Types of film theory A film genre is a stylistic or thematic category for motion pictures based on similarities either in the narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response to A Quick History of Gaze. These approaches allow the spectator to perform formal investigation of individual Speaking Truths with Films: Evidence, Ethics, Politics in Documentary; 6. A Cinematic Salvo from Interwar Austria: Hans Karl Breslauer’s Die Stadt ohne Juden (The City Without Jews, 1924) We include detailed analysis of each type. Film theory represents the scholarly or academic study of films and cinema studies. comment. Media Studies. 1. The Promise of Cinema German Film Theory, 1907に1933 To Film Studies scholars it is not big news that early film theory or classical film theory has been subject to revision and reassessment, precisely Film examples. Born in 1931 in Beziers in the south of France, Christian Metz died tragically at the end of Realist Film Theory: Emphasizes the importance of depicting reality as accurately as possible. Filmmakers (and the studios which produced and financed their films) would then begin to develop their own film genre types, which in turn formed the bedrock of the film genre theory we know and study (and deconstruct) today. Ideology: the messages, values and attitudes presented by a film. Film theory takes an academic approach to explaining the essence of cinema and how it holds a mirror Film theory is a set of scholarly approaches within the academic discipline of film or cinema studies that began in the 1920s by questioning the formal essential attributes of motion Feminist. To give a simple example of the beauty in films when it has the touch of aesthetic art works and style, Magnolia – an Film was introduced in the late 19th century. Two Types of Film Theory Philosophers often find it useful to classify theories bearing upon a problem according to some typological scheme. 0 Introduction 2. All stories are narratives, in fact, a narrative is just a tool to tighten the plot of a story and drive the audience’s emotional reaction. Broad treats Spinoza, Butler, Hume, Kant, and Sidgwick not only as moral theorists but also as examples of basic approaches to the subject. This type of montage is used to create a suspense and tension which is usually fast paced and has abrupt cuts that doesn’t have continuity but makes sense of the complete length of the Soviet Montage Theory – Battleship Potemkin. 0 Pages 11 Ppi 600 Scanner Internet Archive Python library 1. plus-circle Add Review. Thus, Vladimir Propps idea of there being 7 character types that each could occur in a film, is something that we can identify in 99% of films and story’s both from the past and present, there may be the odd exemptions but narrative structure of characters follows Vladimirs theory. Help him define the two main approaches to film theory before 1945. It wasn’t until one of the first film theory classes I took that I actually learned how to view, deconstruct, and understand something as seemingly innate as genre. From auteur to marxist and femenist film theory. 1 Film Theory 3. Here is a guide to different types of film lighting, advice on capturing them properly, and examples from movies. Skip to Content. So before you start flipping switches on set, it’s important to know all the options you can work with. The Quest . The influence from Sergei Eisenstein’s montage theory and Bertolt Brecht’s theory of distanciation. Medium. On the other hand, insists that cinema must alter the appearance of reality in ways that are uniquely cinematic. Is the philosophy of film without theory an oxymoron or a family of non-, anti-, and/or a-theoretical approaches with which to engage in film-involving philosophical scholarship and understanding? The goal of this collection is to argue for the latter and to do so by example. Laura Mulvey’s seminal essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (1975) introduced the concept of the “male gaze,” examining how classical Hollywood cinema positions viewers as Before we dive into the different individual types of montage, let’s take a step back to look at how the film montage originally developed. Shot From Melies’ Most Famous Film: A Trip to the Both of these types of views regard the narrative character of fiction films as disqualifying them from genuinely being or doing philosophy. , publishes works that further Oxford University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. [1] Pictured: Clint Eastwood in the Spaghetti Western film A Fistful of Dollars (1964). Formalist film theory is a theory of film study that is focused on the formal, or technical, elements of a film: the lighting; scoring; sound and set design; use of colour; shot composition; editing. Film genre defines a type of aesthetic framework in cinema and in filmmaking set-ups. Whereas film-theoretical discussion at the turn of the twenty-first century was preoccupied, understandably, by digital technology’s permeation of virtually all aspects of the film object, this volume moves the conversation away from a focus on film’s materiality Although film genres are found as categories from the beginning of film history, used by both production companies and film critics, the systematic theoretical and historical reflections on film genres were developed in the 1950s as European Western films are those "set in the American West that embod[y] the spirit, the struggle and the demise of the new frontier". A common type of narrative structure is **the Henderson_Brian_Two_Types_of_Film_Theory Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t9479rp1w Ocr ABBYY FineReader 11. First, just like any "rules" in photography or cinematography, the rules of composition are made to be broken. Here's a breakdown of how Wes Anderson uses color in film to balance tone. However there are several different types of film theory for approaching the concept of film analysis and Marxist Theory on Films; Mise En Scene; Motion Picture: An Introduction; New Sincerity; Oneiric Film Studies; Post Colonial Theory; Post-Structuralism Theory on Films; Postmodernism in Learn all about filmmaking theory inlcuding the 7 main types and how they influence cinema. Specifically, how Anderson tends to have depressed characters Film theory is a scholarly theoretical approach to study cinema and motion pictures. 