Narrative as a Formal System
Narrative as a formal system p. 74
Narrative- what we think of as a story… it has a beginning, and a series of changes that result in a new situation, and finally an end.
Understanding depends on ability to comprehend those changes
Plot- everything that is visible and audible (nondiagetic- extraneous) (SIGHT)
Story- diagetic: the total world of the story action : presumed and though (ASSUMPTION)
Cause and effect:
Characters are agents of cause and effect. They have bodies and traits.
Sometimes cause and effect generate with disasters rather than characters.
Whenever a film presents a mystery it presents effects while omitting the forces of causation
Time-
Order: out of order, flashback, fast forward, surprise endings, foreshadowing…
Duration: the manipulation of time span presented in the plot and operating in the story. (the sum of all the slices of the story duration equal the plot)
Screen duration can expand story duration
Frequency: if a story event appears more than once or appears multiple times… increased frequency allows one to see the same thing
RHYTHM IN MUSIC CAN ALSO CREATE A SENSE OF TIME BY OFFERING A SENSE OF URGENCY ETC.
Space-
Events occur in well defined locals.
Plot and story can manipulate space.
Space can also be part of the story…
The place of the story action is usually the place of the plot but not always
Frame
Plot
Scene
Openings, closings, and patterns of development
A film doesn’t just start it begins because it’s a story
Provides a basis of what is to come…
Exposition- portion of plot that lays out important story events
Set up- the first quarter or so of a film where you get to know exactly what’s going on.
3 types of plot patterns
Change in knowledge- a character learns something in course of action and most crucial knowledge occurs as a final turning point
Goal oriented- sets forth to achieve something
Investigation- protagonist goal is not an object but information
Plots can combine these patterns
Narration is the plot's way of presenting information in order to achieve specific effects
Moment by moment. Two important factors:
range of story- imposed by narration… unrestricted- we as viewers get to see, know, hear more than any of the character. Done through character shifting, or what just the narrator knows. etc. Forms a hierarchy of knowledge
depth of story information-
objectivity-
subjectivity- perceptual and mental
perceptual is visual or audible
mental is hearing an internal voice from character
appointment- characters meet and establish relationships
Narrative- what we think of as a story… it has a beginning, and a series of changes that result in a new situation, and finally an end.
Understanding depends on ability to comprehend those changes
Plot- everything that is visible and audible (nondiagetic- extraneous) (SIGHT)
Story- diagetic: the total world of the story action : presumed and though (ASSUMPTION)
Cause and effect:
Characters are agents of cause and effect. They have bodies and traits.
Sometimes cause and effect generate with disasters rather than characters.
Whenever a film presents a mystery it presents effects while omitting the forces of causation
Time-
Order: out of order, flashback, fast forward, surprise endings, foreshadowing…
Duration: the manipulation of time span presented in the plot and operating in the story. (the sum of all the slices of the story duration equal the plot)
Screen duration can expand story duration
Frequency: if a story event appears more than once or appears multiple times… increased frequency allows one to see the same thing
RHYTHM IN MUSIC CAN ALSO CREATE A SENSE OF TIME BY OFFERING A SENSE OF URGENCY ETC.
Space-
Events occur in well defined locals.
Plot and story can manipulate space.
Space can also be part of the story…
The place of the story action is usually the place of the plot but not always
Frame
Plot
Scene
Openings, closings, and patterns of development
A film doesn’t just start it begins because it’s a story
Provides a basis of what is to come…
Exposition- portion of plot that lays out important story events
Set up- the first quarter or so of a film where you get to know exactly what’s going on.
3 types of plot patterns
Change in knowledge- a character learns something in course of action and most crucial knowledge occurs as a final turning point
Goal oriented- sets forth to achieve something
Investigation- protagonist goal is not an object but information
Plots can combine these patterns
Narration is the plot's way of presenting information in order to achieve specific effects
Moment by moment. Two important factors:
range of story- imposed by narration… unrestricted- we as viewers get to see, know, hear more than any of the character. Done through character shifting, or what just the narrator knows. etc. Forms a hierarchy of knowledge
depth of story information-
objectivity-
subjectivity- perceptual and mental
perceptual is visual or audible
mental is hearing an internal voice from character
appointment- characters meet and establish relationships
Day 6- the end of September 11th viewing
La Mise- en- Scene- the shot
“putting into the scene “ (staging)
Includes tose aspects of the film that overlap with the art of the theatre- setting lighting sound
Mies en scene is judged by standards of realism
This is on a case by case basis because some films seek to exaggerate situations for comedy etc…
SETTING- container of human action that also dynamically enters the narrative action
COSTUME - specific function… color texture and movements… have motivic and causal roles in narrative
MAKEUP- accents expressive qualities of actors face…
Eyeshadow and mascara bring attention to the glance
LIGHTING- guide attention… bright areas note key gestures… darkness bring on suspense
HIGHLIGHTING AND SHADOWS
Highlights- a patch of brightness on surface that provides important cues to the texture of the surface
SHADOWS
- Attatched: light fails to illuminate
- Cast: made by something between light
TYPES OF LIGHTING:
Frontal – eliminate shadows
Backlighting- comes from behind
Underlighting
Top lighting?
KEY light
FILL light
THREE POINT lighting
High key – ises fill light and backlight to create low contrast btwn brighter and darer areas
Low key- creates stronger contrasts
STAGING- director directs moving subjects of film… consists of visual elements or sound
There’s a question of realism with acting.
There’s a large variety of intention in acting depending on the type or intention of the films
The performance, realistic or not should be evaluated based on its function.
The camera really controls our gaze. many people don’t like films for this reason because very few films give the viewer the option of viewing many things at one time… BUT film has the benefit of editing to get the best expressions or to hone in on something like an eye twitch which may be significant in film but couldn’t be in theatre.
