FILM INTRO
The Power & Components of Film
Last Week’s Objectives


Become familiar with a variety of internet tools
Become familiar with social media’s usefulness
 Revolutions
started from it
 Businesses use it
 Prospective employees use it to promote themselves

Set up your blog and get your blog task
 Write
at least 5 posts of at least 150 words each
 Focus should not solely be personal, but should be
broad enough to interest outside audience
This Week’s Objectives


Understand the power and components of film
Become better at analyzing and critiquing film
Today
Activities



Review some more
elements of blog –
privacy settings,
sharing, etc.
Review films that have
impacted us & why
Analyze 1 clip in
layers
Objectives



Understand more
aspects of blogging
Understand the power
of film
Understand some
components
Announcements

Get your blog critiques in pronto
Activity #1: More blog features
Polls & video
Project Details

At least 6 posts about a topic that would interest an
outside audience (not solely personal)
 Should
reflect proper grammar & mechanics
 Should have a “voice” – be stylistic and interesting
 Span a number of days
 Includes at least 2 videos and 3 pictures
 Includes 5 links to other pages
 A widget/gadget
Activity #2: Think, Pair, Share
The power of film
Film’s Power
“A picture is worth a thousand words”
The Power of Film


In what different ways does film (an intentional
visual narrative) have power?
To answer this question, let’s look at your favorite
films…
 Think
of three movies that you’ve seen in the course of
your life.
 What emotions did that movie have you experience?
Here’s a list to help you out: happy, sad, angry,
reflective, depressed, excited, scared…
The Power of Film
Your Favorite Films
Impact on you
Impact on culture
Tools of Film
How did these film/visual narratives make you
experience these feelings?
Practice in film analysis
You have all been asked in English classes before
to interpret symbols in written texts.
Now I’m going to ask you to interpret a visual text.
There will be no words, only the moving image.
Practice in Film Analysis
Your Task
Describe what you see first—use as many descriptive words
as you can—think of visual elements: lighting, camera
movement, camera angle, props, etc.
Record the feelings the image evokes in you.
Jot down some ideas of what interpretive message the
moving image could communicate.
The Moving Image Gets More Layers
Now we’ll add actors, dialogue and action to the
scene.
What message does this altered scene
communicate. Does it change your interpretation?
Film = Visual Storytelling
The filmmaker and the audience negotiate a shared
experience: sharing in the construction and meaning of the
narrative.

the filmmaker’s story

(the story told / the plot)

the audience member’s story

(the story perceived / the total effect)
Film’s Intent
•
Tell a story
•
Kennett’s story definition:
•
•
Somebody / characters
•
doing something
•
at some place and time
The story is the centerpiece
•
Shots, dialogue, lighting,
editing, sound serve the
story
Conflict/Action +
Setting =
STORY
Film = Visual Storytelling
The filmmaker takes the audience “by the brain”
and shows us a story
The story is told through what we see and hear
immediately
Filmmaking (a.k.a. constructing visual narratives) is
a highly intentional act.
“Nothing
in a mainstream narrative
is there by accident.” --Jill Nelmes
The Tools of Film
setting
props
costume
performance
mise en scene
lighting
sound
camera
editing
What is Film?
“The cinema is the greatest means of
expression ever invented. But it is an illusion
more powerful than any others, and it should
therefore be in the hands of the magicians
and wizards who can bring it to life.”



-- King Vidor,
American director of 61 feature
films between 1913 - 1959
Intro Film Activity
In your brand spankin’ new journal, reflect on
the various types of films that you’ve seen and
jot down your response to this question…
In what different ways does film have
power?
How can it be…
Destructive? Constructive? Instructive?
Inspirational?
Think of a film example that would
support your points.