263). Thus, as you learn to analyze a film or television show, you’d better come to terms with the idea of film theory and the basic understandings for different types of film. After all, to quote French film critic André Bazin from his seminal work of film criticism What is Cinema?, “Reality is not traditional film theory by establishing a new type of r esearch based on middle-leve l questions and informed by findings from other disciplines such as the psychological and cognitive sciences. 0 Main Content 3. Some genres are international, or nearly so: Each type of cinema (as well as every film theory) imagines an ideal spectator, which means it postulates a certain relation between the (body of the) spectator and the (properties of the) image on the screen, however much at first sight the highlighted terms are ‘understanding’ and ‘making sense,’ ‘interpretation,’ and ‘comprehension. Whether you’re just a fan who wants to get more out of your favorite films or someone interested in making movies yourself, understanding these concepts can enrich your experience. Philosophical Problems of Classical Film Theory, Princeton: Princeton University Press. A film can be said as a magnanimous pool to various servants of arts itself. The idea of the gaze in art and literature has been around for a really long time, but in 1975, Laura Mulvey introduced the idea of the male gaze in her essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, explaining that women are often seen from a masculine perspective, making them seem passive and objectifying them. In Feminist theory, you study films based on women, their societal roles, and experiences portrayed and represented. Early film theory, or the study of film, began in the 1920s. in 1919 the Film Schools in Russia were the first schools in the world to focus on the progress of film as a type of study. ” Although it is a rather vague term thrown around quite often, it can make a lot of people wonder, “What is a narrative film?” In this article, we’ll clarify the key characteristics to narrative movies and what makes them distinct from other types of film in cinema. And continued to evolve with changing attitudes and conceptual frameworks over the next century. It is an illustration of the type of technique in a film that both attracts and caters to the audience or group or individual’s desires who serves as a component to a gathered spectator to a particular motion picture even to a Television screen viewing public or person’s When you venture into the world of film theory, the lines between reality and art can quickly begin to blur. Uses natural lighting and often nonprofessional actors, This technique is regarded as one of the main principles on which montage theory (and film theory itself) is based. The examples from iconic films were especially helpful in illustrating the The cinema as a cultural institution has been studied by academic researchers in the arts and humanities. While Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein is credited as the godfather of the montage and pioneer of the Soviet montage theory, we can also trace the use of montage to early Hollywood filmmakers like Slavko Vorkapić and Don The science of color in film is a fundamental pillar of the visual experience. Its distinctive feature, the matching of the cinematic sign system to prior achievement in some other system, can be shown to be distinctive of all representational cinema. Developed by Lev Kuleshov and discussed in an essay from as far back as 1916, Kuleshov’s idea is an early principle of film theory which studies how shots can be perceived when juxtaposed against each other. Semiotics. This type reflects the revolutionary role of the avant Film Theory. ’ Film theory is the set of scholarly approaches within the academic discipline of film studies that seek to understand the essential nature of the cinema and provide conceptual frameworks for understanding film’s relationship to reality, In this third phase, Robert Stam’s 2000 article “Beyond Fidelity: The Dialogics of Adaptation” rejects the binary distinctions between source texts and adaptations; Kamilla Elliott’s 2003 book Rethinking the Novel/Film Debate deconstructs the binary distinctions between verbal and visual texts; and Linda Hutcheon and Siobhan O’Flynn’s 2012 book A Theory of The director Sergei Eisenstein identified five different types of montage within Soviet Montage Theory: 1. Aesthetics & Films – Magnolia. [8] [better source needed]Film is a relatively new form of art, in comparison to music, literature and painting which have existed Color in filmmaking is a huge part of mise-en-scene, or the overall effect of everything we see in the frame. audience expectations and responses (reception focus). In pure cinema the spectator doesn’t evidence the narrative structure of the films. In this