MODULE I : LANGUAGE OF CINEMA

World space and screen space

Screen space is the space defined by the screen. Meaning that in screen space, the
coordinates are in 2d with (0,0) being the bottom-left(might be top-left, can't
remember) and (screen.width, screen.height) the top-right. These are the pixel
coordinates. The mouse position is given in this coordinate system.
Worldspace is the space in which your objects live. They have a 3d coordinate.
Worldspace has no limits on its size. It stretches from (-infinity, -infinity, -infinity) to
(infinity, infinity, infinity). Objects and the camera can be anywhere in this space. The
unit size in worldspace is arbitrary.
The camera maps the worldspace into screenspace. The rendering projects
coordinates in worldspace onto a 2d plane that is the screen. So if we want to
convert a world position to a screen position(and vice versa) we need to use the
camera. The camera has settings that determine how the coordinates are projected.
These settings basically determine the size of a worldspace unit in screenspace.
Continuity: space & time, concepts of editing
Camera movements, angles & shots
Im sure youre itching to start shooting. In fact, I bet you already have, but do you
know the tricks of the trade? Do you know the industry standards? Before you start
making a new style for yourself, you better know what tools you have to choose
from.
Proper framing
The

first thing to learn is how to frame your subject. If youre a

still photographer youll already know about the rule of
thirds. This works for filmmaking as well. Notice the
website below.
The rule of thirds: This is a general principle in
photography, which is generally considered to make
shots more appealing to the eye. One can easily
visualize this rule by taking a frame and dividing the
horizontal piece into three equal sections and dividing
the vertical in three equal sections. This creates 9
equal sections. Where these sections meet are four
points on the frame. By aligning the central object
into these points of the frame (often called the power
points), instead of centering the object, you get more
aesthetically and professional-looking shots.

However, we should note that while we describe this as the RULE of thirds, it might
better be used as a guideline.
Common uses of this rule in video are:

Framing an interview: The eyes of your subject should fall in one of the
upper powerpoints and the subject should be looking towards the empty
space on the frame.

Shooting a horizon: Rather than position the horizon on the center of the
frame, align it along the upper or lower third depending on what you want to
emphasize. For example, if youre shooting a cloud time-lapse you will want
two-thirds of the shot centered on the sky.

Basic Camera Shot types:

Extreme Wide Shots (EWS) act to establish the area.
Wide Shots (WS) show the entire person or area. Theyre great for establishing the
scene and allow for good action of the characters. Sometimes this is known as the
long shot.
Medium Shots (MS) frame the subject from the waste up. This is the most common
shot and allows for hand gestures and motion.
Medium Close Ups (MCU) shots show the subject in more detail and are often
framed from just below the shoulders to the top of the head.
Close Ups (CU) show a particular part of your subject. For people this usually
means the shot frames just the head!
Extreme Close Ups (ECU) are much tighter close-up shots in which you get detail
greater than the human eye might be able to normally perceive. An example of this
shot might be of the mouth and eyes together

Advanced Camera Shot Types

Two Shot: This is a shot of two peoples (or other individuals) together.
Cut Away (CA): Cutaways are used in the editing process to fill in footage which is
different from the main action. B-roll is often used for cut-aways. An example might
be a cut away of a bird singing if the shot is focused on a couple in the woods.
Over the Shoulder Shots (OSS) are shot from behind the person towards their
subject. Generally the frame is cut off just behind the ear, although there are several
variations. A good technique to use to get this shot is to frame the person facing the
subject with about one third of the frame.
Point of View (POV): This is an effective shot that gives the audience the feel that
youre seeing it from the eyes of the performer. It is taken from near the eye-level of
the actor and shows what he might see. It could be used to give the perspective of
other animals too like a frog, a bird, or a fish.
Selective Focus: By using a large aperture value (f/1.4, f/2.0) you will be able to
create a shallow depth of field. This effectively leaves one part of the frame in focus
while blurring others, such as the foreground or background. When you change the
focus in the shot from the foreground to the background youre doing another
advanced camera shot called a rack focus.

Mise-en-scene
The arrangement of everything that appears in the framing actors, lighting, dcor,
props, costume is called mise-en-scne, a French term that means placing on
stage. The frame and camerawork are also considered part of the mise-en-scne of
a movie. In cinema, placing on the stage really means placing on the screen, and the
director is in charge of deciding what goes where, when, and how.David A. Cook, in
his book A History of Narrative Film , points out how a mise-en-scne is formed by
all the elements that appear within the shot itself, as opposed to the effects created
by cutting. In other words, if its on the screen and if its a physical object recorded
by the camera, then its part of the mise-en-scne.
Academically Speaking
Dont be confused. Mise-en-scne isnt a production term. Directors dont walk
around saying Lets change the mise-en-scne today. Not at all.
From the craftsmen who build bookcases to the cinematographer who chooses
where the lights will go, the mise-en-scne is the result of the collaboration of many
professionals. Thus in the production environment, the director is more specific with
his requests and orders. Is he talking to the prop master, the set designer, the actors,
the make-up artists? All of them are part of different departments. But all of them, in
the end, have influence in the mise-en-scne.
In the academic realm, the term mise-en-scne is often used when the overall look
and feel of a movie is under discussion. Students taking Film Analysis courses
should be quite familiar with the term.
Even though many professionals are involved in its creation, the director is the one
who oversees the entire mise-en-scne and all of its elements. Not just that, but
during the early stages of pre-production, the director or his AD sits down with set
designers, prop masters, location managers, costume designers, and scenic artists
to determine the look and feel intended.
In some instances, the mise-en- scne is designed to evoke emotions that permeate
the whole movie. For example in the German expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr.
Caligari (1920), distorted shapes and claustrophobic scenery are implemented to
disturb the audience and enhance the horror.

Mike Nichols The Graduate (1967) has been praised by its amazing, colorful, and
multi-layered visual design. For this reason, the following segments will shed light on
many scenes from The Graduate but also from other pictures.
Set Design
The set design refers to the decor of the the set, or how its dressed, comprising
mainly of the furniture, props, and the set itself. Instead of just placing objects here
and there, the director must be savvy to fathom how these elements may bear
significance in a deeper level, while also emphasizing themes, creating meanings,
and provoking thoughts.
To illustrate: an early scene from The Graduate (1967) opens with a close-up of
Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) alone on his bed. Behind him is a fish tank,
which symbolically represents Bens entrapment in a life that he doesnt want. Later
in the movie, Ben finds himself at the bottom of a swimming pool, thus further
elaborating on that concept.
The Production Designer is the professional responsible for building and dressing
the set. She works with the Art Director, the Set Designer, and the Prop Master to
create and add these physical elements to the filmic space. The Production Designer
reports to the Director, and together they conceptualize the look of the film well
before cameras start rolling.
In Rear Window (1954), an enlarged photograph placed in the living room
offers exposition on the accident that made L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart) handicap:

Lighting
Unarguably one of the film elements that has the greatest power to evoke
emotions, lighting must be manipulated by the director to accommodate his or her
desires for the movie. In broad terms, the two types of lighting approaches are: lowkey lighting and high-key lighting.
High-key lighting is often seen in romantic comedies and musicals, encompassing
an even lighting pattern and avoiding dark areas in the frame. Everything looks bright
with little to no shadow at all. High-key lighting has little dramatic effect itself.