Colors are emphasized
Crowded scenes- eyes are drawn to character because they are recognizable
When a character turns around
RUN LOLA RUN
The ticking of the clock and the pendulum
Techno music continues the mood of urgency
Rhetorical questions
Set up visually introduces the key players of the film
The viewer will later pay more attention to these characters later because of the initial introduction.
The cartoon aspect of the film detracts from it’s realism
Mugshot introduction again of key players
1st scene of action: auditory continuity … different color denotes flashback
Repition of “the bag”… “who”
Use of fastfoward and slow motion
Peoples names and faces very significant…
You can hear the thoughts of Lola
Flash photography method of indicating effects of her actions…
Irony: Lola passes by the homeless guy.
THE SHOT:
Many shots are duplicatedview of mannie’s back pocket with the gun in it as he walks toward the grocery store (occurs in first and second scenario)
2 shots in one frame…
Hearing lola’s thought…”manni wait for me … wait… (clock comes onto screen…
Lola;s gaze as he robs the cash register…
Musical irony… they run in slow motion while a jazzy “sun and flower’s” melody plays
Until the SHOT fires that kills her… causes poignancy
COLOR: red in the scene where they are lying and talking about love….
As the film moves through each scenario, it plays on the viewer’s knowledge of previous clip and as well as his ability to note differences.
Irony… they tell the bank robber to get out of the way (lola)
Irony… mannie dies anyway.
Each clip ends with a slower and more melodious ballad to distinguish the moments of deep and traumatic emotion …
Same music occurs in the beginning of each scenario… the “I wish “ song…
The use of 2 shots in one frame… lola running to dad while dad is getting in Meyers car
The screaming… what the hell?
Each one gets agonizingly slower…
Just like the pendulum in the beginning of the film… the pendulum that swings between life and death hinges on time… Mr. Meyers in the ambulance… mannie… lola
Silence in the last one is scary because you’re waiting for something to happen…
Then music starts and they have some extra money…
The film neglects to show that the homeless guy took some of the money….
They’re not responsible for the action of their countryman.
“towers reach to the sky… while the TV shows them falling. Sound is used for subjectivity…. Vibrations are the only sound from her perspective… he comes home covered in soot
Had a large effect on people’s personal lives not just the nation… contradicting the notion of what America is.
The viewer doesn’t know whether he’s crying because of what he saw
The message of the first one is complicated
There are greater problems in the world… ordinary lives of misery and poverty.
A;though comical, the film speaks of the building of prejudice..
Turned into the witch hunt … also shows that there are legit problems in the world other than in America… he couldn’t get school supplies and quit school to take care of his mom but even though September 11th happened, we still have that freedom…
Mood is light hearted.
3rd one… we have to be able to bridge our miseries with those of others (the raped women in bosnia)… human tragedy is human tragedy and we should be receptive to all of them…less ideological than the other films.
It has a better message of the promotion of peace
Understanding the intention of the director of each of the 11 minute segments is curcial to understanding the clips themselves.
1st one says the death of afghans because of famine and war is neglected because an image is not presented in real time.
She has this notion that without the image it isn’t believable…. She thinks about making a film about the contrast between poverty and well developed nations
The second one (lovers in new York)
“it took me several days to get out of this nightmare and get back to the montage… he wonders if there was anyone on earth that didn’t know what happened… goes jogging to find ideas… passes deaf mutes in full discussion. “moment… 11 minutes” of silence to mourn the loss of the dead
“the memory of the world began with cinema” claude Lelouch
The 3rd one… “wants to speak about bosnia and rwanda… I want to speak with a full heart about things that make the news for several days and we forget afterwards.
Collectivity of suffering
4th one: idrissa Ouedraaogo- west africa
Hope is the most important thing… he expects the same movement of solidarity for Africa in relation to the needs of aids hunger, malaria, thirst, and violence
5th one: Alejandro Gonzalez
Very very very heavy.
Real footage from Chile in September 1973
A man writing letterto the American people … the legalization of pain
Tuesday September 1973
“we will remember you , I hope you will remember us.” – sighs at the end.
A classic case of pot calling the kettle black.
ARTISTS ARE PEOPLE… and have all the qualities that people have… moral ambiguity.
The really unsettling thing here is the appropriateness of the film in this film grouping.
See the Indian one, the one from Israel, mexico, if you can watch the one from japan.
CLIP PRESENTATION:
Analyze the clip for the class and make a point as to why it is important to the class
FINAL PROJECT:
15- 20 minute presentation… narrative form… 2-3 pages… methodology … then at the end put a mini bibliography..
The sound of the Holocaust… the appropriateness of humor
The 6th one: Nair
Salmon accused of being a terrorist…in reality was a hero… same music used throughout…
Story is compelling… but it is difficult to connect emotionally
Difficult thing to do within 11 minutes
“if your name had been Jesus or Mohammed…”
“there’s no safe place for muslims anymore”
Yelling voice in the dark… flowers…. Dripping faucet… spices… razor … dimly lit.
Slow motion splashes water over his face while alarm clock rings…
You don’t know who he’s talking to…
Alarm clock still sounds… then he hears it…
Music begins after he turns the light on…
He hangs up a inght gosn that was lying next to him
“sumthin summery sumthin summery…” he’s getting her dressed….
Clapping his hands… vaccuming…
Day after day… different dresses.. pictures on tables…
Short shots of him talking to himself…
Strange music… beating drum and picked guitar… evolves into something more emotionally stirring.. Sympathetic… as he’s sleeping… moves from him sleeping to a shot of the twin towers on his television screen….
