WELCOME TO A LEVEL FILM STUDIES :)
Summer Task ‘What makes a film good?’
What Makes A Film “Good”?
Although opinions of film can vary, and one person may love a film that is often regarded to be bad, there are some essentials to what makes a film work and keep the audience engaged. In terms of micro elements, it is important for the editing of a film to feel natural and for cuts to not just happen for no reason. Editing must be included in a film to progress from one scene to another, unless the film is shot as a “one-take”, in which the entirety of the movie is one continuous sequence without any cuts. On rare occasions, films are edited to appear to be one continuous shot, but these cuts are required to be seamless so that it doesn’t even occur to the audience that there has been a cut. Mise-en-scene represents everything that can be seen in frame by the audience, such as outfits, placement of props, makeup and characters. These components are integral to films for conveying messages and what is happening in scenes to the audience. Cinematography is important for the process of mise en scene, since it is the cinematographer’s responsibility for everything needed to be in frame and visible. Cinematography primarily relates to how a film is shot and in what style, although just because a film may look nice, it doesn’t mean it can act as a substitute for substance and plot. Films contain both diegetic and non diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is heard by both the characters in the film and the audience, such as a boom or bang in an explosion, or a collision sound in a car crash scene. Non diegetic sound is only heard by the audience, such as narration or the musical score of the film.
Some films have certain attributes they must include if the filmmakers wish for them to be part of a specific genre, such as the inclusion of jokes in a comedy film or perhaps the sight of blood in a horror film. A film doesn’t have to be restricted to one genre, however, and directors often choose to place their films in cross-genres such as action-comedy or horror-drama. Often, themes are presented in films for the active members of the audience to interpret, while passive audience members may look over them and just watch the film for the events happening in it. Examples of themes may include fear, loneliness, love or acceptance. A motion picture cannot really be considered a film unless there is a narrative present throughout, meaning it must have a story throughout with a beginning, middle and end. This doesn’t mean, however, that a film cannot end with a cliffhanger, but the ending should feel earned and natural as opposed to being there for the sake of having an ambiguous ending. Some directors may hire members of the same production crew of previous films they have worked on in order to reinforce a specific style they may be synonymous with, often linked to lighting or camera choices. To conclude, the quality of a film relies on telling a complete story that can be followed by an audience while keeping them engrossed with a distinctive style and including conventions of the genre (or genres) the film is a part of.