing in which a series of short shots are edited into a sequence to condense space, time, and information. It is usually used to suggest the passage of time.

Syntagmatic statements

• Two images juxtaposed suggest a third meaning

Besides shots and angles, you should also watch for symbols.

Some common symbols are:

Images of entrapment are usually shown through characters framed by doors, gates, or confined spaces (like closets).From The Kid 1921

From Carrie 1976

Pan’s Labyrinth 2006

Atonement 2007

The Hours 2002

The Ring 2002

The Painted Veil 2006

A Beautiful Mind 2001

The Departed 2006

Images of duality are usually represented by characters reflected in mirrors , water, glass.

Psycho 1960

The Lady from Shanghai,1947

Taxi Driver 1976

The Matrix 2003

Mulholland Drive 2001

Black Swan 2010

Light cutting through a character(s), lines which divide the frame, usually mark images of characters that are in turmoil.

From The Usual Suspects

From Blade Runner

From The Awful Truth

Sweeney Todd 2007

Other Symbols

Christ figures/Biblical References

From Dead Man Walking

Crosses

From The Omen

Pan’s Labyrinth

Blood

Destruction or desecration of symbols

From Planet of the Apes

Slumdog Millionaire 2008

Trains

The Moon Water

Roads

From E.T.

From Jaws

From North by Northwest

…and many others

Trees

Thank You