Film & stories
Planning a film night around a theme
A shared idea narrows the choice, while mood, language and available time still shape the evening.
Film & stories
Look more closely at stories, images and sound. From first impressions to conversations after the credits.
Nathan from London, United Kingdom · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized; list images may be cropped.
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Film & stories
Understanding film genres as expectations
Genre labels help you choose, but cannot predict an entire story or the effect of a scene.
Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized; list images may be cropped.
Film & stories
Watching silent films attentively
Looks, movement and musical accompaniment make silent cinema a distinct viewing experience.
Film & stories
What black and white changes in film
Without colour information, brightness, surfaces and arrangement become different points of attention.
Film & stories
Recognising shot sizes while watching films
A figure’s size within the frame helps determine which information you can perceive.
Film & stories
How camera movement guides attention
A travelling camera, a pan and a zoom change the image in different ways.
Marcin Wichary from San Francisco, U.S.A. · CC BY 2.0 · Resized; list images may be cropped.
Film & stories
Film editing: what happens between two images
A cut connects more than footage: it can construct space, time and assumptions.
Javi Montero · CC BY 3.0 · Resized; list images may be cropped.
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Film & stories
Looking closely at a long take
Without a visible cut, performers, sound and composition can still keep redirecting attention.
SunOfErat · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized; list images may be cropped.
Film & stories
Colour as a storytelling tool in film
Repeated and changing colours reveal more than a universal dictionary of colour symbolism.
Film & stories
Reading light and shadow in film scenes
Direction, softness and distribution of light provide useful ways to describe a scene.
Vancouver Film School · CC BY 2.0 · Resized; list images may be cropped.
Film & stories
Distinguishing score, sound effects and silence
A soundtrack depends on relationships between dialogue, effects, music and deliberately reduced sound.
WIKImaniac · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized; list images may be cropped.
Film & stories
Storytelling outside the frame
Looks and sounds can create a space extending beyond the visible frame.