Knowledgeable: film theory requires knowledge to learn and understand.

Risk-Takers: especially in the producing aspect of this course, risks will need to be taken to enhance a media product and keep it original.

Balanced: your ability to produce media products and to answer questions on the theory side of film must be balanced.

Caring: especially when working with a team, you must respect everyone’s creative opinions, even if they differ from your own.

Principled: in many aspects of film, you may come across political messages or meanings. Stick to your principles and know what is right.

Inquirers: to be curious and want to find out more about the theory of film or about film pieces (e.g hidden meanings).

Reflective: being able to comment on a piece of work you have written or produced or offering constructive criticism to benefit others.

Thinkers: must be free-thinking and able to understand meanings of film aimed towards the viewer.

Open-Minded: being flexible to new ideas and ways of producing projects.

Communicators: to feedback to members of a group about the additions to a shared project.

Film Studies Summer Task 

What makes a film good? 

Macro elements: story, characters, plot and genre  

Micro elements:  
 

• cinematography – This refers to the ‘shot’. Filmmakers control the cinematographic qualities of a shot, including, how the shot is framed, how long the shot is held for and what it looks like in terms of colour. This control that the filmmaker has over what we as a spectator can see is a key element of how we understand and make sense of film and relates directly to both the film’s narrative development and the conveying of the film’s messages and values. 
   

• mise-en- scène -This refers to what is in the scene and it includes setting, costume, make-up and how characters are positioned within the scene.How a filmmaker chooses to use the principal components of mise-en-scène (setting, props, costume and make-up) can generate multiple connotations and suggest a range of possible interpretations. 
   
• editing – At its most basic editing is the placing of one shot next to another usually as a ‘cut’ however this does not cover the complexity or importance of editing which also covers the graphic relationship, the rhythmic relationship, the spatial and temporal relationships which are present in the majority of narrative filmmaking. How the shot-to-shot relationships of continuity editing can be used to create meaning and generate response for the spectator. 
   
• sound – Film sound is often considered both as a whole and broken down into its constituent parts.  

This includes: 

• diegetic sound – sound that the characters within the film world can hear and react to 

• non-diegetic sound – sound that is added afterwards and should generate a response 

within the audience. 

It will also include contrapuntal and parallel sound: 

• contrapuntal sound is sound which contrasts with the mood, image and even genre of the sequence 

• parallel sound fits the spectators expectations for the sequence in terms of mood, image and genre 

• performance –  This relates directly to the performance of the cast and how meanings and responses are generated through their individual and collective performance. It considers the staging of a scene, how the cast are positioned within a set up as well as the type of performance being given. This would include the use of acting approaches such as method acting or improvisation 

The balance and combination of all of the above creates a well-produced and highly rated film. 
 

Knowledgeable- You will need to have both theory and practical knowledge about film.

Risk-takers- You will need to take risks in film to achieve the best you can.

Balanced- You will learn a balance of theory and practical work in film.

Open-minded- When working in groups, you will need to be open minded to other students’ ideas.

Reflective- You will need to reflect back on your work to see what went well and what to improve upon.

Caring- You should be caring for other people’s opinions and if anyone asks for help you should help them.

Principled- You need to be respectful.

Communicators- You will need to communicate when working in teams to produce the best piece of work you can.

Inquirers- You will need to ask questions when curious about a certain subject of film and if you need help.

Thinkers- You need to be thinking on how to improve and what you need to do to be the best you can be.

test

What makes a film “good”?

I consider a film “good” if it leaves a lasting impression on me after watching, and I would watch it again. For this to happen the narrative of the film must be memorable, not just identical to other films of the same genre. For example, one of my favourite films, What We Do in the Shadows, is memorable due to it not presenting vampires how they usually are, seriously in the horror genre. Since it is a comedy, it shows vampires living somewhat normal lives with everyday problems such as the dishes not being washed, although the dishes are covered in blood. These sort of ridiculous scenarios occur throughout the film, such as when the police clearly miss the dead bodies in their house and are instead concerned about fire hazards. This also subverts your expectations of what will happen in the film, which is what I think makes a great comedy, as well as a film in any genre. This is one of the reasons why the film was memorable to me, and a reason for my interest in watching the TV show. The cinematography style fits in with the mockumentary genre, such as the shaky handheld camera making it feel like a real documentary. So I think cinematography is very important in making a good film, as even though the film is full of ridiculous scenarios, there has to be some realistic elements to get me absorbed in the narrative. I also think good characters are essential in making a good film. They should be memorable, unique and enjoyable to watch.

