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French film director, Robert Bresson, once said that “cinematography is writing with images in movement and with sounds.” How does one write about film then, to do justice to this complex art form? Writing about film requires paying attention to its nature as a representational medium – focusing on its form and techniques, rather than simply on its content or story. When analysing the film form, we need to learn to identify the unique tools used by the filmmakers (e.g., framing, composition, the use of colour) and examine the way different elements of the film form (mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, and sound) contribute to the creation and communication of meaning. It is important to remember that all the choices made in a film help to shape that film as a unique work of art, in other words, they need to be approached from a pragmatic but also an aesthetic angle. Paying attention to how the movie is filmed and the techniques used in the production process allows us to determine the film’s style (e.g., realism, expressionism, noir). Formal elements of iconography, settings, narratives and characters help us identify the film’s genre (e.g., melodrama, comedy, horror); and genre further influences the use of filmmaking styles and techniques. Semiotic, psychological, or historical readings of film, or indeed, any discussion of cinematic representation (of gender, class, race, etc.) will not be complete unless they are firmly supported by evidence grounded in formal film analysis.

This lecture offers guidance on how to incorporate formal film analysis into academic writing:

• We will talk about the development of cinema and the shift from the understanding of film as a technology (cinema of attraction) to its recognition as an artistic medium.

• We will talk about how films are studied and briefly introduce some of the major critical approaches to film studies.

• We will briefly discuss the characteristics of the four major elements of the film form - mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, and sound.

• We will talk how formal film analysis helps us better understand film styles and genres.

• We will discuss how to actively watch films and take useful notes while viewing, how to organise your analysis and how to effectively use your analysis to construct meaningful arguments in academic writing.