Still playing when the sun comes up… light comes in to the room that was blocked by the towers before… the flowers bloom… he finally realizes she’s dead… camera goes out and shows shot of the other twin tower falling…
Difficult to interpret…
This film talks about the way in which this film forced people to open their eyes to a harsher reality. It also explores the communication of greif. It also presented a bitter sweet representation of September 11th as it brought the nation closer together. (loss and rebirth)
Sort of is a miracle… like the deaf girl…
Wake up call… could that be about America… like we thought we had this great protection but wait… no…
The 7th one… Imamura
Opens with a snake and then shows a man in a military cap crawling like one… hissing at his family…
He’s biting the roll but then bites his mother… his wife hits him like a snake…
“he didn’t like what he saw so he decided to become a snake…
The mom sets him free when she finds him eating a rat…
A town meeting kind of thing… :we musnt forget that he was an imperical soldier…
You can’t even tell if he can hear what they’re saying…
“are you that disguisted to be a man?” < a snake only kills when he has to
“there is no such thing as a holy war”
How does that relate to sept 11… ??? pacifist film
The 8th one…
Patches of darkness… crazinessthe media are in the way
Follows 2 men… a paramedic and a soldier
:blonde with blue eyes…”
She doesn’t even listen to the testimonies….
“who gives a shit about new york are you crazy”
Focuses on 3 charcters…
“on September 11th all these different years…
“a plane hit the twin towers…” “something really really serious has happened in new York” < the revelation of the audio she was hearing…
This is in Israel… a place where attacks are an everyday occurrence…
“putting into the scene “ (staging)
Includes tose aspects of the film that overlap with the art of the theatre- setting lighting sound
Mies en scene is judged by standards of realism
This is on a case by case basis because some films seek to exaggerate situations for comedy etc…
SETTING- container of human action that also dynamically enters the narrative action
COSTUME - specific function… color texture and movements… have motivic and causal roles in narrative
MAKEUP- accents expressive qualities of actors face…
Eyeshadow and mascara bring attention to the glance
LIGHTING- guide attention… bright areas note key gestures… darkness bring on suspense
HIGHLIGHTING AND SHADOWS
Highlights- a patch of brightness on surface that provides important cues to the texture of the surface
SHADOWS
- Attatched: light fails to illuminate
- Cast: made by something between light
TYPES OF LIGHTING:
Frontal – eliminate shadows
Backlighting- comes from behind
Underlighting
Top lighting?
KEY light
FILL light
THREE POINT lighting
High key – ises fill light and backlight to create low contrast btwn brighter and darer areas
Low key- creates stronger contrasts
STAGING- director directs moving subjects of film… consists of visual elements or sound
There’s a question of realism with acting.
There’s a large variety of intention in acting depending on the type or intention of the films
The performance, realistic or not should be evaluated based on its function.
The camera really controls our gaze. many people don’t like films for this reason because very few films give the viewer the option of viewing many things at one time… BUT film has the benefit of editing to get the best expressions or to hone in on something like an eye twitch which may be significant in film but couldn’t be in theatre.
Colors are emphasized
Crowded scenes- eyes are drawn to character because they are recognizable
When a character turns around
RUN LOLA RUN
The ticking of the clock and the pendulum
Techno music continues the mood of urgency
Rhetorical questions
Set up visually introduces the key players of the film
The viewer will later pay more attention to these characters later because of the initial introduction.
The cartoon aspect of the film detracts from it’s realism
Mugshot introduction again of key players
1st scene of action: auditory continuity … different color denotes flashback
Repition of “the bag”… “who”
Use of fastfoward and slow motion
Peoples names and faces very significant…
You can hear the thoughts of Lola
Flash photography method of indicating effects of her actions…
Irony: Lola passes by the homeless guy.
THE SHOT:
Many shots are duplicatedview of mannie’s back pocket with the gun in it as he walks toward the grocery store (occurs in first and second scenario)
2 shots in one frame…
Hearing lola’s thought…”manni wait for me … wait… (clock comes onto screen…
Lola;s gaze as he robs the cash register…
Musical irony… they run in slow motion while a jazzy “sun and flower’s” melody plays
Until the SHOT fires that kills her… causes poignancy
COLOR: red in the scene where they are lying and talking about love….
As the film moves through each scenario, it plays on the viewer’s knowledge of previous clip and as well as his ability to note differences.
Irony… they tell the bank robber to get out of the way (lola)
Irony… mannie dies anyway.
Each clip ends with a slower and more melodious ballad to distinguish the moments of deep and traumatic emotion …
Same music occurs in the beginning of each scenario… the “I wish “ song…
The use of 2 shots in one frame… lola running to dad while dad is getting in Meyers car
The screaming… what the hell?
Each one gets agonizingly slower…
Just like the pendulum in the beginning of the film… the pendulum that swings between life and death hinges on time… Mr. Meyers in the ambulance… mannie… lola
Silence in the last one is scary because you’re waiting for something to happen…
Then music starts and they have some extra money…
The film neglects to show that the homeless guy took some of the money….
They’re not responsible for the action of their countryman.
“towers reach to the sky… while the TV shows them falling. Sound is used for subjectivity…. Vibrations are the only sound from her perspective… he comes home covered in soot
Had a large effect on people’s personal lives not just the nation… contradicting the notion of what America is.
The viewer doesn’t know whether he’s crying because of what he saw
The message of the first one is complicated
There are greater problems in the world… ordinary lives of misery and poverty.
A;though comical, the film speaks of the building of prejudice..
Turned into the witch hunt … also shows that there are legit problems in the world other than in America… he couldn’t get school supplies and quit school to take care of his mom but even though September 11th happened, we still have that freedom…
Mood is light hearted.
3rd one… we have to be able to bridge our miseries with those of others (the raped women in bosnia)… human tragedy is human tragedy and we should be receptive to all of them…less ideological than the other films.
