M-FT-FAS

Profile, extension and depth: Community

4

3-15

15

One 90-minute lesson per week

23 hours

89 hours

Enrolled in CFT. Completion of Film Music History and Aesthetics.

See Competencies Matrix.

Gaining insight in film style, through fifteen perspectives that each focus on a different (visual) aspect of film style. Learning to look at film style and the style of films in detail and with receptiveness, by discussing and analyzing numerous film clips from classic and modern world cinema.

Gaining a grasp of film style and the way in which the character of a film emerges from elements such as camerawork, editing, mise en scene, and production design. A deeper understanding of the art of film, beyond the surface of the story.

Film Music History and Aesthetics

Aspects of film style, with a particular focus on visual elements, included but not limited to:
- Mise en scene
- Cinematography
- Editing
- The actor’s bodily expression
- Colour
- Production design
- The creation of filmic space
- Light
- Texture

Overview:
1. Introduction: What is film style?
Film style and history; film style and artistic intent; how to
discover and analyse the style of a film; presenting
assignment 1 (focus on one of the stylistic elements of a given film
scene and describe/analyse how it is related to the plot and/or world of
this particular scene

2. In front of your face: About mise en scene
Visual composition; empty and crowded images; blocking;
symmetry and centrality; the puzzling image

3. The fluid canvas: About camera movement
Static frames versus dynamic camera movement; zooms and
tracking shots; camera work as alternative for editing; slow
cinema

4. In the blink of an eye: About editing
Narratological editing, sensorial editing; psychological
editing; split screen; the viewer as editor

5. The power of the gesture: About bodily expression
Film style and acting; speech and silence; figure and
landscape; the dissected body; presenting assignment 2
(choose a scene and discuss how camera work and editing interact
with the plot; deadline: lecture 10)

6. A close watch: About framing and focussing
Close-ups and long shots; frames within frames; sharpness
vs out of focus

7. Windows on the world: about aspect ratios
Widescreen and square frames; the generic codification of
aspect ratios; claustrophobic and agoraphobic images

8. True colours: About the filmic use of colour 1
Naturalistic colour palettes; the reality of black and white

9. Eye candy: About the use of colour 2
Expressionistic colour palettes; black and white

10. The hidden life of objects: About production design
The difference between set and production design; the
governing principle behind the design of specific films; the
use of existing locations versus studio sets; presenting
assignment 3 (choose a scene; describe the character of this scene and
analyse how that character arises from interaction between at least 3
stylistic instruments)

11. The architecture of the image: About the creation of
filmic space
The architectural activity of the film maker and their
audience; the balance between onscreen and offscreen
space; filmic space and the imagination

12. The weightless gaze: About camera movement 2
Subjective cinematography; autonomous camera work; the
power and triviality of the drone shot

13. Cutting rhythms: About editing 2
Intuitive editing; fades; hard cuts versus cross dissolves;
superimpositions

14. To look into the sun: About the filmic use of light
Natural versus artificial lighting; light and darkness; a small
history of lens flares

15. The skin of film: about the texture of filmic images
Film as sensory and sensual art; the accidental beauty of
scratches and spots; film grain

Group lessons that, depending on the composition of the group, take place entirely on-campus, entirely online or in a combination of both, i.e., that there are attendees both physically in the classroom and virtually via a screen. Online attendees communicate by seeing, talking and listening to each other and the on-campus attendees equally. The teacher has access to a whiteboard, application sharing, desktop sharing and document sharing and can hand this privilege to any other participants.
Apart from the video conference a high quality stereo audio stream is open at the same time via source connect. That way students and instructor can listen to music from any source of the group and talk about it simultaneously.

Recommended list of suitable literature and (video)links dealing with Film

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3-4 assignments throughout the course.

The student should have mastered the elements described under Aims.

The student has completed this module if they are awarded a minimum grade of 5.5.

Tests conducted online are valid only if it is done without interruption. The assessor will decide whether or not the test was valid.

See the Education and Assessment Plan.