OUTLINE by Paul Nervy Copyright (c) 2006 by Paul Nervy Visit www.paulnervy.com. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww FILM Contents Aspects of film Philosophy of film Science and technology of film Economics and business of film Tasks in film making. The art of film. Directing Acting Screen writing Movie Criticism History of Film Directors Actors Writers Movie list (see History database) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww PHILOSOPHY OF FILM What makes film unique? Why is film important? It reaches a lot of people. Its is compelling. Fascinating. It is popular. Lots of money. Communication tool. Stanely Cavell wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww TECHNOLOGY OF FILM Cameras Film - Super 8, 16mm, 32mm Shots - pan, zoom, dolly Directing Acting Lighting Sets and props wwwwwwwwww Light in film natural sunlight. Full spectrum. artificial lights filters nighttime scenes rainy day scenes snow scenes Lighting on people. Lighting on scenery. Dark shots. Light shots. Medium light shots. wwwwwwwwww Color in film black and white film color film monochrome sets vivid color sets neon colors wwwwwwwwww Sound in film dialogue music sound effects wwwwwwwwww animation. By hand vs. computerized. special effects. By hand vs. computerized. wwwwwwwwww Camera angles Head on. Shoot up at subject. Shoot down on subject. Shoot left or right to get good side of subject. wwwwwwwwww Shots Close up Pan. Left. Right. Up. Down. Zoom. In. Out. Dolly shots. Move camera. wwwwwwwwww Editing No edits or cuts. Many quick cuts. Equally timed cuts. Ex. 1 per second. 1 per heartbeat. Rhythmic cuts. Ex. to match music. Syncopated cuts. Ex. wacky movie gimmicks. 3-D glasses. Smellovision Sensesurround. Sound you can feel. Amplifiers. Bass. wwwwwwwwww Camera placement and camera movement Still camera. Camera on pivot. Camera moving on flat ground. 2D. Camera moving in 3D around subject. Fly's view. Size of subject relative to size of background (frame). wwwwwwwwww Simplest movies No edits, no cuts Straight on, mid-distance shots, with no camera movement Real time flow, no flash backs or flash forwards Document real situations and real people Next Flash back and flash forward Set in past or future Fictional story using actors Edits Special effects using camera lenses (ex. fish eye lens), computer effects (ex. morphing) or projection effects (ex. slow mo or fast) Vary shot distance and angle. Camera motion on swivel or dolly to move entire camera. Costumes, makeup, sets, props and lighting. wwwwwwwwww Computers and film Digital cameras Digital editing Digital projection Computer special effects Computerized actors Computerized scenery Computerized animation wwwwwwwwww OTHER FILM TERMS Silent film Sound film Black and white film Color film Studio film. The studio system. The star system. Studio marketing. Studio distribution. Independent film Independent wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww DIRECTING What is the function of the director? How important is the director relative to writers, actors and producers? How best to accomplish this task? wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ACTING What is the actors function or task or craft or goal? How best to accomplish this goal wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww SCREENWRITING How does writing for movies differ from writing a novel? Movies can show more visually. Show setting. Show characters. Less verbal description of environment required. Less verbal description of action required. Screen writing can be completely dialogue based. No narrator required. