Film Editing & Design Name______Points Possible: 100 pts

Cinematography Analysis Worksheet – Children of Men and Birdman

Complete the assignment by answering each question in paragraph form. Answers need to be complete and comprehensive, demonstrating that you paid attention to the film and thought about what was shown on the screen. You may use more than one paragraph if necessary. Be sure that the topic sentence of your first paragraph uses key words from the question. CHILDREN OF MEN

1. Who are the director and cinematographer of Children of Men?

2. Who is the protagonist and what is he or she like?

3. Who or what is the antagonist and what is he, she, or it like?

4. What is the conflict that is driving the protagonist to act?

5. Is there another less important conflict, often referred to as a subplot, which helps drive the story? If so, describe that conflict and who is involved in it.

6. What is the climax of the film or moment of highest tension?

7. How is the conflict resolved?

1 8. What aspects of the protagonist’s character lead to the resolution of the conflict? Support your conclusion.

9. Identify two devices of fiction, such as motif, symbol, foreshadowing, flashback, foil, opposition, irony, or language choice (diction) that are used in the story and describe how they affect plot progression, assist in character development, or convey meaning. (Look up definitions to these words if you are not sure.)

10. Filmmakers use a variety of tools to communicate their message. Delve deeply into the tactics used in this film. Give two specific examples of how elements of the cinematic art, such as lighting, shot framing, camera angles, camera movement, color, editing choice, or length of take, audio effects or music were used by the filmmakers to get their point across.

11. Young filmmakers often learn best by borrowing the tactics used by experienced masters of the art. Choose one or two things that stood out about this film that you would like to be able to mimic in your own films, or describe something that you would like to learn how to do as a result of seeing this film. (Examples: method acting, cinematography, special effects, music/audio scoring, directing, specific film tactics). NOTE: You should try to pick things that you feel you are capable of applying to your own movies and that you can learn with research and practice – not with a major Hollywood budget.

2 BIRDMAN: Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance

1. Identify the movie by stating its title, the name of the director, and where the story is set.

2. Who is the protagonist and what is he or she like?

3. What is the conflict that is driving the protagonist to act? The protagonist in this film has a quote on his dressing room mirror that says, “A thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing.” How does this reflect the conflict of the film?

4. How does the play being performed What We Talk About When We Talk About Love parallel the conflict that is driving the protagonist? Choose a specific scene that mirrors or parallels the protagonists’ struggle:

5. Choose one scene from the movie that created a moment of tension, and describe what helped create that tension (a specific character, the dialogue, the action, the camera angles, etc.). Be specific!

6. Identify two devices of fiction, such as motif, symbol, foreshadowing, flashback, foil, opposition, irony, or language choice (diction) that are used in the story and describe how they affect plot progression, assist in character development, or convey meaning. (Look up definitions to these words if you are not sure.)

3 7. Filmmakers use a variety of tools to communicate their message. Delve deeply into the tactics used in this film. Give two specific examples of how elements of the cinematic art, such as lighting, shot framing, camera angles, camera movement, color, editing choice, or length of take, audio effects or music were used by the filmmakers to get their point across.

8. Young filmmakers often learn best by borrowing the tactics used by experienced masters of the art. Choose one or two things that stood out about this film that you would like to be able to mimic in your own films, or describe something that you would like to learn how to do as a result of seeing this film. (Examples: method acting, cinematography, special effects, music/audio scoring, directing, specific film tactics). NOTE: You should try to pick things that you feel you are capable of applying to your own movies and that you can learn with research and practice – not with a major Hollywood budget.

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