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Film Criticism. A history & how to…. Created by Ms. Di Bernardo. History of the Critic. Critics have been around since the dawn of theatre, 425 BC Film began late 1890s Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films What is the purpose of criticism?. Types of Critics.
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Film Criticism A history &how to…. Created by Ms. Di Bernardo
History of the Critic • Critics have been around since the dawn of theatre, 425 BC • Film began late 1890s • Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films • What is the purpose of criticism?
Types of Critics Mass Media Critics appear regularly in newspapers, magazines, & on tv programs Academic Critics scholars that are informed by film theory and published in journals. Which ones do we see more of?
Mass Media Critics Mostly opinion based reviews Plot summary Often gain a following not for intellectual reviews but for personality and rapport with the stars they interview.
Academic Critics • Follow film theory to critique a movie • Study & analyze theatrical elements • Study & analyze cinematic elements
Two Areas for Critical Analysis Theatrical Elements: Acting, costumes, make up, props, & sets Cinematic Elements: Shot types, angles, camera movement, lighting, sound, & editing
Acting • Analyze believability • Did you lose yourself in their interpretation? • Overact? Good accent? Age appropriate? Did they just play themselves? Remember this is not whether you like this actor/actress or not!
Costumes What do the costumes say about these characters? How do they help tell the story?
Make-up How does make up alter your perception (view) of these characters? SFX video
Props • A hand prop is any object a character uses to act with (pen, gun, groceries, hand mirror et al). • Often minor to the story BUT needs to be authentic to the setting and action.
Sets If you didn’t know these films, what could you infer by analyzing the set design?
Quick Review! • What is a mass media critic? • What is an academic critic? • What are the TWO areas used for critical analysis? • Name the five theatrical elements we will use to critique films this year.
Cinematic Elementsto Analyze • Shot types • Camera angles • Camera movement • Lighting • Sound • Editing
Shot Types & Angles Review • What are the basic shots? • What are the basic angles?
Camera Movements When have you noticed camera movements in film?
Camera MovementTerms Pan- Horizontal movement left & right Tilt- Vertical movement of camera Tracking- With the use of a dolly ( a cart) camera follows the subject Steadicam- Attached to camera person’s body
Let’s see some examples See video
Ready to analyze some camera movements? Let’s test your knowledge! Analyze “Back to the Future”
Lighting • Back light- light placed behind a subject • Key light- main light on subject, providing most of the illumination • Soft light- light that seems to wrap around the subject, ‘softens’ the look and atmosphere • Spot light- focused beam of light that highlights a specific area or person
Back Light What mood is evoked by this backlighting? Even though her face is obscured, what can we infer about the woman in the picture?
Soft Light Dreamy feel Soft focus Hides imperfections
How does the lighting help tell the story?
Sound • How does sound contribute to the viewing experience ? • What types of films rely heavily on sound?
Editing • What is editing? • Why is editing important? • What is continuity?
Editing is… • Selecting and joining together of shots to create a finished film. • Continuity in editing creates smooth transitions across the scenes without visual inconsistencies. • A film editor must have a very keen eye
If you catch these mistakes while watching a movie it takes you out of the flow, thus breaking the continuity.
Let’s watch some mistakes from “Harry Potter,” “Jurassic Park” and more!
Editor’s Cuts • Cross cuts- Quick back & forth cuts that show the action/dialogue is happening simultaneously • Dissolve- Overlaps one shot gradually into the next. • Fade- One shot fades to black & then fades into the next. • Montage- editing together many brief shots for emotional impact. See videos