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Aesthetics

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Aesthetics are the colours, shapes, and objects that can be categorised based on the emotion/feeling they evoke.

Realism

Verisimilitude – The appearance of being true or real.

Social Realism – work that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structures behind these conditions.

Magic Realism – a literary or artistic genre in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy.

Hyperreality –  an artificially created copy that is perceived as somehow more real than the real thing, or too real to be real.

Visual Style

Iconography – the use of recurring visual images and symbols in movies that convey specific themes, evoke emotions, and build a film’s narrative identity.

Intertextual Referencing – when a text implicitly or explicitly refers to another text, by using distinctive, common or recognisable elements of the referenced text.

Visual/Sound Motifs – a recurring story element that acts as a way to highlight a films thematic meaning.

Colour Grading – post-production process of altering the appearance of an image for presentation in different environments on different devices.

Auteur Trademarks – A directors “iconic” style of direction

Tone

Pathos – an emotional appeal to an audience.

Bathos – an effect of anti-climax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous.

Suspense – a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen.

Comedy – type of drama or other art form the chief object of which, according to modern notions, is to amuse.

Dramatic Irony – a literary or film technique originally used in Greek tragedy, where the significance of a character’s words or actions is clear to the audience but unknown to the character.

Distancing Effect – breaking the fourth wall, through action, set, or sound

Postmodern Humour – Challenges accepted notions and expectations of genre, philosophy, and humanity.

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Aesthetics

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Aesthetics – The overall style and feel of a film including the lighting, mise en scene, colour palate and cinematography.

Aesthetics Terms 1 – Realism

  • Verisimilitude – believability within the film; how convincing the world is to the audience.

Dune is a good example of verisimilitude as the sci-fi environment feels very fleshed out which makes it feels like it could be an existing world.

  • Social realism – films that aim to depict the effects of environmental factors on the development of a character.

This Is England demonstrates how children can be very naïve and impressionable, especially when faced with something tragic like a father dying in war, which is ultimately what attracted Shaun to Combo’s views in the first place.

  • Magic realism – depicting magic systems in a realistic way.

While Harry Potter is very much a fantasy series, the magic system doesn’t really feel like it has any flaws, as well as being very vast in terms of what it can do.

  • Hyperrealism – a dramatic depiction of reality/gives it a ‘perfect’ feeling.

The Barbie film depicts life in a dramatic and exaggerated way, with the beginning of it suggesting that life in Barbie world is perfect.

Aesthetics Terms 2 – Visual style

  • Iconography – the use of recurring symbols, visual motifs and themes to convey meaning and evoke emotion

Water is a recurring theme throughout Moonlight, that appears throughout all three parts of the film.

  • Intertextual referencing – the use of ideas or themes from other pieces of media or literature

Alice Cooper is seen in Wayne’s World, appearing as himself. This happens again in Wayne’s World 2, where Aerosmith appear.

  • Visual/sound motifs – a recurring story element acting as a way to highlight a film’s meaning.

The Imperial March is an iconic sound motif that occurs throughout the entire Star Wars franchise.

  • Colour grading – manipulating the colour, tone and mood of a film to enhance the impact of the story.

Though Schindler’s List was filmed in 1993, they consistently film it in black and white. However, one little girl is shown to be wearing a red coat to represent children’s innocence, though it has been interpreted in many different ways.

  • Auteur trademarks – when a filmmaker has complete creative control over a film and implements their visual style in other pieces of their work.

Wes Anderson’s iconic colourful style is recurring throughout a large majority of his work.

Aesthetic Terms 3 – Tone

  • Pathos – a persuasion technique that aims to appeal to the audience by evoking the intended emotions, mainly sadness.

Up utilises pathos at multiple points throughout the film, but the most famous would be the montage scene of Carl’s life with Ellie before she dies.

  • Bathos – an absurd or ineffective climax.

The ending of Monty Python and the Holy Grail could be considered bathos because it leads to a very unsatisfying climax.

