Joker-mise en scene 

I have chosen this still shot from the Joker (2019) by Todd Phillips as it conveys mise en scene well due to the placing of the character Arthur, the composition of this shot shows a balanced clip of Arthur in the dead centre of the screen and bus seat, this highlights the fact Arthur/ the joker is the centre of this story and makes his position as the main character well known and established. The colouring of the shot is dull, the bus seats are worn out and the windows are graffitied representing the conditions of Gotham city. With the colouring being dim it matches the gritty genre as it showcases difficult and unpleasant features, enforcing a realistic depiction of a urban city. Arthurs costume is lifeless and unexciting representing the sadness and grief of his character at this point of the movie, being the day after realising Bruce Wayne isn’t his father. It highlights how Arthur was a nobody at this point in the movie contesting the bright coloured suit and personality shown on him as the joker.     

Set design-  

I have chosen this image to represent set design as it shows well the city landscape, as this film was very mainstream and made by large company’s i assume this is a real place in a city rented out for a period. This shot is a clear representation of Arthurs character at his farthest from his alter ego, the joker and i believe this is also shown within the set being dull and monotone. 

Costume 

I have chosen this image of the joker/ Arthur to represent costume in this film as I believe the clothes Arthur wears reflects on his moods thought the movie, as when he is wearing his grey and monotone everyday clothes his mood is low, however when he wears the bright colourful clothes he is more of the joker persona not only on the outside but also inside.  

Space 

I have chosen this shot to represent space in the film joker as, the depth of field is far however the joker is still focused, this is aslo a great representation of Arthurs character as he is surrounded by wealthy businessmen and woman and he is stood in the centre of the screen in a working outfit, not only does this shot establish Arthurs class compared to the rest of the characters it also establishes himself as the centre of the story. 

Lighting  

I used this photo to represent lighting in the joker as the Hollywood mirrors light highlight him as the focal point of the shot.  

Composition  

I chose this image to represent composition in the film as the blurred silhouettes highlight Arthur and his importance. 

makeup 

I have chosen this image for makeup as it clearly establishes Arthur as the joker from the very beginning as the look is so distinctive. 

What does Monoco mean by the term “The Spectrum of Arts”?  

There is no simple way of answering this question as there are hundreds of things to say about “the spectrum of arts” as it is so wide, and everyone has their own perception of the various forms of art such as:  

• History – recorded the story of race and cultures over time, leading not only the modern social sciences but also a broad narrative  

• Poetry – this form of art has been a widely loved and explored form of art ever since the roman days, recognized in those times as either: lyric, dramatic or epic  

• Astronomy – this was known as the art of “searching the Heavens” and it represents the vast range of modern sciences at the same time as it suggests one other aspect of social sciences in its astrological features, values and functions of production and interpretation  

• Dance – this form of art and many variations of it have been around for millions of years, it is a very expressive form of art, requiring skill, endurance and commitments however it was and is still used today by humans to celebrate and be able to express their emotions without the use of words  

• Music – humans have been creating music ever since the beginning of time, maybe not with a variety of instruments or music editing apps but with either objects, their voices, instruments or even the nature around them as music has been a symbol of celebration and essentially what makes people happy as there is a very large spectrum surrounding music because everyone’s ‘music taste’ is different making it the amazing art form it has come to be allowing people to express how they feel through music  

• Comedy and Tragedy – both these types of performing arts have mainly come around over the century for the entertainment of society (plays, musicals, movies etc.), these are both admirable components in performing arts as many people modernly use these as inspirations for their own future  

In conclusion, Monaco explains that Art is such a broad spectrum, meaning every person may have a different way of viewing art depending on the individual’s personality and what they view as “good” or “bad” art.  

Monaco represents his understanding of film in multiple ways. In his book he expresses that film holds a close relation to many other media aspects such as; novels, painting, photography, television and even music.  

Monaco starts off this chapter by explaining the historical significance of poetry, and astronomy and other human creativities have had on the culture.  

Monaco explains that if we were to arrange the arts on a spectrum based on their levels of abstraction then film would cover a broad range of other ideas because of its relation to other art forms mentioned above (photography, painting, music, etc). Film started off as a medium to record other arts but quickly turned into the anomaly that we know as “cinema” today.  

Cinema holds the ability to visually tell you a story and take you on a journey of emotions and experiences. The music used in films influences every watcher’s experience and is timed perfectly to match the story to create a narrative within itself.  

Cinema has the ability to commentate on society with the evolution of genres. Many people look towards film as a way of understanding the world around them. One notable example (personally) is taxi driver, in this film we see how loneliness and isolation can drive society to insane means of being noticed

David Monaco’s term “The Spectrum of the Arts” refers to a framework for understanding the different forms and expressions of artistic activity, ranging from traditional visual arts (such as painting and sculpture) to more contemporary, interdisciplinary, and digital forms (like multimedia installations, performance art, or interactive media). By using the term “spectrum,” Monaco likely emphasizes the wide range of creative expression and the continuous, interconnected nature of these various art forms, rather than seeing them as distinct, isolated categories. 

In this sense, art is viewed as a broad continuum, where boundaries between disciplines are fluid, and artists are free to blend different mediums and methods. This perspective encourages an appreciation of art that values diversity, innovation, and the evolving nature of creative practice. 

It’s a concept often linked to modern and postmodern views on art, which resist strict definitions and classifications, emphasizing that art can manifest in many different forms and settings. 

