UNDERSTANDING CINEMA, I

ANSWER ON YOUR OWN [HOTS]:- Provide examples as justification for

your answers.
Q1] Find out prestigious Awards related to cinema. [Research]

Q2] Essay on Sexism & violence In South Indian Cinema. [ Must be written
in ABP style format]
600 words
Q3] DO you think, Indian Bollywood movies, showcase reality? justify your
answer
ACTIVITY:-
Journal Entries:
Students can be assigned to write a journal entry, either in class or as
homework, responding to the events or episodes in the movie as it
progresses. The journal may or may not be focused on one topic; topics
can change each day.
Sample Assignment:
We are going to be watching the movie, “Remember the Titans,” for part
of the class period each day this week. As homework, every day after a
class in which we watch the film, I’d like you to write a short journal entry
about your reactions to the movie so far. [Describe the length of the entry
desired or the amount of time students should spend writing the entry.]

Q1] Film as a medium and an art as different from other arts and
Media?
- Cinema emerged as the premier story telling medium, incorporating
many qualities of other arts. Although we see many arts reflected in
Cinema, it still retains its individual, unique quality. This would be
the first step in Understanding Cinema as a narrative medium art.

Q2] “Films are difficult to explain, because they are easy to

understand”- Christian Metz , Explain
 -

Q3] what is Cinema?

Cinema is an audio-Visual, Spatio-Temporal, Narrative medium.
Visuals on screen contain actors, locations, lighting, objects, and
compositions.
Sound track consists of speech, effects, Music, Silence
These are the basic elements that go into the composition of any film.
That is how, Cinema tells stories in its own way.

Q4] why do we see the elements of the other arts being used in
Cinema
Cinema uses the story- telling techniques of literature
Cinema uses the same basic elements of line, Shapes and colors/ tones in
composing visuals like painting
Cinema uses the illusions of the three dimensional space and composes
figures in depth and offers multiple points of view.
Cinema uses Architecture and natural structures as settings.
Cinema uses music as a part of the story and dramatic structure.
Cinema uses actors and depends upon their performances.
Q5] How is cinema and literature related?

Cinema is also used in a response to poetry. For a long time, there has
existed an interrelationship and mutual influence between literature and
other forms of artistic expressions. This has resulted in painting and
music based on works of fiction, drama and poetry, as well as literary
works emulating pictorial styles and musical structures. The creative
exchange between literature and film was initiated in the last decade of
the 19th Century. Initially, film was most related to photography and
painting.

Literature shares with film the ability to employ the structures and
devices of narrative. Sequence of images on screen told a story and this
is equivalent to the sequence of words on page. The use of language in
film established firmly the connections to literature.

Films, just like in literature, present i) action ii) images iii) words
replicating life. Literary works also have a stylistic and thematic basis in a
realistic presentation of characters and incidents. Theatre, initially,
seemed nearest to film because of the common use of actors and sets.
Critics agree that films have a stronger affinity with fiction, especially with
the pronounced emphasis on narrative. However, whereas the primary
thrust of literature is linguistic, the thrust of film is imagistic/ visual and
immediate.

Film draws from the tradition of live theatre which includes techniques of
staging, lighting, movement and gestures. From the novel, film draws
from structure, characterization, theme and point of view.

For eg
No.1 is PINJAR, title means Skeleton and this movie was based on Amrita
Pritam's novel who is also an anti-socialist..
NO.2 OMKARA is Vishal Bharadwaj's take on Othello is set in rural UP,
where gun-toting gangsters fight with each other for turf control.
Bharadwaj's adaptation is very close to the original, differing only in little
plot details.
NO.3 SURAJ KA SATWAN GHODAN which means the seventh horse of the
sun,is another interesting film
NO.4 UTSAV is Girish Kannad's movie is based on an ancient Sanskrit play
called Mricchakatika. But, Kannad fills his movie with so many extras and
have them debate theory of aesthetics that this movie becomes a
succesful example of making your adaptation say what the original never
said
Q6] What are the similarities between cinema and Music.
Music is a performing art and therefore is time bound, i.e temporal
Music is an aural [auditory] art
Music uses sound and silence in different patterns combinations.
Music is one art can be transferred to cinema in its original form. A song
or a theme music composed for a film can and does become a part of the
film and yet retains its independent existence as a musical piece. Since
music can be used in its undiluted and most impacting manner, it has
formed sucha a brilliant associations with cinema. In India especially,
music has been strong factor in success of some films. For both aesthetic
and commercial reasons music has always been considered important
and essential in films in India.

