Y Tu Mama Tambien/And Your Mother Too (Alfonso Cuaron, 2001)

Some Important Scenes

Two frames in the cinematic frame remind us that we are watching a movie. Self reflexive movies keep us aware, or remind us, that we are watching a movie, and that they are CONSTRUCTIONS (MOVIES).

Here is another shot when Luisa looks at the camera, reminding us that we are watching a movie. Direct Look at the camera is one of the features of THE CINEMA OF ATTRACTIONS. You can find some of the Tom Gunning's description of THE CINEMA OF ATTRACTIONS in Understanding Movies pp. 378-379.

Here are some famous shots from The Great Train Robbery (USA dir. Edwin S. Porter, 1903). These shots have become symbols of THE CINEMA OF ATTRACTIONS, where the villain looks and shoots at the camera, reminding, and making us aware, that WE ARE WATCHING A MOVIE, A CONSTRUCTION!

Here is another shot where the man talks about Compos the goalie. This reference/allusion to the world outside the movie is another feature of self reflexive movies.

Disruptions in sound that follows by narrator's voice is another feature of self reflexive movies. In some self reflexive movies sound track and shots are not synced.

Some Helpful Excerpts for Exam from Week 10 Readings

Note:

These are just some highlighted excerpts from week 10 readings. All of the other readings are important, too but I did not have time to highlight all their important points and post them. To know about all the readings for EXAM, please read the SYLLABUS. Do not forget to read "Self Reflexivity", as well, in Introduction to Film Studies (pp. 9-15)

Selected from "Post Theory" (pp. 376-384)

from Understanding Movies

"Movement" (pp. 140-150)

from Understanding Movies

This time, the pictures are taken by my broken cellphone camera! Hopefully I will scan them in future.

Essay Instructions

A Student's Question:
I am really confusing with the instruction of our first essay. I have no idea of how to write it.

Answer:

In brief, first, you need to see the “Shot by Shot Analysis Chart”. Fill it out by looking at only “the first 10 shots” of the movie “The Morning Guy”. You can watch the movie here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSiMY9tRYt0

Then, write an essay on how the film communicates its message(s) by using “formal elements” such as use of camera movement, mise-en-scene, colour, sound, music, etc. In other words, you need to discover and discuss the meaning of the movie by analysing its shots.

Please check the instructions in the pictures below. Read them carefully, and then, if you still have any questions, ask in the comments section, and I will try to answer them as soon as I can.

*Although all the instructions are indispensable, I have highlighted and underlined the important points, so, you read the document easier, at least without missing them.

Respectively important:

1. Highlighted in pink
2. Highlighted in yellow
3. Highlighted in orange are referring to what you can find at the end of the document, and you need to either read/see, or download.
4. Underlined

**To enlarge the pictures, click on them.

Download “Shot by Shot Analysis Chart” and the movie The Morning Guy from here

Readings: 

a) Introduction to Film Studies Readings

b) Understanding Movies

c) PowerPoint Files

To be downloaded from here

Click here to download the original document (FILM1000A Essay 1 Instructions.pdf)

Click here to see the original document (A Guide to Writing a Film Studies Paper).

High-Key&Low-Key Lighting in Cinema

A Student's Question:

I am really confusing with the high-key light and low-key light. Could you please give me some examples or explanation of those two kinds of light? 

Answer:

High-Key Lighting

Low-Key Lighting

Source: 

Understanding Movies

Louis Giannetti

Jim Leach 

pp. 413-414

For more info, please check:

http://filmschoolonline.com/sample_lessons/sample_lesson_cinematography.htm