Full syllabus

Media Aesthetics

Professor, Christine Farina, Office K128

email: cfarinac@gmail.com

text: 609 626 1411

 

Assignments and Grading

Choose Three: 25% each
1.  Creepy Stalker Project       DUE June 11
2.  Short Film           experimental or music video        DUE June 15
3.   paper  4-7pp   with evidence to support your ideas        DUE June 15
4.  Make a video of the opening credits for your life     June 22
(examples: )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsX6PY2xndU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn6qkF-zql0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkWbFKz9_ew                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
And Everyone Does This:
5.  Frame by Frame    DUE JUNE 26
Shot Break Down: Attack the Block
Dir, Joe Cornish
Release date: 2011
Link One: View video at: http://youtu.be/6x-6HsNbB38?t=36s

http://www.livebinders.com/media/frame?myurl=http://www.livebinders.com/media/get_centered/MTIzNDU3NTE=&mid=MTIzNDU3NTE=#


 please post at least twice a week in response to anything you read and found interesting.  2/week= 70% or average

Course Introduction

Film is a two-dimensional visual art that is fundamentally distinguished by the animation of still images. A complete film initiates, presents a narrative within its own temporal contrictions in real time, and ceases. Metaphysics is concerned with the true nature of reality both of being and knowing. In the realm of the metaphysical study of film, we are concerned with such things as the relationship between the mind and the film matter, the nature of the film form, the nature of the film frame, and the interactive nature of the film and temporal attributes of the physical world. In this course we will explore all of these questions as well as the nature of performance, design, and visual narrative.


Film language has evolved only over the last 100 years.  The meanings it has have been shaped by the modern mind.  Yet, much of film harkens its visual composition and themes to Western Civilization's visual art tradition. In this class, we are concerned with the elements of film syntax.  That is, why do we use a two shot, why do we use a close-up shot rather than a longshot for a certain part of the film, why do we use sound effects and what kind, etc.


We are also going to figure out whom the performance belongs to….


For your guided study:  Start looking at basic film aesthetics websites and books and figure out even the most rudimentary aspects of film aesthetics such as "CU" and "LS", "SPFX" and "SFX."


The learning objectives for the semester

*  awareness of the serious scholarship produced about film

*  understanding of the basic elements of telling a story cinematographically

*  familiarity with basic film aesthetics language

*  learning auteur theory

*  experience researching and writing a critical comparison paper

*  being able to blow your friends away with your insightful film commentary

*  knowing how to discern a really pitch perfect performance vs a really poor one

*  understanding what elements combine to create a film performance

*  discover an auteur filmmaker

*  conducting critical viewing

*  Practice reading a film journal

*  Exposure to some film theory, modern or historical

*  Writing a position paper using scholarly evidence to substantiate your claims

*  Familiarity designing Unity

*  Learn how to properly format a screenplay

*  Imagination exercise

*  Experience thinking about character elements

*  Experience writing dialogue

*  Define Aesthetics and apply it to film

GRADING GUIDE

These are the usual things for which I mark off that are simple to avoid:

Do not use contractions

Spelling and grammar matter

Punctuation matters, too

When I look at your work, I am doing the normal layers of evaluation:

a) basic mechanics

b) form

c) content

…and then I consider if the work is:

a) really exceptional, or worth an “A” (wrote more than the word limit, supported your assertions, had assertions in the first place, weaved together a compelling argument in your voice),

b) a pretty good job, or worth a “B” (Pushed yourself beyond the word limit, had some writing style/was not pedestrian, low-level writing, but lacked appropriate supporting material or any really breathtakingly new ideas)

c) an acceptable paper but average, or a “C” (nothing special happening there, just writing the minimum amount of words, piecing together unsophisticated sentences, boring sentence and paper structure, spitting out information but showing no evidence that you're thinking about your opinions and supporting them with concepts you've synthesized from class and the readings)

Be certain to put quotation marks around anyone else’s work that you use and cite it as well.