Music can do the following in films:-

It can add an emotional depth to the scene.
It can help move the story forward through narrative song sequence.
It can offer melody or a rhythm for actors, directors, choreographers and
editors to work on.
It can create and sustain mood, especially in scenes where there is no
dialogue
It can help in the publicity of the film
Some musical themes and songs are associated with the images of the
film.
It can help bring out sub vocal feelings and moods without the use of the
words
Music is usually used in three ways in films;
1. As title / theme music
2. Background Score
3. Songs

Q7] Differentiate between cinema and theatre.

Q] Difference between Architecture and Cinema
The relationship between cinema & architecture is mentioned in
many occasions and it's partially true. In fact, the architecture in the
cinema appears as a background of the scene, as a background of
the action. As, happens with photography, the cinema is giving us a
specific point of view about things, about the reality and the
architecture into it. Into the invention of the plot, the reality (and
the architecture inside) appears in a special way, with special light,
in a special frame, in a special context.
Architecture is Spatial, three dimensional art. Like sculpture, and
architectural work also reveals itself through multiple point of views.
Architecture is also the most functional of all arts in the sense that
there is a use value to it.
A building has got to be not just aesthetically pleasing, but serve the
purpose for which it was originally planned and constructed.
Architecture has a certain standalone quality and timelessness
about it.
Famous buildings in the cities usually become the landmarks for the
citizens of that city and signs of the city’s identity for others like the
Eiffel tower is synonymous with paris.
CLASS ACTIVITY:- Write down opening scene for your film, using
architecture to describe the place,/setting
{HOTS} Sum up the Rich relationship Of Cinema with other
Art forms.
 UNDERSTANDING
CINEMA II
Q1] How can we improve the perception of Films?
One has to watch all kinds of films with open mind.
When we see a film for the first time. We are engrossed in the story,
impressed by the acting.
But we are also aware of the quality of Photography, music, special
effects, locations etc.
We are aware of the changes of scene and time, i.e sequential
nature of happenings.
In cinema story is important but what matters equally is that how
the story is told, its presentation and scheme.

Q2] what is Macro-Structure?

1. This is the decided at the script stage.
2. This is the arrangement of script in the broader sense.
3. It deals with structuring of the story in a definite spatio-
temporal order
4. It determines whether the film is a linear narrative, or a story
told in a flashback or in any other way.

Q3] what are the Aspects of Macro structure?

1. It structures the time order of the story as linear or non linear
2. It lays out story in terms of sequences and scenes, which are
individually defined in terms of Space and time.

1. Structuring Time:- Normally a story is told either in Linear or a

nonlinear manner.
Linear – Stories that progress in a straight line, going ahead
step by step are called Linear narratives.
NON linear form of story telling
Stories that do not progress in a straight line are called nonlinear
narratives
Eg:-Lawrence of Arabia: - by David lean begins at a point, when the
protagonist is dead and then travels back in time to unravel his story.
Dil chahta Hai:- By Farhan Akhtar is about the lives and friendship
between three friends, who enjoy good times together in college but fall
apart thereafter. The film begins in the present when a dramatic episode
brings the friends together and then we travel back in time to follow the
earlier story.
The Sequence:- is a basic unit of macro-structure. The story proceeds
sequence by sequence.

Q4] What is a Shot:-

It is the length of the films exposed in one continuous running of the
camera at the time of Shooting.
Shot in cinema has 3 aspects
1. Visuals
2. Audio
3. Editing [transition]

Q What are Visual Aspects of a SHOT?

Visual aspects of a shot A cinematographic shot has many visual aspects
to it
. 1. Image size – Long Shot/Medium Shot/Close up
 A shot can be taken from a long distance from the character showing
him/her in full figure – [Long Shot] showing him/her in relation to the
environment of the scene or, Form a middle distance [Medium Shot]
showing him/her in relation to his/her proximate things or, form a close
distance [Close Up] that can show the facial expressions or physical and
emotional nuances clearly. See the first three sequences of Schindler’s
List to observe the use of varying image size.
2. Viewpoint – Eye level/High/law
The camera could be placed at the eye level of the character or
above it or below it. This is the normal position in a conversation,
showing aparity between the characters. However, when this
relationship changes then the camera also changes position. Watch
the very first sequence after the titles in Godfather I. Initially, the
whole scene is static and photographed from the eye level of the
characters, while they remain seated. When the relationship changes
and Don Corleone wants to dominate his visitor i.e. Amerigo
Bonasera, the men stand up and the camera is looking from a lower
angle at Don, giving him the dominant look. Sometimes, the
viewpoints of the camera are associated with psychology of
perception. Generally, objects or characters who appear to be
dominating are shot from a lower than their eye level point of view.
Similarly, those characters that are made to appear powerless or
dominated are often photographed from a point of view, which is
higher than their eye level. [Although it is not a rule.]

