Disciplines of the Humanities: Cinema
Cinema is one of the world’s greatest forms of entertainment that has been created. It has been used to tell stories, give us thrills, educate us, and even amuse us. Like art, it comes in many different genres that allows the creator and viewers to work with and enjoy. When it comes down to creating a film as stated “In film, as on the stage, conventions are conditions that audiences agree to accept as real.” (276.9.1) These conventions that come together to make any film includes all of the following such as: sound, camera angles, color, time, and more complex conventions such as technology. In one of my previous blogs, music, or in this case sound, has a way to set the mood and move any piece depending on the tone it carries. Sound in films allow for sound effects, suspense, and thrill to happen that serves as a counterpart for almost anything. As of camera angles, it all has to do with the point of view. By positioning the camera to focus on certain things during narration it allows a visual standpoint to bring whatever is trying to be said to life. If someone was explaining a murder scene, but the only shots you were getting was them in their office thinking about it, it’d have you clueless or at the edge of your seat wondering or waiting if it’ll show you a clip of what they were explaining or thinking about. In cinematography, color also plays a key role in defining a character, scene, or object. The lack of color or the usage of it can empower the film to a whole other level. In my opinion, the most important convention would have to be the way movie producers utilize time to their advantage. For example, I’ve always wondered how something that would take a minute in reality, can take as much as five minutes to develop in a movie scene. This has to do with the utilization of time, as stated, “…time is as flexible as the director chooses to make it. An action meant to last a minute can be prolonged on the screen for several minutes.” (277.9.2) By doing this, directors are able to showcase every possible perspective that they can in order to give an audience an amazing grasp of what is exactly going on.
As for genres, it can vary from anything that is family friendly to nothing but gore and horror, it can also be a combination of things such as romantic comedy. Another thing about movies that was stated was that, “A film made from a popular literary work is under no obligation to follow the book…” (295.9.2) This answered a lot of questions because sometimes you hear “oh the movie was better than the book” or vice versa. It also means that as long as the director does not completely twist up the main story that the book has already established, some details can alter depending on personal preference. Again like any form of art, movies allow us to give it our personal critique whether or not if we approve of the way it was made, being able to critically asses something from cinema shares the spirit of the humanities always interconnecting us in many different ways. So next time you watch a movie, leave a well thought review.
Janaro, R. P., & Althshuler, T. C. (2013). The art of being human: The humanities as a technique for living. Pearson Learning Solutions.
“Why Dynamic Pricing in Movie Theaters Is a Great Idea.” /Film, 26 Oct. 2017, www.slashfilm.com/dynamic-pricing-in-movie-theaters/.
August 30, 2017, et al. Movies, lolotravelgogo.blogspot.com/2017/08/movies.html.