Low-key lighting is often seen in horror movies and thrillers, comprising of a lighting
pattern that has both bright and dark areas in the frame. The chiaroscuro (Italian:
bright-dark) technique, long used by painters, is characterized by strong contrast,
often employed to unnerve the audience.

Note that this terminology is counter-intuitive as low-key lighting is high contrast and
high-key lighting is low contrast.
Costume
The obvious purpose of costuming is to dress an actor according to his character.
Lawyers wear suits, nurses wear scrubs, and a drifter could wear worn out shoes,
ragged shirt, and baggy pants.
But, more than that, costuming can also be used to establish someones hierarchic
level. Regimentals, for instance, bear the status of the person who wears it. And
even the color may distinguish an enemy from a friend. In The Good, the Bad and
the Ugly (1966), a comic situation arises when Blondie (Clint Eastwood) heads
toward the enemy cavalry that was covered in dust. When the enemy general dusts

off his sleeve, his apparently gray uniform turns blue, making it obvious that our
beloved protagonist was going into the sharks mouth.
Costuming may also be used to emphasize a theme. In the first scene at the Taft
Hotel in The Graduate, Mrs. Robinson wears a fur coat that makes her look like a
predator hunting for her prey. Her coat bears a pattern that resembles the fur of a
cheetah. Or could it be a cougar?

Location
In Witness (1985), on the day after rejecting Rachels (Kelly McGillis) seduction,
John Book (Harrison Ford) explains to her why nothing could have happened
between them the night before. Quite conveniently, the confrontation takes place in a
barn, while Rachel is collecting eggs. The location emphasizes Rachels
responsibilities as a woman. If they had made love and Rachel gotten pregnant, she
would have to carry the baby and eventually give birth. Also, during the conversation,
John stands outside the barn, thus being physically separated from Rachel by the
barns door. In this case, the door functions as a metaphor of the social and cultural
barriers that keeps them a part.
The final confrontation in The Graduate takes place in a church. Ben tries to
prevent Elaine (Katherine Ross) from getting married, but he arrives too late.
Nonetheless, when Elaine sees him, she sprints to him, and they run away. When

the couple is cornered by infuriated parents and relatives, Ben starts swinging a
cross to avoid them. As they exit, Ben uses the cross to hold the churchs doors shut.

Dimensions of sound:
onscreen & off-screen
di-getic & non-digetic
Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be
present by the action of the film:

voices of characters
sounds made by objects in the story
music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source
music)
Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the
film's world

Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its
source is within the frame or outside the frame. Another term for diegetic sound is
actual sound. Diegesis is a Greek word for "recounted story" .The film's diegesis is
the total world of the story action. Sound whose source is neither visible on the
screen nor has been implied to be present in the action:

narrator's commentary
sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect
mood music

Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source outside story space.
Another term for non-diegetic sound is commentary sound.
The distinction between diegetic or non-diegetic sound depends on our
understanding of the conventions of film viewing and listening. We know of that
certain sounds are represented as coming from the story world, while others are
represented as coming from outside the space of the story events. A play with
diegetic and non-diegetic conventions can be used to create ambiguity (horror), or to
surprise the audience (comedy).
sync amd non-sync
sound effects and silence
dialogues
ambient sound
Ambient sound (AKA ambient audio, ambience, atmosphere, atmos or background
noise) means the background sounds which are present in a scene or location.
Common ambient sounds include wind, water, birds, crowds, office noises, traffic,
etc.

Ambient sound is very important in video and film work. It performs a number of
functions including:

Providing audio continuity between shots.

Preventing an unnatural silence when no other sound is present.
Establishing or reinforcing the mood.
There are several types of ambient sound used in film production. Their exact
names and meanings may vary but these are some common definitions:

Matching ambient sound: Any ambient sound recorded to match the ambient sound
of a scene.

Wild sound: Background noise with distinct sounds, i.e. more than ambient
sound, which is not synchronised with the main vision. Example: Children
playing in a playground.
Buzz track: A general term for ambient sound.
Room tone: The sound of an empty room, or a room in which all the actors
are standing silently.

background score
A film score (also sometimes called background score, background music, film music
or incidental music) is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The
score forms part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and
sound effects, and comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces
called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in
order to enhance the dramatic narrative and the emotional impact of the scene in
question.[1] Scores are written by one or more composers, under the guidance of, or
in collaboration with, the film's director or producer and are then usually performed
by an ensemble of musicians most often comprising an orchestra or band,
instrumental soloists, and choir or vocalists and recorded by a sound engineer.
Film scores encompass an enormous variety of styles of music, depending on the
nature of the films they accompany. The majority of scores are orchestral works
rooted in Western classical music, but many scores are also influenced by jazz, rock,
pop, blues, new-age and ambient music, and a wide range of ethnic and world music
styles. Since the 1950s, a growing number of scores have also included electronic
elements as part of the score, and many scores written today feature a hybrid of
orchestral and electronic instruments.
musical tracks.
A soundtrack, also written sound track, can be recorded music accompanying and
synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video
game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the
soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the
synchronized recorded sound.

MODULE II: STAGES OF FILM PRODUCTION

1. Development - The first part of the stages of filmmaking is where the idea for the
film is born. Concepts from a book, a play, true stories, other movies or original ideas
are pondered upon and developed to create a viable theme, synopsis and
eventually, a script. Once an idea for a story is created, a treatment for it is
produced. This is a 25 to 30 page description of the story, the characters and the
mood. It usually comes with some visualizations to highlight the key points or
moments in the movie. A distributor will be consulted regarding the market that is
likely to be the target for this kind of movie and once that is settled, a screenplay is
developed over a period of several months. Once a clear picture of the movie is
painted, a pitch is then prepared to be presented to potential directors. When a pitch
is approved, financial backing is then sought from a major studio, an independent
investor or a film council. Negotiations are conducted and contracts are signed. The
movie is now given the go signal to be produced.

