Minding The Arts (By Leynes & Fajardo PDF
Minding The Arts (By Leynes & Fajardo PDF
Minding The Arts (By Leynes & Fajardo PDF
By:
Illustration art sometimes requires the viewer to look at the work in all
its angles and sides and interact with it. Visual images are made by
arranging elements and organizing the design using selected materials
for art-making. No reference is made to artworks. Terms are defined
and components are explained in general terms.
THE ELEMENTS OF THE VISUAL ARTS
1. Line
Line is used to lead the viewer’s eyes throughout the work. It can lead
your eyes into, around, and out of the visual images within the artistic
frame. A line has width as well as length, but usually, it is the length
that occupies more space that its width. The use of line also evokes
expressive feelings and ideas.
3. Texture
Texture refers to how things feel when touched. When you touch
something to feel its texture, you experience tactile texture. When you
look at a photograph or an image that has texture, it can remind you of
how those objects actually feel.
4. color
Color is an element of art that results from the light waves reflected
from objects to your eyes. There are warm and cool colors.
Cool colors such as blue, green and violet are associated with
cool things such as ice, snow, water or grass.
Warm colors are red, orange and yellow are associated with
warm things such as fire or sunlight. Warm colors seem to be
moving close to the viewer while cool colors have a receding
effect.
Three properties of color make up the color we see: hue, value and
intensity. These three rely on one another to create and colors around
us.
Hue is the name of a specific color in the color spectrum or the bands
of color that are present in the color wheel.
Primary hues are red, yellow and blue.
Secondary hues are made by mixing two primary colors.
Examples:
• Red + yellow = orange
• Red + blue = violet
• Blue + yellow = green
The resulting colors: orange, violet and green are the secondary hues.
Intermediate colors
The colors of all the light create white. White reflects all the color waves
and does not absorb any.
Value
A light value of a hue is called a tint, and a dark value of a hue is called
a shade. The arrangement of light and shadow is called chiaroscuro
(kyah-roh-sckoo-roh). In Italian, chiaro means “bright” and oscuro
means “dark.” Today, it is more commonly known as “shading.”
Intensity
For example, red, red-violet, red-orange, and orange are close to one
another in the color wheel. Although these are different hues, they are
related in color.
Space refers to both outer space and inner space, the emptiness or
area between, around, above, below or within objects. It may be flat
and two-dimensional, such as in painting, or three-dimensional, such as
in monumental sculpture. Positive space is the area occupied by
shapes or forms. Negative spaces are the empty spaces between the
shapes or forms.
2. Variety
3. Rhythm
4. Proportion
Here, the height of the figure consists of eight measures of its heads.
Showing the proportion of human figures to space is aided by
perspective, where objects farther from the viewer appear to be smaller
than those nearer the viewer. Abstract paintings that distort the natural
form of an object are not concerned with proportion nor perspective.
5. Balance
No matter how the various parts are put together, we want that sense
of equilibrium which we call “balance.” Balance is concerned with
equalizing visual elements in an artwork. It must be seen rather than
weighed. One type of balance is formal balance, where equal elements
are placed on opposite sides of a central axis. The central axis is the
dividing line located at the center of a frame. It may not be visible but
imaginary.
A. Form
a) Line
b) Shape and forms
c) Texture
d) Color
e) Space and movement
B. Medium
Medium refers to the materials used by the artist. Mediums vary in the
different art forms. Painting uses oil, watercolour, acrylic, poster paint,
fresco or tempera. Sculpture uses wood, plaster, marble, clay and other
tactile materials.
Following are some of the popular mediums used today in the visual
arts:
C. Subject Matter
D. Style
More than decorating man’s habitat, painting tells the story of man.
Throughout history all over the world, important events such as victory
in war, coronation of the queen, assassination of historical figures, the
first medical surgery, and almost everything about human life are
recorded through painting.
Charles Fowler sees the arts as something that can provide meaning, a
powerful tool that can move people. “They serve as connectors that
give understanding a human dimension. “They tell us about people ---
how they thought and felt, and what they valued. They help us to define
ourselves and our times, as well as other people and other times.” The
arts have life itself for their subject matter.
What Painting Is
Oil Paint
Tempera
Tempera painting mixes color pigments with egg yolk with or without
the white and applied to a panel of wood covered with plaster of paris
following the design intended by the artist. Tempera, in time, loses its
luminous, rich and clear colors.
Fresco
Fresco uses the method of applying paint on wet plaster of paris. The
artist prepares a coating of plaster on the wall and then draws his/her
design on it when it is dry. Then he/she applies another coat of plaster
on which he/she paints his/her design. Because plaster dries up
quickly, the artist works on a series of panels of plaster until he/she
completes the entire wall of fresco painting.
Acrylic
The Use of Line and Texture in Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”
By: Vincent Van Gogh
Dark lines outline the houses and church at the foreground which are
so tiny, compared to the growing stars. A tall, dark cypress tree
crosses the left side of the canvas vertically, as if to connect the ground
plane to the sky. The dark vertical tree contrasts with the light colored
spire. Expressionism (1885-1950s) is the era that followed
impressionism.
The Form:
Analysis
The Medium:
Analysis
Analysis
The Style:
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis
He used shades of brown, tints of red and a little yellow to blend with
the strong light that bathes the main figure. Although the entire frame
is occupied by human and animal figures, the highlight controls the
view of the viewer. As the lightest part contrast with the dark
background, the viewer does not have to look at everything within the
frame all at once.
The Form:
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
The Style:
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis
The four men and a corpse are wearing red and tangerine. Luna
assigned these red clothings to the four men that form a trapezoid
composition to complement the diagonal position of the corpses. The
composition is indeed dynamic rather than typical. There are 17 figures
on the left side of the frame and only two on the right side.