  • Suspense – a state of anticipation towards an outcome.

The Silence of the Lambs uses suspense throughout the film effectively.

  • Comedy – a genre of film where the main emphasis is on humour.

Shaun of the Dead is a very highly rated British Comedy directed by Edgar Wright starring Simon Pegg.

  • Dramatic irony – a situation in which the audience or reader has a better understanding of something than the characters themselves.

Everyone watching the film Tangled knows that Mother Gothel is not Rapunzel’s mother, but she’s managed to convince her that she is.

  • Distancing effect (verfremdung) – techniques designed to distance the audience from emotional investment.

Dogville uses a distancing effect/alienation to prevent people from getting too emotionally invested.

  • Postmodern humour – aims to undermine highly regarded expectations.

Pulp Fiction tells the story out of the ordinary and flips our expectations of film structures.

Representation, This is England

Representation in This Is England

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Young People

Shaun, as a young person is represented in this film as being a vulnerable and impressionable boy that can easily adapt to what others say to him. He is easily influenced by Combo’s ideologies which is a real representation of how so many real young people in the real world start to fall into far-right ideas. But at the end he shows that it is still possible for young people to change. Shaun is also seen as a victim of circumstance, of the social and political problems happening around him as he is rightly clueless.

Older People

Shaun’s mum throughout the film is the only parental figure seen that doesn’t manipulate Shaun’s vulnerability and constantly supports him. She can be seen as a positive light for Shaun, especially when she talks with Shaun about his dead father and offers help. She is seen as a responsible, caring mother.

This differs to Combo who, for Shaun, seems to fill in the void that Shaun’s biological father left when he passed away. Combo is represented as an adult who is angry and very outspoken- he doesn’t sway in his ideas and wants to spread them around. He may think of himself as a hero for Shaun, but actually he is a manipulative figure that used his authority due to his age to pick on Shaun’s insecurities and lack of a parent. He is not responsible, and is not a good representative for what an adult should be and do.

Class

All of the characters in This is England represent the lower working class. We see them navigate their childhoods while in this class and this is reflective of the director’s own experiences. For Shaun, we see the drawbacks of his own poverty reflected in the mise en scène in his bedroom- the chair as a bedside table, the dim lights and the décor in bad condition.

Black People

Milky is the victim of racism in This is England. He represents the views held by many English people in the 1980s, and when he is brutally beat up by Combo, we see the extent of the deep hatred. However, he explains how he has a good and big family around him, and him and Combo even find a point to relate on when they discuss music, but Combo’s racist views eventually prevails.

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Aesthetics

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Aesthetic – refers to the overall style and theme of the film including the texture, this refers to the beauty of the film and how aesthetically pleasing it is looks wise

Realism

Verisimilitude – the believability of the world of the film (diegesis), how real it looks compared to the normal world.

Social Realism – films which reflect a range of environments and social issues

Magic Realism – films with a realistic tone containing fantastical events bringing old stories, myths and tales to modern relevance

Hyperreality – films where everything feels overly real, an exaggerated reality to the point where it becomes hard to believe it is real

Visual Style

Iconography – the use of recurring images and symbols in films to convey specific themes or evoke specific emotions and build the film’s narrative

Intertextual Referencing – when a film overlaps with another work of art (another film, work of literature or another art form)

Visual/Sound Motifs – recurring visual or sound element used throughout the film to create meanings and representations

Colour Grading – a way of manipulating and editing raw film to maintain colour tones through the film

Auteur Trademarks – when a film “author” or director who is in full control of the making of the movie utilises the same way of filming including camera shots and angles, themes and lighting throughout most of their work

Tone

Pathos – different objects, subjects or specific elements which convey an emotional appeal, making the audience convey a sense of pity or empathy

Bathos – an anti-climax in a film, when the audience expects something to happen and something usually more underwhelming happen

Suspense – usually in correlation with anxiousness and anticipation, the spectator not knowing when and how it is going to happen

Comedy – a genre of film which mostly focus on humours moments therefore making the audience laugh

Dramatic Irony – the significance of a character’s words or actions is clear to only the spectator but not the character itself

Distancing Effect – usually used in live plays, when the character breaks the “forth wall”, it is used to distance the audience from emotional involvement

Postmodern Humour – another style of comedy including other comedy features such as parodies, irony and including both high and low art styles

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Aesthetics

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Aesthetics are the overall appearance, style and perception of a film. For example, the makeup or costumes worn, set design and props.

