Music in Film

What is the Auteur Theory? 
Auteur Theory is when the Director of a film is seen to be the major creative force in the creation of a film. The director is seen to be the "author" of a film. The individual style of the director is seen throughout the film. The film is dictated so much by the director that the director is ranked by the author of the film, some of the many other features of the film are credited by the director other than the people or team that actually created them.

What is Film Theory? 
There are eight elements to film theory; Types of film, shots, angles, lighting, colour, sound, editing, and mise en scene. Film theory is when you criticise and address these core elements and concepts created, and analyse the relationship between the cinema, perception and the human body.

What is Film Criticism? 
Film criticism--unlike film theory-- is when you delve deep into how movies manipulate your emotions and how filmmakers are coming to from to tell the story. Although it may not seem that way, issues like race, inequality, class struggles, gender, or even grief. Powerful films are analysed and the different elements used in film theory are looked into by film critics.

What is a Motif? 
Directors have to articulate what the films, and about if anything is of visual significance. They ensure the story operates on more than one level. They are important because they give deeper meaning to any aspects that the directors include. Visual motifs use a theme that occurs throughout a film. An example of this would be the use of the American flag in The Silence Of The Lambs film.

What is Visual Contrast? 
Contrast is the visual of what conflict is to a script. I looked at a video about Spike Jonze's ad that advertised a home pod device. Tone, direction, camera movement as well as blocking are examples of visual contrast. We start in a desaturated world, dark, but once the lady started interacting with the Home Pod, everything changes. Colour is revealed, the space is bright, blocking shows how someone is constricted, is now free. He uses this technique to make the viewers subconsciously believe that if they purchase the Home Pod, their constricted world will be freer. I think this technique is very effective.

Film Tone 
Tone literally means brightness. Changing brightness can give the audience a different type of experience. Lighting, exposer and Art direction are the three elements of tone. Exposer is how much light a director allows to get into the cameras. Art direction is how much tonal difference is in a set of a film and lighting is the use of lights for an aesthetic effect.

WHY IS TONE USED IN "THE GODFATHER"? HOW IS IT USED?
In the first scenes of the Godfather, the scene is underexposed, with many dark notes in the lighting. Inside, the darkness symbolises the violence and death as well as grief. While the light bright notes coming in from the blinds symbolise the bright happiness from the wedding happening outside. This is a contrast of darkness and light. You can control feelings with the brightness of films. Movies in the genre of horror use dark tones to create scariness as well as suspense. The tone used in comedy movies is often bright and bouncy.

Production Design 
Production Design is the overall visual look of the production. It is the unified vision for the production. Set design, prompts and wardrobe makes up production's design. It sets the mood of the scene, can reflect a character and their mood, and it can articulate the stories themes.
MOOD; the Production design is often used to project a view of feeling. The production design can give a film a melancholy feel or a happy bright feel through tone and other elements such as costume.
CHARACTER; The Production design is a powerful way of externalising the internal state of a character. Messiness in set design often reflects the inner state of a character, if a room is empty, that can show the character is empty inside.
THEME; Production design can be used to portray a deeper meaning behind the imagery, or the "subtext". It's a way to use the film's story to tell it intelligently.  Breaking down the script can make directors think more about the set designs as well as costumes which can add to the subtext. This leads to more creative choices.

Film Blocking 
Watching two people talking can normally make people bored, but connected with the film blocking technique, can make the scenes more exited. Film blocking is the precise staging of actors in a performance. In a film, this is where you put actors in a film. These visual elements are what directors have to think about when blocking out a scene.
SHAPES; There are three basic shapes when blocking out a scene. There is a square, triangle and circles. Everything around us can be turned into one of those shapes, actors faces can be.
EMOTIONS; These shapes come with basic emotional qualities. Circles feel safer and inclusive. Squares give limited space, boxing someone in. Triangles are sharp and feel aggressive.
BLOCKING HELPS; Contrast and subtext; When contrasting, blocking with what's being said or done, you create an underlying meaning. You start to reveal the true story and its not just for the viewers. Communicating subtext through the blocking of a scene guides the actors towards the director's final vision.

Camera Movement 
What are the purposes of the whip pan and slow pan shot? 
In film, a whip pan shot is a technique that uses a quick camera movement to create a blurry effect. It is commonly used as a transition between two different shots, it can also be used to indicate the passing of time. Slow panning gives the viewers time to take in the scenery.

What is the purpose of the tilt shot?
Tilting shots are one of the most common ways of opening a film. It often reveals something to the viewers and redirects their attention.

What does the reverse dolly zoom shot help show?
The reverse dolly zoom shot helps show the intense internal experience a character might be going through during a scene.

What is the difference between a Steadicam and dolly shot? 
Steadicam shots and dolly shots are quite similar, but because the camera is stabilized on the camera operator, it gracefully glides within a space.

