what’s up today in history of film? -...

1. German Expressionism2. Film Noir3. Scene Analysis

What’s up today in History of Film?

Friday, February 17, 17

Quick Review - An example scene analysis based on last

weeks topic

Wait.. What did we do? What theory... Battleship what (I was having trouble with my Russian pronounciation...


Lev KuleshovEditing manipulation of audience as much as a manipulation of filmKuleshov Experiment

Sergei EisensteinConsidered the main Solviet “montage” theorist and formalist: Images, perhaps independent of the “main” action, are presented for maximum psychological impact.

The development of Soviet Montage


The most famous scene of the Battleship Potemkin - The Odessa Steps

First the clip from the scene:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps-v-kZzfec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps-v-kZzfec

Secondly the scene analysis. A perspective from Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) an American independent film producer, director, and actor.He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Note... Look him up.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hESDxUnZ1fo



German Expressionism Historical Context

At the onset of World War I (1914), the German film industry was dominated by imported films on German screens. To combat this competition the German government began to support the film industry so that t could create its own propaganda films and also to ensure a German film industry. The industry benefited greatly from this support, securing financing for state of the art equipment and studios even in the face of global resistance as a consequence of the First World War which ended in 1918. Out of this a came more than a decade German expressionist film.


German Expressionism in FilmThey were films which borrowed both stylistically and phylisopically from the Expressionist movement - distorted imagery, scale and space to convey subjective feeling. This resulted in Expressionistic film techniques particularly the use of asymmetrical camera angles, atmospheric lighting, high contrast between dark and light and finally the way that humans react to non-human things.

The thematic ideas of German Expressionism would often convey the surreal, madness, insanity and betrayal.


Chiaroscuro lighting

Expressionist films use simple lighting from the front and sides, illuminating the scene flatly and evenly to stress the links between the figures and the décor. In some notable cases, shadows are used to create additional distortion (see chiaroscuro lighting)

This creates MOOD....

lighting that employs extreme contrasts of light and dark, thus creating dramatic shadows


Distorted imagery, scale and space


The non-human relationship


So what were [some of] the great German Expressionist masterpieces?

F. W. MurnauPaul Wegner &

Carl Boese

Robert Weiner F. W. Murnau Fritz Lang


This greatly influence cinema and influenced new styles and generations - Notebly the Film Noir of Hollywood in the 1940s and 50s, the horror and thriller gendres. This is not a coincedence, many German film makers including Fritz Lang moved to America to escape the changing political landscape of Germany in the 1930s ( the rise of Nazism in Germany).

Shared characteristics - Mise en Scene: Dramatic lighting, contrast, somber/dark ambience. tension.


So lets look at some GE filmsAnd you will do a scene analysis

COMPONENTS: 1. Introduction of film director, date, premise, setting, gendre (historical context if appropriate) and theme.2. Summary description of the scene (in context to film and importance) and important components. Main concept - three supporting concepts3. Characters - roles (protagonist, antagonist, relationship) thoughts, motivations, emotions4. Detailed Elements of scene relative to #2 - SettingAmbience, moodStylistic elements, lighting , colour, soundCamera styles, shots and anglesEditing styles: montage, continuity editing, pacing.5. Summation and resolution relative to where and how it fits in context to the body of the film.


5 Films, 5 Groups of 4

Look at the film scene you have been presented and break it down. Each group member is responsible for presenting content one of the 5 categories in previous slide.

Work with your group. Please write down one your individual idea/parts (point form is fine, but) you must present your section of the analysis.

You will present your scene analyis to the class after the viewing of your video. Then the class discusses -30- 45 min to get your scene analysis presentation together!

http://etmadeez.com/HistoryofFilmProduction/2017/02/17/german-expressionist-films/






Your turn... Analysis and Presentation45 min - Break up your tasks for your group and get ready!


Finally a student example of excellence.

If you want a 15/15 look at this...


Next Week!!!DUE: Assignment 2. Screening of Vertigo (1958), discussion of Hollywood studio system

Have a great week!


what’s up today in history of film? -...

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