Aesthetics term 1: realism

Verisimilitude- The appearance of being true, believable or real

In This is England (Meadows 2007) the set design and use of location shooting creates an accurate and detailed image of 1983 England.

Social Realism- the aim to draw attention and recreate, social/political issues and critique those to blame. For example, showing poor conditions in the working class and critiquing capitalist views.

Of mice and men (Sinise 1992) include many political elements and give viewers an insight of America during the great depression following the Wall street crash in addition to the prominent social issues such as racism and sexism.

Magic Realism- Presenting a realistic detailed view incorporating magic or fantasy elements, often blurring the line between speculation and reality.

The Harry Potter franchise perfectly encapsulates the essence of magic in the real world while questioning if its fantasy fiction and reality.

Hyperreality- The lines between fantasy and reality are blurred and fantasy is well blended to the reality so there is no obvious distinction between them.

In Barbie (Gerwig 2023) fiction is morphed into reality as Barbie leaves her fantasy land and brings it to the real world.

Aesthetics term 2: Visual style

Iconography- The use of reoccurring visual symbols/images that convey specific themes or ideas, add to the plot and add emotion.

Intertextual referencing- Occurs when a movie overlaps with another art piece, such as a book, another film or a piece of music.

Visual/sound motifs- A reoccurring sound or visual symbol in a film that highlights the films plot or message its trying to portray. These visual symbols could be reoccurring objects, colours or shapes.

Colour grading- When raw film is edited and manipulated to create consistent colour tones throughout, like a filter to create a distinct colour pallet.

In Fantastic Mr Fox there is a prominent use of browns and oranges to create a clear, specific colour pallet to reflect the film

Auteur trademarks- When the film is clearly directed by a specific person based on a distinctive sign telling their work apart from other peoples.

Wes Anderson is an auteur as his style is unique and his work can be told apart from other films. He uses a specific narrative and visual style to make his work distinguishable.

Aesthetics term 3: Tone

Pathos- Appealing to audiences emotion

Bathos- Refers to the rhetorical anti-climax, transition from one topic to a vastly different one.

Suspense- Creation of a feeling of anticipation from the audience, this can be heightened by a stressful violent or emotive scene. Gives an effect similar to a cliff-hanger.

Comedy- Humorous, designed to make audiences smile and laugh.

Dramatic irony- When the audience know information the characters don’t, creating humour or suspense.

Distancing effect- Achieved when the audience cannot have the illusion of being an unseen spectator.

Representation, Uncategorised

Aesthetics

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aesthetics definition – The overall style of a film and the visual appearance. This can include the costumes and the set design throughout the movie

Aesthetics term 1-realism

definitions

Realism – a way to represent real life issues / characters through film

verisimilitude – The appearance of being true or real; believability

Example– Selma is an example of verisimilitude since its based on real events that happens (the fight to pass the voting act right)

social realism – Effects on the environment and the factors of the development of characters throughout

Example – This is England is an example of social realism since in the movie represents real life England and its issues, including the racist development of Shaun.

magic realism – a literary or artistic genre in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy

example – Encanto (2021) is a magic realist film since the movie has surreal elementals like magical powers the a realistic feal from the community and village

hyperreality definition – over dramatic version of reality or reality that is emphasized / too real to be real

