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Filming Notes

The document discusses the history and definition of film. It traces the origins and early developments of film from the 1800s through the 1900s. Key events and innovators discussed include Eadweard Mudbridge, Thomas Edison, the Lumiere Brothers, and the introduction of sound and color films. Film styles and techniques like mise-en-scene, cinematography, and editing are also summarized.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
48 views

Filming Notes

The document discusses the history and definition of film. It traces the origins and early developments of film from the 1800s through the 1900s. Key events and innovators discussed include Eadweard Mudbridge, Thomas Edison, the Lumiere Brothers, and the introduction of sound and color films. Film styles and techniques like mise-en-scene, cinematography, and editing are also summarized.

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antoniokisembo
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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FILMING NOTES

Definition of film/motion picture


Film is an art with a long standing history. It could be defined as a record of an image upon a
sensitive material called cellulose through the action of light (Kogah, 1999). It is a medium of
mass communication whose main component of production technology are the camera and
editing equipment; the film projector being the main reception technology, (Anunike, 2005). To
Uwakwe (2010), film comprises of individual frames which when shown in rapid successions
gives the viewer the illusion of motion. According to Bittner (1989), the motion picture is a
medium of mass communication which has touched every segment of the society, has touched
and dealt with every subject and has reached every audience. And because some film makers
combine entertainment with instruction, films make learning process more pleasurable. It could
therefore be described as an art as well as a business which makes those who create it take pride
in their creations. It is a significant medium of communication of ideas designed to entertain as
well as inform its audiences (Biagi, 2002). Films are illusion of motion which could be used to
teach people about history, science, arts, human behavior, culture, health and many other aspects
of life.
All these definitions and descriptions of film or motion picture clearly show that films fulfill
many roles in the society which are (a) they educate, (b) they enlighten (c) they inspire (d) they
play back history
(e) provide opportunity for social interactions (f) and they provide platforms for academic works.
Tracing the History of Film
The invention of photography as stated by Uwakwe (2010) played a big role in the history of
film. Joseph Niepce was the first person to make practical use of a film and camera around 1816,
though his images lasted for short time. But as regards motion picture, two people were noted to
be trying to capture and portray motion between 1870s and 1880s. The first as explained by
Hanson (2005) was Etienne – Jules Marey. Marey wanted to measure and transcribe motion,
starting with blood and heart and then, moving on to how animals move. She succeeded in doing
this. However, Biagi (2003) stated that in 1882, Marey perfected a photographic gun camera that
could take 12 photographs on one plate, which happens to be the first photographic gun camera.
British photographer, Eadweard Mud- bridge, was the second to capture the motion of animals
on film. Both Marey and Mudbridge had influence on Edison who is now credited with
developing the motion picture industry in the United States of America.
The real stage for the development of a projected image was set in 1877. Leland Stanford, the
former California Governor, needed to win a bet he had made with a friend. Convinced that a
horse in full gallop had all four feet off the ground, he had to prove it. He turned to Eadweard
Mudbridge, a known photographer of that time who worked on the problem for four years before
arriving at a solution.
So, in 1877, Mdbridge arranged a series of still cameras along a stretch of racetrack. As the horse
sprinted by, each camera took its picture. The resulting photographs won Stanford his bet put at
25,000 dollars, (Biagi, 2003).
As a result of this success, Mudbridge began taking pictures of animals and humans and his
photos were published in 1887 in a book titled “Animal Locomotion”, (Hanson 2003). In 1888,
Mudbridge met Thomas Edison, an inventor who saw the economic potential in what Mudbridge
was doing and invented a better projector. Edison and his assistant, William Dickson later came
up with a motion picture camera that took 40 photographs per second. Thus Edison’s
Kinetograph arrived and this facilitated the development of cinema. Thomas Edison later
invented the kinetoscope which was better than the kinetograph but which did not project movies
to a large crowd.
The lumiere Brothers, Louis and Auguste, made the next advance. In 1895, they patented their
cinematograph, a device that both photographed and projected action, (Baran, 2002). Edison
recognized the advantage of the cinematograph over his kinetoscope and invented the vitascope,
a machine that projected moving pictures on a screen large enough for everybody in the theatre
to view simultaneously.
Dominick (2002 :228) stated that Edison’s and Lumiere brothers movies were largely
reproductions of “weight lifters lifting, acrobats tumbling, jugglers juggling, babies eating etc
and so with time, the novelty become less attractive for the audience. Edison porter, an Edison
company cameraman saw that film could be a better story teller with more artistic use of camera
placement and editing. His 12– minute “The Great Train Robbery” produced in 1903 was the
first movie to use editing, intercutting of scenes, and a mobile camera to tell a relatively
sophisticated tale.
In 1915, D.W Griffit released the “Birth of a Nation”. The 3-hour epic film took six weeks in
rehearsal and nine weeks in shooting. Hanson (2005) said the film portrayed African Americans
as nothing but beasts and in response to the ensuing controversy, two African American brothers,
George and Noble Johnson made films that presented a more realistic and accurate presentation
of the African Americans in the film titled “The Realization of Negro’s Ambition” (Dominick,
2002:229).
Other landmark developments soon followed between 1914 and 1925, there were more than
1,500 percent increase for the cost of a feature film. This was also the period at which
Hollywood came up with sound films. Although historians disagree on the first sound film,
warner Brothers are variously considered the first, and they are: “Don Juan, The Jazz singer and
lights of New York” (Baran, 2002:208). By 1927, many theatres were equipped and by 1939,
“Gone with the wind” came with new Technocolour film. In 1941, Orson Welles directed
“Citizen Kane” which some critics consider “the best American film ever made” (Dominick,
2002: 234).
Later 1940’s came with the second world war but in the late 1950s, the studios started to adjust
to the reality that film and television had actually come to stay. The 1960s and 1980s marked a
closer affliction between film and television. In 1978 for instance, Hollywood made around 180
films for television and two dozen more produced for

