Geog/Film

Topics for M 11/25

Here are topics for our discussion of Carol on Monday. Feel free to start the conversation here or to suggest additional topics.

• Framing & decor: the use of windows and mirrors in framing shots.
• Lighting.
• How the filmmakers use mise-en-scène to create a film that not only looks and feels like the period, but also looks and feels like a film from the period.
• Action and performance: how Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara use facial expression and body language to show emotion and change. We can also talk about how costume and make-up support these performances.

 

Topics for mid-term theory review

On M (10/28), we will be using some of our time to start a series of review sessions on film theory. So, if there is a concept, or part of a concept, like mise-en-scène, the frame and the shot, that you are confused by or want to know more about, post those here and I will address them in our discussion.

In future sessions, I will also be asking for topics that might be unrelated or adjacent to our core concepts, e.g., editing and sound. But for this week, I'd like to stay focused on our primary ideas.

The film we will be screening next, Leave No Trace, will afford us some time to also review on W.

Topics posted by noon on M 10/28 will be addressed in class. Topics posted after that deadline, may be addressed on W or at a future date.

Topics for M 10/21

Here are some topics for our discussion of Goodfellas on M. Feel free to start the conversation in comments or to suggest additional points for discussion.

• The characters as demonstrations of marginality and marginalization as contingent and relative depending on context and the kinds of relationships someone has with other people.
• The use of sound in the movie and how it affects our interpretation of m-e-s, especially the voiceovers and music choices.
• The use of freeze frames.
• The camera as a "character" in the film.
• Violence as part of m-e-s.
• M-e-s and "the life."

The Long Take

One of the hallmarks of both this past week's film, Children of Men, and this coming week's film, Goodfellas, is the use of the "long take," or the use of a shot or shots of longer duration than the norm. Did you notice this while watching either film? What was the effect? This article provides additional examples and critical commentary on the use of this device. What do you think? How does this device affect your experience of mise-en-scène?

Questions about The Frame and The Shot

What questions do you have about The Shot and The Frame (go to week 2 reading)? Replies made by 8:00 am on M 10/7 will be used to structure class discussion that day.

Notes for re-watch of Twelve Monkeys

Here is what I have from my notes and the Post-Film Writing:

• Cole's dream/memory.
• Parallel shots and recurring images (sounds) in different settings.
• Use of props as markers of time-space.
• Use of canted or "Dutch" angles.
• Landscapes (setting, architecture, decor) in "past" and "present."
• Scene from Vertigo.

Shot distance in Memento

An interesting observation in the Post-Film Writing this week is that camera distance in Memento is almost exclusively in the medium to close range. Did you notice this, too? What do you think this choice means?

Theory questions: mise-en-scene, the shot, the frame

Next R (5/3), I want to spend time in our discussion reviewing our key theoretical concepts. Do you have questions or things you would like me to include in that review? In future weeks, I will ask for more wide-ranging film questions, but for this class meeting I want to focus on our core concepts. Get your suggestions in by noon on Wednesday (3/2) if you want me to include them in class.

Formal Analysis of MOON

The task (which we will discuss in class on W 6/3):

• Write an analysis identifying the following in relation to Moon:
• The most notable or interesting uses of mise-en-scène.
• The most notable or interesting uses of the camera.
• The most notable interesting uses of sound as it relates to your reading of mise-en-scène.

Assessment:

• I will look first at the precision and formality of your language. Be as specific and as technical as possible.
• Note that you will be able to check the film out on DVD from Hamersly Library. You can also rent Moon in HD from Amazon.
• I will also be looking at how clearly you explain your interpretation in visual terms. Being articulate is more important than being "right."
• I will also be looking at how carefully your analysis is composed and edited and that you have addressed each of the required points for each image.
• I think that two to four single-spaced pages is a reasonable guideline for length.

Submission:

• You should submit your assignment via Moodle by W 6/10 at 7:50 pm. Additional details on Moodle.
• This assignment is worth ten (10) points.

GRAVITY: making of

Here are the "making of" features we watched about Gravity this week: