The Film Experience: An Introduction, 3rd Edition

__The Film Experience__ is a comprehensive introduction to film that recognizes students as movie fans while surpassing all other texts in helping them understand the art form’s full scope. Noted scholars and teachers Tim Corrigan and Patricia White capture the complete film experience, situating their strong coverage of the medium’s formal elements within the larger cultural contexts that inform the ways we all watch film—from economics and exhibition to marketing and the star system. A host of learning tools gives students the support they need to make the transition from movie fan to critical viewer. Now with a sharper focus that highlights the essential formal and cultural concepts of cinema, and a powerful new suite of video and media, __The Film Experience__ is __the__ consummate introductory film text. Read the preface. Cover Page......Page 1 From Movie Buff to Critical Viewer......Page 3 Title Page......Page 5 Copyright Page......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 Brief Contents......Page 17 Contents......Page 19 PART 1 CULTURAL CONTEXTS: making, watching, and studying movies......Page 28 INTRODUCTION Studying Film: Culture, Practice, Experience......Page 29 Why Film Studies Matters......Page 33 Film Spectators and Film Cultures......Page 34 FORM IN ACTION: Identification, Cognition, and Film Variety......Page 39 FILM IN FOCUS: Studying The 400 Blows (1959)......Page 40 The Film Experience......Page 42 CHAPTER 1 Encountering Film: From Preproduction to Exhibition......Page 45 Preproduction......Page 47 Production......Page 51 Postproduction......Page 54 Distributors......Page 55 Ancillary Markets......Page 59 Distribution Timing......Page 62 FILM IN FOCUS: Distributing Killer of Sheep (1977)......Page 66 Generating Our Interest......Page 69 Advertising......Page 72 FORM IN ACTION: The Changing Art and Business of the Film Trailer......Page 73 Word of Mouth......Page 75 Fan Engagement......Page 76 The Changing Contexts and Practices of Film Exhibition......Page 77 FILM IN FOCUS: Promoting The Crying Game (1992)......Page 78 Technologies and Cultures of Exhibition......Page 80 FILM IN FOCUS: Exhibiting Citizen Kane (1941)......Page 82 The Timing of Exhibition......Page 84 PART 2 FORMAL COMPOSITIONS: film scenes, shots,cuts, and sounds......Page 86 CHAPTER 2 Exploring a Material World: Mise-en-Scène......Page 89 Theatrical Mise-en-Scène and the Prehistory of Cinema......Page 92 1915–1928: Silent Cinema and the Star System......Page 93 1940–1970: New Cinematic Realism......Page 94 1975–Present: Mise-en-Scène and the Blockbuster......Page 95 Scenic and Atmospheric Realism......Page 96 Props, Actors, Costumes, and Lights......Page 97 FILM IN FOCUS: From Props to Lighting in Do the Right Thing (1989)......Page 106 Space and Design......Page 110 FORM IN ACTION: Mise-en-Scène in Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)......Page 111 Defining Our Place in a Film’s Material World......Page 112 Interpretive Contexts for Mise-en-Scènes......Page 113 FILM IN FOCUS: Naturalistic Mise-en-Scène in Bicycle Thieves (1948)......Page 116 Spectacularizing the Movies......Page 118 CHAPTER 3 Framing What We See: Cinematography......Page 121 1820s–1880s: The Invention of Photography and the Prehistory of Cinema......Page 124 1890s–1920s: The Emergence and Refinement of Cinematography......Page 125 1930s–1940s: Developments in Color, Wide-Angle, and Small-Gauge Cinematography......Page 127 1950s–1960s: Widescreen, 3-D, and New Color Processes......Page 128 1990s and Beyond: The Digital Future......Page 129 Four Attributes of the Shot......Page 131 FORM IN ACTION: Color and Contrast in Film......Page 141 Animation and Visual Effects......Page 145 Image as Presentation or Representation......Page 147 Image as Presence or Text......Page 149 FILM IN FOCUS: From Angles to Animation in Vertigo (1958)......Page 150 FILM IN FOCUS: Meaning through Images in M (1931)......Page 154 CHAPTER 4 Relating Images: Editing......Page 159 A Short History of Film Editing......Page 160 1895–1918: Early Cinema and the Emergence of Continuity Editing......Page 162 1919–1929: Soviet Montage......Page 163 1960–1989: Modern Disjunctive Editing......Page 165 The Elements of Editing......Page 166 The Cut and Other Transitions......Page 167 Continuity Style......Page 170 Editing and Temporality......Page 177 FORM IN ACTION: Editing and Rhythm in Moulin Rouge! (2001)......Page 180 Graphic, Movement, and Rhythmic Editing......Page 181 FILM IN FOCUS: Patterns of Editing in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)......Page 186 How Editing Makes Meaning......Page 188 Continuity and Disjunctive Editing Styles......Page 190 FILM IN FOCUS: Montage in Battleship Potemkin (1925)......Page 198 Converging Editing Styles......Page 200 CHAPTER 5 Listening to the Cinema: Film Sound......Page 203 A Short History of Film Sound......Page 204 Theatrical and Technological Prehistories of Film Sound......Page 205 1895–1920s: The Sounds of