Rating- 7/10  

I enjoyed the fact that the movie had many relatable scenes where they talked about drug abuse and confusion with their sexual orientation. Though I felt throughout the movie i kept on getting lost as there is a lot happening and there is much to take in. The jump from teenager to adult was quite insane as it was difficult to believe this boy who was standing up to bullies his whole life (kids at school, mother) became this man who did not care and had nothing. He showed that even though he was this different person now he still cares for his mother, even though she suffered from drug abuse his whole childhood he still loves her. There is so much sentiment in this movie where you can truly feel bad for every main character as they all had things happen to them. 

This part of the movie was the most important for me as it shows his mother feeling resentment for how she treated him and how she messed up her own life with the use of drugs. I felt a lot of sentiment for the mother as she knows what she did but at the same time i felt for Chiron as he also went through and is still experiencing trauma when his mother was in too deep. As much as Chiron wanted to help, he could not because at the end of the day he was a boy alone in a house where he did not feel safe.

ART FILM	MAINSTREAM FILM	HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT
The shape of water (December 1st, 2017 – fantasy romance)  The wizard of oz (august 25th, 1939 – musical fantasy)   A bug’s life (November 14th, 1998)	The breakfast club (Feb 15, 1985 – comedy drama)   Love Simon (March 16th, 2018 – romance comedy)	Battleship potemkin (December 21, 1905 – war/thriller)  The seven samurai (April 26, 1954 – action)  The magnificent seven (October 23, 1960 – western action)   Fitzcaraldo (October 10th, 1982 – adventure drama)  Alphaville (May 5th, 1965 – Sci-Fi)

A BUG’S LIFE – I decided to put this movie into the ‘art film’ category since it is animated and as each frame is drawn/designed, I thought it would fit the art category best. It could also, however, place in the mainstream category since the film is still popular now.  

THE JOKER – Phillips 2019  

Rating- 7/10  

I enjoyed the film mostly, however it was a little too gory for my liking. The storyline and origin of the joker was interesting to see as i now understand the character and the reasons behind his actions. Though Arthur was continuously doing unforgivable things the movie still allowed you to empathies with him and his struggle. 

A memorable scene of this film was Arthur dancing down the stairs, i thought it was interesting to see the contrast of his mood from the beginning of the film when he is depressed and angry climbing up the stairs to the clip of him dancing down the stairs carelessly and his character as the joker being fully developed.   

The spectrum of the arts refers to how art as a concept is so wide that it must be categorised, into the performance, representational, and recording arts. Ancient historians originally recognised art as being divided into 7 different categories; History, poetry, comedy, tragedy, music, dance, and astronomy. In the 1200’s, art had evolved in meaning, going from a way to classify types of study and performance, to a more practical connotation. Art’s meaning changed frequently from the 1200’s to the 1800’s, becoming synonymous with “skills” towards the 1500’s. Eventually, the sub-category fine arts was made, to distinguish sculpture and painting inside the clause of art. In the 1800’s, sciences like astronomy and philosophy were being associated with the sciences instead of the arts, due to the rise in scientific discovery and understanding.

The spectrum of arts were split into performance art, which relates to art that happens in real time; examples of performance art are theatre and dance. Representational arts relate to art that depends on societal contexts and language codes to deliver a message to an audience; examples of representational art are paintings and sculptures. Recording arts relate to art that more directly links itself to its audience; an example of a recording art is music.

What does Monaco mean by the term “The Spectrum of the Arts”? 

The spectrum refers to the development of ‘art’ throughout decades of history, and it explains how eventually film and other sorts of recorded media found its own place within the form of art.  

In the beginning, the ancients recognized History, Poetry, Comedy, Tragedy, Music, Dance and Astronomy as the seven forms of art. These forms were used as tools to understand the world and culture around them. As for the Greeks and Romans, they further categorized Poetry into three categories: Lyric, Dramatic, and Epic.  

However, as centuries passed, changes to these aforementioned forms of art were made. Dance, for starters, was dropped from the list and replaced by Geometry, which marked the growing importance of mathematics and other more “scientific” forms. And in the twentieth century as the modernized version of science was developing, recorded media was starting to revolutionize.  

Film became an entirely new art form in which there was a much more direct understanding between viewer and creator. Visually, film changed the way art could be consumed. Then, when sound and colour got created within films, marking the end of the silent film era, the art of cinematography really cemented its place in the so called “Spectrum of Arts”.  

Monaco states that the word ‘art’ itself shows us a lot about the history of art and how art was used by our ancestors. Art was once recognized in seven different forms: poetry, history, comedy, astronomy. Music, dance, and tragedy. This was because they all signified an important aspect of the universe we lived in. However, the term ‘art’ started to shift its meaning during the thirteenth century where the term art started to become used more for practical reasons such as geometry, it was also re-order to fit the trivium (grammar. Rhetoric and logic). Although, these changes only applied for a university setting, while outside a university the term ‘art’ was used more liberally for different skills like the ‘art of medicine.’ Eventually. In the sixteenth century the word art and the word skill were interchangeable since to be able to master an ‘art’ or ‘skill’ you would need a lot of practice. During the seventeenth century, the modern term for fine arts started to rise and sculpting and painting started to get recognized as an art, while geometry and mathematics started to be seen as separate. Later, a difference between ‘art’ and ‘artisan’ was made which was a new phrase of ‘creative’ or ‘imaginative.’ As science was developing quickly in the nineteenth century, the definition of art started to decrease, since science was gaining added information, updated terms were created such as ‘chemistry’ to help organize. Eventually the term ‘art’ referred to visual arts or literate arts. As technology improved, art was classified as advanced, creating the Dada movement in 1920 where art became basic and met the minimum quantum.