What can the hand-held shot help create for the viewer? 
Hand-held shots give a shaky feeling to the scene that builds up more anxiety for the viewer.

What should directors ask themselves with their camera movements? 
When selecting which camera movements they are going to work with, directors should consider whether the shot is going to keep the audience interested. Using different camera shots together can create a sense of belonging in that scene, it can sometimes feel like the audience member is in the scene themselves. How does the shot impact the story? You don't want regular viewers to notice the cinematography, you want them to notice what's going on in the story.

Camera movements should be doing what? 
The camera movements should be drawing attention to something in the film. It should be directing the audience's eyes to something in particular.

Film Colour 
How does colour in film affect people? 
Colours elect emotions and have a psychological effect on people.

What are the three factors in determining colour? 
HUE; The colour itself
SATURATION; The intensity of the colour
BRIGHTNESS; How light or dark the colour is

Why is the hue in 'The Matrix mostly green? 
The movie takes place inside of a digital matrix, and we mostly associate green with code. The green in The Matrix is sort of sickly. This reflects the overall state of affairs in that world.

Why do some films desaturate? 
When colours are drained out of an image, it gives the world of a film a cold, gritty sort of look. This look also replicates old faded photographs. It can take you back in time.

What can brightness and a lack of brightness show in film? 
Brightness can be used to affect individual colours in a film themselves. Sometimes a movie might elect to use entirely bright colours, and this is movies particularly from the technicolour era. Brightness and lack of brightness can be used for contrast within the film.

The Art of The Insert 
What is an insert shot?
In film, an insert shot is a shot of a part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and or focal point from the master shot.

What is the purpose of an insert shot? 
An insert shot is how a director communicates the idea of the theme of their film as well as present critical plot details to their viewers. You can use an insert shot to communicate crucial narrative information.

What are the three main aspects of the insert shot? 

Colour: What colours are used within these shots. These colours can draw the audience to certain points within the insert shot. Using contrasting colours can be very effective. It's used as a narrative device. 

Composition: What the scene is compiled of. Directors use these shots to give the audience the context of the story and its characters. 

Timing: However long you linger on a shot and how you cut from insert to insert will change its meaning. Shorter snippets can cause a sense of urgency among not just the characters but also the audience. 

Dutch Angles 

What is a Dutch Angle? 

A Dutch Angle is used to create an uneasy feeling in the viewers of the film. It's meant to show that something is wrong without specifically telling the audience something bad is happening or is going to happen. It is an angle that has a noticeable tilt on the cameras x-axis. Directors use this angle to signal something disorientating and unsettling. 

Who and when created the Dutch angle? 

The Dutch Angle was used my German expressionists in the early 1900s. 

What three things do directors need to consider for the Dutch Angle? 

Identify the moment: Read through the script and find a part of the film that is unsettling or wrong. 

Consider the moment

Enhance the moment: Don't overindulge over the angles, fit the angle in where it is necessary. 

What four things enhance a Dutch angle? 

The degree of the tilt 

Camera height 

Lens choice 

Depth of field 

POV Shot 
What is a POV shot? 
A point of view shot-- like it sounds-- is from the point of the character. The audience sees what the character sees.

What is a "point of thought" shot? 
A point of thought shot is when the director showcases a thought instead of having the shot from the characters point of view.

Why are they important? 
The POT shot is quite important because it shows deeper meaning than the POV shot. I think that when directors use a POT shot, it gives the film more personal feel that the audience might be able to relate to. POV shots are important too because they give the audience perspective on what the scene looks like from the characters point of view. This also gives them the feeling that they are in the scene themselves.

Establishing Shots 
What is an Establishing shot? 
An establishing shot establishes the scene in a film. These are the perfect opening for a film.

Why is it used? 
Establishes a new location but also to establish the tone of the film.

Why are establishing shots usually the most expensive? 
Because you can see everything. It can be expensive to get the rights to shoot everything in such a wide shot.

Over-The-Shoulder Shot 
What is the effect of an Over-The-Shoulder Shot? 
The OTS shot connects the characters.

What film aspect shows a disconnection between characters? 
Moving from an OTS shot to a single shot. It isolates the characters from each other.

How does the director of this scene show the disconnection of the characters? 
Any visual absence within the frame will create an emotional disconnection. Using a forward motion on a dolly can create an effect that shows that the characters are not on the same page. Bringing in the waiter created a connection between the characters rather than a shot of one character. Showing a single shot of one character can isolate them from the rest.

What eventually isolates the female character from the rest? 
When the camera goes to the female character, it is just her in the shot, juxtaposed to the shot of the male that is an OTS shot over the waiter's shoulder. The waiter and the male have a connection, but the female character is completely alone in this.