motion picture theatres, (Dominick, 2002). The movie industry experienced decline but in 1975,
Stephen Spielberg came up with “Jaws” while the production of “Titanic” in 1997 brought great
change seen in the movie industry up till this 21st century.
History of Film in Africa
Rouch in Uwakwe (2010) stated that film arrived Africa in 1896 through a Vaudeville magician
who stole a theatregraph projector from the Alhambra Palace theatre in London and took it to
South Africa where he later introduced the first moving image on the continent. The first films
made in Africa were exotic and they reinforced the initial stereotypes about Africa as a “dark
continent of wild beasts, cannibals, primitive and backward people who grow tails and idle away
time in the jungle” (Rouch in Uwakwe, 2010:105). This distorted image of Africa in the early
films has been attributed to selfish motives and ignorance on the part of the Europeans. In fact,
“Negro Cruise” was the first film about tropical Africa made by leon a Frenchman, during his
first motor-car trip from North Africa to South Africa in 1924 and 1925, (Mgbejume 1989). The
film told the story of poirier’s adventure. However, the life of the people he saw enroute was also
portrayed in the film. The film revealed details of circumcision rites, and depicted an unusual
aspect of pygmy life.
References
Baran, S. (2002). Introduction to Mass Communication. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Biagi, S. (2003). Media Impact: An Introduction to Mass Media- Belmont: Wadsworth
Dominick, J. (2002). Dynamics of Mass Communication. New York: McGrew-Hill
Hanson, R. (2005). Mass Communication: Living in a media world.
New York: McGrew-Hill
Mgbejume, O. (1989). Dramatic TV. Film scriptwriting. Jos: Redeemer House Publishers.
National Film and Video Censors Board (2000). Film and video

