Why are films so
popular?
Here are five fabulous reasons...
Reason #1. It doesn’t take any work
Watching movies is
easy.
You can sit back,
relax,
eat some popcorn
and enjoy.
Reason #2...You Get Caught Up in the Moment
Movies can seem
real,
as if they’re actually
happening!
Reason #3...Films are a part of our
Culture
Movies
influenc
e the
way we
act and
the way
we
think.
Reason #4...Films are an
escape from reality
They offer us a break from reality,
even if only for a short time.
Reason #5...Movies are Entertaining
Watching movies
can be
fun
and
exciting!
Why make films?
• Films Entertain
• Films Teach
• Films Inform
• FILMS
COMMUNICATE!!!
SEEING FILM
TO SEE A FILM, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF
A FILM
Learn to be Perceptive
• You can learn to
sharpen your
perception skills just
like any other skill,
like playing the guitar
or skiing.
Learn to appreciate the aesthetic
qualities of film
Perhaps the most
important part of
learning to see the
artistry of film is to
learn to observe the
beauty of the world
and the things in it
that usually go
unnoticed, like a
spider’s web or a newly
baked pie.
Learn to Identify and
Measure Your Responses to
Film.
 Make an effort to think of words that describe your
experience as you view the film.
 Try to respond to the film both intellectually and
emotionally.
 Determine how the filmmaker used various techniques to
influence your emotions and reactions.
 The most valuable part of learning anything is your ability
to recognize your growth and understanding of the
subject.
The act of seeing a film
takes place in the mind.
What exactly is perception?
All the things observed
by one or more of
your senses and
comprehended by
the brain have a
different special
meaning to each
person.
At this time, please refer to
your “Understanding the Film”
chart
Learning
Techniques the
Filmmaker uses
How well the
Learning
filmmaker uses
the techniques
Emotional and
psychological
responses
Learning to
identify your
own feelings
Examples from the
film to prove what
you say
Your opinions
and ideas
Recall and
memory
Writing or
discussing films
Examples
Learning to criticize
Factors that Influence
What we See

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Involuntary Attention
Voluntary Attention
Intensity and Size
Novelty and Contrast
Movement
Motivation
Mind-set
Life Experience
Mind and Body
Surroundings
Conformity
Prejudices
Involuntary Attention

We have learned, for
the most part, to pay
attention only to the
things that have
some meaning to us.
Occasionally,
however, we are
jarred by an
involuntary sight or
sound.
Voluntary Attention
 Whenever you pay
attention to one activity,
you are choosing
between alternatives.
As more and more
alternatives in the film
become apparent, your
attention refocuses.
INTENSITY
AND SIZE
• A filmmaker is
aware of
intensity and
size and uses
these factors to
influence what
our sense
perceive.
Novelty and CONTRAST
• Filmmakers try to
make their films
stand out by finding
a unique anglesomething to set
their film apart from
others.
movement
 We tend to notice objects in motion before we notice
inanimate objects.
 Good filmmakers use motion to help us better
understand and perceive the film.
Motivation
When we feel like
doing something, we
are motivated.
The motivation to
see the film is still
there because we
want to experience
the events firsthand,
as they happen.
Mind Set

As people grow older, they tend to continue thinking along familiar
lines, becoming more set in their pattern of thinking. These views are
influenced by many factors including culture, age, gender, upbringing,
religion, ethic and racial background and education.
Life Experience
 Many of our impressions of and decisions
about our environment are made instantly,
based on the influence of our experiences.
Mind and Body
 The physical
condition of your
body actually
influences how you
perceive films.
Surroundings- the physical condition of the
room affects how you perceive the film.
Conformity- some people are
influenced most by others.
Prejudices- Every individual watching
a film sees it in his or her own unique way.
The filmmaker is the sender of
the message
 If the audience understands
the message,
communication takes place.
The way a film is perceived
ultimately affects whether or
not the audience can
complete the act of
communication.
Evaluating the Film
» Making a critical judgement of a film
should be backed up by specifics.
» Film criticism requires the ability to
evaluate, analyze, observe and
understand the process of making
films.
What NOT to do...
»
»
»
»
»
»
“I like the movie.”
“It was a great movie.”
“It was good.”
“The guy was cool.”
“The girl was hot.”
“There was a lot of funny
stuff in the movie.”
» “I didn’t like the movie
very much.”
» This movie sucked eggs!”
What you SHOULD do...
» “Even the underdog can
be the hero.”
» “The quality of the acting
gave credibility to the
plot.”
» “The overall message of
the film is something we all
could relate to.”
» “Her character proved to
be more than just a pretty
face.”
The Nine Elements of Film
1.) Theme
2.) Plot
3.) Script
4.) Acting
5.) Setting, Costumes &
Makeup
6.) Direction
7.) Photography
8.) Editing
9.) Sound
Theme
Theme-the basic idea that a film expresses.





