Cinematography is the art of motion picture photography. In cinematography various styles are used by different cinematographers to differentiate films/or make films more memorable. Different film techniques can be seen in motion picture from a Point of View shot to zooming in.
A cinematographer/director of photography is the person in charge of the camera and light crews on sets.
Notable recent cinematographers in film are:
Emmanuel Lubezki, 3 time Academy award winner for Gravity, Birdman and The Revenant.
Janusz Kaminski, Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s list and War Horse.
Alien was released in 1979, a time where feminism was needed and had gradually grew over time. There was arguably more of a need for a strong female character back in the 1970’s, where feminism had began to pick up speed, most notably in the form of second wave feminism. Alien was a unique film, not entirely being classed a as horror, sci-fi, or thriller but rather a combination of the three. It had jump scares, gore, but it also toyed with our emotions since we felt emotionally engaged with the character of Ripley. As the majority of her crew were killed off, we followed our heroine through till the end, admiring the brave traits which set her aside form other female leads.
It is difficult to actually define what inspired Alien, since it is such a unique and individual film. Some basic ideas and principles from the film were based off old classics, scriptwriter O’Bannon drew inspiration of the alien pursuing a group from the hit 1951 horror ‘The Thing: (Christian Nyby). He also cited ‘Planet of the Vampires’ (1965, by Mario Bava) for the idea of the heroes discovering the alien
Other fiction also influenced some of the ideas and visual style of Alien, in particular the 1953 short story ‘Junkyard’ where the characters discover some eggs after landing on an asteroid. ‘Strange Relations’ (1960, by Philip José Farmer) also influenced the aliens as a whole, and O’Bannon claimed that many comics served as influence for the aliens as well.
The Maltese Falcon was released in 1941 during the second world war and it is part of the original film noir movement which became popular due to the pessimism and darkness of the war years. The film contains many narrative devices that would later become hallmarks of the film noir movement, like the private eye protagonist having voiceovers and the presence of a woman who tries to lead him down the path of crime.
This film fits into the stereotype of film noir because it contains most of the established tropes that the movement is known for, like the femme fatale. The film taps into the anxiety that many Americans would have been feeling during the war and Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) represents the ideal of masculinity at the time – he is smart, strong and independent and this is the ideal that men at the time strove for. The film is concerned with themes of morality and many of the characters are morally ambiguous, and this is a trait that it shares with Blade Runner. The mise en scene in classic film noir is high contrast due to the black and white cinematography.
Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor
One of the things that film noir and neo – noir is known for is the sharp, no – nonsense dialogue and this is a feature that both films share and this links to the themes of cynicism and bitterness that are typically associated with the genre of film noir.
Blade runner was released in 1982, 41 years after The Maltese Falcon, and it blends elements of film noir with elements of sci – fi and the film was released during the Cold War , there is a subtext that links to the anxiety about nuclear annihilation which was not present in The Maltese Falcon and the film is a lot more explicit because it talked about the disastrous effects of environmental destruction.
Despite this film’s genre hybridity, it contains many of the classic stock characters of film noir, like the private eye protagonist and the femme fatal – the inclusion of these characters is intended to be a reference to the classic film noir of the 1940’s and 50’s and much of the film’s aesthetic is derived from the films of this era and it is combined with futuristic visuals. Blade Runner is not part of the classic noir movement and many of the tropes that appear in this movie do so in a manner that is self – referential.
Harrison Ford and Sean Young
The aesthetics of film noir were influenced by the German expressionist films from the 1920’s and 30’s and this influence is evident in the black and white visuals of the Maltese falcon; this influence is not as evident in Blade Runner as it uses colour cinematography. Blade Rummer also talks about the humanity’s destruction of the environment which links to the Cold War anxiety about nuclear war. Both films are bitterly cynical about what is happening in the world and both protagonists are hardened and bitter detectives.
Blade runner is intended to be a direct homage to the film noir of the 1940’s and this film consciously references the tropes and conventions that are present in films like The Maltese Falcon.
Archetypes
There are several archetypes that are associated with film noir, these are:
The private eye – he is often bitter and cynical. Spade and Deckard fit neatly into this archetype. They are often anti – heroes with a dubious sense of morality. He is often the narrator of the film
The femme fatale. A beautiful woman who uses her charm and sexual allure to attempt (sometimes successfully) to destroy the man. Pris, Rachel and Ruth Wonderly/Brigid O’Shaughnessy all fit into this archetype.
The corrupt cop – could possibly be symbolized by Blatty.
The aesthetic for film noir is sharply defined and immediately recognizable with the black and white cinematography and films with the established conventions of classic film noir e.g. The Maltese Falcon. Blade Runner conforms to some of the tropes of film noir, but this is done in a self-aware way and it does not have the immediate association with the film noir genre for audiences due to the sci – fi elements of the story and the colour cinematography which is one of the major things that differentiates neo – noir films from classic noir films.
The term film noir was first applied to Hollywood films by French critic Nino Frank. in his article “Un nouveau genre ‘policier’: L’aventure criminelle” (“A new police genre: the criminal adventure”) he said that “filmmakers express their own reality and many of them were from Germany” and as film noir was first popularized around the time of the rise of the Nazis and during this time they had limited resources i.e black and white film was less expensive and the filmmakers did not make much money and they used their medium in order to portray their struggle to the world.
