Film Language 1

Display Schedule

Subject guarantor

Marek JÍCHA

Name of lecturer(s)

Marek JÍCHA

Department

The subject provides FAMU International

Contents

Cinematographic Tools for Visual Dramatization

This directing seminar focuses on increasing the directors' awareness of how the camera contributes to the development of visual dramatization. The director's collaboration with the cinematographer revolves around decisions related to the use of expressive tools which constitute film language: Tools, or expressive means, such as Movement, Framing, Points of View, Angles, Shot sizes, Axis rules, Depth of Field, Resolution, Color and Compositional factors, including the Golden Ratio.

Each tool will be examined separately for its expressive potential with examples from different screenings. Several styles are examined in order to expand the directing student's awareness of the tools' expressive range. Movement is stressed, since film is above all else, a motion picture.

Preliminary Outline for Course Meetings:

1. Introduction: Expressive Cinematographic Tools, Movement
2. Framing theory
3. Exercise – Movement and Frame
4. Strategies of Film narration, Point of View Shots
5. Composition and the Golden number
6. Shot sizes and Resolution
7. Exercise - Shot sizes
8. Depth of Field and 3D look
9. Color Wheel
10. Axes and Angles, Nonstandard Lighting
11. Exercise - Angles, Day for Night
12. Camera Technique, Evaluation

Extended Course Description:

Lesson 1: Introduction, The Tool of Movement

Introduction. Historical development of Movement as the film's most basic means of expression. Types of Movement explored: movement within the shot, movement with the camera, movement of subjects in front of camera, movement of subjective look, movement of lights, movement of linear perspective, movement of colors, movement of movements, movement of time, movement of refocusing, imagined movements. Technology available for expressing different movements - never-ending story of new mechanisms developing. Screening of samples.

Lesson 2: Framing theory

Basic rules of framing. Picture inside the screen frame and picture outside from screen frame. Function of human memory in collecting experiences as a database for evoking imaginative and expected answers to the questions raised by framing. Frame as a practical tool at the time of shooting.

Lesson 3: Exercise: Movement-Frame

Preparation for „Catch the Movement“ exercise, consisting of 10 static tripod shots. Projection of Movement exercise, analysis of mistakes and good results.

Lesson 4: Strategy of Film Narration, Point of View Shot

Theory and expressive purposes of the Point of View Shot. POV of Character, POV of Narrator, POV of Camera, POV of Author, POV of Spectator.

Lesson 5: Composition and Golden number

Balanced and unbalanced picture compositions. Golden section Rules. Center of the Picture. Closed and Open Compositions. Dramatization created when compositions are unbalanced. Director and Cinematographer's work with golden number. „Talking“ pictures. Review of Historical Styles in Visual Art.

Lesson 6: Shot sizes and Spatial Resolution

Shot sizes in the syntax of Film Language. Variety of shot sizes. Graph of Informative and Emotional expression through shot sizes. How to clean up the shot to have only necessary information present? How to read informative meanings of shots? Picture resolution and Standard 35mm film format versus other formats. Digital equivalents.

Lesson 7: Exercise: Shot sizes

Practical exercise of short encounter on the stairs using Long Shot and Close Up systems. Screening and evaluations.

Lesson 8: Depth of Field and 3D look

Theory of Depth of Field. Lenses for normal uses and aberration. Basics of optical laws. 2D feeling, 3D feeling. Telephoto lenses versus wide lenses. Circle of Confusion. Perspective as tool for 3D look. Focus Puller and refocusing of lenses. Four basic ways how to keep a style of 3D look of whole film.

Lesson 9: Color Wheel

Aristotle, Newton, Goethe, Maxwell, Itten. Color Spaces and Color management. Color correction as Final Tool. Colorgrading „before“ Shooting. Color Correction Sandwiches. Color of costumes. Colors of set and props. Painters' methods to mix colors. Impressionistic, Expressionistic, Decorative and Symbolic way of using colors.

Lesson 10: Axes and Angling, Lighting

Ten basic rules how to cross the Line of the action without confusing spectators. Why spectators are not confused in the theatre and why it is very easy to confuse spectators in film. Breaking the rules. Using the camera to create angles. How to exploit a location's potential. Theory of backgrounds. Conventional „Hollywood“ lighting as used presently compared with the „Neorealistic“ lighting method which came into use after WWII.

Lesson 11: Exercise with Angles combined with Nonstandard Lighting - Day for Night

Practical exercise with portraits and line of action using different camera positions. Day for Night effect examined. Screening and evaluations

Lesson 12: Camera Technique, Evaluation

Review of various film Cameras and Digital Cameras

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will:

-understand how different tools may contribute to developing a film's language and dramatic potential

-recognize the expressive range of tools for visual dramatization

Prerequisites and other requirements

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Literature

ARIJON, Daniel. Grammar of the film language. First edition. Los Angeles: Silman-James Press, 1991. 624 stran. ISBN 1-879505-07-X.

KATZ, Steven D (Steven Douglas). Film directing shot by shot : visualizing from concept to screen. [1st ed.]. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions in conjunction with Focal Press, 1991. xi, 366 s. ISBN 0-941188-10-8.

MALKIEWICZ, J. Kris, MULLEN, M. David. Cinematography. 3rd ed.

BLOCK, Bruce A. The visual story : creating the visual structure of film, TV and digital media. 2nd ed. Burlington Oxford: Focal Press, c2008. 297s. ISBN 978-0-240-80779-9.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Minimum required attendance to the class is + 70%

Pass grade is based based on the class activity and the practical exercises.

The course grade will be calculated as follows:

20% - Attendance and Participation

20% - Exercise in Movement

20% - Exercises in Shot sizes

20% - Exercise in Angles

20% - Final test on course material

Note

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Schedule for winter semester 2024/2025:

• Week view
• List

Schedule for summer semester 2024/2025:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans

• Cinema and Digital Media - Directing (Required subjects with the possibility of repeat registration)