Understanding Film Style


It could be seen that film form refers to the principle by which a film is structured. However,
film form cannot be discussed independent of its style or the technique adopted in structuring it
or in laying its outline. Bordwell and Thomson (2004:175) outlined four techniques or styles as:
Mis-en-scene, cinematography, shot-to-shot, and sound in cinema styles or techniques.
•Mis-en-scene
The director’s control over what appears in the film is known as Mis- en-scene. Aspects of mis-
en-scene include setting, costume, make-up, lightening, movement and acting. There is also mis-
en-scene in space and time.
•Cinematography
Like in mis-en-scene, the film-maker controls what is filmed and how it is filmed. This is known
as cinematography. The cinematography aspects of film include:
(a)The photographic aspects of the shots
(b)The framing of the shots and the duration of the shots
•Short –to – shot technique
A film contains thousands of shots framed out of sequence, hence there is a need to co-ordinate
one shot with the next in sequential order. This is the essence of editing. It is during editing that
these shots are arranged sequentially and necessary ones that may likely distort or disorganize
the order removed. It is also during editing process that unwanted footage and superfluous
frames are eliminated.
•Sound in the cinema technique
Sound in another film technique or style which engages a distinct sense mode, shapes how
images are perceived and interpreted, directs attention to the image and gives a new value to
silence. Sound, sound effects and music synchronization are carefully used with other elements
to achieve a greater aesthetic value in the film.
Conclusion
The above discussed styles or techniques as well as the film forms make film a distinct medium
of communication which is quite different from other media of communication.
Film form simply refers to how a film is structured bearing in mind the various elements like
acting, directing, lightening, costume, music, sound etc. but film style refers to the technique
adopted in structuring the film. The four techniques or styles developed by Bordwell and
Thompson (2004) were carefully enumerated and discussed.
References/Further Reading
Anunike, O. (2005). “Film Criticism, Theory and Application in V. Agbanu and C. Nwabueze
(eds.) Readings in Mass Communication. Owerri: Top shelve publishers.
Bordwell, D. and Thomson, K. (2004). Film Viewers Guide. Boston: McGrew Hill companies
Inc.
Film Genre
The New Webster Dictionary of the English Language (1997) defines genre as kind, type or
category especially of works of art and literature. Similarly, Barnhart and Barnhart (1988) define
genre a kind, sort, or style especially in art or literature. It is therefore an index for the
classification of artistic materials such as films, drama, music, dance and even literary works. It
is used in determining the specific type of classification, into which a work of art can be
categorized. It provides the template for analyzing the characteristics of artistic presentations so
that an understanding can be achieved, as to the specific kind of work that is assessed,
(Owuamalam, 2007). Although films are classified according to types, there is only a thin wall
between one genre and another, which is hardly noticeable, hence it is easier to recognize one
than define it, (Anunike, 2005). Notable film genres according to scholars like Anunike (2005),
Owuamalam (2007), and kogah (1999), include the following: Westerns, gangsters, musicals,
war films, thrillers, spectacles, science fiction and Horror films. Others are documentary, feature,
experimental and animated films. These genres are discussed in the upcoming paragraphs.
•Westerns.
This was the first America genre to develop. Since then, it has remained a staple of the motion
picture industry in that country. The Westerns delve into the mythical American past and deals
with the justification of violence sometimes resulting in loss of lives in the process. Examples are
Cowboys, outlaws, settlers and tribes of native Americans. Others are based on songs, popular
and wild west shows on the American frontier.
•Gangstars
From the 20th century, films about organized gangs and the violence that accompany them have
been one of the most popular genres. Its popularity was as a result of the introduction of sound
into film. The screeching powers of high speed auto chases; the staccato rattle of automatic
machine guns, and the chattering and smashing of breaking glasses gave a sense of the gangstars’
level of destructiveness. The gangster film is closely tied to real facet of American life.
•Musicals
This genre emerged in late 1920s with the invention of sound tracks. Musicals deal with a
fantasy land and the consummation of love. Almost all the musicals centre on the love
relationship between two characters. One typical example of a musical is the one titled “love
boat” shown on NTA Aba in the 80s. It was all about love relationship between actors.
•War Films
War films have received popular acclaim for two major reasons. First, wars have occupied much
of contemporary world history. Second, and most importantly, war as a subject matter is well
suited to what film can do best. For instance, the tension and energy leading up to the scenes of
combat, the wide ranging battle fields, the explosion that raise buildings to the very foundation
level, the destruction of men and tanks, the eruption of fire, and the conclusive forces that spew
out smoke, could all be captured by modern film technology.
•Thrillers
These films rely heavily on the literary source of their materials. Ian Flemming was the author of
James Bond novels from where the contemporary thrillers originate. The films are lit as though
they were comedies unfortunately; the bright lights, beautiful girls and luxurious setting form an
ironic contrast to the menacing evil hidden by all those beauty. Thriller films are also called spy
films or detective films.
•Spectacles
Spectacles are among the most profitable American genres. They come with big budget
productions and focus mainly on the production values rather than on story, character and mood.
The two most popular kinds of spectacles have been historical epics and disaster films. They all
try to create the impression that they are works of authentic history rising above mere fiction.
Biblical stories have become a veritable source of material for spectacle films.
•Science Fiction
The science fiction sometimes combine certain elements of horror and disaster. However, they
are quite distinct in their purest forms. For instances, the science fiction film developed after the
World War
II.This time, the film ceased to be considered as a mere fantasy for children. Ever since, it began
to reflect the atomic age, space travel and the wearisome discoveries of advance science and
technology. As the science fiction developed, the films agreed that the dangers of the future
seemed not from sources outside man’s control. The films tell viewers about a successful trip to
the moon and in contrast, the consequences of atomic destruction.
•Horror
The horror film is known for its emotional shock, disgust and repeal on the audience. The
appearance and texture of the film make full use of the expressive possibilities of the film
medium. The extreme contrasts, of the dark and light settings, the ominously moving camera
eager to zoom in or out on some shocking discovery, the tilted angle of the frame expressing a
sense of disorientation, the use of low angle shots to express domination, or high angle shots to
depict submission, all create a film form that sets its audience into various moods.
•Documentary films
Anunike (2005) emphasized that all film genres fall into two major categories of documentary
and feature films. A documentary film is a film that basically presents factual information (non –
fiction) about persons, places and events and about the world outside the film that is trustworthy.
In such films, the filmmaker may present the event as they actually occurred using charts, maps,
or other visual aids or he/she may stage some events and record them.
•Feature film
This is any film that is theatrically produced for the entertainment of the viewers. Unlike the
documentary film that deals with factual information and events in the society feature films are
usually fictional in nature. Even when the plot is non – fiction, the characters, treatment and
staging cannot be easily recognized with a particular individual, society etc.
• Experimental Films
This came about through the effort of filmmakers who set out to challenge established
conventions of what a movie is and how it is made. It is self – expression or experimentation that
is a total departure from the film forms and styles. Another name for experimental film is avant –
garde film.
•Animated film
Conventionally, the live – action shooting speed of films is 24 frames per second. But animated
films do not frame an on – going action in real – time. Animators merely produce many images
by shooting one frame at a time. When projected, the images create illusionary motion distinct
from live action films. This manipulation (Animation) can be achieved by means of two-
dimensional drawings, three-dimensional objects of electronic information stirred in a computer.
Functions of Film Genre
The genre performs specific functions which makes it possible to identify its significance to the
literary and creative art. It enables the assignment of meanings and interpretation of events, in
the screen art of films, videos and movies. It aids society to aggregate efforts towards a specific
production style that can transmit a processed message through a film type. However, these
functions are influenced by several factors like culture, society, environment, and science.
Details of these functions as examined by Owuamalam (2007) are as follows:
Cultural Factor
The totality of life in a specific environment, attests to culture. It means that those plots which
portray the activities of people in their cultural millieu, provide the required template for
assessing and understanding the cultural values of a society. The genre, therefore reaffirms the
cultural attributes of a given society.
•Social Factors