The casting process involves a series of auditions before a casting panel,

composed of individuals such as the producer, director and/or choreographer.
In the early stages of the process, performers often may present prepared
audition pieces such as monologues or songs. These audition pieces are
usually video taped, attached with resumes, and head shots and then shared
with producers, directors and studio representatives. Later stages may involve
groups of actors attempting material from the work under consideration in
various combinations; the casting director considers both the talent of the
individual actors and the chemistry of their combination.
Even if you have a definitive budget, scheduling your shoot schedule can be
tricky. You need to break down all the elements of your film to determine how
to distribute the money you have. These breakdowns also help you figure out
how many days it will take to shoot your film. You have to make your budget fit
your schedule, so be prepared to do some juggling. If you're on a tight budget,
you won't have the luxury of shooting your film over a period of several
months. Your budget may only allow you to schedule a 12-day shoot (every
additional day is going to cost you money). Juggling includes consolidating
scenes. If you can shoot the scene in the cave in two days instead of three,
and the breaking-up scene in the car, instead of in the shopping mall, you'll be
able to shorten your schedule thus, saving time and money. The director
and assistant director usually make the schedule together. The process
includes figuring out what scenes can be shot together in the same day,
scheduling actors to work consecutive days, and how to tighten the schedule
so the film can be shot in fewer days. If you don't have an assistant director to
help schedule and be on the set to help things stay organized, then you have
to do the schedule all by yourself. Scheduling your film includes
o Lining the script by going through and marking items such as actors,
props, wardrobe, and special effects.
o Putting those items on individual breakdown sheets, each representing
one scene from the film.
o Transferring the elements on the breakdown sheets to production
board strips.

o Rearranging the order of production strips to find the best shooting

schedule.
o A calendar is your best friend when scheduling your film. You choose
the date on which to start principal photography and the date on which
the shoot will wrap. By looking at a calendar, you see what days the
weekends fall on and whether any statutory holidays occur that the
cast and crew will have off (like Christmas and Memorial Day).
Recceis a military term that has been borrowed by media production in the
United Kingdom and New Zealand, derived from "reconnaissance" in the noun
sense and "reconnoitre" in the verb sense. It refers to a pre-filming visit to a
location to work out its suitability for shooting, including access to necessary
facilities and assessment of any potential lighting or sound issues, and is
closely related to location scouting. The term 'recce' is also used in radio and
television production. Other examples of later media borrowing from film
includes wildtrack which, in film production, was sound recorded without
pictures for use in post-production later. In the US the term "site survey" or
"tech scout" is commonly used with the same meaning. A recce is an
essential part of the preparation and research processes to meet potential
contributors, assess locations and research stories. Carry out as many
recces as your budget and time will allow as this will arm you with information
that you can use to plan your script and filming schedule. You should make
sure risk assessments are carried out for recce's bearing in mind that often its
one person going out on their own and the hazards of driving distances and
sole working come into play.
o Start by writing a check list as you are preparing, well before you go
anywhere, of what information you want to get from this recce. Here's
a quickfire list to get you started:
o Is location quiet enough for talking heads interview?
o Is there a power source for charging batteries, setting up lighting and
what voltage?
o What is the access for vehicles and kit?
o Do I need to take a camera with me to test contributors on screen?
o What are the health & saftey considerations?

2. Pre-Production
On this stage of the production cycle, plans and designs are made in preparation for
the production of the movie. A schedule is drawn up for the actual shooting while
budgets are allocated and storyboards drawn. Everything that is needed for the
movie is prepared like sets, costumes and props, equipment, music, and makeup.
The cast and crew are also recruited in this stage. These people include the director,
the casting director, the location manager, the production manager, the director of
photography, the production designer, the sound designer, the art director, the music
composer, the choreographer and of course, the actors. Once everything is
assembled, the movie is now ready to be made.
3. Production - The actual shooting of the movie happens in this stage. Shooting
involves setting up props, lighting being rigged and actors being put in their
respective costumes. All the clips shot in a day are processed roughly and it is then

viewed by the director and select members of the crew. This is done regularly so the
crew and the cast are kept motivated and aware of how the movie is progressing.
The director declares It's a wrap!" when the shooting is over and all scenes are
done. The movie is now in the can and the cast and crew celebrate this usually with
a wrap party.
4. Post-Production - In this stage, the movie is edited and polished. Undesirable
scenes are cut or shortened to service the overall narrative. The final sound mix is
created and the voice recordings are synchronized with the entire movies. Special
effects are added, including the opening titles and the closing credits. Once this is
done, the movie is now considered locked. The final cut is now ready for printing,
duplication and distribution.
5. Distribution - This stage doesn't just involve releasing the movie into theaters and
DVDs. It also involves promotion via press interviews, film showings and film festival
activities.

Film distribution is the process of making a movie available for viewing by an

audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor, who
would determine the marketing strategy for the film, the media by which a film
is to be exhibited or made available for viewing, and who may set the release
date and other matters. The film may be exhibited directly to the public either
through a movie theater or television, or personal home viewing (including
DVD-Video or Blu-ray Disc, video-on-demand, download, television programs
through broadcast syndication etc.). For commercial projects, film distribution
is usually accompanied by film promotion. When a film is initially produced, a
feature film is often shown to audiences in a movie theater. Typically, one film
is the featured presentation (or feature film). Before the 1970s, there were
"double features"; typically, a high quality "A picture" rented by an independent
theater for a lump sum, and a "B picture" of lower quality rented for a
percentage of the gross receipts. Today, the bulk of the material shown before
the feature film consists of previews for upcoming movies (also known as
trailers) and paid advertisements.
Film promotion is the practice of promotion specifically in the film industry, and
usually occurs in coordination with the process of film distribution. Sometimes
called the press junket or film junket, film promotion generally includes press
releases, advertising campaigns, merchandising, franchising and media, and
interviews with the key people involved with the making of the film, like actors
and directors.[1] As with all business, it is an important part of any release
because of the inherent high financial risk; film studios will invest in expensive
marketing campaigns to maximize revenue early in the release cycle.
Marketing budgets tend to equal about half the production budget. Publicity is
generally handled by the distributor and exhibitors.
A film release is the authorization by the owner of a completed film to a public
exhibition of the film. The exhibition may be in theatres or for home viewing. A
film's release date and the method of release is part of the marketing of the
film. It may be a wide or limited release. The process may involve finding a
film distributor. A film's marketing may involve the film being shown at a film
festival or trade show to attract distributor attention and, if successful, may
then be released through a chosen distributor.

