Chapter 2 of Moving Pictures

 Chapter 2 of Moving Pictures: How to Watch a Movie


Chapter 2 talks about various technical terms regarding cinema.

It talks about shots (and the type of shots), editing, transitions (and the type of transitions), explicit and implicit meaning, theme, sound design, composition and mise-en-scene.


I am familiar with most of these terms and/or get the gist of what they mean just by seeing the word. However, the one thing I learned from this section (i.e. not review for me) is the term mise-en-scene, which means the overall look and feel of a production. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First Blog Post (Kinda...)

Image
  Here is a picture of my buddy and I candidly chilling on the 2nd floor of the Wentz Science Center. I like this picture because the vibe you get from it is casual and playful, despite the fact that we are in a building meant for studies and work. This dichotomy shows that even in a place meant for serious work/behavior, fun can be had.
Read more

Iconic Shots

Image
  One of the most iconic shots of modern animation.  From Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman. This masterpiece of a visual -- the Leap of Faith shot was beautifully to depict Miles Morales' receiving of the torch as the next Spider-Man. Miles, hesitant and afraid of what's to come of accepting the role of his universe's Spider-Man finally comes to the decision to jump down and "rise" up to the occasion. This dynamic shot flipped on its horizontal axis gives the impression that Miles - despite falling (feeling stressed and anxious before), is ascending to his newfound responsibility as a hero. The creative decision of flipping the perspective on its head from falling to rising is genius in a coming-of-age moment like this one. This shot could have taken a different route, i.e. not flipping the up-down perspective and it would have dulled the moment significantly. If I were to shoot this shot, noth...
Read more

My Thoughts on Get Out

Image
 I think that this movie is a masterpiece under the direction of Jordan Peele. The cinematic techniques he employs, the foreshadowing and subliminal messages shown in various scenes of the movie, all of it encapsulates his genius as a filmmaker. One scene in particular that interested me the most is the scene where Chris is in his final confrontation with Rose as she tries to gun him down. The part where Chris uses his phone's flash to temporarily free Walter from his "brainwashing" was a cool nod to Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window where Jefferies uses his camera to stun the murderer Lars Thorwald. I love the foreshadowing done to lead up to this final confrontation, where earlier in the film we learned how Chris' mother died alone on the road following a car accident, and Rose in turn dies alone on the road, showing how Chris shifted his fate and prevented a history that plagued him before. Chris Kills Rose - Final Scene | Get Out (2017)
Read more