article, we’re going to define what Soviet Montage Theory is, then break down the five different types with examples from Russian cinema history. Psychoanalytic film theory occurred in two distinct waves. Indeed, we might say that the category of film now only exists in theory. Film | Find, read and cite all the research you need PDF | On Jan 1, 1997, Daniel Chandler published An Introduction to Genre Theory | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate The Multiple spectating selves theory proposes that we watch a film from the perspective of multiple selves and each gain a particular pleasure from the experience. D. It’s this “final cut” that, in theory, goes out as the final film. It also covers various film techniques such as shots, angles, lighting, color, 7 types of film theory. Each week we will discuss a film that correlates with the theoretical approach to be investigated that week, for theory works alongside close Introduction. A good example is Sergei Eisenstein’s film Strike (1925), where he edits between the slaughtering of a bull and the massacre of striking Y ou’re looking for a movie genre list, maybe for inspiration, but every list you find has too broad or hyper-specific categories that it becomes overwhelming. medium. It’s an accessible way for anyone who loves movies to appreciate them on a deeper level. The Phenakistoscope, invented by Belgian Joseph Plateau in 1832, was a spinning disc that created the illusion of motion when viewed through slits. According to prominent Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein, there are five different types within Soviet Montage Theory: Metric, Each of these films is character-centric and manipulates how the audience experiences time, either to disorient and confuse or to shock and awe. Pre-Film Techniques & Theory. Not all types of film lighting are created equally. 3. Film Lighting, Explained: Techniques, Advice, and Examples Customers film theory is always asking questions, fundamental questions about how film works. It has become foundational in the teaching of film theory and analysis, underscoring the power of editing in shaping a film’s pace and message. The earliest artistic criticism of film emerged in the early 1900s. What I love about film theory is that it's got so many interesting topics and terms that have inspired people over the decades to make and create unique movies and TV shows. Christian Metz and Film Theory By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on March 20, 2018 • ( 2). 0. In Five Types of Ethical Theory, C. Oxford University Press, Inc. This article explores the definition of theory, its various types, and practical examples to demonstrate its significance across disciplines. We have picked 7 popular film theories, so you have a starting point for your journey into film theory. As filmmakers and film fans, we already know about film genres. Y ou’re looking for a list of the different camera angles in film, but you also want great examples that come with clear explanations of when and why to use specific camera shot angles. “ It is said that An introduction to Vladimir Propp's narrative theory, 7 character types and the spheres of action, with definitions and examples. And some of the films listed have made their memorable mark as Aesthetic Films in the Cinema of World. It Film theory is a catch-all term used to refer to technical and theoretical ways of studying film. As listed earlier, there are plenty of different film theories. Example. The Movies of Modern Life; 2. It encompasses the conventions, themes, and stylistic elements that distinguish different types of films, guiding audiences in their selections and filmmakers in their creations. Two fundamental approaches in film theory shape storytelling and visual language examples: Formalism: Focuses on artistic and technical aspects of film construction. Intellectual montage: Intellectual montage is when you edit two shots together to connect them to an intellectual concept. All those years of editing and playing around with what you can do with it lead to many film editing techniques we use today. The document discusses different film theory principles including types of films like realism, classical, and formalism. Film theory often situates the study of film (s) within a specific point of view; for example: the works of Orson Welles within Film theorists categorize films into three main types: Realism: Showing an unfiltered and realistic world. The Study of Signs; The sidekick in most films could be considered helpers. Uses natural lighting and often nonprofessional actors, with minimal editing and no special effects. Cinema and Cultural Studies; 3. . Moreover, film theorists break down movies and film based on various aspects to help them define their place in society. Psychoanalytic Theory: Drawing on the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, psychoanalytic film theory explored the unconscious desires and anxieties expressed in films. Film theory and film criticism are very closely related, but it is essential to distinguish the schools of film theory as separate from that of film criticism. The first paper to serve as a critique of the film came out of The Optical Lantern and Cinematograph Journal, followed by the Bioscope in 1908. At present, cultural media studies are the home to the aesthetics and critical analysis of Genre is a concept used in film studies and film theory to describe similarities between groups of films based on aesthetic or broader social, institutional, cultural, and psychological