Essential Introduction to Film Studies Starts Tue 11 Oct 2011 18:30 – 20:30 8 Weeks
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Essential Introduction to Film Studies Starts Tue 11 Oct 2011 18:30 – 20:30 8 weeks How do we start making sense of movies? Can we identify the various elements of cinema which combine to form a film’s meaning, and can we start to talk about how film works? This is what this course sets out to cover, and its aim is to give you a working vocabulary of key film concepts so that you can express what you think about film in an informed and structured way. You will be introduced to the concept of mise-en-scene – literally, what’s ‘put on screen’: things such as design, costume, lighting etc tend to signify certain things to us, and clue us into the dramatic world of the film. Acting styles can also create effects for us, and the presence of a familiar star in a film will carry additional layers of possible meanings for us. Cinematography, too, is expressive: where the camera is positioned, whether it moves, how it moves – these all affect us. Most films are composed of thousands of shots – so how and why a film is edited is important. And, of course, even ‘silent films’ are projected with accompanying music, so we need to think about how sound (effects, speaking, music) are used too. Once we have explored these elements of ‘film language’ we will examine how film narratives are constructed, and will ask whether films are ‘narrated’ to us. The idea of ‘genre’ can help us ‘de-code’ how a particular film is operating (genres also help the industry to market their products). As part of this course, there are two screenings at Cornerhouse. The first is in week 3, and it is one of the greatest of Hollywood musicals, Singin’ in the Rain. As it is a film about the film industry itself, it will give us lots to talk about. The second film is Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas – visually and aurally, an extremely rich and complex gangster movie. Above all, this course aims to enhance your enjoyment of film, by giving you some tools to talk about film in a structured and insightful way. Handouts and further reading suggestions will be provided during and at the end of the course. All tutor-led course sessions will take place in The Annexe and there will be two screenings in our cinemas. Beginners' level – no prior knowledge required. Tutor: Andy Moor, Reader in Cinema History at Manchester Metropolitan University Week 1 Introduction: What the camera does The Annexe Tue 11 Oct 18:30 – 20:30 We begin with an overview of the various elements we will look at in more detail as the course progresses, asking the general question ‘can we think of cinema as a type of language?’ Many films, of course, lure us into their story- worlds so that we forget about the technology which has mediated what we see – not least the camera itself. We will therefore start to consider where the camera has been placed: why use a long-shot, or a close-up? How might a camera be moved within a shot? And why? Week 2 What’s in the Shot: Mise-en-scène The Annexe Tue 18 Oct 18:30 – 20:30 Mise-en-scène – literally, ‘what’s put on screen’ – means everything visible within the frame of a shot. It encompasses setting, location, props, lighting, makeup, gesture and (of course) acting. We will consider how different types and combinations of these affect the meaning of a shot, and think how different genres of film tend to have a particular palette of elements which we immediately recognise. Week 3 Film Screening: Singin’ in the Rain (U) Cinema Tue 25 Oct 18:30 Dir Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen / US 1952 / 103 mins Jean Hagen, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse Set in Hollywood at the end of the silent era, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN tells to story of newcomer actor (Reynolds) as she meets the star, Don Lockwood (Kelly), and makes good both on screen and in his arms in this sweet showbiz story set during the birth of talkies. Week 4 Sound & The Musical The Annexe Tues 1 Nov 18:30 – 20:30 It seems a good idea to draw on what we’ve looked at so far and to think about how last week’s film works. One aspect of cinema which motivates the storyline of Singin in the Rain is sound – in particular, synchronised sound. We will cover ideas about the use of sound and music in film – and also consider what form the musical – as a genre – can take. We will end by looking forward to next week’s film, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. Week 5 Screening: Goodfellas (18) Cinema Tue 8 Nov 18:00 Dir Martin Scorsese / US 1990 / 145 mins Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, Lorraine Bracco Scorsese’s outstanding rise and fall story of mobster Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian kid who grows up idolising the Mafia big shots in his impoverished Brooklyn neighborhood. After taking on a job at the local cab stand, Henry is soon introduced to veteran criminal Jimmy Conway and reckless delinquent Tommy De Vito, and initiated into the world of the 1950s New York Mob. Based on the true life best selling autobiography ‘Wiseguy’, by Nicholas Pileggi, and backed by a superb soundtrack, Goodfellas is remembered as one of the all time Scorsese greats. Featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Joe Pesci as the petite but big headed De Vito. Week 6 To cut or not to cut: Editing choices The Annexe Tue 15 Nov 18:30 – 20:30 The last ‘technical’ aspect we will look at is editing. Once a film is composed of more than one shot, some editing decision has been made. Using examples from Goodfellas we will start to examine how some sequences have been put together, and what effect the editing choices have had on the finished product. We can, of course, also discuss the film in more general terms: its design is stunning (but is it always ‘realistic’?); its use of music is different from the classical musical we saw earlier in the course; and its main actors demonstrate very different acting styles. Why? What are the significant features of the gangster movie? Week 7 Narrative and Narration Cinema Tue 22 Nov 18:30 – 20:30 We are used to the standardized feature film, though it is by no means the only form of cinema. How are narratives constructed? What forms of narratives predominate? How did classical Hollywood develop such a well recognized form of narrative? Alongside these questions, are issues to do with how we find out what happens in films? Do we know more than characters in a film itself? Is there an explicit narrator – perhaps with a voiceover – telling us what is happening? Is that narrator someone we can trust? Week 8 Stars The Annexe Tue 29 Nov 18:30 – 20:30 By way of a round-up, we will think about what stars are and how they too function as elements in a cinematic language. Do stars bring meanings with them? Do we import ideas about particular stars when we watch their latest film? How do we relate to stars? And what’s the difference between a star and an actor? References There are lots of ‘introductory’ books about film studies on the market, and many of them are very good. A lot of them are also rather expensive – certainly you do not need to buy any of these. However, if you want a solid colourful text book to immerse yourself in, then these are all good, and you might be able to find them 2nd hand: • David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction • Jill Nelmes, Introduction to Film Studies • Richard Barsam, Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film Shorter, more portable books which are handy primers for those new to the study of film include: • Susan Hayward, Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts • Andrew Dix, Beginning Film Studies Dr Andy Moor, August 2011 Associated Events New British Cinema Quarterly Junkhearts (CTBA) Tue 22 Nov, 18:20 Dir Tinge Krishnan/GB 2011/Running time TBC Eddie Marsan, Romola Garai, Tom Sturridge, Shaun Dooley Our regular showcase of new British talent returns with a tense psychological thriller from BAFTA award-winner Tinge Krishnan. Set in inner-city London, Junkhearts tells the emotional story of a former soldier whose post-traumatic stress disorder leaves him vulnerable to exploitation. Event We are pleased to welcome members of the filmmaking team for a post-screening Q&A. For more information on the New British Cinema Quarterly programme, visit www.nbcq.co.uk Matinee Classics Our popular, ongoing programme brings cinema classics to the big screen every month – with each film showing on a Sunday at 12:00 and the following Wednesday at 13:30. Our October and November films will also have an informal post-screening discussion following the Wednesday showing, so you can talk about the film with other film fans. The Lavender Hill Mob (U) Sun 23 & Wed 26 Oct Dir Charles Crichton/GB 1951/81 mins Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James Charles Crichton’s hilarious caper comedy The Lavender Hill Mob celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, and this classic of Ealing Studios retains its tongue-in-cheek charm. After years of servitude and drudgery, Henry Holland (played by Alec Guinness, who was Oscar-nominated for his performance) turns against his employer and hooks up with a pair of career criminals to execute a spectacular gold heist.