Film Lecture NotesWhy is film a fine art? Why is it important?- Film is a hybrid art form. Film is important because it combines elements from other arts into a single medium that cannot be understood in terms of those parts.~It is Synchronistic- The tension between art and economics. Because film is both a profit driven commodity and a work of art. It teaches us much about the tension between economics and aesthetics in our society.- Some films reflect our culture~Some films anticipate changes in our cultural life- It can reflect our unconscious. Although their production is carefully controlled by filmmakers, there is sometimes a layer of meaning. A subtext that cannot be controlled and reveals something about our conscious that we would rathernot see.Filmmaking: The Big Picture (Intro, Chapter 5)I. How to Study the MaterialsA. Studying the Text~Study the outlines in the chapter. They give you a structure of the rest of the chapter.~Learn all of the terms that are in bold, and some are highlighted in the margins.~Study the visuals: sometimes they are figures and sometimes they are tables.~Study the main points in extended texts.B.Knowing the Films~Know the key information on the overview.~Know the key points of the story.~What particular things exemplifies the clip and identify the clip.~To know what will be discussed after the film.II. The Filmmaking ProcessA. Financing and Packaging (Economics)~In financing and packaging, a screenwriter and his/her agent tries to sell the idea of a film to a studio.~In a Pitch Phrase, you take your idea and try to relateit to another film that was financially successful~Production package has: shooting script, budget, anda list of distributersB.Preproduction (Economics/Art)~The role of the producer, not the screenwriter, the producer in conjunction with the studio prepares the production package.~Tasks:+hire a director+cast the characters+select the locations for filmmaking+build the sets+set up transportation+rehearsalsC. Production (Art) ~A director creates an artistic vision from the shooting script and then oversees the actual shooting of the film~Elaboration:+Movies are shot out of sync-ness+For every scene in a film there are multiple shots+Daily, at the end of each day, they watch other moviesD.Post-Production (Art)~Prepares the film for commercial release.~Operations:+Editing+Add the sound (music effects, voices, etc)+Credits addedE. Marketing (Economics)~Maximizes the film so there is a maximized price.~Strategies:+Show it to a focus group+Trailers or previews+Reluctant performers go on talk showsVocabulary from the Notes1. Allusion- a reference in a text to a person, an event, another text, or a part of a text. Unlike an homage or a parody, an allusion does not convey clear-cut admiration for or poke fun at the subject but simply refers to it.2. Homage- (oh-MAZH) In film studies, a tribute in a text to a person, to another text (like a film), or to part of a text.3. Intertextuality- The relation of one text (like a film) to another text or texts (such as a journalistic article, a play, oranother film). Types of intertextuality in films include allusion, homage, parody, remake, prequel, sequel, and compilation film.4. Master-Scene Format- a screenplay format that briefly describes scenes but does not break them down into shots. A screenplay in the master-scene format includes brief descriptions of setting and action and any dialogue but usually excludes instructions about the making of the film, such as indications about the camera setups.5. Mock Documentary- a fictional film that parodies or amusingly imitates documentary films. Because mock documentaries have characteristics of documentaries, viewers at first may think they are seeing a documentary but soon realize the film is an extended joke.6. Parody- an amusing imitation of human behavior or of a text, or group of texts, often to satirize or to playfully poke fun at the subjects or styles of the source.7. Prequel- A narrative film that shows characters from a previous film at earlier stages of their lives.8. Remake- a film that has been filmed again and rereleased.9. Screenplay- the earliest version of a script, a script writtenbefore filming begins. Usually a finished film varies considerably from the original screenplay.10. Sequel- a narrative that further develops at least someof the story from an earlier narrative film.11. Serial- from the 1910s until the early 1950s, a low-budget action film divided into chapters or installments. Typically, serials feature fast-paced action, danger to theheroes, touches of tepid romance, and cheap special effects.Villains often wear bizarre costumes, and the stories are often set in exotic locales. Usually, each chapter or installment ends with an unresolved problem.12. Shooting Script- the version of the script that filmmakers use during filming. Because many changes are usually made during filming and editing, the finished film typically varies considerably from the shooting script.13. Storyboard- a series of drawings (or occasionally photographs) of each shot of a planned film or video story, often accompanied by written dialogue, brief descriptions, or notes.14. Text- something that people produce or modify to communicate