Example – The Barbie (2023) movie is over emphasized and a dramatic look of reality

aesthetic term 2 – Visual style

Visual style – the look and the feel of a film / language

iconography – the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these

example – The boy in the stripped pajamas (2008). The reoccurring pajamas symbolize the holocaust and the people who suffered throughout

intertextual referencing – when films and other arts/literatures collide in a movie

Example – In Monsters inc other Disney movies are referenced like in the scene where they are trading plushies of nemo

visual / sound motifs –  a recurring sound element that is associated with a particular character, theme, or idea within a film or audio-visual work

Example – The movie jaws has the memorable sound track whenever the shark is nearby

colour grading – digital tools used to make videos or films look better or change the colour tone and mood

Example – In the movie corpse bride, the colour grading waw a cool toned blue throughout adding the the eerie feeling

auteur trademark – something used by directors to make sure no one else steals their work

Example – Stanly Kubrick has a signature style of symmetry throughout all of his movies e.g. the shining

Aesthetics terms 3 – Tone

Tone – The overall mood/ atmosphere

Pathos – capture audience through emotion

Example – In the movie Frozen when Anna freezes , the emotion displayed on Elsa can be captured to the audience

bathos – an anti-climax, when the audience is expecting bigger and better and the outcome is not what expected

Example – Spiderman across the spider verse. This movie ends on a part 2 right before the action part is about to begin

suspense – holding something back form the audience and increasingly adding to the tension building

Example – Zodiac is a great example of suspense especially since we never find out who is the zodiac killer in the end

comedy – a humor themed movie with jokes and the aim is to make the audience laugh, sometimes comedy is mixed with other dark genres to create a more textured movie theme

Example – A great comedy movie was sherk 2 since the main characters were alraedy established making more room for jokes

dramatic irony – when the audience understands more of the situation than the characters

Example – In Romeo and Juliet the audience is aware that Juliet is only pretending to be dead when Romeo finds her

distancing effect – a sense of distance between the characters and the audience

Representation, Trainspotting

Representation

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All aspects of film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity and age) including the ideological nature of those representations.

Performance – age, ethnicity, costume, facial expressions, body language + gestures, etc.

Stereotype – A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Countertype – challenging stereotypes of certain beliefs. Example: having a black president of America.

Sarah Connor:

Sarah Connor looks like an average stereotypical American diner waitress in Terminator 1. She seems to be fed up with her job, as she shows up late and has to deal with demanding and annoying customers – whether that be a boy putting ice cream in her pocket or people forgetting which orders are theirs. She looks like she is in her early-mid 20s, and has stereotypically feminine traits.

Sarah Connor in Terminator 2 is far more built and muscular, which makes her a countertype of the stereotypical nurturing and caring female character. She looks like she is the heroine in an action film, as she seems comfortable with guns and ready to fight.

Representation in Trainspotting:

1.) Who is doing the representation?
Danny Boyle, the director of Trainspotting.

2.) Who is being represented?
Drug (specifically heroin) addicts, young, white Scottish men, parents.

3.) What social groups are omitted from the representations?
People of colour, wealthy people

4.) What messages about about particular social groups are being conveyed?
They seem to be trying to convey that drugs are not only bad for a person’s health, but also their general lifestyle by showing the very un-glamorous life they live.

5.) Which characters or social groups have power within the representations?
People such as the people who interviewed Spud made it clear that they have the power in that situation, which I think shows how more middle-upper classes look down on the lower classes and people who are struggling with addiction.

6.) Do the characters adhere to or challenge stereotypes?
I think that the main characters stray away from the previously glamorised lifestyle that is mostly associated with rich rockstars and musicians. However, it does adhere to the stereotype of what heroin-addicted people are like.

7.) Are the characters typical of films in that genre?
The characters reflect some traits of characters in a drama, but this type of explicit representation of heroin addicts was very atypical.

8.) What do representations tell audiences about society at the time the film was made and/or set?
Representations are good to show underrepresented or common types of attitudes/people of the time period.

