H Intro to Cinematic Language

Intro to Cinematic Language & What Does It Mean to Look

Essential Questions

  • What makes cinema a separate art form?
  • How do directors use cinematic language to express their art?
  • What does it mean “to look”?
  • What is the power of cinema?

Thurs 8/29
Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera (up to 8.42)

“This experimental work aims at creating a truly international absolute language of cinema based on its total separation from the language of theatre and literature.”

  • What do you notice about the way the film is constructed?
  • What does your mind do as the images appear on the screen?
  • How does Vertov achieve a new language “based on its total separation from the language of theatre and literature”?

Fri 8/31
Drop

Tues 9/3
Counselors review UConn

Course overview and begin reviewing film terms

Wed 9/4
Film terms continued

Thurs 9/5
Counselor visit

Friday 9/6
Using the film terms we already know to respond to scene from l’Avventura

HW:  notes on  mise-en-scene packet p. 140-149

Mon 9/9
Reviewing responses & discussing notes

Overview of Learning Rubric

p/u with transitions and clips from A Touch of Evil and Children of Men

HW:  Notes from mise packet p. 111-131.  Define key terms.

Tues 9/10
Hitchcock on Hitchcock

Reading the interview individually or with a partner for the following:

  • Main ideas
  • Define key terms
  • Confusing info or questions your have about his statements

HW:  Finish reading and notes from mise packet

Wed 9/11
Reviewing Hitchcock on Hitchcock

Reviewing mise-en-scene terms from packet

Thurs 9/12
Drop

Fri 9/13
Finish presenting Hitchcock on Hitchcock (groups 2-3)

Reviewing l’Avventura scene

HW:  Revising l’Avventura response

Mon 9/16
Overview of first major composition assignment

Discarded Image – Psycho

Intro to Rear Window – Applying Hitch’s ideas about cinema to Rear Window

HW: selecting film and reading about filmmaker and/or the film.  Have notes from full viewing of the film for Thursday’s class next week

Tues 9/17
Applying Hitch’s ideas about cinema to Rear Window

HW: Hitchcock on Dick Cavett – note main ideas, key terms, questions/confusing info

Wed 9/18
Applying Hitch’s ideas about cinema to Rear Window

HW: Response on google classroom

Thurs 9/19
Finish Rear Window

Writing Hitch response

Fri 9/20

Composing the Anatomy of a Scene project

  • What is this assignment asking me to do?
  • Who is the audience for this assignment?

Mon 9/23
In-class work day

  • Select scene
  • Reviewing scene
  • Elements of construction
  • Writing, refining, and recording

HW:  Download clip, create working thesis, and outline topics

Tues 9/24
Drop

Wed 9/25
Beginning films and notes on scene

HW: post on google classroom

Thurs 9/26
cont. watching films

HW: post on google classroom relating scene to one of Hitch’s ideas about cinema

Fri 9/27
Finish watching films

HW: response

Tues 10/1
In class work day

  • Reviewing scene
  • Elements of construction
  • Writing, refining, and recording

Resources

Wed 10/2
Reflections on Learning

HW: Spending 15 minutes on assignment (breaking down scene and techniques, starting with a focus, do some freewriting)

Thurs 10/3
What is an essay?

Having the answers vs. writing to discover

Drafting, composing, conferencing

  • Finding interviews with Hitch and other director
  • Importing clips
  • Scripting text

Fri 10/4
Drafting, composing, conferencing

  • Finding interviews with Hitch and other director
  • Importing clips
  • Scripting text

Mon 10/7 
Drop

Tues 10/8
Working draft (75% done)

Peer Review

Wed 10/9
No School

Thurs 10/10 & Friday 10/11
In class work days – conferencing, drafting, editing

Due Friday at 2.05

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