Hot Fuzz, my current favourite film, is another comedy which feels rewarding to watch. It does this by using small details that foreshadow and pay off at the end of the film. This makes the film incredibly rewatchable, as there are always foreshadowing moments you notice the next time. The use of action movie style cinematography enhances the comedy because the entire film is mocking the action genre. It does this by having very dramatic fight scenes previously called unrealistic earlier on in the film. Sound used effectively also makes a good film, for example in the fight scene, loud and dramatic action film music is played, as well as loud gunfire, adding to the whole action genre feel of the scene. I also think the editing adds to the comedy, such as a scene when a tv remote is pressed and immediately cuts off to a house exploding, as if that set off the explosion. Finally, I think realistic special effects help in making a film good. In Hot Fuzz, special effects are used for blood and gore to make shocking scenes. If the special effects were not as high quality, you would not be as immersed in the scene due to it being unrealistic.

The initial element of mise en scene I picked up on was costume and setting. One of the first scenes we see is Detective Somerset (played by Morgan Freeman) getting dressed for work in his house. From that scene alone we can establish that Somerset is a basic man, living alone and is very tidy and clean. He puts on a finely ironed shirt, smart pair of trousers, a tie, a trench coat, and a hat. This establishes his character right from the start as the audience can see from his clothing and house that he is an old-fashioned detective and highly professional. 

On the contrary, we next see young Detective Mills (played by Brad Pitt) getting ready in his own home. His house is messy with cluttered boxes. He is seen wearing a wrinkled white shirt, he chucks a tie around his neck and grabs a black leather jacket. The contrast between the two detectives presents to the audience the dynamic that will soon occur between Mills and Somerset. Mills is clearly more reckless than Somerset and the leather jacket is also a sign that he is more ‘street smart’ while Somerset prefers to adopt a more practical approach. This initial inference can be made based on the costume and setting alone, due to the clever use of mise en scene.

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Another scene in Se7en that uses mise en scene effectively is when both detectives are chasing John Doe (the killer) through his apartment building. The scene uses low lighting with high contrast which instinctively makes the audience feel tension, the killer could be anywhere in the shadows. As for the killer himself, John Doe also chooses practical clothing. He wears a long, dark jacket with a wide brimmed hat that conceals his face. This implies that, like Somerset, he is a practical man, and it creates a sense of mystery in the character.

As the scene progresses the camera angles are shot from various angles and heights. Shots of John Doe are often filmed from a distance, implying the Detectives are barely able to keep up with him and he is always ahead of them.  

In film production, mise en scene refers to all of the elements that make up a single shot/frame. This can include the actors, setting, props, costumes, and lighting. It directly translates ‘to put on the stage’.

Chaotic vs Anally tidy mise en scene examples

The formula for a box office hit consists of a popular/large production company that release the film. Most people tend to watch Disney films, for example, for the sake of being a Disney film.

Another popular trend within hit films are them being part of a franchise, being a re-make, or being a sequel. If you look at the top grossing films of 2022, 2021 and 2019 you can see that there are very few “original” films released.

Art Film	Mainstream Film	Historically Significant Film
The Breakfast Club  Drama/Teen  John Hughes  1985	A Bugs Life Comedy/Family  John Lasseter  1998	Battleship Potemkin  Drama/Silent  Sergei Eisenstein  1925
Once Upon a Time-in the West  Western/Drama  Sergio Leone  1968	The Shape of Water  Romance/Fantasy  Guillermo del Toro  2017	Seven Samurai  Action/Drama  Akira Kurosawa  1954
Alphaville  Sc-ifi/Noir  Jean-Luc Godard  1965	Love, Simon  Romance/Drama Greg Berlanti  2018	The Wizard of Oz  Fantasy/Musical  Victor Fleming  1939

1. Knowledgeable 

You need to have a good understanding and be eager to become knowledgeable about film during the course. 

2. Risk-taker 

You need to be able to take risks regarding the making process of certain projects during the film course.  

3. Balanced 

In group projects its important to make sure the workload and skill set is all balanced fairly between everyone.  

4. Open-minded 

As we will be exploring films from all types of genres and from across the world, you need to keep an open mind, even if it’s not the type of film you typically enjoy. 

5. Reflective 

When critically analysing films we have watched and discussed you must be able to reflect in order to comment accurately and help your understanding of the film.  

6. Caring 

Linking to when we will be producing our own film you must take care of your work as you will be in groups and so you will be affecting others too. As with the blogs and the work produced in class you need to take care of your notes and stay up to date to help your own revision.  

7. Principled 

As you are responsible for submitting your work on the blog you must be principled to ensure the blog is frequently updated with your work up to the best standard.  

8. Communicators 

Working in groups requires a lot of communication especially when producing a short film together. You need to communicate to your group, so everything is clear for everyone, and it runs smoothly. 

9. Inquirers  

You must have a passion and interest for film and be eager to learn and so actively inquiring will help you gain more of that understanding.  

10. Thinkers 

Working in groups and individually means you must contribute something and so thinking about what you’re writing or creating is important in this course.