One should accept the fact that cinema is one of the most popular modern arts that is also used as a powerful remedy to depict some facts and draw societys attention to the most nagging problems. For this reason, there are numerous techniques used by filmmakers and directors to reveal some facts and present a certain point of view. Usage of these methods is conditioned by the main idea and main issues touched upon in a movie. Furthermore, every specific genre could be associated with a certain set of techniques which is referred by filmmakers as they help to convey the main message.
For instance, analyzing The Addams Family, it impossible not to admit several unusual approaches used by the director. First, the movie could be characterized by the unique atmosphere which differentiates it from the rest of the films (The Addams Family). The adherence to the subdued tones of colors helps to form a unique visual appeal. Additionally, the costumes and make-up also contribute to the creation of the unique atmosphere that seizes a viewer and makes the movie recognizable.
For this reason, the first shots of The Addams Family help to identify it and form the needed mood. Additionally, the movie could also be characterized by unusual lighting. Its intensity, direction, and quality influence the audiences understanding of the main movies idea and promotes a better comprehension of characters, themes, and mood. The director emphasizes the fact that The Addams Family is a fantasy comedy with the elements of grim humor. Almost all scenes of the movie could be characterized by the presence of numerous shadows, which conceal things and create a sense of certain mystery. Altogether, the usage of various techniques contributes to the formation of the unique films image.
Back to the Future is another outstanding movie that could be characterized by the usage of various techniques that condition its great popularity and unique visual appeal. The movie is directed by Robert Zemeckis who is considered the great master. It is not surprising that mise-en-scenes, cinematography, and editing are perfect. The whole history consists of three parts which are closely interconnected and complete each other. Besides, they are presented not in chronological order.
The director intentionally introduces numerous time journeys to confuse a viewer and demonstrate the relational character of space and time. The second movie depicts a story within a story and contains numerous flashbacks and cogitations about the nature of time (Back to the Future Part II). This films peculiarity contributes to the better main themes understanding and helps to create a unique atmosphere. The director uses the same setting for various parts of the movie just adding some slight details to underline the spirit of a certain epoch.
Thus, the representation of space affects the comprehension of the movie greatly. Recognizable places and objects help to underline to main movies idea and determine the relations between the meaningful elements in this world. Finally, the main characters often change clothes as they want to remain unnoticed. The usage of numerous costumes also contributes to the creation of the unique films visual appeal. To summarize, the movie is one of the most recognizable masterpieces of modern cinematography. This effect is achieved due to the usage of various techniques and approaches to underline the films unusual character.
Thriller Jaws could be taken as the movie that impacted the evolution of cinematography greatly. It is now considered an exemplary film that could serve as the lesson in perfect filmmaking and directors work. There are several techniques that impact the films perception and result in the creation of the needed atmosphere. However, one should mind the work of the camera and the usage of various angles to affect a viewer and grasp his/her attention. First, a number of scenes could be characterized by low angles chosen by the director.
Altogether, almost all of Spielbergs films could be characterized by this feature. Using this approach, the director contributes to the formation of the needed mood and atmosphere. Furthermore, there are also examples of the usage of POV to underline the importance of the moment and the great importance of the given shot. For instance, in the scene Shark Attacks sharks POV of the victims and Brodys POV of the scene contributes to the better understanding of the atmosphere and increases the level of tension (Jaws).
Spielberg ingeniously creates the nerve wrecking experience using the work of the camera and sound. This unique approach results in the increased importance of the movie and its great popularity. The director manages to create the movie which affects the audience and promotes the further evolution of cinematography and techniques used by filmmakers. In general, Jaws should be considered the great masterpiece that benefits from the usage of various mise-en-scenes and the unusual approaches used film filming certain scenes. Furthermore, Jaws also introduces a number of other techniques that help to convey the main message and create the atmosphere of terror and fear.
Historic movies have always been popular with the audience because of the interesting plot, exciting events and unique costumes which are used to impact a viewer and contribute to the formation of the needed image. Besides, the genre of epic historical drama is very critical for directors and techniques that should be used to make the project successful. The movie Spartacus is one of the brightest representatives of the given category. There are several important peculiarities that contribute its great importance.
Being shot in the middle of the 20th century, it still impresses viewers and specialists by the choice of techniques used to create the atmosphere. The epic character of the described events conditions the usage of wide shots to depict historic places, buildings, and personalia. Moreover, battle scenes always demand great crowd and numerous costumes. These two aspects could be considered the main cinematographic peculiarities of the given movie (Spartacus). Using certain colors, clothes, and other elements filmmakers signify characters, introduce certain distinctive features of the given epoch and help a viewer to feel the atmosphere. Spartacus could be characterized by the attempt to reveal the slightest details of the epoch.
For this reason, it impacts the given eras perception and contributes to the formation of the Roman Empire’s image. Altogether, except the perfect acting, the movie is characterized by the outstanding cinematographic features that help to form its visual appeal. The director managed to create the atmosphere using numerous costumes and trying to reconstruct and evoke the way of life of citizens of the ancient Roman Empire. For this reason, the movie became very popular and obviously impacted the peoples mentality and the world of cinema.
The movie The Help touches upon the problem of civil right movements and relations between the representatives of various genres (The Help). The great importance of the given issue conditions the necessity to use powerful techniques and devices and convey the main message and make the audience think of the given question. That is why the director chooses techniques accurately trying to interest the audience and initiate vigorous debates around the given topic. The story centers around the life of a black woman who has to work under the complicated conditions.