It has a better message of the promotion of peace
Understanding the intention of the director of each of the 11 minute segments is curcial to understanding the clips themselves.
1st one says the death of afghans because of famine and war is neglected because an image is not presented in real time.
She has this notion that without the image it isn’t believable…. She thinks about making a film about the contrast between poverty and well developed nations
The second one (lovers in new York)
“it took me several days to get out of this nightmare and get back to the montage… he wonders if there was anyone on earth that didn’t know what happened… goes jogging to find ideas… passes deaf mutes in full discussion. “moment… 11 minutes” of silence to mourn the loss of the dead
“the memory of the world began with cinema” claude Lelouch
The 3rd one… “wants to speak about bosnia and rwanda… I want to speak with a full heart about things that make the news for several days and we forget afterwards.
Collectivity of suffering
4th one: idrissa Ouedraaogo- west africa
Hope is the most important thing… he expects the same movement of solidarity for Africa in relation to the needs of aids hunger, malaria, thirst, and violence
5th one: Alejandro Gonzalez
Very very very heavy.
Real footage from Chile in September 1973
A man writing letterto the American people … the legalization of pain
Tuesday September 1973
“we will remember you , I hope you will remember us.” – sighs at the end.
A classic case of pot calling the kettle black.
ARTISTS ARE PEOPLE… and have all the qualities that people have… moral ambiguity.
The really unsettling thing here is the appropriateness of the film in this film grouping.
See the Indian one, the one from Israel, mexico, if you can watch the one from japan.
CLIP PRESENTATION:
Analyze the clip for the class and make a point as to why it is important to the class
FINAL PROJECT:
15- 20 minute presentation… narrative form… 2-3 pages… methodology … then at the end put a mini bibliography..
The sound of the Holocaust… the appropriateness of humor
The 6th one: Nair
Salmon accused of being a terrorist…in reality was a hero… same music used throughout…
Story is compelling… but it is difficult to connect emotionally
Difficult thing to do within 11 minutes
“if your name had been Jesus or Mohammed…”
“there’s no safe place for muslims anymore”
Yelling voice in the dark… flowers…. Dripping faucet… spices… razor … dimly lit.
Slow motion splashes water over his face while alarm clock rings…
You don’t know who he’s talking to…
Alarm clock still sounds… then he hears it…
Music begins after he turns the light on…
He hangs up a inght gosn that was lying next to him
“sumthin summery sumthin summery…” he’s getting her dressed….
Clapping his hands… vaccuming…
Day after day… different dresses.. pictures on tables…
Short shots of him talking to himself…
Strange music… beating drum and picked guitar… evolves into something more emotionally stirring.. Sympathetic… as he’s sleeping… moves from him sleeping to a shot of the twin towers on his television screen….
Still playing when the sun comes up… light comes in to the room that was blocked by the towers before… the flowers bloom… he finally realizes she’s dead… camera goes out and shows shot of the other twin tower falling…
Difficult to interpret…
This film talks about the way in which this film forced people to open their eyes to a harsher reality. It also explores the communication of greif. It also presented a bitter sweet representation of September 11th as it brought the nation closer together. (loss and rebirth)
Sort of is a miracle… like the deaf girl…
Wake up call… could that be about America… like we thought we had this great protection but wait… no…
The 7th one… Imamura
Opens with a snake and then shows a man in a military cap crawling like one… hissing at his family…
He’s biting the roll but then bites his mother… his wife hits him like a snake…
“he didn’t like what he saw so he decided to become a snake…
The mom sets him free when she finds him eating a rat…
A town meeting kind of thing… :we musnt forget that he was an imperical soldier…
You can’t even tell if he can hear what they’re saying…
“are you that disguisted to be a man?” < a snake only kills when he has to
“there is no such thing as a holy war”
How does that relate to sept 11… ??? pacifist film
The 8th one…
Patches of darkness… crazinessthe media are in the way
Follows 2 men… a paramedic and a soldier
:blonde with blue eyes…”
She doesn’t even listen to the testimonies….
“who gives a shit about new york are you crazy”
Focuses on 3 charcters…
“on September 11th all these different years…
“a plane hit the twin towers…” “something really really serious has happened in new York” < the revelation of the audio she was hearing…
This is in Israel… a place where attacks are an everyday occurrence…
Day 5
We make assumptions about a character in the same way that people we meet make an impression… appearance is important
The most effective way to understand the characters is through dialogue. It’s not just what they say but a great deal of it is HOW they say it. Their true thought is often revealed through word choice, structure, dialects, patterns. And of course that is indicative of their social background.
There should be a very clear link between his character and his actions
Characterization through reaction to other actors.
MY CLIP FOR MY FINAL PROJECT: irony “give our veterans the respect they deserve!!!” as they’re being pushed out.
In your review of paris j’tiame:
Say something about how these story segments create an image of paris
Is it more modern, a new approach to city? Do they fit together? How do they fit together? What do they communicate as a whole?
Try to see what is behind the choices…
CHAPTER 5: STYLE and STRUCTURE IN WRITING
The right words
Concrete language
o Purpose of the essay to recreate a film and a perspective on it through language- sensitiver and accurate use of words is paramount.
o Pay careful attention to descriptions of what you see
§ Ex: don’t just say “there was a series of strange shots with crazy dialogue and odd characters.
Denotation and Connotation
Be economical with your words and try to interest reader.
ADD THESE THINGS TO YOUR REVIEW:
How well unified is the plot within the film?
What makes the story credible? – try to think of a specific scene that really makes the story credible
Pick a film where you think there is an objective truth and a subjective truth…
Objective truth= ron’s experience in the Vietnam war
Subjective truth= what the US gov’t tries to portray the war as
Objective= she was adopted and…
Subjective= she turns out to be a B word
Goodbye Lenin- objective and subjective truth are both constructed
What makes the film interesting…?