Assignments and Grading

Choose Three: 25% each

1.  Creepy Stalker Project    

2.  Short Film           experimental or music video        

3.   paper  4-7pp   with evidence to support your ideas    

4.  Make a video of the opening credits for your life

(examples: )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsX6PY2xndU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn6qkF-zql0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkWbFKz9_ew                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              And Everyone Does This:

5.  Frame by Frame    

Shot Break Down: Attack the Block

Dir, Joe Cornish

Release date: 2011

Link One: View video at: http://youtu.be/6x-6HsNbB38?t=36s

Contextual Introduction and Synopsis

Characters

 

John Boyega as Moses           Jodie Whittaker as Sam   

Synopsis

The film opens one night in the crime-ridden neighborhood of Lambeth in South London.  Samantha ‘Sam’ Berrins, a nurse, is mugged by a gang of British teenagers on her way back from work.  But the crime is interrupted when aliens attack the block.  Enter Moses, the gang leader, who is soon called upon to choose the hero’s path to defend his gang, neighborhood, and his own life.  The meta-theme of the story is Moses’ evolution from the fantasies of childhood to accepting the responsibilities and rewards of adulthood. 

Segment Outline

At this point in the film, near its end, we find that Moses and Sam have come to respect each other through their mutual efforts to defend the neighborhood against the aliens. 

Following below are the moments right before the film’s final chase scene, and then part of the chase itself.

Note: Phrasing:  Within a scene, a film maintains a rhythm called “phrasing.”  This amounts to smaller stories, with rise and completion of action, that define the beats of the scene and propel the story further.

Shot Deconstruction

We begin in the moment when the plan to overcome the attacking aliens is set into motion.  Here, Sam has gone upstairs in the apartment complex to Moses’ home.

As Sam walks through the apartment, the story’s action is given a temporary break to evolve the Moses character, which works to create empathy that will work to support the drama of the final chase.

Begin Phrase One:

Sam and Moses communicate by phone to execute the plan to end the invasion: Lure the aliens into Moses’ apartment, turn on the gas, and detonate fireworks.  This is the first time Sam has ever seen Moses’ interior life. 

            

Figure 1                                   Figure 2                       Figure 3

Figure 1: Camera observes Moses from his back, which works to place the viewer into the scene.  This perspective is important to support the story as Moses is feeling particularly vulnerable.  He is framed in medium-close with an eye-level frame that gives the viewer access to the character’s personal space and interior emotions.

Figure 2: We track through the empty apartment tentatively with Sam, again in eye-level medium-close framing.  The camera follows or leads, depending on the importance of the information (Figure 2).  When creating the feeling of suspense, the camera observes; when providing important information about the Moses character, the camera switches to Sam’s point of view (Figure 3).

Figure 3:  A film is a collection of still images; each shot is constructed with certain conventions.  The picture of a young(er) Moses sits under the lamp’s spotlight, the rest of the frame is darkened to underscore this dominant image.  The frame of the picture is green, as is the lampshade.  The green swan in the foreground compliments this arrangement nicely, creating a visual triangle, one of the fundamental aspects of shot construction.  This guides the eye immediately to the important information because of this arrangement of screen elements.

              

Figure 4                                                Figure 5                                  Figure 6

Figure 4: We cut back to Moses as the conversation continues in an ordinary two-shot-reverse that is a fundamental of film editing syntax.  There is a shallow depth of field, which is used to relay what the important information is in the shot by blurring out what is behind the dominant image in the foreground, in this case, Moses.  The depth of the field is the Z-Axis.

The camera moves in a circle around Moses, mimicking the feeling of reeling emotionally.  Likewise, the camera is in constant motion with Sam, keeping the feeling of movement continuing between the two locations in concentric circles.

Notice the lighting in the two settings.  The consistency of the light quality between the two characters’ points of view, in this case darkness and shadow, allows the viewer to see them in agreement.  However, in Sam’s frame, the apartment is lit in a cold, greenish-tungsten glow.  This expresses the interior of Moses’ psyche.  Moses is framed in otherworldly blue and green light, evoking a visual trope of science fiction film.

Figure 5: Here the camera follows Sam as she walks through the apartment.  The suggestion of following the subject creates a visceral response of tension in the viewer’s mind.  Suspense is then achieved because the discomfort of not-knowing is firmly at play.

Figure 6: Here the information we glean through Sam’s eyes shows the disarray of Moses’ life.  Moments earlier the picture of a young Moses suggested that a parent might live in this apartment.  Given that, we experience a cognitive dissonance when the next clue we receive reveals an unkempt living area, which suggests the absence of a caregiver.

                 

Figure 7                                               Figure 8                                               Figure 9

Figure 7:  This is a very important example of the work of editing.  Here Sam is about to see something that will change the entire story.  This is a fine example of using visuals, edited together in a modified temporal space, to tell the story by showing the story.  Investing in the importance of this moment, the film slows down time by spending more time reaching the reveal. 