Film noir is such a resonant genre of film due to the fact that it is often true to life and and the films do not seek to conceal the cruelty that human beings are capable of , instead the film makers seek to tell a story about how people struggle to survive in a hostile world and the reason that film noir became popular in the first place was the political tension leading up to world war two and the destruction that the war brought and neo -noir was successful because of the constant danger of nuclear annihilation that was posed to the Cold War world
The Maltese Falcon does use some stereotypes that could be considered to be offensive – for example , Joel Cairo exhibits feminine characteristics and there is an implication that he is gay. In the film he is one of the primary villains , due to the fact that he works with the Fat Man , but he is not simply a villain – he helps Spade at various point , this is emblematic of the moral duality that the characters in film noir are known for. Due to the Hays Code , which was a strict set of guidelines that filmmakers had to adhere to , the filmmakers could only hint at the characters homosexuality.
Blade Runner has more modern themes : the environment has been completely destroyed and the officers of the law are corrupt – these are more blatant allusions to the current political landscape than are present in the Maltese Falcon.
Feminist theory was influenced mainly by women studies, and second wave feminism. The latter movement was revolutionary, mainly with the concept of women taking center lead rather than just being considered an ‘other’ to men. French writer Simone de Beauvoir looked into this concept during the late 1940’s, citing in her 1949 book ‘The Second Sex’: male centered sociology was accepted as the norm. This reinforced the idea that the society was socialized into believing men were superior because society had centered around them at the time.
Inspired by the work of Beauvoir, feminist Betty Friedan objected to the depiction of women in the media and argued that women who just stayed at home were typically unhappy. This popular view spread the movement faster, leading to the need for strong, inspirational female characters to backup the popular ideas
I will be filming my first 30 second film at German road because there are some caves/bunkers. the road will not be in the film but the woods next to the road will be. My film will be focused on one character who is a young girl who has been held captive and has escaped one of the caves in the woods. She has escaped the cave but the being which has held her is coming after her. My focus for this film is cinematography and so i will try and use different angles and movements. i would like to use close ups to emphasize the girls emotion and a long shot of the scenery to set the scene.
Please note that you will have a new class member every Thursday period 1. To that effect we will look to get to grips with some of the following. Can we also make sure that we all CATEGORISE ALL POSTS APPROPRIATELY! This will be really important for assessing, tracking and monitoring your work (thank you)
TASK: Use the first lesson back (Thursday 25th April) to make sure you have a post that clearly shows your three film roles and that you have CATEGORISED any subsequent posts that show evidence of your research (ie the portfolio) and your production (film reel)
In terms of planning and preparation, the pre-production phase of process contains a number of elements:
1) Start with sourcing actors – knowing who is going to be in it will give you a sense of how to develop character and creative a narrative around this casting decision. You should then write a screenplay for the scene when these decisions have been made.
2) Then think about location – you could recce a few different locations as part of mise-en-scene. Ensure that these are appropriate for your genre and that you obtain permission for filming before you start. Take photos of locations and do a basic risk assessment before filming.
3) Next, try to find sound which works with your project – remember that you need to concentrate on finding non-proprietary (copyright free or commons music and effects) you should also think about recording your own effects as Foley sounds/creating your own music if this is the skill that you are showcasing.
4) Finally, you will need to construct a shooting script and/or storyboard for your sequence which will act as a guide to help you visualise your final piece in terms of cinematography and editing as well as ordering your process.
PRE PRODUCTION EVIDENCE DOCUMENTS:
CASTING DECISION – HEAD SHOTS OF ACTORS/CHARACTER PROFILE
Details: I will use My dining room and garden as setting for the film. By using a house i hope to cause the audience to feel as if they are at home – this gives a false sense of security and sets them up for a bigger shock later on.
Permissions: None needed
Points of Interest: I am interested in filming in my house because it is perfect mise-en-scene. I have to set very little up.
Safety Issues: None.
Electric supply: When inside i have constant access to electricity however when outside i do not, thankfully my setup does not require electricity. Batteries can be used in necessary tools.
Sunlight: Plenty of Light falls into the room i will be filming in, however i am filming at dusk so i am using artificial lights inside.
Windows: there is one large window in the room, plenty of light can be seen through it .
Noise: Unfortunately my house is located right next to a busy main road, however i will be recording my audio separately and adding it in post. I will record the audio in a sound studio setup at school where there is much less noise.
Screenplay:
Fade In:
INT. DINING ROOM – Night
On a cold winters night ANTON, sits at the table smiling at something on his phone. Its a series of pictures of him and his friends, they seem to be having a great time.
EXT. NEXT TO THE ROAD – NIGHT
KRYSTIAN crouches against a stone wall, right next to the gate of the garden he must infiltrate. He looks at his watch then crouches in front of the gate and peers over. After a short while he quickly hops over the gate and into the garden.Then he gets up confidently and starts walking towards the window, round the tree, cracking knuckles and doing a few stretches as he goes.