Is the film a successful blend of simplicity, complexity, or both.
Does the film have a simple form that allows you to predict the outcome…? Is the end shocking or surprising?
How is your interest sustained in the film?
Is the film honest with its handling of emotional material… is there truthfulness to how emotions are handled… is it an honest and direct rendition of emotions… easy to receive… tied to mood.
How many levels of the film are expressed in the title… is it ironic… does it connect to a specific scene in the film?
Characterization-
It’s important to identify the main characters and the important characters and show which ones are realistic and talk about the character’s motivations…
Where does the director manipulate the characters to fit into the film’s purpose?
Characterization is essential to a film’s development. Are they stereotypes…? Give a sense of the depth of the characters… give an idea of the depth… their role, how they’re portrayed. Specific scene or conversation.
SYMBOLISM:
What kind of symbolism appears in the film and how is it presented. Symbolism usually connects with the subjectivity of characters as it presents something in a different way.
The question of IRONY:
What examples of irony can be found in the film…
What is self reflexive bout the film…
The most effective way to understand the characters is through dialogue. It’s not just what they say but a great deal of it is HOW they say it. Their true thought is often revealed through word choice, structure, dialects, patterns. And of course that is indicative of their social background.
There should be a very clear link between his character and his actions
Characterization through reaction to other actors.
MY CLIP FOR MY FINAL PROJECT: irony “give our veterans the respect they deserve!!!” as they’re being pushed out.
In your review of paris j’tiame:
Say something about how these story segments create an image of paris
Is it more modern, a new approach to city? Do they fit together? How do they fit together? What do they communicate as a whole?
Try to see what is behind the choices…
CHAPTER 5: STYLE and STRUCTURE IN WRITING
The right words
Concrete language
o Purpose of the essay to recreate a film and a perspective on it through language- sensitiver and accurate use of words is paramount.
o Pay careful attention to descriptions of what you see
§ Ex: don’t just say “there was a series of strange shots with crazy dialogue and odd characters.
Denotation and Connotation
Be economical with your words and try to interest reader.
ADD THESE THINGS TO YOUR REVIEW:
How well unified is the plot within the film?
What makes the story credible? – try to think of a specific scene that really makes the story credible
Pick a film where you think there is an objective truth and a subjective truth…
Objective truth= ron’s experience in the Vietnam war
Subjective truth= what the US gov’t tries to portray the war as
Objective= she was adopted and…
Subjective= she turns out to be a B word
Goodbye Lenin- objective and subjective truth are both constructed
What makes the film interesting…?
Is the film a successful blend of simplicity, complexity, or both.
Does the film have a simple form that allows you to predict the outcome…? Is the end shocking or surprising?
How is your interest sustained in the film?
Is the film honest with its handling of emotional material… is there truthfulness to how emotions are handled… is it an honest and direct rendition of emotions… easy to receive… tied to mood.
How many levels of the film are expressed in the title… is it ironic… does it connect to a specific scene in the film?
Characterization-
It’s important to identify the main characters and the important characters and show which ones are realistic and talk about the character’s motivations…
Where does the director manipulate the characters to fit into the film’s purpose?
Characterization is essential to a film’s development. Are they stereotypes…? Give a sense of the depth of the characters… give an idea of the depth… their role, how they’re portrayed. Specific scene or conversation.
SYMBOLISM:
What kind of symbolism appears in the film and how is it presented. Symbolism usually connects with the subjectivity of characters as it presents something in a different way.
The question of IRONY:
What examples of irony can be found in the film…
What is self reflexive bout the film…
Day 4
Sound presentation… keep all of the elements of the notes
The Vietnam war… methods of presentation
What are the signs that we can read and determine something to be Vietnamese
What is the essence of culture..? what can we pinpoint and say “that! Is truly Vietnamese”
Scent of green papaya
The battle of dien bien phu
Indochine (in dey hall) (Dey Hall) (FREN DVD 6)
The daughter of danang (“the good/ bad films”) (83 minutes)
^^^^ except daughter of danang, all of the films have a western perspectiveand only offer subjectivity with the white characters
What constitutes the elements of a “good story” – bound to be subjective based on viewers mood.
A good story is contingent upon a good, or unified, plot
There must be a central theme.
A good story must be credible
We become fully involved in a film when we believe that it is relatable
Making a film is the art of creating an illusion of reality
There is no such thing as reality in a film
Internal truth of human nature- the way things are supposed to be.
Set of unconscious expectations
Sometimes artistic methods create something that is The way things never were or never will be.
Something can not be truth but because of class and technology it can be taken as truth.
Actions can be internal psychological or emotional
The “gaze is the most important place to view subjectivity”
Internal action stories : the action takes place within a character… requires more concentration from the viewer.
Difficult to analyze and even more difficult to write about
The notion of an observable truth but maintaining some sort of idealistic element. It’s a very thin line….
Enough emotions for observable truths but not too much.
The title is a text that we read differently sometimes before and after the film.
Titles can be ironic and parodic… they can express an idea that is exactly the opposite of it’s intention
Some titles reference specific moments, some reference the entire film
SOUND NOTES (on power point)
-the scent of green papaya clip notes:
Music lacks pattern… maintains feeling of suspense, we as the viewers are also looking for something
Dissonance… keeps the viewer unsettled
Visual- semi darkness
The “wide eyed gaze”
Music stops for knocking
More rhythmic music begins with a melody as she walks with the woman on whose door she knocks
It is identifiable as traditional or folk music although it is foreign to westerner.