Genre explores social values and attributes , it is common to experience the life – style of an
artist in a film and how reactions influence actions of others in the film and the viewers at home.
It portrays such qualities like wealth, grandeur, and opulence as social indicators of followership
as organizational expectations, genre jealousies, intrigues and betrayals as sources of social
conflicts as examples of social considerations in genres.
•Environmental Factors
The social conditions of the society are brought to public glare through film genre. It shows how
stories, theme, values or imagery of the genre, harmonises with the life in the immediate
environment where the film is produced or cast. For instance, corruption, prostitution, and
religiosity are common themes in Nollywood films. They depict the environmental conditions of
their productions.
•Science or Scientific Rationalism
This consideration was given as a product of the scientific age of the 19th and 20th centuries. It
deals with the reason behind an action, deduced in a rational and logical order. It is an argument
or an incisive enquiry into a creative work of art, based on reasoning. Empirical or scientific
deductions form the template for assessment in scientific rationalism. Also, actions are subjected
to rational tests and deductions. The essence of the scientific rationalism approach is to put
artistic work under the test of intellectual and rational evaluation
References/Further Reading
Anunike, O. (2005). “Film Criticism: Theory and Application” In V. Agbanu and C. Nwabueze
(eds.) Readings in Mass Communication. Owerri: Top Shelve Publishers.
Barnhart, C.L. and Barnhart, R.K. (1988). The World Book Dictionary.
Chicago: World Book Inc.
Kogah, V.C. (1999). Visual Communication, Film, Graphics and photojournalism. Owerri: Gust-
Chuks Publishers.
New Webster Dictionary (1997). Dictionary of English Language New York: Hexicon
International Publishers Cwild Group.
Owuamalam, E.O. (2007). Film and Screen Directing. Owerri: Top Class Publishers.

