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‘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