Exhibition and film festival

A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas
or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals
show some films outdoors.[1] Films may be of recent date and, depending upon the
festival's focus, can include international and domestic releases. Some festivals
focus on a specific film-maker or genre (e.g., film noir) or subject matter (e.g., horror
film festivals). A number of film festivals specialise in short films of a defined
maximum length. Film festivals are typically annual events. Some film historians do
not consider Film Festivals as official releases of film, like Jerry Beck.[2] The best
known film festivals are the Venice Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, the
Toronto Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film
Festival, the latter being the largest film festival worldwide, based on attendance.[3]
[4] The Venice Film Festival is the oldest major festival. The Melbourne International
Film Festival is the largest film festival in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the
oldest in the world. A 2013 study found 3,000 active films festivals worldwideactive
defined as having held an event in the previous 24 months.
Exhibition is the retail branch of the film industry. It involves not the production or the
distribution of motion pictures, but their public screening, usually for paying
customers in a site devoted to such screenings, the movie theater. What the
exhibitor sells is the experience of a film (and, frequently, concessions like soft drinks
and popcorn). Because exhibitors to some extent control how films are programmed,
promoted, and presented to the public, they have considerable influence over the
box-office success and, more importantly, the reception of films. Though films have
always been shown in nontheatrical as well as theatrical venues, the business of film
exhibition primarily entails the ownership, management, and operation of theaters.
Historically, film exhibitors have been faced with a number of situations common to
other sectors of the commercial entertainment industry: shifting market conditions,
strong competition, efforts to achieve monopolization of the field, government
regulatory actions, and costly investment in new technologies.

MODULE III : SCRIPTWRITING

Narrative Composition: 3 plot structure, Linear and Non linear and Circular
Syd Field, author of Screenplay and The Screen Writer's Workbook, has outlined a
paradigm that most screenplays follow. A paradigm is a conceptual scheme. This
paradigm is the structure that holds screenplays together. According to Field,
screenplays follow a three-act structure, meaning the standard screenplay can be
divided into three parts: Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution.

The "Plot Point"--According to Field, the three acts are separated by two plot points.
A plot point, often called a reversal, is an event that thrusts the plot in a new
direction, leading into a new act of the screenplay. Later screenplay gurus have built

on Field's theory by stating that Plot Point #1, which leads into Act II, is the moment
when the hero takes on the problem.
The Three-Act Structure - The 3-act structure is an old principle widely adhered to
in storytelling today. It can be found in plays, poetry, novels, comic books, short
stories, video games, and the movies. It was present in the novels of Conan Doyle,
the plays of Shakespeare, the fables of Aesop, the poetry of Aristotle, and the films
of Hitchcock. Its older than Greek dramaturgy. Hollywood and Broadway use it well.
Its irrefutable and bullet-proof, so to speak. Though quite simple, the 3-act structure
has proven to be a valuable weapon in the arsenal of any screenwriter. Yes, there
are alternatives to telling a story. But the 3-act structure is a highly accepted and
greatly successful method. In a nutshell, the 3 acts are labeled as:

Act I: Setup. Act I comprises the first quarter of the screenplay. (For a two
hour movie, Act I would last approximately 30 minutes.) The first act is where
all the major characters of the story are introduced, plus the world where they
live in, and the conflict that will move the story forward. In Act I, the writer has
the freedom to create any setting and reality that he so wishes. Its in the first
pages of the script that he defines the reasoning and logic of the story. This
early in the script, anything is possible.
Act II: Confrontation. Act II comprises the next two quarters of the film. (For a
two hour movie, Act II would last approximately 60 minutes.) The second act is
by far the longest, encompassing half of the movie and taking place between the first
and third acts. For some screenwriters, Act II is the hardest one to squeeze out. This
happens because after the initial boost of a new story, the writer is left without plot
elements to introduce. The story, its characters and conflict are all established. At this
point, the writer has created a solid frame for his narrative. Yet hes still roughly sixty
pages away from the ending.

Act III: Resolution. Act III comprises the final quarter of the film. (For a two
hour movie, Act III would be the final 30 minutes.) The last act, Act III presents

the final confrontation of the movie, followed by the denouement. This act is usually
the shortest in length because quickly after the second turning point of the script, the
main character is face to face with the villain or just about. Showdown ensues and
then conclusion.

The first act is usually used for exposition, to establish the main characters,
their relationships and the world they live in. Later in the first act, a dynamic,
on-screen incident occurs that confronts the main character (the protagonist),
whose attempts to deal with this incident lead to a second and more dramatic
situation, known as the first turning point, which (a) signals the end of the first
act, (b) ensures life will never be the same again for the protagonist and (c)
raises a dramatic question that will be answered in the climax of the film. The
dramatic question should be framed in terms of the protagonist's call to action,
(Will X recover the diamond? Will Y get the girl? Will Z capture the killer?).[1]
This is known as the inciting incident, or catalyst. As an example, the inciting
incident in the 1972 film The Godfather is when Vito Corleone is attacked,
which occurs approximately 40 minutes into the film.

The second act, also referred to as "rising action", typically depicts the
protagonist's attempt to resolve the problem initiated by the first turning point,
only to find him- or herself in ever worsening situations. Part of the reason
protagonists seem unable to resolve their problems is because they do not yet
have the skills to deal with the forces of antagonism that confront them. They
must not only learn new skills but arrive at a higher sense of awareness of
who they are and what they are capable of, in order to deal with their
predicament, which in turn changes who they are. This is referred to as
character development or a character arc. This cannot be achieved alone and
they are usually aided and abetted by mentors and co-protagonists.[1]
The third act features the resolution of the story and its subplots. The climax is
the scene or sequence in which the main tensions of the story are brought to
their most intense point and the dramatic question answered, leaving the
protagonist and other characters with a new sense of who they really are

