Creative Writing: Film Critique 101 (For the Non-Filmmaker)

Bowie filmed his music video for "Love is Lost (James Murphy Remix)" for just $12.99 (the price of the drive to upload it)

Film Critique 101

Film is a unique medium for many reasons. Unlike literature, tens to hundreds of people may collaborate to work on a film. Each person brings a unique life experience and skill set that all work together to create the final product.

Moreover, like literature, film has developed differently and uniquely around the world.  It is worth remembering that American Cinema, French Cinema, Japanese Cinema, etc. are as distinct and rich as their literature and culture.

Film can be just something you can “leave on in the background”, but it can also be much more than that.  Film is an art form in its own right and as such deserves your critical attention.  It is not just in the business of not just selling “products” like a sponsored Coco-Cola advertisement, but of selling ideas, morals, values, and philosophies that its maker(s) believe in.  Therefore, it is important to understand the techniques filmmakers use to persuade you of their message(s).

There are four general stages that the movie goes through to get from a concept in the mind to screens around the world.  Here are some aspects of filmmaking to consider, broken into basic stages of development and departments, to help get you started:

Pre-Production: Before You Film

1) Script

• This is often the easiest part of the movie for people to analyse since it’s the heart of the film.  It is the story in it’s most basic essence and as such most people are familiar with talking about narrative arcs, plot lines, character development, and characterisation.
• From concept to final draft the script is constantly being revised and re-written.  Many times the re-write will be happening simultaneously to filming a movie, and the final cut still doesn’t include precisely what the final script looks like.
• If you find a copy of the script online, compare the script to the final product.  How does the original script contribute to the overall story/finished movie?
• What genre is the script? Was it written by Americans, Italians, Russians, etc.?
• What was going on in the country/world when it was written? Scripts and creative decisions, like in books, are influenced by the time it’s written in.
• Additionally, if it’s a period piece/historical drama, what dramatic licences were taken, etc.?

2) Director

• Are they a genuine “Auteur”?
• Auteur Theory: The Director is an “auteur” if their personal, creative vision holds true underneath all the contributions (and sometimes interference) from the studios/their co-workers.  Their “voice”/signature should be able to still be distinct throughout their entire body of work
• Not all directors are auteurs, but some of the most famous are (for instance, a Steven Spielberg film has signature visual styles and thematic premises that instantly characterise it as “Spielberg”)
• What qualifies the director to BE the Director?
• What kind of life experiences have they had? What kind of movies have they made in the past?
• Can we trust their authority on what their movie is about? How would this movie be different if another director had made it?

3) Producers, Studio, Cast

• Producers: Producers do a lot of work from the creative to the logistical and there are many different types.  The most famous thing a producer is known for is to provide financial backing to a project.  At the end of the day film is not a “patron art”.  Ticket sales are supposed to adequately cover and ultimately surpass the money put into the art form to make a profit.
• How might this financial aspect of filmmaking affect the creative decisions made?
• Studio: What other types of films did this studio make before? Can we trust their authority (just like the director)? How does THIS studio affect the creative decisions made (for example, what if Warner Bros made this film instead of Disney)?

4) Scheduling/Budget

• Scheduling: Film is unique because you do not have to actually film the movie in chronological script order.  Many different factors affect the ultimate filming order, the top four concerns are usually (in order of importance):

1) Cast Availability

• Why were these actors chosen? Were they the “first choice” or were they the only ones available?
• If “Actor Y” was chosen instead of “Actor X” to be the lead in the film, how would that have changed the overall performance/atmosphere/tone of the film? Could there have been a better actor choice?
• Ex: I love The Holiday, but I dislike the casting choice.  Jack Black cast as a serious male leading role opposite Kate Winslet weakens the overall authority of the filmmakers to tell this story.  This is because I can only see Jack Black as a comedian, not a “hunky male lead”, so the execution of their serious plotline is weaker.

2) Location Availability/Requirements

• Were they able to film ON location (where the film is actually supposed to take place)? Or did they have to be creative? Did they film in a studio?

3) If the scene is INT (Interior) or EXT (Exterior)

4) If the scene takes place during the DAY or NIGHT

• Budget: Filmmakers can deal with anything from amazingly small to amazingly large sums of money.  However, what qualifies as a “low budget” film varies from union to union.
• Ex:
• DGA says a “low budget” film can be anything from $0 - $11 million.
• IATSE says a “low budget” film can be anything from $0 - $13.2 million.
• SAG has separate agreements for various categories from student films to independent producers.
• By far the most expensive part of making a movie is the people (cast and crew).  How do the budget constraints relate to/limit the creative decisions made?

