History of Film

This course examines the impact of the film industry on American history and culture as advances in technology have changed the film industry over time. Students will view and write about a series of required classical films, from different genres, from silent films to the present. Research, critical thinking, analyzing, and utilization of extensive writing strategies are emphasized for all assignments and projects.

This class counts as an Applied Communication or Fine Arts credit for graduation.

Student Reviews

Each of the three questions in the students review must be answered with a minimum of 75 words and a maximum of 125 words. Think of this as a 5 sentence paragraph for each answer with the average sentence length of 15 to 25 word. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation is required for this assignment

Films We May Watch in Class

Additional Films from the AFI Top 100

The following information is based on from The Story of Movies:

“Young people need to understand that not all images are there to be consumed like fast food and then forgotten – we need to educate them to understand the difference between moving images that engage their humanity and their intelligence, and moving images that are just selling them something.” - Martin Scorsese, Director

Why IS CINEMA LITERACY IMPORTANT?

Movies are more than just entertainment. They’re a door to knowledge. Knowledge of art, history, society. Knowledge of ourselves.

The language of film is a uniquely persuasive one. Communication using moving images is everywhere. Critical-viewing is as essential a skill as critical-thinking.

The language of film is universal. Movies enable us to see the world through another’s eyes.

Films are representations of our culture through time. They communicate ideas and feelings, fears and aspirations.

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

Our History of Film class integrate language arts, history, social studies, music, art and science. Students tap their existing knowledge to interpret and derive meaning from films, and cross-curricular links deepen their understanding of these subjects.

READING A FILM ON MULTIPLE LEVELS

Narrative Reading

What is the story about? Who are the characters? What are their conflicts? What happens? What meaning can you infer by reading the images and sounds.

Cinematic Reading

How is the story told? What cinematic devices and elements of style can you identify and interpret? Analyze the framing and composition, lighting, camera angles and distances, juxtaposition of images, pacing, movement, and sound in this film. Evaluate and critique this film as you would other works of art, through in-depth study, comparing/contrasting and discovering connections.

Historical/Cultural Reading

What does the story mean? What is the context within which the film was made? What social issues are relevant to a film’s theme? What are the ways in which the film reflects and possibly influences its time? What are the film’s ideological orientation? How has the meaning changed when viewed from a contemporary perspective?