We see Sam from the front while the camera tracks backwards, mimicing a slow-walking movement. The interior frames created by the walls and door edges work to confine Sam within the frame of the picture itself, thus forcing a viewing tension.  This tension is suppoorted by the fluid, backwards camera moving slowly to reveal:

Figure 8:  Right before the reveal, we once again stand behind the character, emphasizing the feeling of vulnerabilty.  Moses knows what Sam is about to see.  He is hiding from our view.

Figure 9:  Sam’s revelation: Moses is fifteen.  The reveal: The edge of the door moves out of frame as we enter the room from Sam’s point of view.  We see a Spiderman bedspread and backpack illuminated in a pool of light.  This key information works to tell us about the character: emotionally he is still a young boy. 

The shot composition: A spotlight on the bed illuminates the vital information.  The colors of red and blue are primary, evoking childhood.  The use of the Spiderman superhero is significant to science fiction fans because of the metaphor: Peter Parker is an ordinary kid who must face extrordinary circumstances.  This explains the hero’s journey and fortells of the upcoming trial that Moses will face.

        

Figure 10                                 Figure 11

Figure 10:  Moses revealed.  We see Moses from the front now.  The camera stops movement and observes.  The understated performance works to perfectly articulate the gravity of this event.  The actor has placed his entire trust in his eyes to convey the character’s inner turmoil.  This is an organic response that can only be achieved through tremendous craft and talent.  It is particularly important for screen actors to control the body and face as the intimacy of the camera mirrors interpersonal communication.  This means that the usual cues of falsehood can be detected by the viewer, threatening to interrupt the suspension of disbelief necessary when committing to a story.  (I usually show “Ted Talk: How to Spot a Liar.” see Link Two: http://youtu.be/P_6vDLq64gE)

Figure 11:  “You look older.”  With this one understated line, the script beautifully encapsulates the emotional drama of the entire film, giving us closure in preparation for the upcoming action.  Now the viewer is invested in Moses’ challenge at an emotional level, intensifying the effectiveness of the chase scene.

End Phrase One

Begin Phrase Two:                                                                                                                                                                              

                 

Figure 1-a                                                  Figure 2-a                         

Figure 1-a:  “Go get them, Moses.”  Editing is a dance of eyes, which we can see clearly here in these two consecutive frames.  Notice that each character is framed individually in a medium close shot to say their individual lines. This is an adaptation of film syntax from the stationery wide-angle frame that contains the action to mimicking how the mind focuses on certain information when cued.  In this case, we focus on the subject who is speaking much as we do in face-to-face interactions.

Figure 2-a “Allow it.”  Here we continue the focus on the individual line with a dramatic flourish: the mysterious hero is seen from the back, his face masked by shadow.  This is the moment before metamorphosis.

     

Figure 3-a à

 

Figure(s) 3-a: Drama is increased.  The camera trolleys backwards, revealing more and more of the world around the hero who is standing in the ‘ready’ position in the center of the frame.  Notice the use of interior “arrows.”  The lines of glowing white light frame the character in a “V” and suggest the archetype of superhero/god; it the archetypal lightning before the Great Arrival. We will see this interior-framing convention repeat throughout the following sequences. 

End Phrase Two

Begin Phrase Three:

             

Figure 1-b

                 

Figure 1-b:  Close up on the pertinent information opens the action.  We do not know yet how the fireworks will be used, how the plan is set to unfold, but we do know by the close-up that this is pertinent information that will drive the story forward.

SFX (sound effects) We hear the crackle of the fireworks.  The suggested audio (motivated) continues on to the first frames of the next view in a perfect L-cut, and is slowly, completely muted out, giving over the scene to the complete sonic fabric of the music (unmotivated), which works to allow the viewer to viscerally feel the energy of the scene. 

(Note: The music will give way to SFX again and will be bedded under the action at the end of the sequence when Moses goes back to regular time and actually executes the plan, giving us an audio cue to the meta-narrative’s meaning(s).)

End Phrase Three

Begin Phrase Four:

Here notice the dynamic “V” created by the rockets.  Observe the interior frame produced by the use of the door’s frame, a neo-realistic approach that harkens back to DiSica’s influence.  We see the superhero as a darkened shadow-identity that bursts through the frame towards the viewer and onto his trial.

Slow motion is utilized at this point in the film to convey this key moment of metamorphosis of the Moses character:

        

         

          

Moses has transformed.

