Introduction to Film Studies: Forms

course website: A page containing all Film Studies course

descriptions and full syllabi will be linked to the following page:

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/filmstudies/

Defining and controlling the space of the frame--framing

Aspect ratio Camera position/placement

– height

– angle

– level

– composition

– scale

– movement

Aspect ratio (i)

Aspect ratio measures the shape and dimensions of the filmed image. It defines the proportions of the frame by taking the ratio of the length of the top or bottom to that of one of its sides.

Aspect ratio (ii)

Academy ratio 1.33:1 European widescreen/Super 16 1.66:1 Digital TV 1.78:1 Panavision 1:1.85 SuperPanavision (70mm) 2.2:1 CinemaScope (anamorphic) 1:2.35

Anamorphic photography

Compared with a normal photograph, an anamorphic camera takes in a much wider angle of view and produces an image on the film that is laterally compressed.

In projection, a compensating lens expands the squeezed image to provide a wide screen presentation.

Widescreen style, post-1950s

Predisposition towards panoramas and views in long shot, stressing interrelatedness of characters and environments.

Increased use of camera movement and long takes.

Frontal orientation of camera, framing movement of characters in a larger space.

Aspect ratio (iii)

Academy ratio

European widescreen

Aspect ratio (iv)

Panavision

CinemaScope

Positioning the camera

Camera height Camera angle

– High and low angles Composition Camera levels

– Canted frames Camera distance or scale Camera movement

Camera height

Low camera height

High camera height

Camera angle

High angle

Low angle

Composition

Static composition

Dynamic composition

Camera levels

Canted frames

Positioning the camera: scale

Scale refers to our perception of the size of the image relative to that of the frame.

The scale of the image is a function of both focal distance and focal length.– Focal distance is the distance between camera and

subject.– Focal length is a property of the camera lens.

A measurement of the lens’s optics relative to its powers of magnification.

The “longer” the lens, the greater its powers of magnification

Defining focal length (for 35mm film)

Long or telephoto lenses: 75mm or more “Normal” lenses: 35-70mm Short or wide-angle lenses: 35mm or less A zoom, or variable focal length lens, combines

all these properties in one lens.– Zooming mimics camera movements. However, the

camera does not move; it increases or decreases magnification of all object(s) in frame.

Scale and cutting height

ELS extreme long shot LS long shot FS full shot 3/4 three-quarter shot MS medium shot MCU medium close-up CU close-up ECU extreme close-up

Scale (i)

extreme long shot long shot

full shot

3/4 shot

Scale (ii)

medium shot

medium close-up

Scale (iii)

close-up

extreme close-up