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ReflectIt can be easier to grasp the importance of the term mise en scène if we break it down into its component elements. This week, we’ll look at the impact of lighting choices on the creation of meaning in a film.
In any film, the intensity and direction of lighting will influence how an image is perceived by the viewer, and it can establish or enforce particular themes. Think back over films you have watched and consider how the use of lighting in key scenes helped establish the theme or tone.
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Write (due Thursday, Day 3)Using specific examples from your chosen film, write a post in which you
- Identify the type of lighting used in the film (traditional three-point, high-key, or low-key) and assess the impact of the lighting used to establish the theme.
- What are the benefits of the style of lighting used?
- How did this technique contribute to the theme?
- How was the lighting technique suited to the genre of the film? For example, documentary films tend to rely on natural light as a way of creating an overall tone of authenticity.
- Compare how the scene would play if different choices had been made.
You must use at least two outside sources, in any combination of embedded video clips, still photos, or scholarly sources. All sources should be documented in APA style as outlined by the Ashford Writing Center.
It is suggested that you approach this post by focusing your attention on the same film you will write about in this week’s “Genres
Genres and Genre Film
After reviewing the discussion of genre in Chapter 4 of Film: From Watching to Seeing, demonstrate your understanding of one selected genre using a feature-length film.
Note: Several films are listed in Chapter 4 as emblematic of a specific genre. You are allowed to choose a film or genre not mentioned in Chapter 4, but you are strongly encouraged to email your professor to receive approval before doing so.
In 800 to 1200 words
- Explain genre theory and, using Chapter 4 of the text as a reference, thoroughly describe the conventions and attributes of your selected genre.
- Identify a feature-length film that fits this genre and provide a basic summary of the movie. As you develop this summary, remember the differences between a film’s story and a film’s plot and how these differences can lead to the inclusion of genre elements.
- Interpret at least two genre conventions exhibited in your chosen feature-length film that help classify it in the selected genre. Be sure to provide a specific example of each convention (e.g., a particular scene or plot component).
- Provide an example of a third convention from your chosen feature-length film and explain how this convention expands the boundaries of the specified genre.
Your paper should be organized around a thesis statement that focuses on how your chosen feature-length film both aligns with and expands upon your chosen genre.
The paper must be 800 to 1200 words in length (excluding title and reference pages), and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
You must use at least two scholarly sources other than the textbook to support your claims. Refer to the ENG225 Research Guide in the Ashford University Library for guidance and to locate your sources. Cite your sources (including the feature-length film) within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center.
Please note that if you opt to write about the same film in your Final Film Critique, applicable pieces of this assignment can be used to write that assignment. Please also note that you should reflect on and revise this assignment based on the instructor’s feedback before you incorporate it into the Final Film Critique
1. How does the cinematographer control color in a scene? (Points : 1) By selecting costumes
By designing sets
By using color filters
By choosing props
| Question 2. 2. Which of the following is true of movie genres? (Points : 1) |
They are often used by studios to market movies.
They have strict boundaries that cannot be crossed .
Their name derives from the Greek word for “generate.”
They are a preordained measure of a film’s quality. |
| Question 3. 3. Which of the following is a term for visual imagery with symbolic implications? (Points : 1) |
Genre
Cinematography
Iconography
MacGuffin |
| Question 4. 4. Which of the following genres is the least flexible? (Points : 1) |
Westerns
Mystery
Horror
Romantic comedy |
| Question 5. 5. When is the “golden hour”? (Points : 1) |
Just before noon and just after noon
Just before midnight and just after midnight
Just after sunrise and just before sunset
Just before sunrise and just after sunset |
| Question 6. 6. What kind of film is least likely to use the three-point lighting system? (Points : 1) |
A comedy
A documentary
A romantic drama
A mystery |
| Question 7. 7. Which of the following films best demonstrates how westerns can stretch beyond their usual genre settings? (Points : 1) |
Terribly Happy
My Darling Clementine
The Shootist
Stagecoach |
| Question 8. 8. The genre known as “film noir” may be characterized as a sub-genre of what other genre? (Points : 1) |
Western
Mystery
Horror
Romantic comedy |
| Question 9. 9. What is a term for cheap, quick westerns that were churned out in large numbers? (Points : 1) |
Horse operas
Shoot-em-ups
Tumbleweeds
Oaters |
| Question 10. 10. Why do many theorists doubt that genres exist at all? (Points : 1) |
Because all films are personal, individual visions
Because studios invented the idea as a cynical marketing tool
Because they are the product of audience expectations, not films themselves
Because the definitions are fluid at best, meaningless at worst |
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