3. Birds’ Eye View – Psycho

The opening sequence of Psycho beings with a high angle panoramic view
of the Phoenix city in Arizona, USA. We have seen this kind of an opening
in so many films. Discuss the examples in the class. Use of the low and
high angle viewpoints are well combined in the very first action sequence
i.e. the first fight takes place betweet the thief and the heroine. The fight
begins on ground, when the camera is at the eye level of the characters.
When it develops into a chase and shifts to the roof, we see that our
[camera] viewpoints alternate between low and high angles. See
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – As the chase begins Minutes 14.30 to
2.05 Minutes
3. Static/Moving camera Camera becomes our eye while we watch a film
if it is static, we see the shot accordingly from the same viewpoint. If it is
moving then we see things from a mobile viewpoint. Gabhricha Paus [The
Damned Rain, 2009] by Satish Manwar is remarkable film on the issue of
the suicide of the cotton farmers in Vidarbha. The film opens with a series
of shots where the camera is moving and following the children, till the
dramatic point of discovering the corpse of a farmer hanging from a tree.
The second sequence, which follows is the scene of the tragedy with
police panchnama being conducted and all the relatives and friends
sitting around stunned by the tragedy. This entire sequence is shot in
many shots and in all these shots the camera is static. The contrast
between the first and second sequence is noticeable. The camera
movements are basically of the three types and they are called as Pan,
Tilt, track. These are easy to understand if we can look at them as an
extension of the way we see. We move our heads in horizontal direction
and so does the camera, and that is called the pan. We move our heads
in vertical direction and so does the camera, and that is called tilt. We
move bodily from one place to another and so does the camera, and that
is called the track. [The camera can be mounted on a crane or inside a
moving vehicle or a train or an airplane or on rails or can be simply held
in hand while walking… all these are varieties of the track.]
In addition, there are the other factors like The use of Lenses – [wide
angle/normal/telephoto] Lighting Planes like – foreground/background
aspect ration Graphic quality – Colour/B-W Lighting plays a very
important role in creating, moods, depicting the moods of the characters,
giving a feel of the environment and highlighting important objects.
Painters had gained extra – ordinary proficiency in this art much before
cinema began.
Q] What are Audio Aspects of the shot?
Audio aspects of a shot
 Speech
 Sound Effects
 Music
 Silence Are the components of any film sound track.

Q5] Editing Transitions are like punctuation marks in written

language. They make the flow of the story orderly.- Explain

In video and filmmaking terminology, a “transition” could be defined as

the way in which any two video shots are joined together.

The first point to understand about transitions is that misuse

or overuse of transitions is a sign of an amateur, in the same way that
overuse of slide transitions in a PowerPoint presentation are
unprofessional. Especially if too many different types of transitions are
utilized.

Video Transition: The “Cut”

The most common transition is the “cut.” This is simply one video clip
changing instantly to the next shot.

Cuts are the best way to keep the action or momentum moving along at a
good pace.

Straight cuts are not only simple, but they create smaller overall file sizes,
which are an advantage for web videos. (In other words, adding
transitions create larger video files, and on the Internet, smaller files are
desirable).

Video Transition: The “Crossfade” or “Dissolve”

The next most common transition is the crossfade, or dissolve. This is

simply one video shot gradually changing to the next.

The timing of crossfades can be made shorter or longer and they

generally provide a more relaxed feel than a cut and slow the pace of the
video. Dissolves can better convey a sense of passing time than a cut.

Video Transition: The “Wipe”

A wipe is a more complex transition, and includes a number of variations.

One way to think of a simple wipe would be imagining a single sweep of a

slow windshield wiper as a transition from one shot to the next while it
moves across the screen.

Variations include an iris wipe, a heart wipe, a clock wipe, and a star wipe,
in which the name approximates the geometric manner in which the
wiping motion occurs. Examples: an iris wipe is like an expanding or
contracting circle. A heart or star wipe is like an expanding or contracting
heart or star. And a clock wipe moves around in a circle.

Video Transition: The “Fade”

Two key transitions are fade-up from black and fade to black. Fading in
from a single color, such as black, conveys a sense of “beginning.” And
nothing says “the end” like a fade to black. (Fades can be used with other
colors, too).

Video editing is important because it is the key to blending images and

sounds to make us feel emotionally connected and sometimes truly there
in the film we’re watching. It’s a safe assumption to say that video editing
is among the most important jobs in the film industry. With professional
video editing you can create an emotion-evoking masterpiece, and it can
make or break your film.