End Phrase Four

Begin Phrase Five:

Moses faces the first trial.  Shot in long-shot to see all action.  If an internal dialogue were important at this point, the cinematographer would have used a close-up. 

Notice the blackness of the aliens.  This is designed to represent the monsters of Moses’ own psyche.  The aliens are shadows of his psyche.

   

      

The monsters dominate the frame.  They have the most graphic weight.

  In this final shot, we notice the editor has used the blue light, which blends nicely with the change of scene in the next sequence.  Also Moses has run from right to left through the frame.  The motion will continue through the next sequence:

End Phrase Five

Begin Phrase Six:

Notice the agreement in light and color between the last frame of the previous phrase and this scene. Visual continuity is achieved.

   

   

Performance: The body is part of action.  This actor is fully committed to the imagination of the scene, which translates belief to the viewer. 

Motion:  Running down the stairs to increase the flow of the original motion vector that began at the apartment.  The graphic weight of the subject (Moses) grows as he increases size in the frame.  This suggests threat to us as we are biologically programmed to be hunters.

End Phrase Six

Begin Phrase Seven:

           

This sequence is shot in slow motion, heightening the investment by giving focus to every micro-moment of the character’s (suggested) experience.

     

     

Motion vector continues left to right, the action growing larger in the frame, propelling the motion forward.  Notice the use of looking over the shoulder (Moses) to increase investment: we tend to follow the eyes of those at whom we are looking. 

The music is cut in common time, the most recognizable rhythm in media today.  It is a marvelous piece written in D minor, the “chord of agony” to the human visceral response system.

End Phrase Seven

Begin Phrase Eight:

Change in view, anticipates a scene change, suggests a rise in action.

        Here we see the hero from the prostrate position, giving him iconic grandeur. 

              The parallel lights of the tenament’s ceiling echo those of the emergency corridor of a hospital.

                   Shot construction: The lights frame the hero while adding a visual dynamic tension.  The greenish blue of the lights’ glow is consistent visually with the rest of the visual text.

                                        Notice the color continuity.  And the costume on Moses, all black, the antihero, the stealth Batman, the Post-Modern depressive.

And so forth.

 

Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form.

Late assignments are accepted at the following rate: first 24 hours = Lowering of the final assignment grade by 25 percent

next 24 hours = Lowering of the final assignment grade by 40 percent

next 24 hours = Lowering of the final assignment grade by 50 percent

anything beyond the first 72 hours = lowering of the final assignment grade by 80 percent

I do not give extra credit.

Quizzes cannot be made up.

Tests cannot be taken on a day other than the one scheduled.

HANDY FILM-TERM REFERENCE GUIDE

LIGHTING

backlight hits subject from behind/separates from bkg; not significant lighting source

key light primary light source/ finds directionality

fill light erases key-light's shadows

kicker finishes the lighting job

eye light puts white in the actor's iris/ gives life tot he shot

bounce card takes light from key and "bounces" it onto the actor; diffusing effect

day-for-night (dusk -for) changing the camera iris to make day shots

look like night shots

directionality from where the light source is

diffusion to make actors look great; softens light with bounce card or diffusion

material like toughspun, a wire mesh that is placed near the bulb

EDITING

assembly editing from point A to B

non-linear editing in any order (more sophisticated; new technology)

linear assembly editing

on-line the final edit

off-line the rough edit

cut-away shot used to emphasize scene detail

b-roll cut-away material

cut point where shot begins or ends

montage arrangement of many shots to show theme

match cut edit that maintains continuity from angle to angle

outtakes what is not used in a film

parallel editing two related sequences are cut back and forth

rough-cut the rough draft of a film

running time how long a film lasts

splice the actual point of cutting on the physical film or tape

answer print the rough cut sent from the lab

rushes the day's answer print

L-cut sound precedes image

SOUND

synch/crystal synch

(double system sound)

striping

track

dub

boom

Nagra voice and image are recorded separately and

synchronized between the camera and nagra

(sound recorder)

