Cinematography Theory 1_2

Display Schedule

Subject guarantor

Petra DOMINKOVÁ

Name of lecturer(s)

Petra DOMINKOVÁ

Department

The subject provides Department of Cinematography

Contents

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of the course the student will be able to:

• analyze the cinematography in various films

• understand how the specific DP’s choices influence spectators’ response

• adopt the vocabulary used within film theory concerning the cinematography

Course Requirements:

Class Attendance and Participation: I expect students to attend all classes. Students will read the texts required for each lesson and discuss them in class. Also, students will watch the films assigned (they will all be available). Lively discussion is expected. Students should ask anything that is not clear enough, bring their own ideas, and participate actively in the program of the course. Participation and contribution to class discussion will be taken significantly into account in the final grade. Excessive unexcused absences result in a lowering of the final grade! If a student cannot attend the class because of a school-related duty (shooting of film, post-production, etc.), s/he needs to inform a professor ahead.

Presentation: Around half of the class time (i.e., approximately 45 minutes) will be devoted to discussion. We will discuss the film and the reading(s) that are assigned for that very day. While all the students will be familiar with the film and the reading(s), one student (or more) will have a special task to be a “leader of discussion”. S/he will prepare a presentation that will include a close analysis of the film based on the reading (not exclusively; the student may add whatever else s/he will find important for understanding the film) using PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides, or any other tools. The handout/presentation will include AT LEAST 5 questions for class. Those questions should be rather complicated and can be even controversial, encouraging the students to think about the film more intensively (not “Did you like the film?). Since everybody in class will be prepared, the “leader” will encourage all students to talk. The student's presentation will last around 45 minutes.

The presentation should NOT include factual information such as the names of the cast and crew (with the exception of the director and DP when relevant), the number of awards and prizes the film got, the names of the production/distribution companies associated with the film, the titles of the director’s other films, etc, unless it is particularly relevant. You should instead focus on YOUR OWN analysis and/or interpretation of the film (with the help of readings assigned) and perhaps also on the additional reviews/analysis of that film available on the Internet. The goal is to get us talking about certain traits of film style and how it demonstrates itself in the particular film.

Send me the presentation at least 24 hours before the class begins, that is, by Monday noon!

Final Essay: Students themselves will choose the topic for the paper, while the focus should be on the cinematography. Students may choose any film they wish; they just need to inform me ahead of time, in case the film chosen is not the one we have seen in class. Papers have to be typed and may be sent via email. The due date is not negotiable. If a student must request an extension, she/he has to do it before the paper is due. All sources (films, books, articles, interviews, websites, etc) have to be cited: any time a student quotes or paraphrases someone else’s work, she/he has to give her/him credit; otherwise, it is understood as plagiarism, which is unacceptable and will cause the student to fail the assignment and may lead to failing the overall course as well.

The in-class presentations (December 1 + 8h) are part of the assignment and make up 10% of the grade. The essay will have 1.400 words (about 5 pages double-spaced) minimum. Plagiarism is unacceptable, and if any part of the assignment is plagiarized, you will receive a failing grade for the essay and may fail the overall course. Late submission of the essay will result in an automatic fail on the assignment. Due: December 222

A student will not write an essay on film s/he has a presentation on.

AI Policy

• Permitted AI Use

• Correcting grammar, typography, sentence structure, and similar aspects of written assignments.

• Supporting preliminary or exploratory stages of coursework, such as brainstorming, outlining, summarizing, or generating inspiration. AI may not be used to produce final deliverables (essays, reports, etc.).

• Assisting with the overall structure of an essay or presentation.

• Suggesting titles for essays, subchapters, or presentation slides.

• Providing general overviews to guide your own work (e.g., “I need to write an essay on costume—what aspects should I consider?”; “When analyzing camera movement, which elements should I focus on?”). AI use on specific films is strictly prohibited (e.g., “Write something about the costume in the Czech film Girl America”).

• Generating lists of potentially relevant sources (must always be verified).

• Explaining terminology (e.g., “What is the difference between plot and story?”; “How do zoom-in and track-in shots differ on screen?”).

• Prohibited AI Use

• Producing final deliverables such as essays, presentations, or reports. All wording and ideas of all written assignments and presentations must be your own.

• Writing about specific topics and/or films (e.g., “Write something about costume in the Czech film Girl America”).

• Generating quotations from sources. AI often invents quotes, misattributes them, cites incorrect page numbers, or presents them out of context.

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to discuss the specifics of cinematography from the theoretical and historical point of vies. Students will discuss the films from the different epochs and different regions and will examine the significance of various choices that directors of photography needs to make (e.g. deep space, long takes, close-ups, POV).

