FORMS AND

CONVENTIO
NS OF FILM
Learning Objective
Interpret the meaning suggested in
visual media through a focus on
visual elements, for example, line,
symbols, color, gaze, framing and
social distance
Identify what form is depicted on the following films. Choose your answer
inside the box.
Action Drama Horror
Comedy Epics/Historical War
Crime and Gangster Musical/Dance Fantasy
Adventure Science Fiction

• Ang Probinsyano 4. Encantadia

• Wansapanataym 5. Mulawin
• Spiderman
Let us study the pictures and then answer the questions that follow.

• What have you noticed with pictures A and B in terms of lighting?

Let us study the pictures and then answer the questions that follow.

2. Who are the characters in pictures A and B?

Let us study the pictures and then answer the questions that follow.

3. What do you think is the setting in pictures A and B?

Let us study the pictures and then answer the questions that follow.

4. What is the atmosphere or mood created in pictures A and B?

Let us study the pictures and then answer the questions that follow.

5. Where is the set-up of pictures A and B?

What is your favorite film?
What do you usually enjoy in
watching films?
 FILM
STRUCTURE
FILM(movie or motion picture)
• consists of moving pictures that have
been recorded so that they can be
shown at the cinema or on television.

• It tells a story or shows a real situation.

• The process of filmmaking is both an

art and an industry.
Forms of Film
• Action
• Adventure
• Comedy
• Crime and Gangster
• Drama
• Epics/Historical
• Horror
• Musical/Dance
• Science Fiction
• War
• Fantasy
Conventions of Film
• light
• blocking
• direction
• characterization
• acting
• dialog
• setting
• set-up
Light
• is a convention of film used
Blocking
• is simply the relationship
to create a specific of the camera to the
atmosphere. It is a very actors. Essentially, it is
important aspect for the physical movement
shaping meaning in films. of the actors relative to
It can manipulate a the position of the
viewer’s attitude towards a camera.
setting or a character.
Direction Characterization
• is the process by which the
• is the process of writer reveals the
making sure that personality of the
every component character. Characterization
is revealed through direct
of the movie runs characterization or indirect
smoothly. characterization.
Acting Dialogue
•
• affects the way the is the exchange of
audience responds. spoken words
• This includes facial between two or more
expressions, body characters in the film
language and delivery of or moving pictures.
lines.
Setting
• is both the time and
geographic location
within a film or within a
work of film. The
setting helps initiate the
main backdrop and
mood for a story.
Set-Up
• is also called “set design”
• refers to the creation of a
scenery that depicts the
“look” or physical
appearance of the set for a
film. It is often structured or
built in studios. It can also be
outside locations.
Identify what form is depicted on the following films. Choose your answer
inside the box.
Action Drama Horror
Comedy Epics/Historical War
Crime and Gangster Musical/Dance Fantasy
Adventure Science Fiction

• Shake, Rattle and Roll 4. Avatar

• Men in Black 5. Titanic
• American Sniper
 Choose from the conventions and devices of films
used in the scene.
Lights Direction Blocking Set-up
Characterization Acting Dialog Setting

• The actors are positioned in front of the house.

• “Get out, the house is on fire!”
• The director is telling the actors what he wants in
the scene.
 Choose from the conventions and devices of films
used in the scene.
Lights Direction Blocking Set-up
Characterization Acting Dialog Setting

4. They are filming near the ocean.

5. They use natural sunlight as lighting.
6. The actress made us cry in the scene.
7. Gloria plays as the good witch.
 Choose from the conventions and devices of films
used in the scene.
Lights Direction Blocking Set-up
Characterization Acting Dialog Setting

8. The place was dim and eerie.

9. Angelina sits with posture and the opposite end is John.
10. “Oh, you can’t help that said the cat: we’re all mad here.
I’m mad, you’re mad.”
 When we study film, we consider the following:

1 2
How the film employs narrative How the film employs film
conventions conventions (in other words, what
(in other words, the ‘story') we see and hear)

This includes elements like This includes visual techniques and

character, setting, plot events, theme audio techniques.
etc.
To start discussing a film's construction, you'll need to
understand the following terms...

Shot
A single 'run' of the camera. This is the basic unit
from which a film is constructed. The length of each
shot determines the pace and rhythm of the scene.
The typical shot lasts around 5-8 seconds.

• A Long Take – reveals complex scenes, often

with in them, as they unfold in real time.

• A Short Take – can last under a second and

switches rapidly.
Sequence
A group of shots depicting
one action, or, which seem
to belong with or depend
upon each other.
A typical sequence might be
between 3 to 18 shots)
Scene
A group of sequences which
depict an event in the story
and occur in one place.
A scene is generally a larger
unit than a sequence.
CINEMATOGRAP
HY & LIGHTING
Camera shot types are also referred
to as viewing distance.

They describe the distance between

the camera and the subject.