putting a magnetic stripe on the film to catch sound

the sound tape

taking sound from one tape to another

the pole that hold the microphone

mics: the recording instrument

omnidirectional

cardioid

mix

lavaliere

unidirectiona1/shotgun

bi-directional

condenser

Foley

voice-over

the joining of all soundtracks to one track

sound effects

narration over picture/ no synch; post -production

CAMERA

CREW

angle how the shot is taken

CU close up

LS long shot

MS medium shot

OS over-the-shoulder

establishing shot

dolly a wheeled shot

depth:-of-field how much is in focus

dutch angle a canted angle

extreme long shot/extreme close-up

master shot the long shot which establishes a scene

rule-of-thirds the main action takes place at the center of the depth of field

tilt camera movement up and down

pan camera movement side to side

zoom camera focus comes to extreme close-up quickly

mise-en-scene from the Neorealist movement; through the scene elements

structure is accomplished

eyeguiding arranging cuts to bring the eye to where the director needs it

key grip

best boy

gnps

continuity

slate

usually key technician

primary manager for the stage manager(grip)

grunts

person who maintains continuity from shot to shot

person who synchs sound mark on set

logs person who maintains sound logs and lighting diagrams

•

DIRECTOR

storyboard

shooting scripts

shooting plan

auteur

comic strip ofhow film will look

chronological list of script, shots and sound plans

grouping of scenes as to days to be shot

director's "fmgerprint"

SCREENPLAY

elements

one page = one minute

fade to: dissolve: fade out:

INT/EXT PLACE TIME

breaks; ABC stories

20:30; 56:30

Executive Producer, Manager, Agent, Producer, Writer

Helpful Terms

Indicating: Acting performance that is focused upon excessive physical expression of emotions in easily recognizable ways. eg: An actor playing a role of an angry man might shake his fist in the air and grimace. We get it, you're really mad. Next time try actually giving up your ego and feeling the emotion and let's see where that gets your performance.

Packing: Actors must do their packing before getting the portal to the inner life of the character to open up to them. This means that when first introduced to the character, the actor then begins the contemplative and creative process of understanding the character. The actor will think about such things as what the character ate for breakfast that morning and why, the character's favorite color, and who was the character's first grade teacher, etc.

Beat: The place of a natural pause in the script or movement.

The Middle Space: The place that allows an actor to observe his performance whilst performing. It is the place between actor and observer, and so having the actor hog up space in the audience to watch himself as well is plain bad form. Anachronistic Response: Moving the body in a (sometimes cliche) way that is representative of an era other than the one being created in the world of the film.

Chirascuro Lighting: Rembrandt lighting; fast FALL OFF ratio 1:1 or equal parts dark to light.

Motivated/Unmotivated light: Light source is suggested in the frame - motivated. Media and the Mind

For week one, we are concerned with the elements of film syntax. That is, why do we use a two shot, why do we use a close-up shot rather than a longshot for a certain part of the film, why do we use sound effects and what kind, etc.

For your guided study: Start looking at basic film aesthetics websites and books and figure out even the most rudimentary aspects of film aesthetics such as "CU" and "LS", "SPFX" and "SFX."

To ponder: Film language has evolved only over the last 100 years. The meanings it has have been shaped by the modern mind. Yet, much of film harkens its visual composition and themes to Western Civilization's visual art tradition.

The way film theorists discuss this concept is rooted in a consideration of film as art.

One of the basic film theories related to this is: Auteur Theory.

The other of the basic building blocks is Aesthetics.

So, we are understanding film as art that is created by a series of choices (such as lighting, sound, etc.)

Now, if we are understanding art and its grounding in choices, what we are doing is studying Aesthetics. What that amounts to is thinking about how lighting quality or sound-tracking (choices in production design) etc. (a) work with the human brain, (b) work to create Unity in production design (or fail at it), and (c) evolve a filmic language as an art form and visual syntax (e.g. we know that a close-up shot means one thing as opposed to a long shot.)

Finally, we are scholars and need to learn how to use scholarly tools, and therefore I bring you to use the tools of film journals and the historically pertinent, Cahiers du Cinema.

The last assignment is meant to be a fun, creative exercise where you can use what you've learned by thinking about aesthetics, reading about filmmaking, and actively observing three films.

See how I wove this all together? It's like Karate Kid.

So by the end of the weeks, you will have thought about the fundamentals of film theory and learned how to use them, too.

If you would like further information to explore regarding Film and Music theory:

http://web.archive.org/web/20031208182300/

http://www.franklinmarketplace.com/filmmusic.html

Film Theory in Practice:

http://www.storyispromise.com/cascade.htm

Philosophy of Narratology:

http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/narratology/terms/narrativetermsmainframe.html

Persistence of Vision:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_of_vision

Depth of Field:

http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/User-Guide/950/depth-of-field.html

and

You will find a lot of articles of value for this course at:

http://www.storyispromise.com/wmovies.htm

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzedefUXARE