Film Art: An Introduction

Overview

Main description

Film is an art form with a language and an aesthetic all its own. Since 1979, David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson's Film Art has been the best-selling and most widely respected introduction to the analysis of cinema. Taking a skills-centered approach supported by examples from many periods and countries, the authors help students develop a core set of analytical skills that will enrich their understanding of any film, in any genre. In-depth examples deepen students’ appreciation for how creative choices by filmmakers affect what viewers experience and how they respond.

Film Art is generously illustrated with more than 1,000 frame enlargements taken directly from completed films, providing concrete illustrations of key concepts. Along with updated examples and expanded coverage of digital filmmaking, the tenth edition also offers Connect for Film Art, a digital solution that includes multimedia tutorials along with web-based assignment and assessment tools.

Table of contents

Part 1 Film Art and Filmmaking 1. Film as Art: Creativity, Technology, and Business
Part 2 Film Form2. The Significance of Film Form3. Narrative Form
Part 3 Film Style4. The Shot: Mise-en-Scene5. The Shot: Cinematography6. The Relation of Shot to Shot: Editing7. Sound in the Cinema8. Summary: Style as a Formal System
Part 4 Types of Films9. Film Genres10. Documentary, Experimental, and Animated Films
Part 5 Critical Analysis of Films11. Film Criticism: Sample Analyses Appendix: Writing a Critical Analysis of a Film
Part 6 Film History12. Historical Changes in Film Art: Conventions and Choices, Tradition and Trends
GlossaryCreditsRecommended DVD and Blu-Ray SupplementsIndex