Prerequisites and other requirements

No

Literature

Antunes, Luis Rocha. “The Vestibular in Film: Orientation and Balance in Gus Van Sant’s Cinema of Walking,” Essays in Philosophy 13. 2 (August 2012): 522 – 549. URL: https://www.pdcnet.org/collection-ng/fshow?id=eip_2012_0013_0002_0522_0549&pdfname=eip_2012_0013_0002_0127_0154.pdf&file_type=pdf Accessed September 12, 2017.

Bordwell, David and Kristin Thompson. Film Art. An Introduction. McGraw-Hill 2010, pp. 186 – 212.

Branigan, Edward. Approaches to Semiotics (AS): Point of View in the Cinema. Tubingen, DEU: Walter de Gruyter, 2012. 103–121. Print. (Chapter 5. The Point-of-view Shot.)

Burch, Noel. Theory of Film Practice. Princeton University Press 1981, pp. 17 – 31.

Eagan, Daniel. “A Magical Life: Train Dreams Cinematographer Adolpho Veloso on Capturing a Film of Memories.” The Film Stage, 8 December 2025. URL: https://thefilmstage.com/a-magical-life-train-dreams-cinematographer-adolpho-veloso-on-capturing-a-film-of-memories/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Accessed September 3, 2026.

Everett, Wendy. “Mapping Colour. An Introduction to the Theories and Practices of Colour.” In Colour in Cinema: From Paintbrush to Pixel, ed. by Wendy Everett, Peter Lang. Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften 2012, pp. 7 – 34.

Gibbs, John & Pye, Douglas. The Long Take: Critical Approaches. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.

Heinänen,Timo The Cinematographer’s Canvas: Aspect Ratios and Framing the Film Routledge, 2026, 305 – 367. Print. (Chapter 6: On the Centre, Balance, and Void.)

Henderson, Brian. “Toward a non-bourgeois camera style.” Movies and Methods (vol. 1). Ed. Bill Nichols. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1976. 422 – 438. Print.

Paulus, Tom. “The view across the courtyard: Bazin and the evolution of depth style.” Film International 5.6 (2007): 62 – 75. Print.

Persson, Per. “Towards a Psychological Theory of Close-ups: Experiencing Intimacy and Threat.” Kinema undated: n. pag. Web. 18 September 2014 URL: hhttps://openjournals.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/kinema/article/view/882/853 Accessed September 3, 2026.

Evaluation methods and criteria

The course grade will be calculated as follows:

Participation in discussions and presence (33.3%) = 333 points

Presentation (33.3%) = 333 points

Final Essay (33.3%) = 333 points

Course web page

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gb2cNGliPtVxSFQi1Pha9M40LUS4o02J?usp=sharing

Note

Weekly schedule:

Week 1 [Tue, Oct-6]

Theme: Introduction

• Intro into the class: what we will be doing
• assignments, readings, films
• sign up for the presentations

Week 2 [Tue, Oct-13]

Theme: Aspect Ratio

Discussion: Train Dreams (Clint Bentley, USA, 2025, DP Adolpho Veloso, 102’, color)

Reading: Heinänen + Eagan

Week 3 [Tue, Oct-20]

Theme: Point of View

Discussion: Nickel Boys (RaMell Ross, USA, 2024, DP Jomo Fray, 140’, color)

Reading: Branigan

Week 4 [Tue, Oct-27]

Theme: Close-up

Discussion: The Substance (Coralie Fargeat, USA, 2024, DP Benjamin Kračun, 141’, color, )

Reading: Persson

Week 5 [Tue, Nov-03]

Theme: Off-screen Space

Discussion: Sorry, Baby (Eva Victor, USA, 2025, DP Mia Cioffi Henry, 103’, color)

Reading: Bordwell – Thompson, 186 – 212 + Burch

Week 6 [Tue, Nov-10]

No Class – Camerimage

Week 7 [Tue, Nov-17]

No Class – bank holiday

Week 8[Tue, Nov-24]

Theme: Long Take / Deep Space

Discussion: Atonement (Joe Wright, USA-UK, 2007, DP Seamus McGarvey, 123’, color)

Reading: Gibbs – Pye, Douglas + Henderson + Paulus.

Week 9 [Tue, Dec-1]

Theme: “Slow” Movies / Cinema of Walking / Presentation of final papers - ideas

Discussion: Elephant (Gus van Sant, USA, 2003, DP Harris Savides, 81’, color)

Reading: Antunes.

Week 11 [Tue, Dec-8]

Theme: Color / Presentation of final papers - PWP

Discussion: Girl America (Amerikánka, Viktor Tauš, Czech Republic, 2024, DP Martin Douba, 108’, color)

Reading: Everett

Week 12 [Tue, Dec-15]

Theme: Summary + Feedback

Papers are due December 22

Further information

This course is an elective for all students of this school

Schedule for winter semester 2026/2027:

• Week view
• List

Schedule for summer semester 2026/2027:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans

• Cinematography_3_2021 (Required subjects)
• Cinema and Digital Media - Directing (Required elective subjects)