Study Guide: Media Aesthetics
Table of Contents
Book Summary (all you need for the final)..........................................................................2
Chap 1: Looking at Movies............................................................................................................2
Chap 2: Principles of Film Form....................................................................................................3
Chap 4: Elements of Narrative......................................................................................................5
Chap 5: Mise-en-scène..................................................................................................................9
Design.............................................................................................................................................................9
Lighting..........................................................................................................................................................10
Composition..................................................................................................................................................11
Kinesis...........................................................................................................................................................12
Approach to mise-en-scène..........................................................................................................................12
Chap 6: Cinematography............................................................................................................12
Director of Photography...............................................................................................................................12
Cinematographic Properties of the Shot......................................................................................................13
Framing of the Shot......................................................................................................................................15
Speed and Length of the Shot......................................................................................................................18
Chap 8: Editing............................................................................................................................18
Functions of Editing......................................................................................................................................19
Major Approaches to Editing: Continuity and Discontinuity........................................................................21
Chap 9: Sound.............................................................................................................................22
Sound Production.........................................................................................................................................23
Describing Film Sound..................................................................................................................................23
Sources of Film Sound...................................................................................................................................24
Types of Film Sound......................................................................................................................................25
Functions of Film Sound...............................................................................................................................26
Seminar Notes..................................................................................................................26
Types of analysis.........................................................................................................................26
Narration....................................................................................................................................27
Television...................................................................................................................................27
Seriality.........................................................................................................................................................27
Narrative Structure of Television Stories......................................................................................................28
Claims.........................................................................................................................................28
Formal vs. Cultural analysis..........................................................................................................................28
Good interpretative claim.............................................................................................................................28
Mise-en-scène............................................................................................................................29
Elements of design........................................................................................................................................29
Lighting..........................................................................................................................................................29
Composition..................................................................................................................................................29
Kinesis...........................................................................................................................................................29
Semiotics & Semiology...............................................................................................................30
Meaning........................................................................................................................................................31
Writing assignment.....................................................................................................................31
, Cinematography.........................................................................................................................31
Framing.........................................................................................................................................................31
Editing........................................................................................................................................32
Rules of Continuity........................................................................................................................................32
Rules of Discontinuity...................................................................................................................................33
Sound.........................................................................................................................................33
7 steps for sound analysis:............................................................................................................................33
Documentary and Non-fiction....................................................................................................33
Ideology & Representation.........................................................................................................34
Book Summary (all you need for the final)
Chap 1: Looking at Movies
What is a movie?
Shots unbroken spans of action captured by uninterrupted run of camera; specific
arrangement of elements
Editing editor combines and coordinates individual shots into a cinematic whole
Cut 1. act of an editor selecting an in point and an out point of a shot as part of the
editing process
2. direct change from one shot to another as a result of cutting, the precise point
where shot A ends and shot B begins
3. edited version of a scene/film, as in “rough cut”
Close-up a shot often showing a part of the body filling the frame (usually, a
face) or an object
Storyboards shot-by-shot breakdown of the order and look of shots along with
written descriptions
Blocking physical relationships among figures and settings; plus process during
rehearsal of establishing those relationships
Ways of Looking at Movies
Fade-out/fade-in transition where first shot fades out into black and the succeeding
shot fades in; often implies passage of time
, Protagonist primary character; pursues a goal providing structural foundation for the
film’s story
Cultural invisibility consequence of shared belief systems, contributes to hidden movie
meanings; reaffirmation of traditional, popular values
• is not always a calculated decision of the filmmakers
• could lead to viewers being unaware of the movie’s message
• often motivated by commercial purposes
Cinematic invisibility eliminates as many distractions as possible, so that viewers are
better able to forget they are watching a movie
Explicit meaning everything a movie represents on its surface
Implicit meaning (interpretation) association, connection, or inference that a viewer
makes based on a given explicit meaning conveyed by the story and
form of a film; lies below the surface of what is explicit
Ideological meaning meaning expressed by a film that reflects beliefs on the part of
filmmakers, characters, or the time and place where the movie
is set; product of social, political, economic, religious,
philosophical, psychological and sexual forces that shape the
filmmakers’ perspectives
Formal analysis film analysis examining how a scene/sequence uses formal elements
(narrative, mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, sound) to convey
the story, mood and meaning
(Film) form means by which a subject is expressed, form for poetry is words, form for
drama is speech and action, for film: picture and sound
Chap 2: Principles of Film Form
Film Form
Mise-en-scène staging of all elements within the frame: setting, costumes, lighting,
styling, and figure movement
Sound expressive use of auditory elements: dialogue, music, ambience, and effects
