FilmandLiterature

ElementsofFilm
Contents.
n TraditionalElements
Character
PointofView
Plot
Setting

ElementsofCinematography
PositioningandCompositionoftheImage
EditingofImageandSound
Character
ExternalAppearance/Internalthoughts
1. Dependentuponmedium(ex:realisticor
cartoonish)
2. Imagescanceloutreadersimagination.
Thiscanbeconfusingordissatisfying.
3. InterpretationsofcharacterareNOlonger
basedontheexactwordchoicesand
detailsoftheoriginalauthormakingit
possibleformeaningstochange.
ImportantQuestionsaboutCharacter
1. Whataredifferentwaysthatcertainlinguisticor
narrativestrategiesproduceliterarycharacters?Ex:
Doestheauthorusealotofadjectives?
2. Howaremoviecharactersaproductoffilm
materials?
3. Whatadvantages/drawbacksdowordsandimages
haveoverwrittendescriptionsofcharacters?Visa
Versa?
4. Whichcharactersareadded,omitted,orchangedin
anadaptation?
PointofView
v RememberFirstandThirdPerson
v Cameraallowsmultiplepointsofviewto
interact
v Theroleofthelensasthenarrator
v ExistenceofaNarrativeVoice
v LanguageandImageworktogether
QuestionsaboutPointofView
1. Howdoestheimagisticpointofviewusedin
amovieexpandorlimitthepowerof
linguisticpointofview?
2. Atwhatrateistheaudiencepresentedwith
informationandhowistheaudienceallowed
toprocessthatinformation?(ex:short
storiesorbooksvs.2hrmovies)
Plot
FilmandLiteratureoftenpartwaysintermsof
plot
Orderofeventsoftenchanges
Events,places,andtimesmightactually
change
Oftenbecomesafunctionofcharacters
needsanddesiresratherthanfromdramatic
conflict.(Ex:Dorothyjustwantstogohomein
theWizardofOz).
QuestionsaboutPlot
1. Howhasthenarrativestructurechangedornot
changedintheconversiontoamovie?
2. Dothesamecausalmotivesdrivethenarrativein
bothversionsorhavethosemotiveschanged?
3. Towhatextentdoestheendingdeterminethe
meaningofthestory,and,ifanadaptationchanges
thatending,howdoesthatchangethemeaningof
thestory?
4. Howhavethemanyadaptationsofonestoryaltered
thetheme?
5. Aredifferentthemesconnectedtothetimeand
placewhenthedifferentworkswereproduced?
Setting
Likeshortstories,filmsettingscanreflect
realistic, historical,cultural,andsymbolic
meanings.

Infilms,settingincludeseverythingputinfront
ofthecamerabeforefilmingbegins.This
includesprops,lighting,costumes,etc.
WhatdothesedifferentSettingstell
you?
QuestionsaboutSetting
1. Dofilmviewerstakeforgrantedanatural
settingwhosemeaningstheymightbemore
awareofinwriting?(Ex:stormsand
weather)
2. Dofilmmakersusethesamecarein
selectinglocations,props,andbackgrounds
asdoauthors?Whataretheunderlying
meanings?
Cinematography:
PositioningandCompositionoftheImage

TheShot: Asingleuncutsegmentoffilm.
ShotTechniques
ShapeofFrameWidescreenorNormal

PerspectiveofImageDeepfocusshowing
backgrounds,middlegroundsand
foregroundsoraflat,shallowfocus

FilmSpeedCreatesslow,fast,ornormal
motion
Shot(continued)
DistanceBetweenthecameraandthefigurebeing
filmedi.e.closeups,longshots,andotherrelations

AngleIsthecameraatahighangle,lowangle,or
straightonwithitssubject?

CameraMovementsi.e.sweepingpansofthe
horizonortracksthatfollowtheactiononacart

ColororBlackandWhiteBothofthesehaveawide
rangeoftones
EditingofImageandSound
Scene
Whenoneormoreshotsarelinkedoredited
togethertodescribeasinglespaceorplaceit
iscalledascene.

Sequence
Anumberofeditedshotsandscenesthatare
connectedbyaspecificactionoridea.

Bothsceneandsequencearearesultofediting
Editing
n Thelinkingtogetheroftwoormoreshots

n ContinuityEditingTheeditingofshotsand
sequencessothattheeditingisunnoticeable
orinvisible

n DiscontinuousEditingWheneditingcalls
attentiontoitselfandtoactionsand
perspectivesthatdonotfitsmoothlytogether
QuestionsaboutEditing
1. Ifcomparablesectionsaresignificantly
different,askhowandwhytheediting
reshapesthematerialoftheliterature.

2. Mightamodernadaptationupdateaclassic
literaryworkbysimplytransforminga
continuousnarrativestyleintoa
discontinuousone?
FinalThoughtsAboutFilm
Considerthepacingof Thinkabouttheroleof
thefilm.Thisis establishingshotsinthe
establishedthrough narrationofafilmandin
longtakes(holdinga givingitssetting
shotforalongtime)
andshorttakes(cut Howdosoundssuchas
quicklybetweenshots) dialogue,music,special
effectsandbackground
Considerhowemotions noiseaffectyour
andmoodsareset interpretationofafilm
throughshot/reverse throughsoundediting?
shot