analyzing films
Setting is a description of where and when the story takes place.
- How would you describe the main conflict?
- Is it internal where the character suffers inwardly?
- is it external caused by the surroundings or environment the main character finds himself/herself in?
What works for me is to watch the movie in its entirety without distractions in order to get a grasp on what the director intended. If you spend your first viewing pausing, playing back, and re-watching segments at a time, you won’t get a sense for the way the film was meant to be enjoyed.
I want to ensure that my thoughts encourage readers to create a constructive discussion around the film, or help them decide whether or not the movie is for them. And hopefully, the audience will have as much fun reading my review as I did writing it.
A willingness to engage thoughtfully with challenging films.
Please be aware that some of the films viewed contain violence and mature subject matter.
so that action appears very rapid when the film is played back at normal speed.
“The director uses . shots to . “
At the same time, other film analysis channels have been popping up on Youtube that cater to different types of film fan audiences. Some of these alternative channels are well funded enterprises with teams of technical staff producing eye candy graphics and fast-paced editing to capture the lower attention span audiences. Others are just individuals like myself, but with a general difference being that I’ve actually written, produced, directed and edit several fiction films. Overall, film analysis videos have become a small online industry.
This psychological use of fiction for organising our understanding of the world starts very early in childhood with fairy tales and nursery rhymes before kids start creating their own stories with character based toys and by drawing pictures and role playing with their friends. Stories help kids learn what to expect in given situations, to imprint and re-inforce understandings in their own minds and it safely teaches them ways of dealing with dangerous problems. And this carries on into adult hood with novels and fiction movies. It’s the same principle but with a lot more sophistication.
References:
http://sdfilmfest.com/how-to-analyze-a-movie-step-by-step-guide-to-reviewing-films-from-a-screeners-point-of-view/
http://precollege.sps.columbia.edu/highschool/online/courses/3-week/understanding-cinema-analyzing-film-language-and-style
http://www.schuleplus.de/Englisch/films/filmanalysis-language.htm
http://www.collativelearning.com/ageronfilm/?p=221
http://www.cinemahumain.com/film-essay-structure/