9.) How are elements of film form (mise en scene/performance/sound/editing/cinematography) being used to construct the representations?
Different elements of film form help to contribute to the verisimilitude of the film, which constructs representations. For example, the performance of Ewan McGregor is very effective in presenting what an addict would act like in real life. As well as the performance, costuming in Trainspotting reflects clothing of the time.

Trainspotting Representations:

Older people:

Elderly people in homes are represented in this film briefly as the main group of characters steal their television and drugs. They are shown as a bit of a stereotype as they sit around, sleep and don’t do anything as their TV is stolen. As well as this, there are other older people such as the people that interview Spud, who seem very above him and seem to think that they are superior.

Addicts:

Addicts are represented a lot throughout Trainspotting whether it be when they are taking drugs with the Mother Superior, taking speed before going to an interview, or even just when they are smoking consistently throughout the film.

Scottish people:

Scottish people are shown a lot in pubs in general, for example the beginning of the film when Begbie is being introduced they are in a very busy pub, with people drinking and chatting all around, which is a staple of Sottish and British culture in general. There are other parts of Trainspotting that represent the general Scottish population such as the nightclub scene and in the second pub scene towards the end of the film.

Women:

Women are represented scarcely in Trainspotting; the only woman that is part of the ‘main group’ being an addict as well. Other than that, Tommy and Spud’s girlfriends are presented to be fed up with their boyfriends, especially Tommy’s, who breaks up with him after he becomes addicted to heroin, suggesting that a lot of the women in their lives won’t put up with their addictions. Finally, the only other woman that is in the film is rather coercive and doesn’t tell Renton that she is underage before he sleeps with her, which is a very negative depiction of her.

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Aesthetics

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I think aesthetics refers to how a world or character is presented to the viewer and the story it tells through that. It refers to the overall style of the film and the feel of it and the themes it may present.

Realism

Verisimilitude in film is “similarity to the truth”- the appearance of something being true or real- and in film is how much the viewer can believe that something truly takes place in the film.

I put the Dead Poets Society (1989) because it is a good representation of being a student in a private school in the 60’s and just the timeframe of that period.

Social-Realism

This sub-genre of realism seeks to capture society in a specific and accurate way and aims to to draw attention to socio-political conditions of the working class to critique the power structures behind it.

I chose Billy Elliot (2000) as my example for social realism in a film because it includes a realist depiction of British people and society and it explores certain socio-political conditions such as the 1984’s miners strike, gender stereotypes and the problem of police violence.

Magic Realism

Magic-Realism is a genre that portrays fantastical events in a realistic tone. It works with tales such as fables, myths, and folk stories. However despite the fantasy elements, magic-realism maintains a realistic view of the world so well that in some cases it blurs the line of speculation and reality.

The Princess Bride (1987) is my example for magic realism because it has a wide variety of fantastical elements such as fairy tales, knights and magic, but it also maintains a heavily realistic tone throughout the whole movie and is not fully fantasy.

Hyper Realism

This is a genre in which what is real and what is fiction are seamlessly blended together so that there is no clear distinction between one ends and where another begins.

Visual Style

Iconography = This is the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of things. For example the lamb which represents Christ and the dove which represents the Holy Spirit.

Intertextual Referencing = This is the point where two works of art overlap- such as reusing its ideas and meanings and making it something of their own. Since art is so subjective it is very common for this to happen.

Visual/Sound Motifs = This is a recurring visual or sound that occurs in a film. This can help add story to the film or let the viewer be aware of a characters feelings.

Colour Grading = This involves adjusting and enhancing the colours and tones of a film to create a specific mood or atmosphere.

Auteur Trademarks = This is when a film-maker has a very distinctive and personal style that is reflected within their creative choices. This is also due to them having full authority over their films. There are many examples of this, such as Sofia Coppola’s focus on women with a pastel, elegant palette, Quentin Tarantino’s non-linear storytelling and sharp dialogue, and most distinctively Wes Anderson’s vibrant and quirky style:

Tone

Pathos = This is an appeal to an audience’s emotion- it purposely evoking strong emotions within them like anger or sadness. This can be in forms of inspirational music in the background or just dialogue.