Nonlinear narrative, disjointed narrative or disrupted narrative is a narrative

technique, sometimes used in literature, film, hypertext websites and other
narratives, where events are portrayed, for example out of chronological order, or in
other ways where the narrative does not follow the direct causality pattern of the
events featured, such as parallel distinctive plot lines, dream immersions or narrating
another story inside the main plot-line. It is often used to mimic the structure and
recall of human memory, but has been applied for other reasons as well.
Narrative structure, a literary element, is generally described as the structural
framework that underlies the order and manner in which a narrative is presented to a
reader, listener, or viewer. The narrative text structures are the plot and the setting.
Generally, the narrative structure of any workbe it a film, play, or novelcontains a
plot, theme, and resolution. It can also be divided into three sections, which are
together referred to as the three-act structure: setup, conflict, and resolution.
The setup (act one) is where all of the main characters and their basic situations are
introduced, and contains the primary level of characterization (exploring the
character's backgrounds and personalities). A problem is also introduced, which is
what drives the story forward.
The second act, the conflict, is the bulk of the story, and begins when the inciting
incident (or catalyst) sets things into motion. This is the part of the story where the
characters go through major changes in their lives as a result of what is happening;
this can be referred to as the character arc, or character development.
The third act, or resolution, is when the problem in the story boils over, forcing the
characters to confront it, allowing all the elements of the story to come together and
inevitably leading to the ending.
A story that ends in the same place it began is commonly called a circular or cyclical
narrative. While literature during and after the Modernist period experimented heavily
with nonlinear narrative, circular narrative appears in nearly every genre and in the
mythologies of many cultures. Although the narratives beginnings and ends mirror
each other, as do the introduction and conclusion of an essay, the narrative almost
never leaves characters or events unchanged. Films frequently employ cyclical

narrative structures as well. The movie Looper, for example, centers on characters
who travel back in time to be killed by their past selves. Circularity can also occur in
genres with multiple episodes. At the beginning of the television series Lost, for
example, the shot centers on the closed eye of Jack, one of the protagonists, as it
suddenly opens. The camera zooms out to show Jack lying on the ground. The last
episode of the series concludes with Jack lying in the same spot, and the camera
zooms in on his open eye just before it finally closes.
Characterization & Dramatic Structure
For a truly effective screenplay, you must know your characters backwards and
forward. In screenwriting, the moment you begin to imagine character relationships how your character deals with his parents, his siblings, his coworkers, and all that you start to explore the world of your story, and suddenly scenes begin to emerge.
As you research your character (context, culture, occupation), creating details
(attitudes, values, emotions), developing backstory (physiology, sociology,
psychology), and establishing personality and behavior, you start putting the
character in different situations in your mind, and you begin to imagine him or her in
the most mundane and most exciting moments of his life.
The courage to deal with the trivial and banalities is something you should develop.
Because often the best stories in screenwriting, are made from the most
commonplace material, and if you dont know how your character cooks dinner, does
laundry, brushes his teeth, or what his little vexations are, his petty likes and dislikes,
a dynamic, a full story will never happen.
Frank Daniel, the former chair of the Film Division at Columbia University and past
dean of the School of Cinema-Television at USC, echos the point in five simple
words: A story starts with character.
So if character is the key, and stories are only as good as the characters within them,
you better create some damn, fine, outstanding characters.
The screenwriter should never decide where a character will go next or how a
character would react or what a character would say in a given situation. And if
youve done your homework, really enveloped yourself within the character iceberg,
and you know your characters intimately, the rest is easy. The character tells you. All
you have to do is listen.
In this section, not only will you learn how to create memorable characters through
research, development, and psychological methodologies, but you will also begin to
understand the character hierarchy, the application of major character roles in film,
the importance of the most common archetypes that are used, and you learn how to
write much better dialogue: show dont tell.
Scriptwriting formats, step outline & shot break down
What Is A Step-Outline? Okay, so you've got this great idea. You think, if only
someone would make a movie out of it! Then it hits you.. Hey, why don't I write it
myself?! Well, why not? Go for it! But before you jump into the deep end you need to
lay the foundations for your screenplay.
Plan Your Story! Many novice screenwriters make the mistake of leaping head first
into a full screenplay without taking the crucial first step of outlining their story -

otherwise known in the biz as "step-outlining". A step outline is essentially a step by

step breakdown of your story. By planning your story structure in advance you will
save yourself a whole lot of time in the "rewriting" stage of your project because no
matter how good you are at screenwriting, all writers have to learn to love rewriting!
Movie Outline offers a simple way for Screenwriters to outline their story while
simultaneously referencing successful movies of all genres.
Step Or Scene? Movie Outline uses "Steps" instead of "Scenes" which may confuse
some screenwriters who are used to using scenes in relation to film timing and
screenplay layout, but the difference is actually quite simple to understand. A "Step"
in Movie Outline really means an "Event" in the progression of your story, and this
means that each step can consist of more than one "Scene". A Montage sequence is
one good example or:
Although in a screenplay this totals three scenes, in a step-outline it is only one step
since the nature of creating a step-outline dictates that you focus on the main story
event and do not get into too much detail. Unless something big happens to Joe
while he is getting into his car, the scene can be described within the overall event.
What then happens when Joe enters the bank is another step.. and so on.

Another example could be a car chase. In a screenplay, each location that the
cars involved in the chase pass through is technically a scene, but since we're
dealing with the same story event, the entire chase and collection of scenes is
referred to as a step.

Or supposed your screenplay has your Hero bravely dashing into a burning
building to save a child while other fire-fighters frantically do their best to put
out the blaze. Technically, each room your Hero searches in constitutes a
scene, and every time we cut back to the other fire-fighters, they are separate
scenes too, but when planning your story, it is much easier to think of this as
one single event and as such, a single step.

Outlining vs. Rewriting - The thing is, I never used to outline my movies before I
wrote them. I just sat down with a pad and a pen and jumped right into it. To be fair, it
was a liberating experience. A "stream of consciousness" as they call it in literary
circles. What pops into your mind, suddenly appears on the paper. The flow takes
you away with it.. but beware, before you know it you are ten pages into your feature
script and you have no idea of where you are going or indeed, where you came from.
A script breakdown is an intermediate step in the production of a play, film, comic
book, or any other work that is originally planned using a script. In film and
television, a script breakdown is: a) an analysis of a screenplay in which all of the
production elements are reduced to lists in order to schedule and budget the
production; b) a directors creative analysis of the dramatic action, reciprocal
struggle, theme, and design elements of a screenplay. Character breakdowns may
also be created, and are used in casting calls.

Screen Play, storyboarding & shooting script

TORYBOARDING
The Storyboard
A storyboard is a sketch of how to organize a story and a list of its contents. A
storyboard helps you:

Define the parameters of a story within available resources and time

Organize and focus a story
Figure out what medium to use for each part of the story
How to Do a Rough Storyboard

A multimedia story is some combination of video, text, still photos, audio, graphics
and interactivity presented in a nonlinear format in which the information in each
medium is complementary, not redundant. So your storyboard should be put together
with all those elements in mind.
The first thing to tackle is the part about the story being nonlinear.
1. Divide the story into its logical, nonlinear parts, such as:

a lead or nut paragraph, essentially addressing why this story is important

profiles of the main person or people in the story
the event or situation
any process or how something works
pros and cons
the history of the event or situation
other related issues raised by the story
Instead of thinking first part, second part, third part, fourth part, think
this part, that part, another part, and yet another part. It helps to avoid
linear thinking. The home page comprises a headline, nut graph, an
establishing visual (can be a background or central photograph, a slide show
or a video), and links to the other parts, which are usually subtopics of the
overall story.

