Creative Arts: Film Project

1. Genres1. Genres

Learning Objective:To understand movie genre and be able to identify different varieties.

Activity: Complete the following in your sketchbook:Use the dictionary to look up and write down meanings for the word GENRE.Working in pairs, write down all the different film genres you can think of.

Silent films

Film noir

B movies

Cinema verite

Disaster movie

Epic

War

Horror

Screwball Comedy

Adventure

Fantasy

Spy

Biopic

Surreal

Expressionism

Western

Documentary

Science Fiction

Musical

Animation

Mystery

Thriller

GenreGenre

Activity:Watch the montage of mainstream film genres.

Working in pairs, make a note of the stylistic devices common to each genre.

Are there any other cinematic clues that are not included in these clips that suggest a particular genre?

Mainstream film genres

Genre Camera Angles Colours/SaturationLighting

Editing (fast / long)Slow motion

Other

Genre: German ExpressionismGenre: German Expressionism

Learning Objective:To understand the context, style and intentions of German Expressionist films.

Learning Outcome:Create a drawing of a movie still that best represents the ideas behind German Expressionist films.

ActivityWatch the two clips. In pairs try to identify the stylistic devices of German Expressionism. (click the image)

Genre Camera Angles Colours/SaturationLighting

Editing (fast / long)Slow motion

Other

Nosferatu (1922)Germany based estate agent Knock dispatches his associate, Hutter, to Count Orlok's castle in Transylvania as the Count wants to purchase a isolated house in Wisbourg. They plan on selling him the one across the way from Hutter's own home. Hutter leaves his innocent wife, Ellen, with some friends while he is away. Once at the castle, Hutter does manage to sell the Count the house, but he also notices and feels unusual occurrences, primarily feeling like there is a dark shadow hanging over him, even in the daytime when the Count is unusually asleep. Hutter eventually sees the Count's sleeping chamber in a crypt, and based on a book he has recently read, believes the Count is really a vampire or Nosferatu. While Hutter is trapped in the castle, the Count, hiding in a shipment of coffins, makes his way to Wisbourg, causing death along his way.

The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920)The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari tells the tale of a madman, as told through the eyes of a man by the name of Francis. Caligari is displaying his sleepwalking friend Cesare at a local carnival, whom he claims can answer any question he is asked. Alan asks Cesare when he will die, and Cesare tells him that he will die by dawn. This comes true, and Alan does die. Later, Francis and his fiance Jane investigate Caligari leading to Cesare kidnapping Jane and Caligari orders him to kill her. Cesare refuses, and carries Jane to safety, dying from exhaustion after doing so. Francis discovers that “Caligari” is really a director of an insane asylum obsessed by the actions of the real Caligari.

Genre: German ExpressionismGenre: German Expressionism

German Expressionist cinema is a type of film that highlights bizarre sets, unusual angles, dark shadows, strange people and strange places.

Expressionism began in Germany in 1913 with The Student of Prague, but it didn’t really come into its own until after World War I.

Though the Expressionist movement was largely dead after 1933 (not coincidentally the year that the Nazis came to power in Germany), it nevertheless created a style that inspired genres such as film noir, horror and filmmakers including Tim Burton and Alfred Hitchcock.

To Print

To Print

To Print

Pencil Shading Cross-hatching

Shading Support Task Sheet 1

Exercise 1Copy the tones into the boxes using a HB or 2B pencil. Try to keep within the boxes

Exercise 2Copy the cross-hatching next to the marks below using a pen or biro

Exercise 3Copy following tones using a 4B pencil

Exercise 4Copy following 3D shapes using dark, mid-tone and light shades