Bathos = Bathos is a sudden, often humorous drop in tone during an anti-climax. It usually appears in satirical genres or used for intentional comedic effect.

Suspense = This is a common technique used in many films to evoke an audience’s excited anticipation about plot or conflict or to heighten an eerie, scary scene. It elevates tension and is a very good use of tone.

Comedy = Comedy in film is not only a genre but it is also used in other non-comedic films to elicit laughter from an audience and to lighten the mood in stressful moments. There can usually be a comedic-relief character that fills in this role. There are plenty examples of comedic films such as Step Brothers, 21 Jump Street, Zoolander and Airplane!

Dramatic Irony = Simply put, this is when the audience knows something that the characters in the film do not. An example would be a character in a horror going into a room where we know the killer awaits.

Distancing Effect (Verfremdung) = This is also known as “alienating an audience” and can also be shortened to the “v effect”. Invented by playwright Bertolt Brecht, he wanted to ‘distance’ the audience away from the action so that they could not feel emotionally invested in the characters but rather reach an intellectual understanding with them.

Postmodern Humour = Typically this refers to to humour that features jokes about serious topics like murder or war to make light of the topic. It is a fiction that deals with depressing complexities of modern life in a humorous tone. A film most known for this is Blade Runner (1982) by Ridley Scott.

Representation, Trainspotting

Representation in ‘Trainspotting’

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Young People

Throughout the film, the young people, known as Generation X, are portrayed as nihilistic and unknowing of what they want to do with their lives, shown by the fact that the vast majority of the main cast are heroin addicts and that the characters of Sick Boy and Allison unsuccessfully being able to care for a new life and maybe even this could be seen as them being unable to care for the next generation. A contrasting representation is portrayed to the audience by the character of the school girl, Dianne. She, unlike most of the characters in the film, knows what she wants to do with her life and sexual, whilst also being knowledgeable about the way in which the new generation is heading.

Older People

The main depiction of older people in the film ‘Trainspotting’ is that of Renton’s parents, who are depicted sympathetically as a caring loving couple, deeply concerned for their son. However, I also think there is a bit of hypocriticalness in their behaviour, as through Renton’s dialogue and the visual depiction of the mother and father, the audience knows that they too are drug addicts constantly drinking and smoking. The difference they are socially acceptable drug addicts and this depiction may be the director socially commentating that these people too should be shunned for their unhealthy habits.

Working class people

Working class people are depicted as something for the main protagonists/drug addicts to take advantage of, for the their own beneficial gain, evidenced in the airsoft gun scene, where Renton and Sick Boy shoot a pit-bull and get it to maul it’s master and the scenes of Bigbe’s irrational outbursts, such as the multiple bar fights throughout the film, cause we know thanks to Renton that Bigbe finds pleasure in other people’s pain. A major sequence which echoes this message of working class people being taken advantage of is when Bigbe and Sick Boy move into Renton’s new flat without asking and turn it into a dump.

Scottish People

The key representation of Scottish people that comes to mind for me and most likely many viewers is when the character of Tommy tries to make the group go on a hike through the Scottish hillsides, which they then reject, resulting in Renton’s infamous ‘it’s shite being Scottish’ monologue/speech towards the rest of the group. Though it is fuelled by his realisation that his lover is a school girl, it stills represents the key representation of Scottish people in this film that being they don’t have a very view of themselves and, even though they hate England, they realise its probably a better place to live. This thought is thrown to the curb when Renton moves to England and he realises its just a big of a dump as Scotland is.

Addicts

In ‘Trainspotting’, the obvious portrayal of addicts is that of the main cast of protagonists, who are addicted to heroin. Their addiction is shown to be something that hurts all those around them, key examples being Renton’s parents constantly being disappointed in him throughout the film and the death of Sick Boy and Allison’s baby. Other addicts in the film are Renton’s parents, who are seen throughout the film constantly smoking and drinking. As Renton says, they are ‘socially acceptable addicts’ and perhaps Boyle’s inclusion of these characters carrying out these actions may be him critiquing society and saying that all drug addicts, socially acceptable or not, should seek help.