Next, divide the contents of the story among the media video, still photos, audio,
graphics and text.

Decide what pieces of the story work best in video. Video is the best medium
to depict action, to take a reader to a place central to the story, or to hear and
see a person central to the story.
Decide what pieces of the story work best in still photos. Still photos are the
best medium for emphasizing a strong emotion, for staying with an important
point in a story, or to create a particular mood. Theyre often more dramatic
and dont go by as quickly as video. Still photos used in combination with
audio also highlight emotions. Panorama or 360-degree photos, especially
combined with audio, also immerse a reader in the location of the story.
Does the audio work best with video, or will it be combined with still photos?
Good audio with video is critical. Bad audio makes video seem worse than it

is and detracts from the drama of still photos. Good audio makes still photos
and video seem more intense and real. Avoid using audio alone.
What part of the story works best in graphics? Animated graphics show how
things work. Graphics go where cameras cant go, into human cells or millions
of miles into space. Sometimes graphics can be a storys primary medium,
with print, still photos and video in supporting roles.
Does the story need a map? Is the map a location map, or layered with other
information? GIS (geographic information systems) and satellite imaging are
important tools for reporters. Interactive GIS can personalize a story in a way
impossible with text by letting readers pinpoint things in their own cities or
neighborhoods such as crime or meth labs or liquor stores or licensed gun
dealers.
What part of the story belongs in text? Text can be used to describe the
history of a story (sometimes in combination with photos); to describe a
process (sometimes in combination with graphics), or to provide first-person
accounts of an event. Often, text is whats left over when you cant convey the
information with photos, video, audio or graphics.
Make sure the information in each medium is complementary, not redundant.
A little overlap among the different media is okay. Its also useful to have some
overlap among the storys nonlinear parts, as a way to invite readers to
explore the other parts of the story. But try to match up each element of a
story with the medium that best conveys it.
Interactivity means giving the reader both input and control in a story. By
making the story nonlinear, youve introduced an element of interactivity,
because the user can choose which elements of a story to read or view and in
which order. By including online forums or chats, you give readers input into a
story. Some news sites have included interactive games so the reader can
construct his own story. One newspaper let people help plan a waterfront
redevelopment project with an online game in which they placed icons on a
map of the waterfront showing where they thought parks, ballfields,
restaurants, shops and so on should be located. For more examples of how
news Web sites are including different types of interactivity, check out J-Lab
the Institute for Interactive Journalism.

Script selection ??
Writing proposal??
MODULE IV : LIGHTING FOR FILMS
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http://www.videomaker.com/article/c13/10216-light-source-lighting-for-mood
https://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/starttofinishstoryboarding/
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/storyboarding-your-film.html

Study of Lighting-Mood, Feel, Form , Content

Single point and two point lighting in Films
Understanding Natural lighting in Films
The practice of shooting with only natural or available light on cinematic productions
can be fantastic if it suits your story and method of working on set and in preproduction. Its important to recognize before going into production using only
available light though, that it will not make things easier. It will simply shift the
workload to different areas of the production. For example, it may seem freeing to
not have to rent lights, set them up and move them for every shot. However, many
film makers dont realize that shooting with available light is often more challenging
than shooting with a traditional lighting set up. While you save time and money not
needing to set up and rent lighting gear, you need to spend extra time planning and
researching before your shoot, otherwise your film will suffer.
There are many famous films that have made use of only natural light and in some
cases have been some of the best examples of cinematography in history. Tree of
Life for example, was shot using only natural light, and in fact Terrence Malick is one
film maker that thrives on shooting without traditional lighting set ups. With that said,
film makers like him have made sure to carefully prepare and take the necessary
measures to ensure they are going to get a better result than they would have if they
were to use lights.
Below are my tips on how to maintain a high level of production value while working
with natural light.
#1 Choose the right camera - Weve all heard time and time again that it isnt the
camera that makes the image, its the DP. And while this is of course true, it is the
responsibility of the DP to choose the right camera for the job and in the case of
shooting with available light, you need to make sure you choose a tool that can
adapt to your needs. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all answer for this. It
really depends on the scope of your project, and specifically how many day shots vs.
night shots you have. For example, if your entire film takes place outdoors during the
day time, you are going to want a camera with a lot of dynamic range, so you dont
need to rely on any additional fill lighting to ensure you retain detail in the shadow
areas. A budget conscious choice for this might be a camera like the Blackmagic
Cinema Camera. However, if you are shooting mainly night shots with available light,
this isnt the camera for you. A camera like the C300 or even a 5D MKIII might be
better in that case as it will have a far better sensitivity to low light. The last thing you
want is to be stuck with material that just doesnt work. Even if youre shooting in raw
on a Blackmagic or Red Scarlet, the images will be grainy. Raw doesnt always
mean better.
#2 Pick the best lenses for the job - Choosing the right lenses is as important as
the right camera. If youre shooting mainly daytime exteriors low contrast, wide
primes will be your friend. Theyll cover your landscape shots and if you move them
in close enough for dialogue scenes you can still get a shallow DOF, as outside your
backgrounds are typically much further away than when shooting interiors. For

nighttime exteriors or interiors, get a nice range of fast lenses, preferably with at
least one wide. The ideal lens kit for shooting with available light might be something
like Zeiss Superspeeds, or alternatively for a more budget oriented production, the
Rokinon Cine Lenses would be an excellent choice. Or if youre Stanley Kubrick and
want to shoot with only available light (as he did on Barry Lyndon), you can use a
50mm NASA created F0.7 lens!
#3 Use Reflectors and Flags - This is an obvious one, but there are going to be
many scenarios where you need to fill in light, create negative fill, or add a splash of
light in the background. If you dont have lights, your only option are reflectors and
flags. These can be inexpensive foam core boards that you buy at your local art
supply store, or professional quality mirror boards and floppys from a film supply
store. Choose what you need based on the budget and constraints of your project,
but be sure to have these tools available to you. If youre outside on a bright sunny
day and your talent is completely washed out in sunlight, youre going to want to use
a flag to create some negative fill to give contrast to the actors face. Or conversely if
your actor is side-lit and your camera isnt picking up detail in the shadows, having
that bounce will be crucial. Using flags and reflectors is one of the number one things
that indie natural light productions dont seem to pay enough attention to, and you
can always spot it a mile away.
#4 Make the Sun your backlight - For daytime exteriors, having the sun behind
your actors or subjects is crucial. Watch any large scale feature film that is shot in
available light and youll notice this is done in nearly every exterior day shot, and for
good reason. One of the ugliest looks you can get when shooting with natural light is
to have your actors faces blown out with harsh sunlight beating down on them,
creating nasty shadows and unflattering images all around. By positioning your
actors in a way that places the sun to be behind them to hit the back of their heads,
you are essentially doing two things. First off, youre protecting their face from taking
in all of the sunlight which will not only make them look bad, but also cause them to
squint. And secondly, with the sun behind them, they will naturally have a backlight
that will separate them from the background and create a nice rim around their
heads, with nice even lighting on their face.
#5 Shoot during Blue Hour and Magic Hour - Blue hour is the short window of time
after the sun goes down (or before it comes up) where the sky is still colorful, but the
sun isnt visible. And Magic Hour of course, is the hour leading up to sunset or just
after sunrise. Both of these times of day are ideal for shooting as the natural quality
of light outside at that time of day just cant be beat. The trick is to utilize these two
times of day for different purposes. For example. Blue Hour is ideal when you need
to shoot a short night time scene, but dont have any lights. There is enough ambient
light in the sky to provide definition on your actors while at the same time leaving the
environment quite dark, giving the feeling of night time. Car headlights, houses with
lights on and other artificial sources in the background will be completely visible
during blue hour, helping you to sell that it is night time. Magic hour is really great for
scenes that you would normally shoot in the day time (they dont need to be sunset
shots). It will simply make your life easier by providing a very soft and forgiving,
warm natural light that will make your scene glow and feel somewhat, well, magical.

