FILM ANALYSIS
It is a process in which film is analysed in terms of:
- Semiotics > the discipline which studies signs, symbols…
- Narrative structure
- Cultural structure
- Mise-en-scene
Analysing film, like the analysis of literature, involves the evaluation of a discourse which
includes words (dialogues), phrases and images.
SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS
It is the analysis of meaning behind signs and symbolism typically involving metaphors,
analogies, and symbolism.
1. What characteristics can someone’s personality transmit? Someone’s appearance can reveal
information about them.
2. What might you be able to infer characters from small hints?
3. How are these hints, a clue (signs) used to construct characters?
4. What objects or images are repeated in multiple instances?
E.g. The graduate: Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroff Kiss
Smoking > associated with sexual activity
Hair streak > it suggests that she is quite older (sophisticated) than he is (him)
NARRATIVE STRUCTURE ANALYSIS
It is the analysis of the story elements, including plot, structures, character motivations, and
theme.
1. How does the story follow or derivate from typical structures?
2. What is the effect of following or derivating from this structure?
3. What is the theme of the film, and how is that theme constructed?
Final sign at the beginning
Difference between plot and story:
Plot: is the timeline, the sequence of events in your narrative.
Story: refers to how you support a story, how you make a story come to life.
Stories are everywhere, in our everyday life, in books, on the news. In life we are surrounded by
stories, and they can be fact or fiction. (Chronological events from the beginning to de end)
Plot is a literary device that enables you to tell your story. Once you have a story in mind, you
can decide HOW you are going to plot it.
,E.g. The Twilight Saga, 2008.
The story or storyline of a film is what the movie is about. For instance, the story of the film
Twilight is the love story between a human and a vampire.
The plot designates the structure of the story, the order of events as well as the problems that
occur in the development of events and how these problems are solved.
We normally divide the PLOT into five significant parts or sections called:
1. The exposition: characters, the main events, the setting…
2. The rising actions: conflicts, suspense, …
3. The climax: when the problem is at its most important moment in the story.
4. The failing actions: after the climax, things are solved positively or negatively, and the action
calm down.
5. The resolution: the film can continue in a second part.
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
It is the analysis of the film as part of a broader context cultural values). Think about the
culture, time, and place of the film’s creation.
1. What might the film say about the culture that created it?
2. What was/were the social and political concerns of time period?
Or; like researching the author of a novel, you might consider the director, producer, and other
vital to make of the film.
1. What is the place of this film in the director’s career?
MISE-EN-SCÈNE ANALYSIS
It is the analysis of the arrangement of compositional elements in the film (visual elements,
audiovisual elements that most distinctly separate film analysis from literature analysis).
1. What effects are created in a scene, and what is their purpose?
2. How does the film attempt to achieve its goal by the way it looks, and does it succeed?
Audiovisual elements that can be analysed (take in mind all of those elements):
Props Special effects
Costumes Choreography
Setting Music
Lighting Colour
Camera angles Values
Frames Depth
Placement of characters
, EXERCISES (ON TWILIGHT)
Semiotic analysis:
1. What characteristics can the main character’s personality transmit? (Skin,…)
She looks a bit curious, and very worried, if she’ve had a problem during the whole film.
Regarding her skin, we can notice she is quite
He looks a bit depressed and melancholic.
2. What might you be able to deduce about them?
We can deduce that they are in love, but they don’t have any personality traits in common. They
both are a bit bored.
Narrative structure:
1. Which parts can you see in Twilight? (Parts of the plot)
- The exposition: Bella, Edward, and Jacob.
- The rising actions: Edward fell in love with Bella, and he should not do that because he’s
a vampire. Jacob is also in love of Bella.
- The climax: Edward broke the agreement reached with the wolfs, and fell in love with
Bella, putting her at risk.
- The failing actions: Bella is converted into a vampire.
- The resolution: the saga continue in a second part in which Jacob (the wolf) falls in love
with Bella’s daughter and protect her.
Contextual analysis
2. Think about the culture, time, and place of the film’s creation.
US was going through the financial crisis in that moment.
The film was created in 2008 in the United States.
We can notice a cloudy and wet whether.
3. What might the film say about the culture that created it? How it is transmitted in the film?
career? And the main actors?
4. What is the place of this film in the director’s/writer’s.
She was a deeply religious person, so she had a traditional vision of marriage and love.
, SHOT SIZE LIST
Films are made up of sequences.
Sequences are made up of scenes.
Scenes are made up of shots.
1. Establishing Shot
To establish the geography, time of day, the scale of subjects in relation to their environment.
It marks a transition to a new location or introduce crucial details about the location or world.
A crucial introductory component of any scene.
2. Master Shot
To confirm the location and geography of the scene (how characters are in the scene and where
they are in relation to each other).
The master captures the scene playing out in its entirety, providing the editor with something
to cut out to if necessary
3. Wide Shot (WS)
To establish the spatial relationship of the subjects.
The wide shot positions subjects far from the camera to visually represents their relationships
to their environment. It’s concerns on the scale of the subject.
Used to make subject appear lost or lonely.
4. Full shot (FS)
To make statement about the subjects’ physicality.
It’s not necessary to put the subject on the central of the scene, but subjects entire body reaches
from the top to the bottom (a full shot).
5. Medium Full Shot (FS) (Cowboy angle)
To present a subject as confident or dangerous.
From the top of the subject’s head to just below their waist.
6. Medium Shot (MS)
To dig into a subject size without losing their physicality or environment.
From the top of the subject’s head to above the waist.
7. Medium Close Up Shot (MCU)
To capture subject’s reaction.
To reduce distraction and prioritize story and character details.
To get intimate with the subject without losing their physicality.
From mid-chest to just about their head.
8. Close Up (CU)
To empathy and illustrate how dramatically effective it can be in a time of decision or anxiety.
9. Extreme Close up Shot (ECU)
To highlight and isolate something crucial to the narrative.
It is the most intimate, dramatic, and potentially startling.