Theme may touch on any aspect of life, such
as vengeance, love, good over evil, greed, etc.
Theme can be expressed through a single
repeated or recurring motif, or repeated device.
A filmmaker may also use symbols and
metaphors to convey a theme.
Characters often become symbols with greater
meaning.
The use of Christian symbolism in Cool Hand
Luke represents a “crucified man”.
Plot
»
»
»
»
»
»
»
»
»
»
The plot is simply what is
happening in the film. It
is the storyline.
Questions you’ll want to
consider in describing a
movies plot include:
1.) How does the plot
develop the story?
2.) Are there subplots?
3.) Who does what?
Where? When? How?
4.) What influences the
characters in their
actions?
5.) How does the plot
relate to the theme?
6.) Is the plot
interesting/exciting?
7.) Is it believable?
8.) Is it complicated?
The Script
•
The script describes the scenes,
specifies who and what the characters
are, how they appear and what they do
and say.
•
Questions you’ll want to ask in testing the
value of a script are:
1.) Does the dialogue between the characters
seem real?
2.) Does the continuity of the film hold
together?
3.) Does the script fully support the theme?
4.) Does it help further the plot?
5.) Is the idea of the film clear to you?
Acting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Actors/Actresses with talent and
ability in creating characters will
capture our interest and gain our
sympathy.
Whatever methods the director uses, it
is the acting that will most likely be
remembered by the audience.
Some questions to ask when
evaluating performances:
1.) Did I identify with the actor?
2.) Did they cause me to react
emotionally to the film?
3.) Was I conscious of the actor
playing the part or was I too caught up
in their character?
4.) Were the small roles played as well
as the major ones.
Setting, Costume & Makeup
Setting, Costume & Makeup Con’t.
•
Questions to ask when judging
the setting, costumes and
makeup in a film include:
1.) Did they help make the film
better?
2.) Did they create the right
atmosphere?
3.) Did they blend in unobtrusively
with the plot and theme?
4.) How did they help to understand
the characters better?
5.) Were they appropriate and
accurate for the time period?
Direction
•
•
•
•
•
The director of the film puts it all
together.
The director is the creative force
that pulls the film together.
The director is the head of film
production unit and is responsible
for translating words on paper into
images on screen.
The director ultimately makes the
final decisions on almost every
aspect of the film.
The cinematic approach the director
chooses is crucial to the overall
unity of the film.
Direction Con’t.
• Questions to ask when
evaluating film direction
include:
• 1.) Did all of the components
of the film work well
together?
• 2.) Did any parts of the film
seem to be controlled?
• 3.) Did the film succeed in its
original purpose?
Photography

The cinematographer is the
director of photography for the
film.
 They work closely with the
director to keep the look of the
film “true” to the director’s.
 They supervise a number of
camera operations.
 Here are questions to ask as to
the quality of the photography:
1.) Did the photography add to the
film?
2.) Did it seem to blend with all of
the other components?
3.) How did the camera move?
4.) Was the photography effective?
5.) Did the photography achieve the
specific images that would best
tell the story?
E
d I
t I
•
n g
The editing of the film should
not be noticeable, at least not
to the point that we are aware
of the scenes changing.
•
Good editing should help the
audience to follow the plot
more easily and also discover
the other film elements.
•
Questions to of the editing
include:
1.) Was there a smooth flow from
beginning to end?
2.) Did the editing help you see and
understand the film better?
3.) Did the editing allow you
discover and understand the
other film elements?
Sound
•
There are three kinds of sound in a
film: natural sounds, music and
dialogue.
• All three help to create a realistic
atmosphere.
• Questions to ask in evaluating
sound and music include:
1.) Did the sound and music add or
detract from the film?
2.) Did the sounds make the movie
seem more real?
How Does the Film Work For You?
 No single film can achieve a
perfect score using all of
these criteria.
 Your job is to measure the
effectiveness of the film for
YOU.
 YOU must learn to start
evaluating a film not in
terms of “good” or “bad”, but
in terms of how successful
the film was for YOU.
Entertainment Value
Entertainment Value



The entertainment value
of a film is very
important.
If a film doesn’t hold your
attention, it accomplishes
nothing.
Entertainment is not a
diversion from learning,
but actually a very
important part of
learning.
Educational Value
We can learn something
from any film.
 Nearly every single film,
even those we find the
most entertaining, can
instruct us about
something, some aspect of
life.
 Many of them deal with
social, psychological or
emotional problems and
issues in provocative ways,

Artistic Value




When all parts of the film are done
well, the film has artistic value.
The superiority of one or two
elements doesn’t necessarily mean
that the entire film cab considered
artistic.
Science-fiction films and Westerns
have just as much artistic value as
as dramatic films.
For a film to truly have artistic
value, artistry must be found in all
its parts.
Discussing the Film
Talking about film helps you:
• Understand the film better by
hearing the views of others
• Understand how and why other
people have different viewpoints
• Exercise your own opinions and
feelings about film and its
relationship to life.
• Become more articulate about
your reactions.
• Grow more proficient in your
perceptive, intellectual and
emotional skills.
• Enjoy the film.
Congratulations!!!!!!!
You are now ready to :
1.) watch
2.) appreciate
3.) write about
&
4.) talk about films
(without sounding like a freakin’
idiot!!!)