This music turns into diegetic sound… the lines are blurred
“Tocking” doesn’t match beat of music played on the guitar thing
Crickets continue
Crickets get louder and become more rhythmic
Siren sounds
Now, although we’re outside the crickets get softer as we listen to the music of father and son which is used to suggest their relationship
The thumping is because of the grandmother… though we don’t know it yet
There is more sound than there is action at this point
This is a highly experimental film – painfully difficult to watch and analyze – director wants to explore the essence of a culture without doing so from a traditional perspective
Girl awakes to birds chirping
The sound of the little girl’s sniffing is over emphasized and exaggereated…. ( non melodious music continues.
Soft scene I directly followed by loud sizzling and dialogue to create contrast
Sound serves to move plot (ringing of ghong= grandmother has finished prayers) so they get up and leave where they are
Chirping birds create contrst with crickets daytime vsd. Night time
Unrhythmic music as she looks at picture on mantle (the gaze and music together)
This lack of mystery indicates mystery.
The interweaving of diagetic and non diagetic sounds within this film signify the essentiality of sound to the viewers understanding the story that is unfolding. The Loudness of certain diagetic sounds is overemphasized to ensure that the viewer pays special attention to them, for example the sniffing of the little girl is much louder than the sniff would be if heard at the range of the camera. Sound is used to create a stark difference in setting as night and morning are more clearly distinguished by crickets and birds. A subjective insight is also provided through sound a rhythmically . Off screen diagetic sounds are used to
Sounds transgress space because we have outside sounds within the house
Siren: curfew, occupation, time of day, and adds to the tension of the dissonance in the music.
The ghong
The sounds of children
TONIGHT: daughters of danang
THIS WEEKEND: Post 2 posts
The Vietnam war… methods of presentation
What are the signs that we can read and determine something to be Vietnamese
What is the essence of culture..? what can we pinpoint and say “that! Is truly Vietnamese”
Scent of green papaya
The battle of dien bien phu
Indochine (in dey hall) (Dey Hall) (FREN DVD 6)
The daughter of danang (“the good/ bad films”) (83 minutes)
^^^^ except daughter of danang, all of the films have a western perspectiveand only offer subjectivity with the white characters
What constitutes the elements of a “good story” – bound to be subjective based on viewers mood.
A good story is contingent upon a good, or unified, plot
There must be a central theme.
A good story must be credible
We become fully involved in a film when we believe that it is relatable
Making a film is the art of creating an illusion of reality
There is no such thing as reality in a film
Internal truth of human nature- the way things are supposed to be.
Set of unconscious expectations
Sometimes artistic methods create something that is The way things never were or never will be.
Something can not be truth but because of class and technology it can be taken as truth.
Actions can be internal psychological or emotional
The “gaze is the most important place to view subjectivity”
Internal action stories : the action takes place within a character… requires more concentration from the viewer.
Difficult to analyze and even more difficult to write about
The notion of an observable truth but maintaining some sort of idealistic element. It’s a very thin line….
Enough emotions for observable truths but not too much.
The title is a text that we read differently sometimes before and after the film.
Titles can be ironic and parodic… they can express an idea that is exactly the opposite of it’s intention
Some titles reference specific moments, some reference the entire film
SOUND NOTES (on power point)
-the scent of green papaya clip notes:
Music lacks pattern… maintains feeling of suspense, we as the viewers are also looking for something
Dissonance… keeps the viewer unsettled
Visual- semi darkness
The “wide eyed gaze”
Music stops for knocking
More rhythmic music begins with a melody as she walks with the woman on whose door she knocks
It is identifiable as traditional or folk music although it is foreign to westerner.
This music turns into diegetic sound… the lines are blurred
“Tocking” doesn’t match beat of music played on the guitar thing
Crickets continue
Crickets get louder and become more rhythmic
Siren sounds
Now, although we’re outside the crickets get softer as we listen to the music of father and son which is used to suggest their relationship
The thumping is because of the grandmother… though we don’t know it yet
There is more sound than there is action at this point
This is a highly experimental film – painfully difficult to watch and analyze – director wants to explore the essence of a culture without doing so from a traditional perspective
Girl awakes to birds chirping
The sound of the little girl’s sniffing is over emphasized and exaggereated…. ( non melodious music continues.
Soft scene I directly followed by loud sizzling and dialogue to create contrast
Sound serves to move plot (ringing of ghong= grandmother has finished prayers) so they get up and leave where they are
Chirping birds create contrst with crickets daytime vsd. Night time
Unrhythmic music as she looks at picture on mantle (the gaze and music together)
This lack of mystery indicates mystery.
The interweaving of diagetic and non diagetic sounds within this film signify the essentiality of sound to the viewers understanding the story that is unfolding. The Loudness of certain diagetic sounds is overemphasized to ensure that the viewer pays special attention to them, for example the sniffing of the little girl is much louder than the sniff would be if heard at the range of the camera. Sound is used to create a stark difference in setting as night and morning are more clearly distinguished by crickets and birds. A subjective insight is also provided through sound a rhythmically . Off screen diagetic sounds are used to
Sounds transgress space because we have outside sounds within the house
Siren: curfew, occupation, time of day, and adds to the tension of the dissonance in the music.
The ghong
The sounds of children
TONIGHT: daughters of danang
THIS WEEKEND: Post 2 posts
Day 3
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The battle of Algiers
After the fall…
The battle of Algiers
After the fall…
Day 2
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mood
Objective
Personal statement
The Life Of Others (DVD4218)
This is a fictional account of what it was like to live in east berlin during the war
Political agenda… shows bad side of the communist regime
Ironically it bears some resonance with our own world.
Be careful about function of sound and hearing… who hears what who sees what
How do films manipulate sound
Music.
Analysis:
Categorize film
Determine mood
Determine objective
Question of solitude
LECTURE:
Narrative as a formal system p. 74
Narrative- what we think of as a story… it has a beginning, and a series of changes that result in a new situation, and finally an end.