Men and Women

The entirety of the film is told from the white male perspective of Renton, meaning the views expressed throughout the film are that of a white male. Men in the film of ‘Trainspotting’ are pictured as being careless, not thinking about if their actions are hurting anyone, as shown through the heroin addiction of the main protagonists and the robbing montage, where the main protagonists rob all types of different people, including old people. The women in the film are pretty much in there for love interests for the main protagonists. However, the character of Dianne does give some insight to how the next generation will get on with life. Renton saying ‘one thousand years from now there will be no guys and no girls’, does show that he thinks there will be gender equality down the years, whilst also suggesting his views on sexual fluidity.

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Aesthetics

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Aesthetics – An overall style. A film will create a certain aesthetic from the mise en scene and cinematography.

Aesthetic Terms 1 – realism

Verisimilitude – the appearance of being true or real.

  • In This Is England, the housing and location can be verisimilitude for the audience as it might be similar to the audiences life.

Social realism – films aims to show the effects of environment factors on the development of character.

  • In This Is England, the social realism conforms to the British contemporary social realism genre, with representation of real life, with its difficulties.

magic realism – portrays fantastical events in otherwise realistic tone

  • In Harry Potter the writers sets the characters in a fantastical world of mystery

Hyperreality – an inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality

  • The Matrix, uses hyperrealism for example the film sucks us into the matrix or the virtual world

Aesthetics Terms 2 – Visual style

Iconography – the patterns of signs we associate with a particular genre.

  • In the Bond movies, the car chase scene is normally associated with the genre of the movie.

Intertextual Referencing – two works of art overlaps. The movie overlaps with another work of art.

  • In Shrek 1, Shrek is a Ogre who is assumed to be the bad guy and prince charming usually assumed to be the hero and the good guy.

Visual/sound motifs – sound motif is a recurring element that is associated with a particular character, theme, or idea.

  • In Jaws, when the shark is near a theme of 2 notes of music to symbolise the shark being close.

Colour Grading – the process of manipulating and enhancing colour to achieve a desire look and mood.

  • In Harry Potter and the order of Phoenix, the colour grading ends in a dark blue and murkier colour to reflect the ominous and bleak prospect of Voldemort’s reign.

Auteur Trademarks – a reference ( e.g. to an object, a character, or a happening) that is recurrent in the authors work.

  • For example Steven Spielberg’s trademark would be his use of lighting, camera angles and movement.

Aesthetics Terms 3 – Tone

Pathos – referred to as an emotional appeal

  • In UP, Carl griefs over his wife to increase the emotional response.

Bathos – the effect of turning a serious moment in a movie, into something completely trivial and unimportant.

  • In War of The World, A Batho happens when the machine gives an ending far different to audience expectations.

Suspense – the audience’s excited anticipation about the plot or conflict.

  • In Jaws suspense is used when the shark is near creating excited anticipation.

Comedy – light-hearted dramas, crafted to amuse and to entertain the audience.

  • In Pitch Perfect, the genre is a comedy movie aimed to make the audience laugh, for example one of the character being called “fat Amy” as she doesn’t want to be called fat behind her back.

Dramatic Irony – The significance of a characters words or action is clear to other audience but unknown to the character.

  • In Romeo and Juliet. Romeo enter the tomb thinking Juliet is dead and drinks the poison to be with Juliet in death, however wakes just after he dies.

Distancing Effect – artists never act as if there were a fourth wall besides the three surrounding them

  • For example, In Ferris Bueller’s day, Ferris gives direct mode of address to the camera breaking the fourth wall.

Postmodern Humour – subvert highly regarded expectation

  • In Scream, post modern is used when they ignore the formats it continually references by always being a step ahead or a step behind