Beginning with the proposition that there exist uniquely cinematic elements of meaning and structure, Stefan Sharff clearly and systematically lays the foundation for "literacy" in cinema -- a sensitivity to the aesthetic elements intrinsic only to film. Sharff presents the basic elements of structure, modes of expression, and rules which he argues create a specific "language" and "syntax" of cinema.
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Sharff's compact, lucid treatise is full of practical film-maker's points as well as intriguing theoretical notions. He's as cogent at explaining why a good film 'phrase' must contain a minimum of three shots as he is in giving a defense of master shot discipline, which can be elegant in the right hands (Lubitsch's?).
Review
Sharff's compact, lucid treatise is full of practical film-maker's points as well as intriguing theoretical notions. He's as cogent at explaining why a good film 'phrase' must contain a minimm of three shots as he is in giving a defense of master shot discipline, which can be elegant in the right hands (Lubitsch's?).
(Ernest Callenbach, Editor Film Quarterly )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a complex work, very interesting,
By "gdedeugd" (North Carolina School of the Arts) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Elements of Cinema (Paperback)
For a long time I've been trying to find out just what it is that makes a film a film and this book helped me out considerably. The book pinpoints a few of the elusive traits of the cinema and explains how they are used in combination to produce all the cinematic subtleties. In each chapter it has shot by shot analysis of a scene demonstrating a particular structure and it's full of diagrams and charts which help explain it's ideas. It has been a great help for me in both watching and constructing films.Be warned, you'll need all your concentration to get through this one. It is intense.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good exploration of 8 basic elements/structures/patterns,
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This review is from: The Elements of Cinema (Paperback)
I have been looking for cinesthetic book lately. I got this book in amazon used books section. It's about 300 movies (Mostly before 90's)analysis and extracting the 8 basic structures/elements/patterns followed in most of the movies. The explanation is more on theory and anlysis of how they did it. It strictly go by 8 elements author trying to discuss with some movie clips (story boards) and cinesthetics to follow while using this elements.
Here are 8 basic models of structures: 1)Separation--Fragmentation of scene into single images in alternation--A,B,A,B,A,B etc 2)Parallel Action--Two or more narrative lines running simultaneously and presented by alternation between scenes. 3)Slow Discloser--The gradual introduction of pictorial information with in a single shot, or several 4)Familiar Image-- a stabilizing anchor image periodically reintroduced without variations 5)Moving camera--Used in scenes without cuts 6)Multi-angularity-- a series of shots of contrasting angles and compositions (including reverse and mirror images) 7)Master shot disciplaine--a more traditional, Hollywood film structure 8)Orchestration--The arrangement of the various other elements of structure throghout the film. I highly recommand this for introductory level of cinesthetics. I could not able to stop reading this book. Go for yours.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
MOST critical thinking about the traditional arts is a matter of post facto analysis of existing works. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
slow disclosure, cinema syntax, cinesthetic impact, shot discipline, extra long shot, cinematic syntax, reverse symmetry, medium close shot, familiar shots, medium closeup, medium shot, crossing the axis, cinematic structure, grammatical order, extreme long shot, parallel action, wider shot, master shot, secondary action, previous shot, familiar image Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
German Knights, John Wayne, Odessa Steps, Prince Alexander, Ritter Dietlieb, Von Balk, Jessica Lange, Raven's Rock New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
MOST critical thinking about the traditional arts is a matter of post facto analysis of existing works. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
slow disclosure, cinema syntax, cinesthetic impact, shot discipline, extra long shot, cinematic syntax, reverse symmetry, medium close shot, familiar shots, medium closeup, medium shot, crossing the axis, cinematic structure, grammatical order, extreme long shot, parallel action, wider shot, master shot, secondary action, previous shot, familiar image Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
German Knights, John Wayne, Odessa Steps, Prince Alexander, Ritter Dietlieb, Von Balk, Jessica Lange, Raven's Rock New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 14
books:
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10
books
cite this book:
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- Citizen Kane (Screenplay) by Orson Welles on page 140, and Back Matter
- Seven Samurai: The Ultimate Film Guide by Akira Kurosawa on page 56, and page 62
- Wild Strawberries by Ingmar Bergman on page 63
- Technique of Film Editing, Second Edition by Karel Reisz in Back Matter
- The Red River by D.M. Thomas on page 110
See all 14 books this book cites
- Film Directing Fundamentals, Second Edition: See Your Film Before Shooting by Nicholas Proferes on 4 pages
- Discourse as Structure and Process (Discourse Studies: A Multidisciplinary Introductio) by Teun A. van Dijk on page 206
- Film Directing Fundamentals: From Script to Screen by Nicholas Proferes on page 135
- Reality Transformed: Film and Meaning and Technique by Irving Singer in Back Matter
- Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers, Directors, and Videographers by Blain Brown in Back Matter
See all 10 books citing this book
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