Understanding depends on ability to comprehend change
Plot- everything that is visible and audible (nondiagetic- extraneous) (SIGHT)
Story- diagetic: the total world of the story action : presumed and though (ASSUMPTION)
Cause and effect:
Characters are agents of cause and effect. They have traits
Sometimes cause and effect generate with disasters rather than characters
Whenever a film presents a mystery it presents effects while omitting the forces of causation
Time-
Order: out of order, flashback, fast forward, surprise endings, foreshadowing…
Duration: the manipulation of time span presented in the plot and operating in the story. (the sum of all the slices of the story duration equal the plot)
Screen duration can expand story duration
Frequency: if a story event appears more than once or appears multiple times… increased frecuency allows one to see the same thing
RHYTHM IN MUSIC CAN ALSO CREATE A SENSE OF TIME BY OFFERING A SENSE OF URGENCY ETC.
Space-
Events occur in well defined locals.
Plot and story can manipulate space.
Space can also be part of the story…
The place of the story action is usually the place of the plot but not always
Frame
Plot
Screne
Openings, closings, and patterns of development
A film doesn’t just start is begins because it’s a story
Provides a basis of what is to come…
Expostition- portion of plot that lays out important story events
Set up- the first quarter or so of a film where you get to know exactly what’s going on.
3 types of plot patterns
Change in knowledge- a character learns something in course of action and most crucial knowledge occurs as a final turning point
Goal oriented- sets forth to achieve something
Investigation- protagonist goal is not an object but information
Plots can combine these patterns
Narration is the plots way of presenting information in order to achieve specific effects
Moment by moment. Two important factors:
range of story- imposed by narration… unrestricted- we as viewers get to see, know, hear more than any of the character. Done thru character shifting, or what just the narrator knows. ect. Forms a hierarchy of knowledge
depth of story information-
objectivity-
subjectivity- perceptual and mental
perceptual is visual or audible
mental is hearing an internal voice from character
appointment- characters meet and establish relationships
2 postings:
1) The life of the others review
2) Make a listing of fundamental notions in the chapter
mood
Objective
Personal statement
The Life Of Others (DVD4218)
This is a fictional account of what it was like to live in east berlin during the war
Political agenda… shows bad side of the communist regime
Ironically it bears some resonance with our own world.
Be careful about function of sound and hearing… who hears what who sees what
How do films manipulate sound
Music.
Analysis:
Categorize film
Determine mood
Determine objective
Question of solitude
LECTURE:
Narrative as a formal system p. 74
Narrative- what we think of as a story… it has a beginning, and a series of changes that result in a new situation, and finally an end.
Understanding depends on ability to comprehend change
Plot- everything that is visible and audible (nondiagetic- extraneous) (SIGHT)
Story- diagetic: the total world of the story action : presumed and though (ASSUMPTION)
Cause and effect:
Characters are agents of cause and effect. They have traits
Sometimes cause and effect generate with disasters rather than characters
Whenever a film presents a mystery it presents effects while omitting the forces of causation
Time-
Order: out of order, flashback, fast forward, surprise endings, foreshadowing…
Duration: the manipulation of time span presented in the plot and operating in the story. (the sum of all the slices of the story duration equal the plot)
Screen duration can expand story duration
Frequency: if a story event appears more than once or appears multiple times… increased frecuency allows one to see the same thing
RHYTHM IN MUSIC CAN ALSO CREATE A SENSE OF TIME BY OFFERING A SENSE OF URGENCY ETC.
Space-
Events occur in well defined locals.
Plot and story can manipulate space.
Space can also be part of the story…
The place of the story action is usually the place of the plot but not always
Frame
Plot
Screne
Openings, closings, and patterns of development
A film doesn’t just start is begins because it’s a story
Provides a basis of what is to come…
Expostition- portion of plot that lays out important story events
Set up- the first quarter or so of a film where you get to know exactly what’s going on.
3 types of plot patterns
Change in knowledge- a character learns something in course of action and most crucial knowledge occurs as a final turning point
Goal oriented- sets forth to achieve something
Investigation- protagonist goal is not an object but information
Plots can combine these patterns
Narration is the plots way of presenting information in order to achieve specific effects
Moment by moment. Two important factors:
range of story- imposed by narration… unrestricted- we as viewers get to see, know, hear more than any of the character. Done thru character shifting, or what just the narrator knows. ect. Forms a hierarchy of knowledge
depth of story information-
objectivity-
subjectivity- perceptual and mental
perceptual is visual or audible
mental is hearing an internal voice from character
appointment- characters meet and establish relationships
2 postings:
1) The life of the others review
2) Make a listing of fundamental notions in the chapter
Day 1
May 12
Introduction to Course:
1. 10 postings (film reviews) on the website (20%)
a. They’ll usually be around 250 words but from day to day you will have to incorporate some of the reading and some of the vocabulary
2. 4 short papers (20%)
3. Two presentations (10%)
a. Will be very basic and will center around the book
4. A final exam – two parts (20%)
a. Will take place in class
b. May 27th- 1 minute (or less) clip on any movie and analyze that clip for a couple of minutes how its constructed why its important
c. May 29th- presentation of final project… develop your own research topics (by the 22nd I should know my research topic)
i. Final Project:
1. What is the best way to present something: Documentary? Fiction? Narrative? Effectiveness or Variety in the representation of an issue. Or maybe even a blend of several things.
2. A lot of the films we are going to see are self reflexive about how to make a movie… what is the best way to show something…
3. The method of self insertion (when the narrator puts himself in the movie) – Born in the Brothel -
5. 5. Active Participation (20%)
a. Add an email link to the website
b.
