Topics in Screen Theory
Society’s invisible operating system; the status quo; the “common sense” by which we claim to live by.
What is Ideology?
The initial idea where a movie is born.
What is "the Spark"?
Chooses the cameras, film stock, lenses, filters, and other equipment. They also handle the lighting and work with the operative cameraman to control the camera and action.
Who is the Cinematographer/Director of Photography?
Tracks changes in dialogue from rehearsal, where actors often forge new approaches to the script or tweak its details.
Who is the Dialogue Director?
The process of deciding what films are the best.
What is Canon Formation?
To decode the messages hidden within the film.
What is deconstruction?
One page of a screenplay =
What is about one minute of the film?
This role keeps track of what is to be shot and what sound is recorded in each scene. They supervise the times, the script, anticipate the final length of the assembled film, and record detailed notes to assist the director in moving from scene to scene.
Who is the Script Supervisor?
Personnel in post-production who combine hundreds of different tracks of sound (including dialogue, music, and noise) into mixes to accompany the edited images.
Who are the Sound mixers and Sound Editors/Compositors?
The Questions "How does this film create meaning? How does it do what it does?" are typical in understanding film through this theory.
What is Reception Theory?
They held the belief that there is something just below the surface in every film.
What is the Intellectual Movement?
The Three Parts of Production.
What are Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production?
Administers and supervises all pre-production activities, ensuring they adhere to budget.
Who is the Line Producer?
The gaffer's assistant.
Who is the Best Boy?
A tool that can help you lean into your role in Reception Theory.
What is Close Analysis?
The New term for when a Woman becomes a passive character, not an active character who advances the story.
What is 'To-be-looked-at-ness’?
The Life of a Film.
What is Production, Distribution, and Exhibition?
The set's key electrician.
Who is the Gaffer?
They do the physical labors of filmmaking, such as setting up dollies and cranes, laying tracks, and controlling camera cables.
What are the Grips?
The definition of Close Analysis.
What is slowing down and looking carefully at all the individual building blocks that make up a film?
The Three Looks of Feminist Film Theory.
The Camera - Which recorded the woman as an object.
The Character - In which the male characters gazed at the female characters.
The Spectator - How the audience now identifies with the male character’s perception of the woman.
The final blueprint of “the spark” and the technical document that the cast, crew will use for the rest of production.
What is the Screenplay?
Performs a key job related to sound functions, whose work may involve adding effects like footsteps or screeching tires in post-production.
Who is the Foley artist?
Part of the camera crew; deals with everything from following focus to loading film stock to slating takes to taking production stills.
Who is the Still Photographer?
DAILY DOUBLE
The Institutional Value of Film for Studios, For Institutions, For National Groups, For Academics.
For Studios - Profit: Re-releasing “classics” on new platforms is lucrative.
For Oscars, etc - Prestige: Institutions want to elevate cinema’s status as high art.
For National Group (AFI, BFI) - Preservation: Protecting the nations film heritage.
For Academics - Academic: Scholars need to create a body of work for critical study.