There are four main types of camera

shots.
 Close-up Shot Mid Shot
An object or an actor’s head An actor is seen from the
takes up most of the screen. waist up (this is the most
It is used to reveal emotion common type of shot). It
through facial expression. shows emotion through
facial expression as well as
body language.
Long Shot
An actor’s entire body is
seen as well as some of the
setting. It shows a character's
emotion through posture and
gesture.
 Extreme Close-Up Shot
This is a very close shot and may be only
a small part of an object or person. It is
used to raw our focus to show a specific
detail.
Extreme Long Shot
This shows the landscape of the film with
a barely visible character in the distance.
It is used to show setting or make a
person look small or vulnerable in their
surroundings.
Camera angles are also referred to
as viewing perspective.

They describe the angle ofthe

camera in relation to the subject.

There are six main types of camera

angles.
 High Angle
The camera is positioned
above the subject, looking
down. This makes the
subject looks small, weak,
powerless or insignificant.
Low Angle Eye Level Shot
The camera is positioned The audience sees the
below the subject, looking subject straight on (this is
up. It makes the subject the most common type of
looks large, imposing and shot). The subject is
powerful. observed with no bias.
 Birdseye Undershot Dutch Tilt
View

The camera is placed The camera is positioned The camera is tilted on it’s
overhead or directly above directly beneath the subject. axis so it produces an image
the subject. Characters and It is often coupled with that is similar to tilting
objects are made to look point-of-view shots when one’s head on the side. It’s
small compared to their the character is looking up often used to convey
surroundings. at something. tension or chaos.
 There are four main types of camera movement.

Panning Shot Tilt Shot

The camera is stationary and the head
moves from left to right or right to left
on a horizontal axis. It is usually used to
show a setting or landscape.
The camera is stationary and the head
moves up or down on a vertical axis. It
is used to show the height of something
or to mirror someone raising or
lowering their head.
 There are four main types of camera movement.

Zoom Tracking Shot

The camera is stationary and the focus The camera moves on tracks or
changes to zoom in or out on an object, wheels, from a helicopter or crane or
character or setting. It is used to draw from the body of a person. They often
focus to a particular detail. follow a traveling or moving subject.
 There are two main types of lighting.

High Key Low Key

Lighting Lighting
Description – Description – Sharp
Brightness, contrasts between
openness, light light and dark

Effect - Allows a Effect - Creates a

range of moods to mood of mystery
be conveyed and suspense
EDITING
Editing
This is the process of assembling and splicing
together the various shots which comprise a film.

The editing speed (or tempo) of a particular

sequence is also an important consideration.

Fast editing generates excitement and anticipation

and slow editing has a calming and relaxing effect
on the viewer.
Some Cut – two shots are joined in a way
that looks like an instantaneous
common change between shots.
editing
techniques Fade – The image appears or
are as disappears gradually by slowly fading
to black, white or another colour. The
follows: fade is often used as a division
between scenes.

Dissolve – an image on screen slowly

fades away while the next image
slowly fades in (either a voiceover or
a piece of music).
Some Parallel Editing/Cross-cutting – cuts
between scenes that are happening
common simultaneously but in different
editing locations.

techniques
Point-of-view Edit – a series of shots
are as reveal what a character is seeing and
follows: their reaction to it via facial
expression

Montage – a series of shots from

different settings or times shown in
sequence to create a continuous
reality. There is usually voiceover or
music played over the top.
 AUDIO
TECHNIQUES
 Music
Music in film is a powerful
emotional trigger that achieves
a number of things:
• It creates mood or atmosphere
• It establishes setting
• It reinforces or foreshadows certain
events
• It gives meaning to a character's
actions or translates their thoughts
 Sound Effects
Sound effects are any sound, other than
music or speech, artificially reproduced
to create an effect.
• Sound effects are most often added into the
movie post production.
• Many times when filming a scene with multiple
actions going on at the same time, such as
dialogue, sword fighting and other background
action, sound effects are added to make the effect
louder.
 Dialogue &
Voice
Dialogue is defined as a conversation
between two or more people in a
movie.
• In addition, a movie could have a monologue
where a character is speaking out loud when he
or she is alone or a voiceover where they speak
over a sequence of events.
• A character can convey a range of emotions or
ideas through the voice they adopt when
delivering dialogue.
THEATRICAL
ELEMENTS
 Setting
The setting is the place in which the action occurs. It
gives us information about the time, location and
atmosphere.

It can also provide challenges for the characters to

overcome.

Settings can convey ideas for example opulence,

squalor, a particular culture etc.
 Costume
Costumes can quickly convey a good
deal about characters.

Costumes are carefully chosen to

represent a range of things about
characters – their occupation, age,
status, personality, mood and so on.

Colours are generally used symbolically

when it comes to costume.
 Props
Objects that actors manipulate or that are
a part of the set are called props.

They too can reveal information about

character, setting, and themes.

Think about the symbolism or

connotations of different objects.
 Acting
Acting, like painting and filmmaking, is an art
and there are many tools that an actor has at his
or her disposal to communicate a character to an
audience. Consider the following:

• Body language – Including facial

expression, gesture, posture and movement,
• Voice & delivery of lines - the way that an
actor chooses to say his or her lines