Production: Filming

1) Cinematography (camera)

• What type of shot is it? Each type of shot will tell a different story.  Ask yourself why the filmmakers chose one type of shot versus another.  For instance, a wide shot is traditionally considered to be more “objective” (as the audience you don’t have any personal interaction with the subject) while a point of view shot is more “subjective” (as the audience you are literally transported to view the scene from the perspective of a character)
• Types of Shots: Wide shot, full shot, medium, two shot, tight two, cowboy, medium, two button, choker, close up, extreme close up (dirty single, clean single), over the shoulder, cutaway, reaction shot, insert, connecting shot, cheating, “get a piece of it”, pick up, master, coverage
• Resources/Examples of shots:  [x] [x]
• How does the camera move? Each type of movement reveals a new part of the scene/action to the viewer.  And each movement is specifically meant to make the viewer feel a certain way or to help the narrative along.  For example, whip pans in American cinema are often used in comedy (think of when a joke is said to the camera only for the camera to drastically/quickly move to the left or right of the screen and reveal a gag which happened off-screen)
• Examples of Movement: Pan, Whip pan, Zolly, Tilt, static, dolly, etc.
• Why did the director of photography/cinematographer choose this movement instead of a different one?
• Other ways a camera gets you to focus on a certain story element include things like zoom-ins, zoom-outs, rack focus, etc.
• Many of these techniques can be seen in Vance Joy’s music video for “Riptide” which offers a lot of camera movement combined with purposefully static (or still) shots.
• Around the 0:02 mark there is a tilt down to reveal clouds
• Around the 0:12 mark there is a zoom out to reveal a light
• Around the 0:30 mark there are multiple whip pans to reveal the scene’s action
• Around the 1:12 mark there is a zoom in on the blonde actress
• Around the 1:28 mark there is a dolly move to follow the actress’ feet
• Aspect ratios are another way film-makers set the scene for their stories.  In painting sometimes the canvases are small and other times they are large.  A scene appropriate for a canvas the size of a wall would not be as meaningful or impactful as a scene painted on a miniature portrait (and vis versa).  This means the size of the canvas you are working with affects the subject matter and composition of the scene you want to paint.  This is the same in film-making.  The aspect ratio size is determined by the size of the screen you’re watching on.
• It is traditionally held that beautiful, wide landscape shots are meant for the “2:35” aspect ratio of feature films in movie theater screens while more intimate close-up shots are better for smaller screens like laptops and phones
• The standard sizes are “3:4” (YouTube videos or television shows from the 1950s - more like a “square”), “16:9” (standard television programs today, more like a rectangle), and “2:35” (feature films, an even longer, “skinner” rectangle than 16:9)
• How does the aspect ratio the film was intended to be viewed at inform how the movie makes us feel? How does it affect the tone of the scene the filmmakers portrayed? How did it influence the composition of the frame (where the actors, furniture, action, etc. all take place within the scene)?
• How does the visual story match the arc of the story? Sometimes it can be a simple thing like screen direction or colour that help us as the audience understand the internal development of the characters.
• For instance, in The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman’s character only moves from the right to the left or stays on the right hand side of the screen until a major part of his character development.  Then he moves to the left hand side of the screen.
• Or at http://thecolorsofmotion.com/films there is a whole collection of the colour palettes of films so that you can see how the colours chosen in a film match their narrative arcs.
• If you know something about cameras, the equipment used in filmmaking can also be revealing.  However even if you don’t, a question many film-makers debate is the question between shooting on “film” or “digital”.  Some film purists say that movies are meant to be shot only on celluloid film while others say that using digital cameras is okay. This is because celluloid film is often said to give the narrative a richer look while digital is lower quality. Many movies are still shot on film today despite its expense, and a blend of both can be seen in cinemas.

2) Lighting

• Hand-in-hand with cinematography is lighting for telling the visual story.  Dramatic lighting is often the most noticeable like in David Bowie’s music video for “‘Heroes’”.  However, even subtle lighting conveys a message and contributes to the overall story.
• Some lighting terminology: flat, fast fall off/slow fall off, gestalt, depth, dramatic, key light, fill light, back light
• 0:20 mark of “‘Heroes’” shows a slow fall off (there are less/smaller shadows, his face is almost evenly lit)
• 0:24 mark of “‘Heroes’” shows that even though there is a strong “back light” (the light behind him), the “key light” (the strongest light source) is actually in front of him on his right.  You can tell because he is lit up instead of in shadow and the shadows on his face fall to his left side.
• 0:36 mark of “‘Heroes’” shows dramatic lighting with harsh shadows and illumination
• 2:03 mark of “‘Heroes’” shows soft lighting (there are no shadows, everything is fairly even making his skin looks youthful)

• One of the most important parts of lighting is to notice where the shadows are.  Often the two work hand in hand to tell you more about a character/scene.  And they can tell you where the source of the light is coming from
• 2:10 mark of “‘Heroes’” shows multiple light sources - where are they coming from if the shadow is only on his left cheekbone?
• -Is the lighting realistic to what the scene would really look like in real life? (ie would Indiana Jones’ flashlight really illuminate the entire cave?) What are the filmmakers trying to highlight? How does the lighting contribute to setting the atmosphere (ie is it spooky, romantic, etc)?