Table of Contents
Book Summary (all you need for the final)..........................................................................2
Chap 1: Looking at Movies............................................................................................................2
Chap 2: Principles of Film Form....................................................................................................3
Chap 4: Elements of Narrative......................................................................................................5
Chap 5: Mise-en-scène..................................................................................................................9
Design.............................................................................................................................................................9
Lighting..........................................................................................................................................................10
Composition..................................................................................................................................................11
Kinesis...........................................................................................................................................................12
Approach to mise-en-scène..........................................................................................................................12
Chap 6: Cinematography............................................................................................................12
Director of Photography...............................................................................................................................12
Cinematographic Properties of the Shot......................................................................................................13
Framing of the Shot......................................................................................................................................15
Speed and Length of the Shot......................................................................................................................18
Chap 8: Editing............................................................................................................................18
Functions of Editing......................................................................................................................................19
Major Approaches to Editing: Continuity and Discontinuity........................................................................21
Chap 9: Sound.............................................................................................................................22
Sound Production.........................................................................................................................................23
Describing Film Sound..................................................................................................................................23
Sources of Film Sound...................................................................................................................................24
Types of Film Sound......................................................................................................................................25
Functions of Film Sound...............................................................................................................................26
Seminar Notes..................................................................................................................26
Types of analysis.........................................................................................................................26
Narration....................................................................................................................................27
Television...................................................................................................................................27
Seriality.........................................................................................................................................................27
Narrative Structure of Television Stories......................................................................................................28
Claims.........................................................................................................................................28
Formal vs. Cultural analysis..........................................................................................................................28
Good interpretative claim.............................................................................................................................28
Mise-en-scène............................................................................................................................29
Elements of design........................................................................................................................................29
Lighting..........................................................................................................................................................29
Composition..................................................................................................................................................29
Kinesis...........................................................................................................................................................29
Semiotics & Semiology...............................................................................................................30
Meaning........................................................................................................................................................31
Writing assignment.....................................................................................................................31
, Cinematography.........................................................................................................................31
Framing.........................................................................................................................................................31
Editing........................................................................................................................................32
Rules of Continuity........................................................................................................................................32
Rules of Discontinuity...................................................................................................................................33
Sound.........................................................................................................................................33
7 steps for sound analysis:............................................................................................................................33
Documentary and Non-fiction....................................................................................................33
Ideology & Representation.........................................................................................................34
Book Summary (all you need for the final)
Chap 1: Looking at Movies
What is a movie?
Shots unbroken spans of action captured by uninterrupted run of camera; specific
arrangement of elements
Editing editor combines and coordinates individual shots into a cinematic whole
Cut 1. act of an editor selecting an in point and an out point of a shot as part of the
editing process
2. direct change from one shot to another as a result of cutting, the precise point
where shot A ends and shot B begins
3. edited version of a scene/film, as in “rough cut”
Close-up a shot often showing a part of the body filling the frame (usually, a
face) or an object
Storyboards shot-by-shot breakdown of the order and look of shots along with
written descriptions
Blocking physical relationships among figures and settings; plus process during
rehearsal of establishing those relationships
Ways of Looking at Movies
Fade-out/fade-in transition where first shot fades out into black and the succeeding
shot fades in; often implies passage of time
, Protagonist primary character; pursues a goal providing structural foundation for the
film’s story
Cultural invisibility consequence of shared belief systems, contributes to hidden movie
meanings; reaffirmation of traditional, popular values
• is not always a calculated decision of the filmmakers
• could lead to viewers being unaware of the movie’s message
• often motivated by commercial purposes
Cinematic invisibility eliminates as many distractions as possible, so that viewers are
better able to forget they are watching a movie
Explicit meaning everything a movie represents on its surface
Implicit meaning (interpretation) association, connection, or inference that a viewer
makes based on a given explicit meaning conveyed by the story and
form of a film; lies below the surface of what is explicit
Ideological meaning meaning expressed by a film that reflects beliefs on the part of
filmmakers, characters, or the time and place where the movie
is set; product of social, political, economic, religious,
philosophical, psychological and sexual forces that shape the
filmmakers’ perspectives
Formal analysis film analysis examining how a scene/sequence uses formal elements
(narrative, mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, sound) to convey
the story, mood and meaning
(Film) form means by which a subject is expressed, form for poetry is words, form for
drama is speech and action, for film: picture and sound
Chap 2: Principles of Film Form
Film Form
Mise-en-scène staging of all elements within the frame: setting, costumes, lighting,
styling, and figure movement
Sound expressive use of auditory elements: dialogue, music, ambience, and effects
