VISUAL LITERACY/ANALYSIS: A. Film Analysis
The Film Title is important as it identifies and becomes synonymous with the film.
2. Genre - Type of Film
**Genres include Comedy, Suspense, Horror, Musical, Drama, Western or Science Fiction.
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- The genre develops from a successful formula.
- Genres often have stereotyped characters and plots.
- Each genre attracts a specific following of fans.
3. Plot - Scenes and Sequences
The plot is the storyline with its different threads.
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- In visual literature, the essential events of the story are arranged into scenes.
- Scenes provide a skeleton for the film.
- Each scene is filmed in a sequence of shots.
- The sequences fit together like pieces of a puzzle.
- The opening sequence is of vital importance.
It sets the scene, the tone and the mood for what is to follow.
4. Themes
The main theme is the message imparted by the film.
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- Common themes include life, death, war, peace, friendship, romance, marriage, fantasy or tragedy.
- Symbolism and imagery help to create the main themes.
In the theme of death, blood may be a recurring image.
5. Characterisation
As in all literature, each character may be analysed.
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- In visual analysis you are able to study facial expressions, vocal modulation and body language.
- The actors may also be discussed for their suitability in the roles they play.
6. Sets, costumes and Setting
These provide the visual background of time and place.
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- The characters and actions are seen against this background.
7. Mood or Atmosphere
The cinematographic effects create the pervading mood and atmosphere of the film.
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There’s a lot of advice out there about writing film reviews from a critic’s perspective, each with varying degrees of advice. I’ve been analyzing movies critically for six years, and I’ve personally found that reviews don’t need to be complicated. Rather, they need to be honest and encourage discussion. Here are the steps I take from start to finish, when screening films.
The hardest part of this first step is going to be avoiding doing too much research or reading other reviews prior to watching the movie (as tempting as it may be.) I find that it’s more liberating to the experience to go in with an air of unfamiliarity.
Ideally, when I start on the path of reviewing a film, I will know very little about it—aside from the actors and the director involved. If I’m not familiar with the cast and/or the director, I’ll do a little filmography research, but only about their past work if I’ve never seen it before. Avoiding exposure to the movie can be more difficult than it sounds when it’s a popular film—as trailers and marketing run rampant. But if you can avoid watching the trailers and reading about other peoples’ opinions prior to watching, you won’t have any preconceived judgments and can go in with an unbiased perspective.
Trailers work well to provide some context and tone prior to watching a movie, but they can also be filled with spoilers, which is why I do my best to avoid them when possible. As for reviews, reading about what others think of the movie before watching or writing a review can affect your opinion heavily. And when you’re in reviewer mode, you want to be as honest with your own opinion as possible, and not allow any outside voice to alter it. Of course, after the review is finished, I always welcome a discussion with fellow cinephiles to hear and understand what they enjoyed and didn’t.
Without being affected by the trailers, marketing, and other reviews before watching a movie, you can really put your best foot forward to creating your authentic opinion and turning that into a movie review people can trust.
Source:
EBH Joubert. English Grammar. Writing.
http://sdfilmfest.com/how-to-analyze-a-movie-step-by-step-guide-to-reviewing-films-from-a-screeners-point-of-view/