Cinematography
Cinematography Term Paper
With 1200-1600 words of analysis, compare the realist aesthetics of Koko: A Talking Gorilla (1978) to the formalist aesthetics of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). Using at least 4 elements from the provided lists (2 from each), explore precisely how the films use these aesthetics. Why does each film use these specific aesthetics? What meaning is offered?
1. Fiction film origins
A. Méliès and magic(al) film
a. Lie and trick people into seeing things that don’t actually exists
b. Allows us to hear and see things that don’t exist
B. Tom Gunning and “the Cinema of Attractions”
a. Definition of documentary
b. Different way to read film history: (Clip of train coming into station) appeal was simply movement
c. Described at cinema of attractions: visually attractive: simply movement
d. See stuff that they normally can’t see: seeing the beach or fantasy of a beach
(Clip Ghost Train 1903-special effects)
C. avant-garde films
a. Most films today are fiction films
b. Real legacy of movies of attraction (Clip of Mothlight)
i. Minority attraction
2. Tendencies of formalist films (compare to realist films)
A. foregrounding of subjectivity
a. Rather than showing the world as it is, shows us a world that doesn’t exist
b. Emphasize special effects (only one part)
B. form is as important (if not more important) than content
C. reflexivity (over transparency)
a. See through the aesthetics (relative)
b. Aesthetics are impossible to ignore, where the movie focuses only on the aesthetic
(Clip from Taylor Swift’s music video Bad Blood)
3. The aesthetics of formalism (Contrast last week’s notes/film)
A. subjective narration (“I”)
a. Subjectivity vs. objectivity
b. Restricts what a character sees or feels (one’s perspective)
(Clip from 1945 movie)
B. expressive mise-en-scene (stylized)
i. German Expressionism
a. Flat space, painted on
(Clip from Vampire movie)
ii. Melodrama (the subjective becomes objective)
a. The interior state of character’s moods are presented outward, on screen
b. Visual information from lighting (Human vs. Ghoul)
i. Sometimes unnatural light (obvious aesthetics)
(Clip from All That Heaven Allows)
iii. Animation
(Clip from Back Seat Bingo)
a. Deliberate stylization (shows the real people @ the end of the film)
(Clips from Simpsons)
C. expressive cinematography (clear view of mise-en-scene)
i. lighting
a. Environments that don’t make sense (horror movies)
b. Light doesn’t work, gives opinion about the space
ii. camera movement
a. Moves regardless of what’s moving in the frame (unmotivated)
i. Feelings about the situation
ii. Odd to move away from a main speaking character
(Clip from Taxi Driver)
iii. shallow depth of field and rack focus
a. faced with an image that lacks focus
b. Visualization for thought process
i. Reminder of watching a movie
(Clip from The Graduate)
(Clip from Poltergeist)
1. Mobile camera and mobile lens
a. Cinematography that reminds us that its cinematography
D. expressive editing (always in the right place to hear or see something)
i. collision
a. Thrown into the shot, have to figure out why the images are edited in this way
ii. Montage
a. Rapidly moving through time and space
b. Impossible to ignore
(Clip from Rock IV)
E. performance
a. performance capture and SFX
i. Actors, bodies that don’t or can’t exist
ii. Performance capture of Andy Serkis (turned in the precious)
1. Run through a computer
(Clip from Guardians of the Galaxy)-voice overs are acting
physical effects/performance is happening just with special effects work
F. expressive sound (sound is at the service of the image)
a. Mix and match sound, to match the scene’s mood
b. Nondiegetic sound (don’t exist in the natural environment)
c. Collision sound (compare difference information from difference senses)
(Clip from Singing in the Rain)
We can write this or a similar paper for you! Simply fill the order form!