Intro to Film Language

Course Description
This course focuses on increasing the students' awareness of how the camera contributes to the development of film language or visual dramatization. In film, a director and cinematographer collaborate on the use of expressive tools which constitute film language. The main cinematic tools are Movement, Framing, Points of View, Angles, Shot sizes, Axis rules, Depth of Field, Resolution, Color and Compositional factors, including the Golden Ratio. Each tool will be examined separately for its expressive potential, with examples from different screenings used to help the student understand how each tool may contribute to developing a film's language and dramatic potential. Several styles are examined in order to expand the student's awareness of thetools' expressive range. Movement is stressed, since film is above all else, motion pictures.

Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able:

• To define film language in terms of visual dramatization and the cinematic tools used to create it.
• To identify the expressive tools available to the filmmaker for visual dramatization.
• To understand the role of movement, framing, ponts of view, angles, shot sizes, axis rules, depth of field, resolution, color and compositional factors in developing a film's expressive language and telling a dramatic story visually.
• To define each of the above named expressive tools and give and example of their functioning in film.
• To have experience capturing in photographs a short story sequence using tools of movement, frame and shot size.
• To analyze film sequences for the interplay of expressive tools.