Silent Cinema......Page 206 1927–1930: Transition to Synchronized Sound......Page 207 1930s–1940s: Challenges and Innovations in Cinema Sound......Page 208 The Elements of Film Sound......Page 209 Sound and Image......Page 210 Sound Production......Page 213 FILM IN FOCUS: Sound and Image in Singin’ in the Rain (1952)......Page 214 Voice, Music, Sound Effects......Page 217 FORM IN ACTION: Music and Meaning in I’m Not There (2007)......Page 223 The Significance of Film Sound......Page 229 Authenticity and Experience......Page 230 Sound Continuity and Sound Montage......Page 231 FILM IN FOCUS: The Ethics and Effects of Sound Technology in The Conversation (1974)......Page 234 PART 3 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES: from stories to genres......Page 238 CHAPTER 6 Telling Stories: Narrative Films......Page 241 A Short History of Narrative Film......Page 242 1900–1920s: Adaptations, Scriptwriters, and Screenplays......Page 244 1927–1950: Sound Technology, Dialogue, and Classical Hollywood Narrative......Page 245 1950–1980: Art Cinema......Page 246 1980s–Present: Narrative Reflexivity and Games......Page 247 Stories and Plots......Page 248 Characters......Page 250 Diegetic and Nondiegetic Elements......Page 257 Narrative Patterns of Time......Page 258 FORM IN ACTION: Nondiegetic Images and Narrative......Page 259 Narrative Space......Page 264 Narrative Perspectives......Page 266 FILM IN FOCUS: Plot and Narration in Apocalypse Now (1979)......Page 268 The Significance of Film Narrative......Page 271 Narrative Traditions......Page 272 FILM IN FOCUS: Classical and Alternative Traditions in Mildred Pierce (1945) and Daughters of the Dust (1991)......Page 276 CHAPTER 7 Representing the Real Documentary Films......Page 281 A Prehistory of Documentaries......Page 284 The 1920s: Robert Flaherty and the Soviet Documentaries......Page 285 1930–1945: The Politics and Propaganda of Documentary......Page 286 1980s–Present: Digital Cinema, Cable, and Reality TV......Page 287 Nonfiction and Non-Narrative......Page 289 Expositions: Organizations That Show or Describe......Page 290 FILM IN FOCUS: Nonfiction and Non-Narrative in Man of Aran (1934)......Page 291 Rhetorical Positions......Page 293 Revealing New or Ignored Realities......Page 297 FILM IN FOCUS: Organizational Strategies and Rhetorical Positions in Sunless (1982)......Page 298 Serving as a Social, Cultural, and Personal Lens......Page 300 FORM IN ACTION: The Contemporary Documentary: Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)......Page 307 CHAPTER 8 Challenging Form Experimental Film and New Media......Page 311 A Short History of Experimental Film and Media Practices......Page 314 1910s–1920s: European Avant-Garde Movements......Page 315 1950s–1960s: The Postwar Avant-Garde in America......Page 316 FILM IN FOCUS: Avant-Garde Visions in Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)......Page 318 1968 and After: Politics and Experimental Cinema......Page 320 1980s–Present: New Technologies and New Media......Page 322 The Elements of Experimental Media......Page 323 Formalisms: Narrative Experimentation and Abstraction......Page 324 Experimental Organizations: Associative, Structural, and Participatory......Page 325 FILM IN FOCUS: Formal Play in Ballet mécanique (1924)......Page 326 Styles and Perspectives: Surrealist, Lyrical, and Critical......Page 330 FORM IN ACTION: Lyrical Style in Bridges-Go-Round (1958)......Page 333 The Significance of Experimental Media......Page 334 Experimental Film Traditions......Page 335 CHAPTER 9 Rituals, Conventions, Archetypes,and Formulas: Movie Genres......Page 341 A Short History of Film Genre......Page 343 Early Film Genres......Page 344 1948–1970s: Postwar Film Genres......Page 345 1970s–Present: New Hollywood, Sequels, and Global Genres......Page 346 The Elements of Film Genre......Page 347 Conventions, Formulas, and Expectations......Page 348 Movie Genres: Six Paradigms......Page 350 Prescriptive and Descriptive Approaches......Page 367 FILM IN FOCUS: Generic Chinatown (1974)......Page 368 Classical and Revisionist Genres......Page 370 FORM IN ACTION: Genre Revisionism: Comparing True Grit (1969) and True Grit (2010)......Page 372 Local and Global Genres......Page 373 FILM IN FOCUS: The Significance of Genre History in Vagabond (1985)......Page 374 PART 4 CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES: history, methods, writing......Page 378 CHAPTER 10 History and Historiography: Hollywood and Beyond......Page 381 Early Cinema......Page 383 Classical Hollywood Cinema......Page 384 German Expressionist Cinema......Page 387 Soviet Silent Films......Page 388 French Impressionist Cinema and Poetic Realism......Page 389 Postwar Hollywood......Page 390 Italian Neorealism......Page 392 French New Wave......Page 393 Third Cinema......Page 394 Contemporary Film Cultures......Page 395 Contemporary Hollywood......Page 396 Contemporary European Cinema......Page 397 FILM IN FOCUS: Taxi Driver and New Hollywood (1976)......Page 398 Indian Cinema......Page 401 