#6- Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse - If you plan on working with available light you
need to be aware that you will not have all the time in the world to get any given
shot. Your light source is constantly moving around and in the case of Blue Hour or
Magic Hour, dissapearing very quickly. The only way you are going to be able to get
what you need to get during this time of day is to have your actors perfectly
rehearsed. Ive been in situations where we have 15 minutes until we lose all light
from the sun and the actors arent prepared. They drop lines take after take and Im
left scrambling to shoot parts of the scene line by line to ensure that we get
everything in the can. This is never ideal and in some cases it may mean that you
dont complete your scene and you need to spend another full day doing re-shoots.
So make sure your actors are exceptionally well prepared. Take the extra time during
rehearsal because you certainly wont have it on set.
#7 Choose the right locations - This also may sound obvious, but time and time
again indie film makers will make the mistake of getting lazy when shooting with
natural light. Not having lights doesnt mean you can just shoot anywhere and slack
off in other areas of production. You need to spend a good amount of time picking
locations that will work with available light. For example, if youre shooting an interior
of a bedroom scene in the middle of the day, you need to make sure that room has
enough light coming in. Is there a window in the room? A skylight? Is there a tree
outside that will block the light after a certain time? All of these little questions are
critical to ensure that the locations you are choosing will work. It is also importnat
that you do camera tests at these locations. You may have a parking garage that you
want to shoot in. But the type of lighting they are using may cause strobing with your
camera, or maybe it is just too flat. Choose locations that will lend themselves well to
shooting without lights.
#8 Have a strong art department -On a really low budget film, this may just be a
single person, but make sure someone can fill this position. Building off of what we
discussed in #7, it is equally important to have someone who can work with your
locations to get the most out of them. In some cases, it may be as simple as moving
some furniture around to ensure that the spill of light from the windows hits the
subjects. On larger productions, it may get more complex where you actually need to
create new windows or rooms within your location to work with the angle of the
sunlight. This really does go hand in hand with choosing the right locations as if you
choose a perfect location, the art department may not need to work as tirelessly to
ensure you still get the light that you need, or conversely if youre stuck with a
location that just isnt working, they may be able to save the day.
#9 Use practicals - Much of this post has focused on exteriors, or lighting interiors
with daylight, but what about interiors at night? Practicals (lights that are visible in the
shot) are your friend here. You may want to use something as simple as a lamp,
positioned stategically next to your actor to give them a key light. Or in another
scenario, you may have a character sitting in the driveway while another is inside
watching TV in this case you can likely use the car headlights to shoot light through
the window. Or it may be as simple as using a dimmer switch when shooting inside a
house. This can do a lot as you may want to dim just the background lighting and
leave more lights on in the main area as fill for your subject. Using dimmers really
helps to control lighting with ease.
#10 Preparation is key - Arguably the most important point on this list. You
absolutely need to set aside more prep time to plan for your natural light shoot. If

youre going to shoot in a parking lot, you need to go there before hand and see how
the light hits that parking lot at every hour. You need to know if there is a building
casting a shadow, and if so whether that is good or bad for your needs. You need to
know your sunrise and sunset times off by heart and be prepared to work quickly
under those tight windows of time you have open. I mentioned above the importance
of rehearsing your cast, which falls into this category as well. But what is just as
crucial is having your crew prepared and ready to go. When shooting with available
light, especially during Magic Hour, you literally have minutes to get the shot you
need. So make sure you are prepared, set up on time or early, and ensure the crew
is ready to go and the actors know their lines. From there, its up to you to make the
magic happen.
In Summary
Shooting with natural light can be a very liberating way to approach the craft of film
making. When done well, you can get results that in some scenarios may far exceed
what you could have done with traditional lighting. With that said though, you will
only get these results if you plan properly, choose the right tools and do your
research when it comes to locations and day light. Its also important that if you
choose to use natural light there is a reason to do so, other than the fact that you
may think it is easier to work with (which is not the case). If your story calls for a very
organic, natural look than using available light can be one of the best choices youll
make as far as the aesthetics of your production. However if youre shooting an
action film that may not benefit as well from this technique than dont simply use it
because you can. Make the right choice for your project and if it is to use available
light, than take the necessary steps to make it look beautiful.
Exercises in lighting for

Cameo - Cameo lighting in film is a spotlight that accentuates a single person

and maybe a few props in a scene. It creates an 'angelic' shot, such as one where
God is shining down and a light shines down onto this person. Cameo lighting
derives its name from the art form in which a light relief figure is set against a darker
background. It is often achieved by using barn-doored spotlights. It helps focus on
the subject and not its environment. A problem with cameo lighting is that it can lead
to color distortion and noise in the darkest areas.

Silhouettessilhouettes/

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Low Key - Low-key lighting is a style of lighting for photography, film or

television. It is a necessary element in creating a chiaroscuro effect. Traditional
photographic lighting, three-point lighting uses a key light, a fill light, and a back light
for illumination. Low-key lighting often uses only one key light, optionally controlled
with a fill light or a simple reflector. Low key light accentuates the contours of an
object by throwing areas into shade while a fill light or reflector may illuminate the
shadow areas to control contrast. The relative strength of key-to-fill, known as the
lighting ratio, can be measured using a light meter. Low key lighting has a higher
lighting ratio, e.g., 8:1, than high-key lighting, which can approach 1:1. The term
"low key" is used in cinematography to refer to any scene with a high lighting ratio,
especially if there is a predominance of shadowy areas. It tends to heighten the
sense of alienation felt by the viewer, hence is commonly used in film noir and horror

genres. In film, low-key lighting is associated with German Expressionism and later
film noir.