aspects. A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural or social world that is grounded in facts, evidence, and tested hypotheses. It was comprised of cellulose nitrate and was commonly in use until the late 1940s. Before the invention of motion picture cameras, several techniques and theories were developed that would later lay the foundation for the creation of moving images. When discussing film theory, it is helpful to have a firm grasp of the many film genres since this allows for more informed comparisons of aspects common to each genre and the individual films of different directors. I f you are a filmmaker or even just a movie buff, odds are you’ve heard the term “narrative film. No matter if it’s the black and white of a noir or the kaleidoscopic bokeh in a romantic drama, all the types of color in film evoke a unique reaction in the audience. It is a major theory of film study today. Film Theory: A framework for understanding and analyzing films, encompassing narrative, aesthetics, and sociological perspectives. Some of these basic film genre types developed early on include: Action films; Adventure films; Crime and gangster films Structuralist film theory: One of the most basic types of film theory that breaks down how films convey meaning through the use of codes and conventions. Theory. Filmmaker George Melies was one of the pioneers of this style of film theory. This is for the avid movie goer. Search. Philosophy of Film Without Theory, 2023. 10 . Psychological realism in film differs from other types of realism in film in how it places the “realism” component of its narrative inside the character’s mind, so as to say that it doesn’t seek to recreate the external world through a collectively unconscious realist lens but rather through what the character interprets as real. The theory came on its own in the mid-1890s to prove the essentialism of cinema, the relationship of the reel Formalism Formalist film theory is a theory of film study that is focused on the formal, or technical, elements of a film: the lighting; scoring; sound and set design; use of colour; shot composition; editing. Ideology - ideas and values: Connotations: How we interpret signs around us is heavily influenced by the culture we grew up in and our What is Soviet Montage Theory? Soviet Montage Theory is a film movement that took place in Soviet Russia during the 1910’s, 20’s and into the early 30’s. These types of films were much different than the realist films discussed above. The Elements of Film Theory Film theory analyzes films by examining eight key elements: Film Type Film theorists categorize films into three main types: Realism: Showing an unfiltered and realistic world. Film theorists break down films based on: The type Introduction. From the language of cinematography to the intricacies of Saul is doing his final paper about film theory before 1945. Types of Film Editing Editing techniques in film. Light comes in a wide variety of forms, packages and sources. Film theory is a catch-all term used to refer to technical and theoretical ways of studying film. All works of art might be said to have both form and content. Formalist Film Theory Rudolf Arnheim, a perceptual psychologist, first articulated **formalist film theory** in the mid-twentieth century. Key Film Theories: Diverse schools of thought including Formalist, Realist, Marxist, Psychoanalytic, and Feminist Film Theories. is a type of film theory that attempts to define and isolate what is specific to cinema. Film Theory Terms Nitrate film base is a type of film base that was highly-flammable. Search for: Close Search × Money; Entertainment; The 13 Types of Movies You Can Choose From (Genres) Understanding film theory isn’t just for movie critics or film students. It values films that showcase everyday life and naturalistic portrayal. Film theory - Download as a PDF or view online for free. In the exam, we might be asked to analyse the usefulness of applying a critical approach (ideology) to our chosen films. 3 Scientific Principle Underlying Film Production THE SOURCES OF FILMS Frequently the most narrow and provincial area of film theory, discourse about adaptation is potentially as far-reaching as you like. Similar to linguistic film theory and game theory, structuralist film theory offers a helpful lens to view how films construct a shared language for filmmakers and audiences to communicate about and within the film What is film theory and why do we need it? Film theory helps filmmakers tell stories that are timeless and connect with an audience. 0 Objectives 3. The first, beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, focused on a formal critique of cinema’s dissemination of ideology, and especially on the role of the cinematic apparatus in this process. –––, 1990. Social self - satisfaction from similar responses to others 2. Realism: Emphasizes authentic depiction of reality and truth in subject matter. The films exhibit the structures and materiality which draws attention to the artifice of the cinema. Classical: Emphasizes Two Types of Film Theory Philosophers often find it useful to classify theories bearing upon a problem according to some typological scheme. Cinematic Ethics: Exploring Ethical Experience through Film. 44 Genre theory Genre theory examines the structural elements that combine in the Keywords: Film theory, Movies, Directors, as they were evolved. Content is what a work is about, while form is how that content is expressed. Cultural self - satisfaction to understanding references and meanings. In Feminist theory, you study films based on women, their societal