African Cinema......Page 402 Chinese Cinema......Page 403 Iranian Cinema......Page 405 Women Filmmakers......Page 406 African American Cinema......Page 410 Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) Film History......Page 413 FILM IN FOCUS: Lost and Found History: Within Our Gates (1920)......Page 414 Indigenous Media......Page 418 Excavating Film History......Page 420 CHAPTER 11 Reading about Film: Critical Theories and Methods......Page 425 Film Theory: Cinematic Specificity and Interdisciplinarity......Page 427 Early Film Theory......Page 429 Soviet Montage Theory......Page 431 Classical Film Theories: Formalism and Realism......Page 432 Postwar Film Culture and Criticism......Page 434 Film Journals......Page 435 Auteur Theory......Page 436 Genre Theory......Page 438 Semiotics, Structuralism, and Ideological Critique......Page 439 FILM IN FOCUS: Genre and Authorship in Touch of Evil (1958)......Page 440 Poststructuralism: Psychoanalysis, Apparatus Theory, and Spectatorship......Page 445 Theories of Gender and Sexuality......Page 446 Cultural Studies......Page 449 Film and Philosophy......Page 454 Postmodernism and New Media......Page 455 FILM IN FOCUS: Clueless about Contemporary Film Theory? (1995)......Page 456 CHAPTER 12 Writing a Film Essay: Observations, Arguments, Research, and Analysis......Page 461 Personal Opinion and Objectivity......Page 463 Identifying Your Readers......Page 464 Elements of the Analytical Film Essay......Page 465 Taking Notes......Page 467 FILM IN FOCUS: Analysis, Audience, and Citizen Kane (1941)......Page 468 Selecting a Topic......Page 472 Interpretation, Argument, and Evidence......Page 473 Outline and Topic Sentences......Page 474 Revision, Manuscript Format, and Proofreading......Page 476 Writer’s Checklist......Page 477 Distinguishing Research Materials......Page 478 FILM IN FOCUS: Interpretation, Argument, and Evidence in Rashomon (1950)......Page 479 Using and Documenting Sources......Page 485 FILM IN FOCUS: From Research to Writing about The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)......Page 488 Glossary......Page 494 The Next Level: Additional Sources......Page 509 Acknowledgments......Page 514 Index......Page 516 The Second Edition Of This Accessible Book Continues To Examine How We Can Extract A Broad Range Of Meanings From The Films We Watch. With An Improved Structure, Better Pedagogy And More Examples From Popular Film, This New Edition Continues To Give Students Of Film The Vocabulary, Context And Critical Tools They Need For Serious Film Study.--publisher Description. Pt. 1. Cultural Contexts : Making, Watching, And Studying Movies. Introduction : Studying Film : Culture, Practice, Experience -- Encountering Film : From Preproduction To Exhibition. Pt. 2. Formal Compositions : Film Scenes, Shots, Cuts, And Sounds. Exploring A Material World : Mise-en-scène -- Framing What We See : Cinematography -- Relating Images : Film Editing -- Listening To The Cinema : Film Sound. Pt. 3. Organizational Structures : From Stories To Genres. Telling Stories : Narrative Films -- Representing The Real : Documentary Films -- Challenging Form : Experimental Film And New Media -- Rituals, Conventions, Archetypes, And Formulas : Movie Genres. Pt. 4. Critical Perspectives : Histories, Methods, Writing. History And Historiography : Hollywood And Beyond -- Reading About Film : Critical Theories And Methods -- Writing A Film Essay : Observations, Arguments, Research, And Analysis. Timothy Corrigan, Patricia White. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 483-487) And Index. The Film Experience is a comprehensive introduction to film that recognizes students as movie fans while surpassing all other texts in helping them understand the art form’s full scope. Noted scholars and teachers Tim Corrigan and Patricia White capture the complete film experience, situating their strong coverage of the medium’s formal elements within the larger cultural contexts that inform the ways we all watch film—from economics and exhibition to marketing and the star system. A host of learning tools gives students the support they need to make the transition from movie fan to critical viewer. Now with a sharper focus that highlights the essential formal and cultural concepts of cinema, and a powerful new suite of video and media, The Film Experience is the consummate introductory film text. Read the preface. This textbook offers a fresh approach to the study of film, combining print and digital media to enhance the learning experience. This book enables students to link their personal experiences of watching movies to a greater overall understanding of the medium's full scope, covering everything from editing to cinematography to narrative genres. LaunchPad is an interactive online resource that helps students see film concepts in action and achieve better results. Dozens of clips from recent and classic films can be accessed on LaunchPad, providing easily accessible common ground for classroom discussion, assessments and assignments