Film Vocabulary

Art Director - an individual who belongs to a film’s art department who is in charge of the feel, look, construction, and design of the set and props.
Art-house - a niche movie theater that specializes in playing non-mainstream indie films, foreign films, or small-budget films. They are considered high-brow, or “art” films.
B-movie - an offbeat, low-budget movie that generally come from independent producers. They have become to be defined by campy acting, catchy titles, and low-grade special effects.
Blooper - an embarrassing mistake that is sometimes referred to as an outtake. It is a scene that is filmed but is typically not used in the final editing of the film.
Blue Screen - is an evenly-lit, monochromatic background actors perform in front of. The blue (or green) is then replaced with the desired background through chroma-keying. Many films made today heavily utilize blue or green screens.
Body Double - a performer who will take the place of an actor for certain shots.
Box office - the office where tickets of admission are sold.
Cameraman - a photographer who operates a movie camera
CGI - is computer-generated imagery used in filmmaking to create special effects and the illusion of motion. It can be used to create giant, fantastical creatures or fill in a crowd in lieu of hiring a bunch of extras.
Cinematography - the art of effective visual storytelling through film. This encompasses camera placement, lighting, utilizing the grammar of film, and understanding the script and the story.
Claymation - is a style of animation where the characters are made out of clay, plasticine, or putty. The characters are then filmed, generally through stop motion animation.
Cliffhanger - is the film that ends with the primary conflict unresolved. It came into fashion during the time of film serials but is still prevalent today.
Continuity - to make sure elements are consistent from shot to shot and scene to scene.
Critic - a person engaged in the analysis and interpretation of art
Director - one who supervises the actors and making of a film
Director's cut - a version of a movie a director is able to make without any studio interference. This is the version the director would like audiences to see the film.
Extra - a minor actor in crowd scenes
Editor - the person who determines the final content of a text
Film - a series of moving pictures that tells a story
Flashback - a transition in a story to an earlier event or scene
Flash-forward - a transition (in literary or theatrical works or films) to a later event or scene that interrupts the normal chronological development of the story
Genre - a French word meaning “type” or “kind.” It refers to a specific class of film such Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, or Horror.
Hays Code - A series of censorship restrictions imposed in the 1920s and enforced until the late 1960s. The code stated what couldn’t be shown in films such as taboo subjects at the time.
IMAX - a large-screen film format that produces amazing high-definition sharpness on movies projected onto screens that can be as large 30+ meters wide and 25+ meters tall.
Leitmotif - a recurring, intentionally-repeated theme or element in a movie. This motif can be a person, sound, action, or idea. It helps unify the film by reminding the audience of its earlier appearance.
MacGuffin - a movie term coined by Alfred Hitchcock for a plot element or device that drives the action or logic of the plot. It is extremely important for the characters, but it is often ignored once it serves its purpose.
Mockumentary - a fictional movie that has the style of a documentary but with irreverent humor that’s designed to mock the subject if features.
MPAA - an acronym meaning “Motion Picture Association of America.” It is an organization that represents the interests of the primary motion picture studios including film ratings.
Oscars - The common name used for the Academy Awards which are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements in the film industry as assessed by the Academy's voting membership.
Premiere - the first public performance of a play or movie
Producer - someone who finances and supervises the making of a show
Production Value - refers to the overall quality of a movie. This value is based on criteria like set design and costumes. It is not based on criteria like the directing, acting, and the script.
Puppeteer - one who operates dolls or marionettes
Score - the musical portion of a film’s soundtrack. This is often music created specifically for the movie by a composer. It consists of background music as well as orchestral pieces.
Sequel - a part added to a book or film that continues and extends it
Soundtrack - the audio portion of a film. Technically, it refers to the dialogue, sound effects, and musical score that accompanies a film. However, in popular circles, it refers to an assortment of songs heard through the film, which is then sold as an album.
Screenplay - the script for a movie production written by a screenwriter. The screenplay contains all of the dialogue, character movements, and essential actions.
Spaghetti Western - a low-budget Western that technically classified as a B-movie. Spaghetti westerns were generally filmed in Spain or Italy during the 1960s and they were often characterized by sparse dialogue and low production values.
Special effect - an effect used to produce scenes that cannot be achieved by normal techniques (especially on film)
Set - scenery used to identify a location of a dramatic production
Stop Motion - an animation technique using solid 3D models, figures, or puppets appear to move. One frame is shot at a time while the models are repositioned, giving the illusion of natural motion. The best stop motion movies are able to achieve incredible levels of realism.
Storyboard - a sequential series of rough sketches or stills showing what will happen in the movie.
Stunt Man - a stand-in for movie stars to perform dangerous stunts
Subtitle - translation of foreign dialogue of a movie or TV program
Studio - workplace consisting of a room or building where movies or television shows or radio programs are produced and recorded
Sound effect - an effect that imitates a sound called for in the script of a play
Trailer - a commercial advertisement, originally for a feature film that is going to be exhibited in the future at a movie theater/cinema.
Union - an organization that represents the interests of a certain segment of professionals in the motion picture industry including writers (WGA), actors (SAG-AFTRA), directors (DGA), technicians (IATSE).
Voice over - narration by an unseen speaker in a film or television show
Screenwriter - the individual who creates a movie’s original screenplay or adapts another's work, such as a book or news article, into a film.
Akira Kurosawa - a Japanese filmmaker who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. This filmmakers movies include Ikuru, Seven Samurai, and Ran.
Spike Lee - an American filmmaker and actor whose work has continually explored race relations and other political issues. This filmmakers movies include Do the Right Thing, Malcom X, and BlacKkKlansman.
Martin Scorsese - an Italian-American filmmaker whose movies often explore crime, machismo, and Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption. This filmmakers movies include Raging Bull, Goodfellas, a Hugo.
Bong Joon-ho - a South Korean film director, producer, and screenwriter who began his career in creating the short films. This filmmakers movies include Mother, Snowpiercer, a Parasite.
Francis Ford Coppola - an American film director, producer, and screenwriter who revolutionized the gangster genre of filmmaking. This filmmakers movies include The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Lost in Translation.
Alfred Hitchcock - an English filmmaker regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of film and known as the master of suspense. This filmmakers movies include Psycho, Rear Window, and North by Northwest.
Guillermo del Toro - a Mexican filmmaker characterized by fairy tales and horror with an effort to infuse beauty in the grotesque. This filmmakers movies include Pinocchio, The Shape of Water, and Pan's Labyrinth.
Steven Spielberg - an American filmmaker whose works are considered among the greatest films in history, and some are among the highest-grossing films ever. This filmmakers movies include E.T., Schindler's List, and Jaws.
Chloé Zhao - a Chinese-born filmmaker who became the first woman of color to win the Academy Award for Best Director. This filmmakers movies include Songs My Brother Taught Me, Nomadland, and The Eternals.
M. Night Shyamalan - an American film director and screenwriter who is known for making original films with supernatural plots and twist endings. This filmmakers movies include The Sixth Sense, Signs, and Split.