roles, and The study of formal film analysis is an important concept that any filmmaker or aspiring production should consider. Another popular style of film-making during this era was Formalist. The Philosophy of Horror, or Paradoxes of the Heart, New York: Routledge. In this Observational Documentary In reaction to previous forms of documentary and to changing camera technology, both Direct Cinema and Cinema Verite movements started to appear in the 1960s that embraced Rules of Composition The rules of shot composition. Filmmakers rely on color theory when devising the mood and tone of a film. Different types of conflicts can arise through montage, such as: Spatial conflict – where the contrast between shots emphasizes the distance or closeness of objects. This entry aims to explore the intricate world of film genres, Furthermore, Eisenstein’s Film Form (1949) implies that Marx and Engels’ interpretation of theories of dialectic systems is used to render art as conflict — created by the natural, oppositional elements in life — and when there is a collision of these oppositional forces, new meaning is created. Film theory is the study of film and how its many elements work together to present a vision of reality. In a final chapter However there are several different types of film theory for approaching the concept of film analysis and formal representation. Most documentaries will contain footage and scenes of observation; this refers FMC 217 Films and Aesthetics Theory 10 MODULE 1: HISTORY OF FILM AND CINEMAS UNIT 1 FILM THEORY: AN INTRODUCTION CONTENTS 1. Let us begin with Home › Christian Metz and Film Theory. Movies influence viewer perception through camera Types of Lighting in Film Types Of Light. As well as their impact on society. Auteur Theory: Positions director as primary artistic visionary. Loved this guide! I had a vague understanding of realism in film before, but this post really helped me understand the different aspects and how they impact the story. As much as we rely on these rules in most cases, the elements Film Form Film formrefers to the constitutive elements that make a film uniquely a “film” and not a painting or a short story. We’ve created the perfect movie and TV genre list that will explain the various categories of film and television with their specific subgenres, and we’ll also include helpful examples for each along the way. The Role of Women. Whether you want your characters to Balazs, in his book Theory o/the Film says: a film script writer adapting the play may use the existing work of art merely as raw material, regard it from the specific angle of his own art form as it were raw reality, and pay no attention to the form once already given to the material,3 (p. This term is not to be confused with film analysis, a way of analyzing film, which may draw upon ideas from film theory. FILM THEORY AND CRITICISM Introductory Readings SEVENTH EDITION Edited by LEO BRAUDY MARSHALL COHEN New York Oxford OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2009. Color can affect us emotionally, psychologically and even physically, often without us becoming aware. Stephen Spielberg – Jurassic Park (1993) George Lucas – Star Wars (1977) Guillermo del Toro – Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) Queer Theory. Marxist Film Theory: Analyzes films from a cultural and political standpoint, often critiquing the way cinema represents class struggle and ideologies. It was founded by Lev Kuleshov while he was teaching at the Moscow Film School. Film theory is a fascinating field that delves into the various elements, techniques, and concepts that make up the world of cinema. Morpheus and Trinity unplug Neo and help him rebel against the machines in S oviet Montage Theory is one of the most technically influential film movements of all time. In this course we will look at how theorists have proposed to explore filmic epistemologies. A silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein in 1925 that depicts the rebellion that occurred in 1905. All types of film lighting fall under one of two categories: natural and artificial. It is similar to Feminist theory in that it aims to FILM THEORY FILM THEORY Film theory debates the essence of the cinema and provides conceptual frameworks for understanding film's relationship to reality, the other arts, individual viewers, and society at large. 2 Film Production Aesthetics: Formalism and Realism 3. PDF | This chapter is divided into four sections: 1. Queer theory started in the early 1990s and is known as the queer new wave. Form and content are inextricably combined, and it is an old adage of Rather than six types or kinds of adaptation, Elliott writes about six possible concepts of adaptation, which seems much more appropriate for the whole of film adaptation theory, aiming indeed at theorising on and from films rather than at defining and circumscribing each one of them — from practice to theory: Film genre, a term that signifies categorization within the cinematic universe, serves as a foundational concept in both film theory and industry. Spatial forms and time could be broken within a montage, freeing the According to John Corner’s ‘five central elements of documentary’ theory, documentaries feature: Observation. The New Bazinianism; 4. Many film genres have existed since the earliest years of cinema: the action film, biopic, melodrama, and social problem film, to name only a handful (see early cinema; silent cinema); while others are newer: the chick flick, extreme cinema, machinima, for example. 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