UNIT ONE: Art of Watching Film

UNIT ONE:

FORM, STRUCTURE, MEANING, and The Art of Watching Film

· Uniqueness of Watching Film
· Challenges of Film Analysis
· Value of Film Analysis
· Becoming a Receptive Viewer
· The Viewing Environment
· Preparing to See a Film
· Deepening our Response to Film
See Questions for Analyzing Your Responses to Film (attached)
· What is Narrative?
· Story-events inferred, Explicitly presented, Added nondiegetic material
· Range of Story
· Depth of Story
· Point of View
· Theme
· Plot-Cause and Effect, Goal Oriented/Quest
· Mood
· Character
· Style, Texture, Structure
· Ideas

1. Morality
2. Human Nature
3. Social Problems
4. Struggle for Human Dignity
5. Complexity of Human Relationships
6. Coming of Age/Innocence to Awareness
7. A Moral or Philosophical Riddle

· Identifying and Evaluating a Theme

See Questions for Analyzing Theme and Narrative (attached)

Video Exercises

· Film Analysis and Literary Analysis
· Form and Content (ABACA)
· Meaning (interpretations)

1. Emotional
2. Referential
3. Explicit
4. Implicit
5. Symptomatic (ideology)

· What is a Good Story?

1. Unified Plot
2. Credible
3. Externally Observable Truths
4. Internal Truths of Human Nature
5. Artistic Semblance or Truth
6. Interesting-Suspenseful/Action
7. Simple and Complex
8. Handles Emotional Material with Restraint

· Significance of Title?
· Opening?
· Ending?
· Why?
· Structure

1. Linear/Chronological-Plot Chart
2. Nonlinear-In medias res, Flashbacks, Flashforwards
3. Temporal order
4. Space
5. Variation
6. Development
7. Unity
8. Disunity

· Conflict
1. 6 types
2. External
3. Internal

· Characterization
1. Motivation (Compositional, Realistic, Intertextual or Generic, and Artistic)
2. Protagonist
3. Antagonist
4. Stock or Stereotypes
5. Static vs Dynamic or Developing characters
6. Round vs Flat Characters
7. Through Contrast-Foils
8. Through Appearance
9. Through Dialogue
10. Through Action (Internal and External)
11. Through Reactions of others
12. Through Caricature/Leitmotif
13. Through Name-name typing

· Allegory
· Symbolism

1. Universal/Natural
2. Repeated/Motifs
3. Value placed on object by Character
4. Context
5. Special visual, aural, Musical emphasis
6. Patterns and Progressions
7. Values in Conflict
8. Metaphors-visual, intrinsic, extrinsic

· Irony
1. Dramatic
2. Situational
3. Character
4. Setting
5. Tone
6. Verbal
7. Cosmic

See Questions for Analyzing Fictional and Dramatic Elements and Form (attached)

Video Exercises

VIEWING-Remember Rules for Watching Films in Class and Taking Notes

Read “How to Read a Film”

***See Internet Exercises and Choose one from each Chapter for Unit One.

Journal#1: “Why do you watch movies? What are your expectations before going? Why? What are your favorite types of movies? Why? Discuss your favorite film and your favorite scene or moment in that film? How is that film structured? Where does this scene appear? Why is it so effective?

Journal #2: Choose a film you own and play the 1st 5-7 minutes. Discuss what you’re learned? How did you learn it?

Journal #3: Your summary and response to “How to Read a Film” from Internet Exercise.

Journal #4: Take a film that you’re very familiar with and rearrange the order of events, elements, and/or the POV to create a new story. Explain your choices.