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww FILM CRITICISM wwwwwwwwww Film critics Pauline Kael. Roger Ebert. Leonard Maltin. Gene Shalit wwwwwwwwww Film festivals and awards Cannes Sundance Golden globes Acadamy awards wwwwwwwwww Film criticism questions Why are movies important? Movies are important because our civilization is built on ideas, and movies convey ideas very well. Culture. Why is this movie important? What is this movie about? A film can be about many things. Why do I like or dislike this movie? wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww HISTORY OF FILM (see History database). The history of movies is a history of the technology, the people (writers, actors, directors, etc.), the business and the movies made. Silent Era Edison Great Train Robbery Trip to the Moon (French Lumiere brothers) Birth of a Nation (DW Griffith) Comedy Chaplin Keaton Laurel and Hardy Sound films The Jazz Singer with Al Jolson German Expressionism Nosferatu Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Russian Potemkin by Sergei Eisenstein Hollywood Studio System Genres of film Musicals Westerns Film Noir Animation French New Wave Breathless Independent Film Computers and Film. Digital Cameras. Special effects wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww DIRECTORS Allen, Woody. 1970's, American. Annie Hall. Bergman, Ingmar. 1960's, Sweedish. The Seventh Seal. Bunuel, Louis. Capra, Frank. 1930's, American. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Its a Wonderful Life. Copolla, Francis. 1980's, American. Eisenstein, Sergi. 1920's, Russia. Battleship Potemkin. Soviet montage. Odessa steps editing. Fellini. 1950's, Italian. Ford, John. 1940's, American. Gance, Abel. France. Napolean. Godard, Jean Luc. 1950's, French. Hitchcock, Alfred. 1950's, American. The Birds. Psycho. Rear Window. Vertigo. Huston, John. 1940's, American. Kubrick, Stanley. 1960's, English. Dr. Strangelove. 2001. Kurosawa, Akira. Lang, Fritz. 1930's, German. Metropolis. Lean, David. 1950's, English. Bridge Over River Kwai. Lawrence of Arabia. Lumet, Sydney. 1980's American. The Verdict. Lumiere brothers. 1900's, French. A Trip to the Moon. Murnau, F. W. Germany. Renoir, Jean. 1930's, French. Grand Illusion. Spielberg, Stephen. 1980's, American. Truffaut. 1960's, French. New Wave school. Wells, Orson. 1950's, American. Citizen Kane. Sayles, John. 1990's. American. Matewan. Brother from another Planet. Lynch, David. 1990's. American. Eraserhead. Blue Velvet. Jarmusch, Jim. 1990's. American. Broken Flowers. Burton, Tim. 1990's. American. Edward Scissorhands. Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Charlie and Choclate Factory. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Acting schools. Stanislavsky method Lee Strasberg. Actors Studio. Stella Adler. Eugene Frankel. HB Studio. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww WORLD FILM RUSSIAN Sergei Eisenstein. Potemkin. GERMAN Murnau. Nosferatu. Fritz Lang. Metropolis. All Quiet on the Western Front FRENCH Grand Illusion New Wave. Breathless. A Man and a Woman. Truffaut Diva. ITALIAN Fellini. 8-1/2 INDIAN Bollywood SCANDINAVIA JAPANESE Akira Kurosawa. Rashoman. Seven Samuri. CHINESE Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Honk Kong martial arts films AFRICAN SOUTH AMERICAN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BRITISH USA Hollywood system Action films. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Genres of film. Adventure. Comedy. Comedy, romantic. Comedy, screwball. Drama. Drama, police. Drama, detective. Drama, legal. Drama, medical. Drama, accounting. Drama, romantic. Documentary. Science fiction. Western. Film noir. French New Wave. Russian montage. German expressionism. Animation. Horror. Silent film. Documentary. Protest film. Love story. Family drama. Sci fi Fantasy The war genre. All war movies are horror movies because war is a horror. The horror genre. Why do people watch horror movies? Why not watch angsts and depressions? The western drama. Why do people watch westerns? Why not watch tundras? Why not watch easterns? wwwwwwwwwwwww ACTORS AND ACTRESSES Ingrid Bergman. Casablanca Audrey Hepburn Funny Face Roman Holiday Charade Breakfast at Tiffanys Sabrina Katherine Hepburn African Queen Bringing up Baby Front Page Cary Grant Rear Window Marilyn Monroe Sophia Loren Greta Garbo Bogey and Bacall Key Largo United Artists: Chaplain, DW Griffith Studio System MGM Paramount Judy Garland John Gielgud Alec Guiness Lillian Gish Louise Brooks Clara Bow Dim trio Costner Cruise Travolta Comedy Silent era Keystone Cops Harold Lloyd Buster Keaton Charlie Chaplin Talkies Laurel and Hardy Marx Brothers WC Fields