Moving Images, Understanding Media

66 Moving Images: Making Movies, Understanding Media

Analysis: Non-Dialogue Film

For this chapter, you will watch a series of non-dialogue fi lms including More by

Mark Osborne (see included DVD), both from the early cinema and contemporary

examples. For each short fi lm, indicate the following:

A. Th e Establishment of Story

1. How does the movie begin? How is the context of the story
   introduced?


2. How are key characters introduced? Is there much detail
   gi ven to the characters?


3. How are the characters’ actions shown and how do these
   actions propel the story?


4. How is the setting established? How do location changes occur?


5. What are key turning points in the story? How are they shown?


6. How do the fi lmmakers conclude the movie?

B. Cinematography

1. Is the camera used to establish particular points of view?


2. Do camera angles show or hide characters and particular
   information?


3. Does the camera move? How and when?


4. Can you give examples of changes in perspective of the
   camera?


5. In what ways does photography help to tell the story and give
   the movie a particular style or tone?

C. Editing

1. What is the pace of the editing? Approximately how many
   cuts occur?


2. What brings about cuts between shots? Give two examples of
   the motivations for edits in the movie (if there are any edits).


3. How does the story advance as cuts are made? Describe at
   least one sequence of shots in which cuts between shots help
   to tell the story.

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