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.