ARTS 10

Quarter 3 – Module 1:
MEDIA-BASED ART: PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM (Part 2)

Film
Another art form which has risen to tremendous heights within the
last century is film or cinema. As its early name “motion pictures”
declared, film brought yet another dimension into play—that of moving
images. The possibilities of this medium created a new art form that
was to become a powerful social and economic force, and a legacy of
the 20th century to the world.

A Technology-driven Art
Cinema, just as all modern arts, has been greatly influenced by technology. In the case of cinema, however,
it is an art form that came into being because of technological advances. The transition from still
photography came in the late 1800s with “series photography” and the invention of celluloid strip film. This
allowed successive still photos of a moving subject to be captured on a strip of film advancing through a
single camera. This was the seed of the highly-advanced film medium we enjoy today.

The need to view these moving images led to rise of the Kinescope, a peepshow cabinet with an eyehole
through which these earliest “movies” could be viewed one person at a time. A motor inside the cabinet
moved the film strip along in a loop, with an electric bulb providing illumination from beneath.

In the meantime, European and American inventors were providing one technological advancement after
another. The French developed the “cinematographe,” a handcranked camera, printer, and projector all in
one that was lightweight enough to bring outside the studio. By 1901, the earliest motion pictures were
rapidly progressing from one-scene, studio films to multiple-scene narratives filmed outdoors. Driven by
these and many more advances, the art aspect of filmmaking was born.

The Collaborative Art of Filmmaking

Filmmaking, because of its technical complexity, involves entire teams of
artists, writers, and production experts, supported by technicians taking
charge of the cameras, lighting equipment, sets, props, costumes, and the
like—all under the supervision of a film director.

Film directing - It is the director, like the painter and sculptor in traditional
art, who envisions the final effect of the film on its viewers, visually,
mentally, and emotionally. While the painter and sculptor work with
physical materials, the film director works with ideas, images, sounds,
and other effects to create this unique piece of art. He or she conceptualizes the scenes, directs the acting,
and supervises the cinematography and finally the editing and sound dubbing in much the same way as a
visual artist composes an artwork. Clearly, however, the director does not do all these alone.
Through the years, the complexity of filmmaking gave rise to numerous allied arts that did not previously
exist.

Acting - First and foremost, there was the art of acting for film. With live theatre as the only form of acting
at that time, film actors had to learn to express themselves without the exaggerated facial expressions and
gestures used on stage. With the addition of sound in the 1930s, they then had to learn to deliver their lines
naturally and believably.

Cinematography - Behind the scenes, there was cinematography or the art of film camera work. This
captured the director’s vision of each scene through camera placement and movement, lighting, and other
special techniques.
Editing - This was joined by film editing, the art of selecting the precise sections of film, then sequencing
and joining them to achieve the director’s desired visual and emotional effect. Sound editing was also
developed, as films began to include more ambitious effects beyond the dialogue and background music.
Production/Set design - Underlying all these was the art of production and set design. This recreated in
physical terms—through location, scenery, sets, lighting, costumes, and props—the mental image that the
director had of how each scene should look, what period it should depict, and what atmosphere it should
convey. This included creating worlds that did not exist as well as worlds that were long gone, designing
each production component down to the very last detail.
Again, all these allied arts were made possible through the advances of modern technology. From
cumbersome machines that could barely be moved, today’s highly sophisticated cameras and accessories
can handle even the most demanding camera work. From the era of silent films, today’s films incorporate
a vast range of voice, music, and sound effects to suit an ever-widening array of film genres. From manual
rendering, today’s animated films use the awesome capabilities of computers to amaze moviegoers of all
ages.

Film Genres
The public response to motion pictures was immediate and enthusiastic. From makeshift nickelodeons
(movie theaters charging a nickel for entrance) in 1904 to luxurious “dream palaces” for middle class
moviegoers by 1914, public showings of movies were a big hit. With World War I was over and the
establishment of Hollywood as the center of American filmmaking in 1915, the movie industry was on its
way to becoming one of the biggest and most influential of the century. With financial success came the
rush to release more and more films, in an ever-wider variety— leading to the many film genres we know
today.

First there were the silent films starring Charlie Chaplin, and the “slapstick comedy” films of Buster Keaton
and later Laurel and Hardy. With sound still unavailable, these films relied on purely visual comedy that
audiences found hilarious. Then, there emerged the gangster movie genre as well as horror and fantasy
films that took advantage of the sound technology that was newly available

Sound plus color then allowed for further development of animated feature films, as well as what became
the major American genre of the 1930s—the movie musical. Here, the spectacle of theater productions was
brought to the movie screen, incorporating singing, dancing, and elaborate production numbers enhanced
by emerging film techniques.
Further developments in cinematic and sound technology led to even more genres: War and disaster films,
Westerns or “cowboy movies, Thrillers or suspense films, Historical or biographical films, Film epics, Film
adaptations of literary classics.

In a similar way, the tremendous advances in computer technology in recent decades have fueled the rise
of futuristic or science fiction (sci-fi) films, as well as special effects movies featuring live actors, animated
characters, or live actors and animated characters together.

Documentary films, a non-fiction genre, were made using real-life footage as well as file materials, in many
cases to present an issue. Finally, a special genre known as art films (“indie” or independent films) caters
to a small group of viewers and critics, consciously concerned with the artistic merits of a motion picture.

Written works: Answer the following questions: (Use ½ crosswise)

1. How does technology affect the art of filmmaking?
2. Who are the artists needed in filmmaking?
3. What are the different film genres? Give 3 examples and explain their characteristics.
4. Among the different film genres discussed, which one do you like? Why?
5. How do you think will the art of filmmaking be important to the past, present and future?
Performance task:
- Watch one of Filipino Film and make a reaction/reflection about it in a short bond paper.

Note: kindly indicate the title of the Film before proceeding to your reaction/reflection
paper. 