High Key - High-key lighting is a style of lighting for film, television, or

photography that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. This was
originally done partly for technological reasons, since early film and television did not
deal well with high contrast ratios, but now is used to suggest an upbeat mood. It is
often used in sitcoms and comedies. High-key lighting is usually quite homogeneous
and free from dark shadows. The terminology comes from the key light (main light).
[citation needed]
In the 1950s and 1960s, high-key lighting was achieved through multiple light
sources lighting a sceneusually using three fixtures per person (left, right, and
central) which resulted in a uniform lighting pattern with very little modeling.
Nowadays, multiple hot light sources are substituted by much more efficient
fluorescent soft lights which provide a similar effect. The advantage to high-key
lighting is that it doesn't require adjustment for each scene which allows the
production to complete the shooting in hours instead of days. The primary drawback
is that high-key lighting fails to add meaning or drama by lighting certain parts more
prominently than others. Shows with bigger budgets have moved away from highkey lighting by using lighting set-ups different from the standard three-point lighting.
Part of the reason for this is the advent of new lighting fixtures which are easier to
use and quicker to set up. Another reason is the growing sophistication of the
audience for TV programs and the need to differentiate. The term "high-key" has
found its way from cinema into more widespread usage, for example referring to an
event that requires much organization or is subject to a great deal of publicity.

Realistic - http://www.videomaker.com/article/c13/17039-how-to-light-a-horrorscene

Horror - http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/news/article_1706.shtml

MODULE V: INTRODUCTION TO FILM THEORIES

How to view/read the movie
Narrative and non narrative
Narrative / Non-Narrative
A suggestion was made at the Home Movie Summit, with a general sense of
agreement, that a fundamentally useful distinction that can be made within the
corpus of Home Movies is Narrative vs. Non-Narrative. In the taxonomy of Home
Movies presented in Section III below, several Genres might be regarded as
Narrative films in particular, Amateur Drama might be regarded simply as a
Narrative Home Movie. However, the presence of several other types of Narrative
films distinguished in the taxonomy below suggests that this broad division, while
useful in itself, should not preclude further distinctions within the rich variety of both
Narrative and Non-Narrative materials. Herewith an attempt to distinguish the two:

NARRATIVE FILM In the simplest sense, Narrative tells a story, and the subjects in
the film play parts. The presence of structural devices such as title cards, cast
lists, intertitles propelling a storyline, or a soundtrack with scripted dialogue may
signal a Narrative mode of film making. Acting behavior on the part of participants,
such as dressing up in costumes, adopting roles or names distinct from their real
selves, and performing scripted actions also characterize Narrative Home Movies.
Perhaps most essential is the sense that events in the film proceed in a deliberate
way, having some kind of narrative arc which is to say the action is to a significant
degree plotted.
NON-NARRATIVE FILM The use of prefix signals that this term is simply defined
as the negation of Narrative film. Attempts to define Non-Narrative in an affirmative
mode tend to flounder (Is non-narrative film unstructured, raw, spontaneous,
unscripted, naturalistic ? The objections are immediate and obvious).
As with any attempt at definition, interpreting and applying the rubric is challenging.
Is a film account of a boat ride, with a beginning (boarding), middle (sailing) and end
(disembarking), with everyone being themselves a Narrative film? What if there are
title cards? What if Jimmy pretends to be a pirate in an isolated sequence? Isnt
anyone aware of being filmed playing a part in some sense? Mightnt some viewers
discern a suburban Narrative even in the most casual and spontaneous of Home
Movies?
Still, difficulty of attribution and distinction will be common to many of the Genres
outlined below, and the challenge raised by grey areas should not discourage us
from applying useful terms to the many many films that unambiguously deserve
them. And crucially, it is often the very questions that are raised in protest to a
Generic term that point the way to fruitful intellectual study and refinement of our
understanding of Home Movies. Best to make a start.
Film genre - http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html
Italian neo-realism https://www.criterion.com/explore/6-italian-neorealism
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French New wave - http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_New_Wave
Birth of Indian cinema - http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/25/birth-indiasfilm-industry-movies-mumbai
Golden era of Indian Cinema - Indian cinema was at the peak of its glamour from
the late 1940s to the early 1960s. It is now seen as the glory years. A number of
Indian films from this era are often included among the greatest films of all time in
various critics and directors polls.

The directors like Mehboob, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor entered the film
industry during the 1930s and `40s, which were traumatic years for the Indian
people. The fight for independence, famines, changing social mores, global fight
against fascism all contributed to the ethos in which the directors grew up. However,
the 50`s saw the rise of these great directors, who changed the fate of Indian
cinema.
Following Indias independence, the period from the late 1940s to the 1960s are
regarded by film historians as the Golden Age of Indian cinema. Some of the most
critically acclaimed Indian films of all time were produced during this period. In
commercial Hindi cinema, examples of famous films at the time include the Guru
Dutt films Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and the Raj Kapoor films
Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955).
Hindi cinema gained popularity in between 1950-1970. Successful actors of that time
are Guru Dutt, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar. The popular actresses were
Mala Sinha, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Nutan, Madhubala, and Waheeda Rehman.
They gave such powerful and mind blowing performances that we remember them
for their work till date.
These films expressed social themes mainly dealing with working-class urban life in
India; Awaara presented the city as both a nightmare and a dream, while Pyaasa
critiqued the unreality of city life. Some of the most famous epic films of Hindi cinema
were also produced at the time, including Mehboob Khans Mother India (1957),
which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and K.
Asifs Mughal-e-Azam (1960). V. Shantarams Do Aankhen Barah Haath(1957) is
believed to have inspired the Hollywood film.
With time in the 70s Bollywood stars like Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Amitabh
Bachchan, and Vinod Khanna came into the scene and captured the hearts of
millions. Female stars who were making their mark are Hema Malini, Rekha, Jaya
Bachchan, and Zeenat Aman.
During the late 80s the film fraternity saw a new brigade of stars rising they were the
three Khans. Also popular among the masses and carving a niche for themselves
were Akshay Kumar and Govinda with their unique acting abilities.
In the contemporary times India can be easily hailed as the largest movie producing
country in the world. Indian movies are gaining popularity. The world of Indian
movies is a very fascinating one that has mesmerized every person, on a global
platform.
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