Guiding Principles

How do you approach “reading” a film and interpreting its themes?

How do particular performers/directors exhibit a specific style?

How do genres evolve into subgenres and influence other styles of film?

How do words on the page translate into moving images on the screen?

What sorts of actions, relationships and histories behind the scenes can be examined to better understand the content of Hollywood film?

How do films both depict and distort reality?

How do the different collaborative roles of director, producer, studio and other forces contribute to the final product on the screen?

Genres can expand into a multitude of subgenres and styles over time

Directors often have recognizable visual signatures to their films as well as thematic ones

Cinematography, editing and sound all contribute to how an audience interprets and absorbs thematic content

Multiple options in shot choice, editing and tone exist for the translation of the written word to the screen

Audience interpretation of action between cuts drives much of narrative interpretation

Specific attributes of a film may create a cult around it

Documentaries also contain a narrative chosen by their film makers

Films based on true events can depict reality and fictionalize for various reasons, both creative and commercial

Different schools of foreign cinema developed distinct styles