Cinema Appreciation

Jeremy Ward

Cinema Appreciation

February 23, 2012

Photography

Formalism is the use of formal properties of film for the sake of dramatic effect.Directrors who use formalism have no desire to show reality instead they want to show there own view of the world and embrace the art.Formalism uses detailed and exaggerated sets and costumes, along with complex camerawork and lighting.Lighting,camera angles, the shot, and lenses are all used in formalism to create a story and embrace the art form.Realism on the other hand is all about showing the truth. Realist try to preserve the illusion that the film world is unmanipulated.In realism light used is most often natural light like the sun and cameras are not as complex.Sets aren't build for realism instead directors use existing locations.Manipulation of the image is kept to a minimum in realism, the camera records what occurs in front of the lens.Emphasis is on content rather than form.In the film Shawshank Redemption both realism and formalism is used to create a dramatic effect.The shot angles have a great impact on the story.The used of silouette is used when shooting the guards.On the first night Andy spends in shawshank where the guards are beating the other person as they drag him from his cell the guards are shot in silhouette.What also creates a image of the guards is that we rarely see they eyes of the guards.They guards are also shot from a low angle which gives the impression that they are powerful.On the other hand the prisoners are shot from high angles, almost bird eye view, which shows how powerless they are.The lighting in this film is very important.There is a lot on natural light used in this film the prisoners still appear gloomy and colorless this is because their shot from there shadow side.Low key lighting is used heavily in the flim.Which creates a internal conflict that the characters are experiencing.The use of different shots helps imply meaning to the flim.When Andy first enters the...