· Read Film Art, Chapter 10: “Documentary…” pp. 338- 354
o Documentary- interviews, documents… when it moves away from that it becomes fiction… a film that is going to document something in a way that is going to make you think and change the way you think about an area of the world… it’s going to affect knowledge or manner of thinking about something. Sometimes its more the dramatization of events than the actual documentation. “Made in Jamaica” – international commerce… “
o What is MY definition of a documentary…? How much of a narrative voice… what is my limit of toleration?
o What are the different types of documentaries presented in film art?
§ Compilation- pseudo scientific
Even documentaries that seem to provide information is making choices
§ Direct Filming- no manipulation, setting, or staging… like Michael Moore… doesn’t manipulate anything
§ Nature Documentary- about the natural world, species, animal…narrated by male boring voice
§ Rhetorical Documentary – not necessarily truth… but there is a claim for truth…persuades the audience to adopt an opinion
What is unique about film is that it is both an industry and an outform. It is also an artistic search.
After second world war France was making deals with the united states… US took some monuments from france.
American films would have 50% distribution in France… therefore, European movies don’t come close to the budget…they have more money and are technologically more advanced… American films are preferred by the people.
o P. 349 Walk the Lin, Malcom X, Schindlers List
Lecture: “Gleaning through cultures: New Configurations of European Landscape”
FILM: The Gleaners and I (France, D. DVD5; UL2594)
POST BY 11 TONIGHT!!!!
First Posting: the Gleaners and I (82 minutes)
Second Posting: Documentary of your choice
200 – 250 words. Be very concise. No resume or biographie…. Give your analysis of the film… how it’s constructed… what works, what doesn’t… etc.
She tries to create different categories of film
Categorize this documentary…. You might have to make a hybrid or create a new category
Have as rich of a vocabulary as possible
Film is like dance because moving images have movement
It is also like drama because it communicates through metaphors and symbols
Film communicates visually and Verbally
Interplay of sight sound and motion… this interplay of images…dialogue, gestures, objects, create the film’s mood.
The question of the mood is an important question to corner… it takes into account all of the different elements but also how do III receive the film… it varies from person to person and also individually from day to day.
Films cover a full spectrum from the purely objective to the purely objective.
The discussion topic for tomorrow is nation, class, and gender…
How is Europe presented?
How is class presented?
How is gender presented?
Keep a view of the inside in how its made…. Then keep a view from the outside… as our interpretation.
Tonight do postings…
Introduction to Course:
1. 10 postings (film reviews) on the website (20%)
a. They’ll usually be around 250 words but from day to day you will have to incorporate some of the reading and some of the vocabulary
2. 4 short papers (20%)
3. Two presentations (10%)
a. Will be very basic and will center around the book
4. A final exam – two parts (20%)
a. Will take place in class
b. May 27th- 1 minute (or less) clip on any movie and analyze that clip for a couple of minutes how its constructed why its important
c. May 29th- presentation of final project… develop your own research topics (by the 22nd I should know my research topic)
i. Final Project:
1. What is the best way to present something: Documentary? Fiction? Narrative? Effectiveness or Variety in the representation of an issue. Or maybe even a blend of several things.
2. A lot of the films we are going to see are self reflexive about how to make a movie… what is the best way to show something…
3. The method of self insertion (when the narrator puts himself in the movie) – Born in the Brothel -
5. 5. Active Participation (20%)
a. Add an email link to the website
b.
· Read Film Art, Chapter 10: “Documentary…” pp. 338- 354
o Documentary- interviews, documents… when it moves away from that it becomes fiction… a film that is going to document something in a way that is going to make you think and change the way you think about an area of the world… it’s going to affect knowledge or manner of thinking about something. Sometimes its more the dramatization of events than the actual documentation. “Made in Jamaica” – international commerce… “
o What is MY definition of a documentary…? How much of a narrative voice… what is my limit of toleration?
o What are the different types of documentaries presented in film art?
§ Compilation- pseudo scientific
Even documentaries that seem to provide information is making choices
§ Direct Filming- no manipulation, setting, or staging… like Michael Moore… doesn’t manipulate anything
§ Nature Documentary- about the natural world, species, animal…narrated by male boring voice
§ Rhetorical Documentary – not necessarily truth… but there is a claim for truth…persuades the audience to adopt an opinion
What is unique about film is that it is both an industry and an outform. It is also an artistic search.
After second world war France was making deals with the united states… US took some monuments from france.
American films would have 50% distribution in France… therefore, European movies don’t come close to the budget…they have more money and are technologically more advanced… American films are preferred by the people.
o P. 349 Walk the Lin, Malcom X, Schindlers List
Lecture: “Gleaning through cultures: New Configurations of European Landscape”
FILM: The Gleaners and I (France, D. DVD5; UL2594)
POST BY 11 TONIGHT!!!!
First Posting: the Gleaners and I (82 minutes)
Second Posting: Documentary of your choice
200 – 250 words. Be very concise. No resume or biographie…. Give your analysis of the film… how it’s constructed… what works, what doesn’t… etc.
She tries to create different categories of film
Categorize this documentary…. You might have to make a hybrid or create a new category
Have as rich of a vocabulary as possible
Film is like dance because moving images have movement
It is also like drama because it communicates through metaphors and symbols
Film communicates visually and Verbally
Interplay of sight sound and motion… this interplay of images…dialogue, gestures, objects, create the film’s mood.
The question of the mood is an important question to corner… it takes into account all of the different elements but also how do III receive the film… it varies from person to person and also individually from day to day.
Films cover a full spectrum from the purely objective to the purely objective.
The discussion topic for tomorrow is nation, class, and gender…
How is Europe presented?
How is class presented?
How is gender presented?
Keep a view of the inside in how its made…. Then keep a view from the outside… as our interpretation.
Tonight do postings…