INT. DINING ROOM – Night
KRYSTIAN’S jump could be heard faintly which perks ANTON’S attention slightly. He looks up from his phone with a slightly confused look on his face. He gets up and looks out the window from behind him, it’s difficult to see outside. All he can see is a few metres in front of him. All the while the steps are dramatically getting louder. Finally ANTON recoils from window as he sees KRYSTIAN approaching. The scene ends in blank slate.
Shooting script
Shot number
Camera/ action
Location
Shot length
audio
1
MLS Anton swiping through his phone
Dining room
3 seconds
Tapping on phone, fan hum
Atmos music
2
CU Krystian crouching
Next to road
3 seconds
Car driving past
Atmos music
3
MS Anton turns phone off and puts it down
Dining room
2 seconds
Phone noises, fan hum Atmos music
4
Krystian checks his watch
Next to road
2 seconds
Car driving past, watch ticking Atmos music
5
3 seconds Anton checks message
Dining room
3 seconds
Phone noises, ticking Atmos music
6
Establishing shot just of the area where Krystian was
Next to road
2 seconds
Atmos music
ticking
7
MS Anton puts head in hands
Dining Room
2 seconds
Atmos music
Anton sighing
8
MLS Krystian jumping the gate from behind
Next to the road
<1 second
Atmos music, Krystian’s footsteps
ticking
9
MLS Krystian lands int the garden
Garden
<1 second
Atmos music
Krystian landing on gravel
ticking
10
MS Anton lifts his head up and starts to get up
Dining room
2 seconds
Atmos music
Ticking, heartbeat.
11
Krystian walks towards the house
Garden
2 seconds
Atmos music ticking, heartbeat, footsteps, torch clicking on
12-21
Quick alternating MS between Anton walking and looking through the
window from inside and Following Krystian approaching from outside
Dining room and garden
Every shot <1 second
Atmos music, ticking, heartbeat, footsteps.
22
MLS Anton recoils from the window in terror
Dining room
<1 second
Gasp from Anton, Atmos music cuts out, ticking stops, no footsteps.
Chris Vogler, a story analyst for Disney, Warner Bros, 20th century fox an more explored the construction of narrative from a character driven perspective. His Theory is called the hero’s journey.
The Hero’s Journey consists of 12 parts
I will list the parts with reference to my chosen film: Star Wars: A New Hope (1977, George Lucas)
1: Ordinary World: We start off seeing Luke on his home planet, we are slowly introduced to him and his environment to help establish his place as the protagonist.
2. The call to adventure: A message from Princess Leia calls Luke to save her from the empire.
3. Refusal of the call: Less of a refusal, R2D2 runs away before Luke can get enough information about the situation.
4. Meeting the Mentor: When looking for R2D2 luke and the gang are ambushed and attacked, Ben Kenobi (Obi Wan Kenobi) ends up finding Luke and takes him to his home.
5. Crossing The Threshold: After seeing his home has been attacked, Luke agrees to be taught under Obi Wan Kenobi, and to go save Princess Leia from the empire.
6. Tests, Allies and Enemies: The hero – Luke, is constantly tested in fights to build his skill and confidence and help him get ready for the final challenge. Additionally he meets Han Solo and Chewbacca who agree to help him on his journey
7. The Approach: Not too much happens here, it is mostly just preparation for the main ordeal.
8. The Ordeal: Luke and the gang end up trapped in garbage chute / crusher, They nearly all die but manage to escape just in time.
9. The Reward: Luke and the gang are finally safe with the “reward”: Princess Leia. And start the journey back home.
10. The Road Back: although they have the reward, they try to go home but are tracked by tie fighters and must escape them aswell – usually a chase scene occurs.
11. The Resurrection: Luke, after recovering Leia, goes to destroy the death star, however Darth Vader is there to block Luke’s quest, in-fact it looks look Vader is about to kill Luke, however, just as it looks like the hero is or is about to die, they suddenly come back to life with full force and complete the quest, in this case, Han Solo helps Luke to fend off Darth Vader so Luke can Destroy the Death Star.
12. return with the elixir / tot he ordinary world: This is the final stage and it is very simple, in which the hero returns to their own world after completing their quest. However in some cases where sequels exist, the quest is not finished and Luke never really exits the extraordinary world, this is because there is still more of his quest, so in the next films Luke restarts the Hero’s journey in some form and it repeats.
The ending medal ceremony in Star Wars IV: A New Hope
I will be comparing the films Alien (1979, by Ridley Scott) and Happy Death Day (2017, by Christopher Landon)
My question is: ‘How are elements of the feminist film theory represented in the horror genre?’
I chose these films because they both contain a strong example of a ‘final girl’ which is a trope found typically in Slasher films. This is an element of feminist film theory, created by theorist Carol Clover. The basis of the trope, is a female character who is typically the last survivor, and faces a successful showdown with the killer or entity. Although this is usually shown in slasher films, final girls can appear in most horror or sci-fi genres.
In my study, i will explore how the main aspects of feminist film theory are represented in horror through my two film choices. In particular, i will focus on the ‘final girl’ trope because it is a main aspect of the theory and shows a unique representation of women through horror, particularly over a time period.