Racial issues and the development of civil rights movement conditioned significant shifts in peoples mentality. For this reason, the main character is not satisfied with her current status. The director chooses certain techniques that should help him to convey the message. First of all, he creates the atmosphere of the American South using lighting as the powerful remedy. Warm and light colors emphasize the environment and form a certain attitude towards the events described in the movie. The director tends to introduce the opposition between the apparent prosperity and numerous problems that sadden the life of common people.
Furthermore, the representation of place if also meaningful and important for the better understanding of the main idea. The movie depicts traditional southern American environment. The mode of life and houses decorations are shown perfectly. They help a viewer to feel the atmosphere and feel himself/herself the part of the action. Additionally, the director also tries to show the contrast between white and black people by highlighting the difference in clothes and hairstyles. Exploring various techniques and approaches, the Help impacts the audience and makes it think about the given issue.
Analyzing the devices used to affect the audience, it is impossible not to mention the movie Psycho which is considered the classic of the genre. There are numerous debates connected with this masterpiece as specialists relate it both to thrillers and horror films. However, no matter what genre the movie belongs to, it obviously provides a good example of the usage of various techniques and devices to achieve a certain effect and make the audience follow the plot. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the movie has several significant aspects that should be mentioned.
The plot of the story is not original and unique. However, the movie scores at the expense of the unique techniques and mise-en-scenes. First of all, the usage of the monochrome is the first aspect that helps to create the atmosphere. Black and white colors result in the evolution of sad, joyless, and depressed atmosphere. From the very first shots, a viewer feels the mood and starts to understand the further development of the action. Besides, this movie also gave birth to one of the most famous and recognizable scenes.
The shower scene features about 80 camera angles with the majority of shots extreme close-ups (Psycho). Yet, the usage of specific sound and visual effects also contributes to the formation of the unique scenes image. The combination of these shots, angles and sounds makes the scene feel more subjective and understand atmosphere better. Moreover, the further development of the plot results in the growth of the movies great significance. The unconventional ending combined with the mental disorder of one of the main characters helps a viewer to enjoy the film and feel the main directors idea perfectly.
Besides, Alfred Hitchcock managed to create a number of other movies that impacted the evolution of the given art and contributed to the development of various techniques that help to convey the main message. Yet, the movie North by Northwest proves Hitchcocks talent and introduces his ability to create various moods needed for the better understanding of any movie. The given action thriller could be considered the predecessor of Bond movies as the protagonist is a spy. However, the plot is much more complicated, and there are no direct answers to a number of questions that appear while watching the movie (North by Northwest).
That is why the director tries to create the mood and atmosphere that could help to trace the evolution of the plot and the main characters actions. The usage of various camera angles and close-ups contributes to the formation of certain visual appeal. Additionally, the plot also could be considered one of the important devices that impacts a viewer and guarantees constantly high level of attention. The movie is often taken as the example of the perfect directors work as Hitchcock manages to create the needed mood and unique atmosphere.
Besides, by using unusual cuts and close-ups, the director interests a viewer and convey the main message. Altogether, the set of the above-mentioned techniques could be considered the main films peculiarity as these devices are chosen to promote the better understanding. In general, Hitchcock is able to step aside from the traditional horror films and create the movie that is accepted by the audience and still attracts people by its visual appeal. This fact could evidence its great significance and the right choice of the most important techniques.
Finally, the Birds is another horror film by Alfred Hitchcock that could be characterized by the usage of various techniques that result in the evolution of the films image and growth of its great significance. It revolves around the unexpected events that happen to a young woman. The director again explores the theme of some strange events that could hardly be explained (The Birds). His adherence to the given issue predetermines the choice of the devices used to create the mood and introduce some important facts.
As the theme of birds is central for the movie, the director uses various angles to attract attention to these characters. He explored birds in the previous movie, Psycho and used the same techniques. Moreover, Hitchcock also tries to create the atmosphere of mysterious horror that should impact a viewer not directly, highlighting the most mysterious and threatening facts. That is why the usage of sound and special effects is conditioned by the attempt to create the needed mood.
To summarize, there are numerous techniques that are used to introduce a certain idea or create the needed mood. The usage of the unusual angles and lighting, sound ,and special effects should follow the evolution of the plot and result in the viewers better understanding of the major concerns touched upon by the filmmakers. The above-mentioned movies could be considered the perfect examples of the usage of these very techniques in the way that guarantees the perfect outcomes. Analyzing these pieces of art, one could assure that the right choice of the device guarantees the success of the whole project.
Works Cited
Back to the Future Part II. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, performances by Michael J. Fox, Universal, 1989. DVD.
Jaws. Directed by Steven Spielberg, performances by Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw, Universal Studios, 1975. DVD.
North by Northwest. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, performances by Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1959. DVD.
Psycho. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, performances by Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles, Shamley Productions, 1960. DVD.
Spartacus. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, performances by Kirk Douglas. Universal Pictures Co., 1960. DVD.
The Birds. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, performances by Rod Taylor Tippi Hedren, Universal Pictures, 1963. DVD.
The Help. Directed by Tate Taylor, performances by Jessica Chastain and Viola Davis, Walt Disney Studios, 2011. DVD.
The Addams Family. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, performances by Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, and Christopher Lloyd, Paramount Pictures, 1991. DVD.