3) Art

• This component completes the visual story on a production level.  Art can encompass everything from the design of the set to the wardrobe and makeup/hair styles the characters have, to the design of the phaser blaster a villain might own.  This department works hand-in-hand with the cinematographer to make sure the design of the set will support the narrative he/she wants to tell.
• What do the props, set pieces, wardrobe, etc. tell you about the character? About the story? Are there any visual motifs? For example, in The Man Who Fell to Earth the visual motif of mirrors in every scene was meant to underscore one of its main themes that this world is an illusion/appearance in comparison to the spiritual world.
• Adam Savage (from Mythbusters) always sees a prop as a chance to tell a story.  For instance, a simple beaten up storage container can be made to have a story behind it (why did those dents get there, how old is it, was it second hand and found in a store, etc [x]).
• Consider why a certain haircut or bedroom is designed the way it is - and what would be gained/lost if it was something else?
• For example, in Disney’s animated feature Beauty and the Beast, Belle’s hair always has a strand in her face, which is meant to represent her imperfections - she’s not a “perfect princess”, but a strong, independent woman who has her own flaws and strengths

4) Sound

• Oftentimes the best sound design goes by unnoticed.  We rarely think of the sound of soft footsteps when sneaking into a building as being “noticeable” or “note-able” but it is! The soundscape of a film is just as important as its visual story.
• The most noticeable sound element is the music of a film.  Why did the filmmaker choose this composer? What makes the composer an authority we should listen to? Using the same questions we ask of the director we can also ask of the composer.
• Many basic questions we ask of music (how it makes us feel, the meaning of lyrics to a song [if applicable], the value of the type of instruments used to play it, etc.) we can also ask of film scores.
• However, there is also foley work and dialogue to consider.  Dialogue is any time a character speaks, while foley work is any sound made on screen that is not dialogue or the music.
• Some examples of questions to ask about the sound: Why are some characters easier to hear than others? Why are footsteps louder in this scene than in the scene before? Is there an auditory motif being used (for instance, every time I hear a “ping” it is during a moment of revelation for a character)? Why is the music louder here and softer there? Is this sound realistic to what it would be in real life or are the filmmakers emphasizing one part of the scene using sound cues?
• How does the soundscape parallel the visual story and the narrative arc?

Post-Production: After You Film

1) Editing: The Punctuation of Filmmaking

• Every individual “Frame”, or still image of filmmaking was included or excluded (cut) for a reason.
• A standard film runs 24 “frames” (still images arranged in a sequence) through a projector every second.  The frames come together to make the moving image we see.
• Cuts (each time a new shot is introduced) can be short and fast like “Hey!!”, or long and slow like “a lengthy run-on sentence that goes on and on and on for a long time”.
• Consider:
• Montage Editing Theory: That two “shots” juxtaposed, or cut, together create/synthesize a greater emotional/tonal/etc. effect the film would not otherwise achieve
• This is can be seen in high cinema like Days of Heaven in which very little dialogue is used, and visual clues make up most of the story
• Stylistically, cuts have more or less become faster and faster in the modern day, whereas older films have longer takes, with slower build up (in American Cinema)
• Traditional western cinema establish scenes first with a “Wide Shot” and move closer to a “Close Up” in order to help orientate the audience to what’s going on and where everything is in the scene.  This is because a “wide” usually shows an objective location while a “close up” shows a subjective person.  When you disrupt this order, you can create a sense of disorientation and confusion for your audience.
• The Editor: by far one of the (if not the) most powerful creative position in post.  The editor takes an array of options and picks the best ones to craft the best film possible.  They can also choose how closely they want to follow the script, or if they want to re-arrange it.  They work intimately with the director to achieve the “Final Cut”, or finished product.
• Consider:
• Did they manipulate the sense of time for the audience for underscoring certain tensions in the plot? Ex: In a sports film the final :30 seconds of a game can take 15 minutes of screen time to heighten the tension.
• Why did they focus on this character? Why not both characters? Why not the other character? Why did they choose THIS shot above all else?

2) Colourist

• Most films undergo a digital or chemical colouring process to heighten/define/change the overall colour of the composition.  Modern filmmaking relies more and more on colourists rather than creating the “final look” on set/in camera.  A visual source here.

• All colour choices should reflect the atmosphere/overall tone of the film.  And as previously stated, colour choices can also reflect the arc of the narrative.  We are conditioned to emotionally respond to some colours one way while other colours in another (for instance, red is seen as a passionate colour while blue is calming).
• Yet another resource for films and colour can be found here.
• Are the colours chosen natural or are they not? (For example, in Amelie the colours green, red, and orange are emphasized while there are almost no blues)

Distribution: Getting the Film to the People

1) Who is the target audience? Often times a film is made with a specific demographic in mind whether that’s for a certain age range, ethnicity, culture, or political/religious leaning.

• How does the target audience affect the filmmakers decisions?

2) What is the medium? Movies today are unique because you can watch them in a lot of different ways - in a movie theater, on your television screen, on your laptop, on your phone, etc.  Each way we consume a film is called a “medium”.  And each “medium” is meant to elicit a different type of response from the audience.  For instance, I watched the film The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly on my laptop, but it was meant to be seen in a movie theater.  As a result, the grand wide shots lost their power because my screen was smaller and the weight of the movie’s silences were lost because it was only viewed by myself instead of by many people.

• How does the medium affect your response to a film? How does the medium a film is made to be viewed on affect how the filmmakers made the film?