Components of Films
All films tell stories. And for the stories to be understood, they must be woven around the basic
film components of theme, plot, characters, language and setting. These components are
discussed in details as follows:
•Theme
The theme is the main or the central idea which the film writer wants to communicate through
the script. This theme could be overtly or covertly presented through dialogue directions,
description of characters and setting. There is need for film critic to comment on the theme of the
film he/she writes on.
•Plot
The plot is story that the scriptwriter tells. More than that, it is the structure, the plan of the story,
the arrangement of the shots, scenes, episodes, incidents, acts and the overall film. It has the
following elements: exposition, conflict, complication, crisis, climax, flashback, point of attack,
suspense etc. every good plot has a beginning, middle and end. A film critic includes, in the
work, a plot, a summary of the film in about a page. He looks at the plausibility or otherwise of
the plot, the sequence and knitting to achieve a synergy.
•Characters
The characters in a film are the characters about which a story is told. They include human
beings, gods, spirits, animals etc. character essentially means character’s idiosyncrasies,
distinctive qualities, desires that he/she exhibits through actions, dialogue, language, and
scriptwriter’s directions. Character can be portrayed or delineated through its external, internal
and objective characteristics (Mgbejume, 2002). The two major characters in a film are the
protagonist (the lead character) and the antagonist (any character that stands against the
protagonist). Others are seen as minor characters.
•Language
This refers to the scriptwriter’s way or method of communicating his/her work to the viewers.
This could come in the following ways: diction, semantic, syntax uses, proverbs, idioms, adages,
symbols, gestures, dialogue, aside, monologue etc. It also concerns or refers to thought,
appreciate choice of words easily spoken of (Duraku, 1997).
•Setting
Film setting refers to the representative of the natural location, locale of the film. It is the habitat
of the characters. Setting has three elements namely:
(a)Physical setting of the script
(b)General significant occurrence, which grows out of a character’s social, moral, and cultural
intercourse within each of the settings and
(c)The atmosphere, which embodies the emotional characteristics of each setting, (Mgbejiume,
2002).
References/Further Reading
Duraku, A.B.C (1997). A handbook on drama and theatre. Owerri: Colon concept
Mgbejiume, O. (2002). Dramatic TV, film and scriptwriting. Jos: Redeemer house publishers.

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