Course Description
History of major technological inventions in cinema and the results on narrative film style.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Students will read additional historical materials from reading list and present readings to class, covering assigned topics on specific techniques and films. A 15-page research paper is required. Note: There is no graduate degree in Film Studies; hence the graduate students come from a wide range of departments and programs, often with little training in film.
Athena Title
Film Technology and Style
Prerequisite
FILM 2120
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
"Film Technology and Style" surveys major techological inventions and innovations, testing them for how and why they were adopted by commerical cinema. The class also studies the effects specific techniques had on the history of narrative storytelling.
Topical Outline
I. Silent Cinema: Cameras, Lighting, and Editing A. From Serial Photography to Edison's Kinetoscope B. Lumiere and the Cinematographe C. Studio Production vs. Location Shooting Techniques II. 1920s and Rise of Classical Hollywood Cinema A. Cameras, Dollies, and Visual Style B. Standardization and Lighting Design C. Editing Options III. The Advent of Sound A. Sound on Film vs. Sound on Disc B. Sound Recording Strategies IV. Classical Continuity Cinema A. Rise of Technicolor B. Ford, Welles, Wyler and Deep Space Staging C. Widescreen and Color vs. 1950s TV V. New Technology and Modern Cinema A. Steadicam Technology B. Multi-track Recording and Surround Sound C. Digital Cinema
Syllabus