Magnitude and Convention

Magnitude

Before shooting a scene, it is most important for the movie maker to know whether to shoot the for a large theater projection or for a small television screen. The medium in which the film is showcased is taken into consideration when filming because a film that was shot for the big screen can lose effect when shown on a small television screen, and the reversal could also be true. To me, this sounds like something that can be very frustrating for directors and editors. When the movie is first released, for the most part, it will be shown on a large theater screen, but eventually it will go to DVD. So, when shooting a scene both mediums will have to be taken into consideration and the director and the editor would have to work closely in order for the movie not to lose too much of its effect when edited for the small screen. Some movies are made for the big screen and just lose the grandeur on a small screen. I notice this mostly with action films. When there are car chases and explosions, the bigger the better!

Convention

As the audience, we have become accustomed to many antics and elements often used in movies that we would not accept in reality, but find that it is OK in film. There are conventions used by filmmakers that we will not question or think twice upon, such as, when music starts to play we do not look around for the orchestra, or when a movie is shown in black-and-white we do not question where all the color went. We simply accept that these are the conventions used in film.

Rhythm In Film

Filmmakers specifically make choices in rhythms and patterns based on the way they want to tell their stories. They will use rhythms and patterns to create deeper meaning and relationships throughout the film. The style in which various shots are joined together and paralleled with cinematic images, both visual and aural, is called structural rhythm. To create a specific rhythm, filmmakers will regularly use symbolic images, such as colors, shapes, phrases, etc. The hero dressed in all white and the villain dressed in all black is a common visual cue used to clue the audience in on what is happening in the film and to give additional meaning and depth to the characters. Such symbolism is used in Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix. The “good” character, Dumbledore, is dressed in all in a very light color; while the “bad” character, Voldemort, is dressed in all black. Repetition of images can also be used to set structural rhythm. The audience will get used to the repetitiveness and will start to expect it, so when the repetition is broken, the break will surprise the audience into laughter. This can be seen in early films starring Laurel and Hardy.

Audio In Film

Audio in a film includes anything with sound, including dialogue, music, and sound effects. Sound in a film is meant to elicit emotion from the audience that the visuals could not accomplish on its own. For instance, in the movie Jaws the audio will start off at a steady rhythmic beat and as the shark gets closer to its victim the beat quickens and as the beat quickens the tension in the audience builds. I take this as a trope for the human heart beat quickening as danger comes closer; this can be very symbolic and daunting at the same time. Another thing to be said about audio is the music/score used in film. The music, for the most part, is appropriately matched to the scene and the emotion that the film is trying to pull from the audience. A great score can add much to the emotional value of the movie. Coupling music and images can take the viewer an an emotional roller coaster of happy, sad, angry, romantic, scared, nostalgic, etc. Some soundtracks become so well known and loved that you can not think about the film without instantly thinking about the soundtrack. One such film is Indiana Jones. Anybody that knows anything about Indian Jones, knows that catchy tune that plays every time things start to get adventurous for Mr. Jones.