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Film, Culture and Society: class notes and summary
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Film, culture and society1. Introduction
- This course explores the interdisciplinary study of film within its cultural
and societal contexts
- We will explore:
o Historical and contemporary developments in cinema
o Differents movements, genres, and directors to understand the
historical, cultural and social environments in which films are
created
o Key issues and concepts in film studies, analyzing how films reflect
and interact with culture
- Emphasis will be on American and Western European narrative fiction
- Selected topics and case studies
- Course materials: powerpoints, clips, films and digital reader
- Evaluation: written exam in English or Dutch
- Questions based on sample questions, which you will receive for each
class/lecture
o Sample questions may be adapted/combined by the lecturer
2. Moving images, 1895-2024
- Sample questions for this course:
o In the 21st century, one can watch moving images almost
anywhere, anytime. This started with the “invention” of cinema in
the late 19th century. Describe the major developments in the
production, distribution and exhibition of moving images (with a
focus on fiction films) in this era (1895-present).
o Old(er) films or audiovisual productions contain information about
the culture and the society in which they were produced, distributed
and shown. Explain this statement and illustrate it with three
concrete examples.
o Discuss “The Jazz Singer” (1927), explain why the film is considered
culturally and historically relevant, but also problematic, in terms of
the representation of gender/race. Illustrate this with concrete
examples (scenes) from the film
- An example of “pre-cinema”: phenakistocope invented by Joseph Plateau
o After: rapid photography
,- Magic lanterns: projecting slides
o Couple of pictures together to let things move
o Drawings
- Cinematograph: a couple of people were working on this through the world
o Film something, develop it, project it as well
o Brothers Lumières
- Three developments were made when nobody was travelling much
o Seeing the sea on pictures was crazy
- Public screening (first): 28 december 1895
o Is seen as the birth of cinema
o First showing to a public who paid, before its was showings to your
friends or family of for free
o From fairground (carnival) to purpose built-cinemas
People start to realize there is more to it
Storytelling is added
Fiction film was created
Longer films were possible
It was more then an invention that was outdated
Started building buildings to show films
Specifically designed for it (1905-1906)
Example: pathé palace in Brussels
o From experiment to international industry
Three main areas: production, distribution and exhibition
Production: hire people to make the movies
Distribution: people who want to buy the movies
Exhibition: the cinemas who show the movies
- Developments in production?
o Technological developments:
Improving cameras, lenses, lighting devices
Introducing sound (approx 1927)
Introducing colour (late 1930s, early 1940s)
Introducing TV technology (post WII)
New industry (rejection, collaboration)
Cinema reinvents itself (larger cinema screens, 3D etc)
, From analogue to digital production in the early 2000s
= every change takes a lot of time
o Narrative developments?
From “documentary” moving images to fiction
Longer and more complex stories
Direct link with technological changes, for instance:
Sound (musical, comedy, horror)
Colour
Analogue and digital effects
= technological developments go hand in hand with the narrative
developments
- Developments in distribution?
o New market = new way or platform of distributing (cinemas, TV,
video tape, DVD, Blu-Ray, streaming)
o Shift from analogue to digital was crucial
- Developments in exhibition?
o Initially one market: fairground → theaters → cinemas
One place where they watched movies, turned in to
everywhere
o Television (late 1940s, early 1950s)
First people were against television, but then they realized
that there was a second market to sell their movies
o Home video: videotape, DVD, Blu-ray [“home copy”]
Reveloutionary to have
Normally you only watched what was on
o Digital distribution & streaming
o (* Piracy or illegal distribution)
- Production – distribution - exhibition ?
o Vertical integration: when a business has all three parts of the films
= production, distribution, exhibition
For example Disney
o Horizontal integration: you own different companies
For example: Disney and Pixar (two different companies under
the same boss)
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