The German institute of cinematography is a film school located in Moscow was the first film school in the world. Founded by Vladimir Gardin, was a Russian film director who wanted to improve the Russian film medium. The most recognisable students from VGIK would be Lev Kuleshov. Who contributed as one of the founders of the Moscow School.

VGIK – “outstanding Russian filmmakers. S. Eisenstein, A. Dovzhenko, M. Romm, S. Bondarchuk, R. Karmen, G. Chukhrai, E. Tisse, A. Golovya, B. Volchek, Ye. Gabrilovich, V, Yezhov, S. Komarov, R. Yurenev taught at VGIK at different periods of its history.”

Task 1: Key narrative and technical conventions of the French new Wave approach to film making. Refer to right and left bank.

Technical approaches:

• Filmed the back of people’s heads
• Discontinuity editing
• Outtakes left in to remind the audience that they are watching a film
• Use of long takes
• No master shots
• No establishing shot – “in media res”, meaning start of sequence usually is in the middle of action
• Use of improvised dialogue
• Jump cuts – Jean-Luc Godard “Breathless – 1960”
• Pan transitions – “Breathless – 1960”
• Naturalistic sets – was not shot in studios
• Handheld cameras

Narrative approaches:

• Heavy dialogue and improvised lines
• Focus on character’s emotions
• Wanted audience to be aware of cinema and film utilizing experimental and avant-garde techniques as seen in “Breathless – 1960” and “La Jetee – 1960”
• Characters breaking the 4th wall – extradiegetic
• Narration by main characters
• Director’s films being seen as an extension of literature and narratives being structured like a book. Auteur theory.

Left bank & Right bank – French New Wave

Chris Marker, Alain Resnais and Agnès Varda three well known French New Wave Left bank group directors. The Left group films are recognised as films that focus on real socio-cultural issues those of which are less radical, seeing film as an art to express meaning whereas typical right bank films “Cashiers du Cinema” appreciate film as an art form. The two differ in artistic style that being, cinematography, dialogue, and Mise En Scene. Right bank artists are more established.

The key narrative and technical conventions of the French new wave approach to film making wanted to challenge audiences and keep them from becoming complacent while watching. They used many innovative techniques—including jump cuts and actors addressing the audience directly—to remind viewers they were watching a film, and rejected script-based filmmaking in favour of heavy improvisation.

The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favour of experimentation and a spirit of iconoclasm. New Wave filmmakers explored new approaches to editing, visual style, and narrative, as well as engagement with the social and political upheavals of the era.

Left bank – The artists more radical in their approach e.g. Chris Marker, who sees film as more of an art form that can be experimented with.

Right bank – The artists are more established and look at the auteur approach. They are called Cahiers du cinéma directors e.g. Jean-Luc Godard.

Left Bank:

-less radical

-impatient with the conformity of the right bank

-directors tended to be older and appreciate cinema more as an art

-experimental

-Key Names: Varda, Marker and Resnais

Right Bank:

-more recognition

-financially stable

-often associated with Cahiers du cinéma

-Key Names: Godard, Truffaut, Chabrol