How was Luna able to balance this obvious imbalance? First, he had
perfect control of light. His overhead light bathes the corpses, their
draggers and the two old onlookers. Light diminishes at the left side so
that although there are eight people near the wall, their faces are half-
lit, making them less crowded than real. Darkness covers one third of
the frame with only the back and foot of the seated woman catch some
light. This is sufficient to bring the viewer’s attention across the frame.
The strong contrast between the dark background heightens the drama
that the artwork conveys. Secondly, the use of diagonal composition
suggests movement.
The viewer’s eye is led from the legs of the most prominent dead
gladiator to his arm and on to his dragger, forming a diagonal line
drawn across the frame. A horizontal line guides the eye from the left
side of the frame all the way to the seated woman on the right. Painted
in the classic romanticist style typical of the 1850’s, the strong emotions
and exotic literary subjects was provided by a popular book by Charles
Louis Dezobry: Rome in the time of Augustus, Adventures of a Gaul in
Rome.
The Form:
Analysis
The Medium:
Analysis
1. The main figures are two dead gladiators in ropes being dragged
by two men.
2. The figures in the background looking at different directions only
heighten the emotion of waiting in anxiety and sadness for more
gladiators to come in dead or dying.
3. The painting was a strong medium of expression that exposed the
plight of the Filipino people under the Spanish colonizers.
The Style:
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis
Subtraction
Carved works are subtractive. Using a large block of wood or stone, the
sculptor carves out the figure or “frees” the figure from imprisonment in
its original block form to give it an artistic look.
First, the artist forms a miniature model in clay, plaster of paris, wax or
some other material.
Then he/she makes the figure in the desired size by carving the block
of wood or stone using chisels and other specific carving tools
designed for different purposes. When the figure is in its proper form,
finishing work and polishing follow.
Construction
Substitution
Laocoon was the priest of Apollo who warned the Trojans not to touch
the wooden horse made by the Greeks during the Trojan War. While he
and his two sons were sacrificing to Poseidon at the seashore, two
serpents emerged from the water and cursed them as a punishment for
Laocoon’s defiance of the god’s will. In this three-dimensional
sculpture, two figures are smaller than the father indicating that they
are sons of the main figure, Laocoon.
The three are in action depicting extreme pain, agony and struggle as
shown in the straining muscles, swelling veins and tensed bodily
positions without any part going extremely outside the artistic frame.
Although there is contrast in the size of the three figures, harmony s
achieved through the arrangement of the three figures. The arms of
the smaller figures reach out to their father and the serpents coil around
their bodies gracefully without destructing the composition. The way the
two sons look at their father also directs the viewer’s eyes to the ain
figure.
The Form
Analysis:
The Medium
Analysis:
Analysis:
1. The main figure is Laocoon. The two short figures on his left and
right contrast with the tall, adult male figure in full strength as it
struggles with the sea serpents.
2. The sculpture reminds us of Virgil’s The Aeneid Book 2, where
the scene is described vividly. It also shows the perfect male
anatomical proportion.
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis:
The Form
The Medium
Analysis:
1. The artist chose marble to enhance the young, smooth and shiny
look of Mary and the fallen Jesus.
2. The choice of material contributes to the serenity and praying
mood of Mary.
3. This could not have been with a coarse and dark material.
Analysis:
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis:
The Form
The Medium
Analysis
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis:
Summary
What Architecture Is
Arcuated Form
This results from the need to provide not only vertical supports, such as
columns but also holding or pushing supports through the use of
buttresses. This prevents the outward push of the arch from springing
back. Arches results in the opening up of spaces from the multitude of
columns as well as the wider openings which the shortness of beams
cannot allow. Arches have been used during the ancient classical
period.
Truss System
The Form
The Medium
1. Is the design suitable for the function for which the architecture was
built?
2. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?
The Style
The Colosseum is designed with an oval plan with tiers of seats that
accommodated approximately 50,000 spectators in various levels. The
seats were supported by vaults and arches. Each arch was supported
by a column. The architecture of the Colosseum is unique in that the
three major classical orders are represented flanking its arches. On the
lowest tier are attached Doric columns, on the second level are
attached Ionic columns, while the third tier are attached Corinthian
columns. Along the face of the fourth, there are Corinthian pilasters
which support the heavy mast to which they use to cover the whole
amphitheater against the sun.
Wild animals were also held here to provide a variation of the battle.
When Christianity was still considered subversive and illegal, captured
and punished Christians would also be used as fodder for the games.
Together with noted and convicted criminals, the Colosseum became
the venue for corporal punishment in Ancient Rome, thus becoming a
deterrent as well as an entertainment for its citizens (Fletcher 258).
During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, a good portion of the
Colosseum, together with other ancient monuments, were demolished
as convenient quarry for building materials used to rebuild Rome.
The Form
Analysis
1. Is the design suitable for the function for which the architecture was
built?
2. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal,
historical, social or political value?
Analysis
Analysis
Built from 1661 to 1756 for Louis XVI by Louis de Vau who design a
palace around the old hunting chateau erected originally by Solomon
de Brosse for Louis XIII, it was later expanded by jules Hadouin
Mansart by extending the building from north and south forming a
building 402 meters long. The park façade has a rusticated ground
storey supporting an order of pilasters, high attic and balustrade,
producing a monotonous effect on unbroken skyline.
Galerie des Glaces: The great garden designs of Andre Le Notre were
among France finest contribution to European culture. Based on
tradition forest rides (avenues) and the use of ornamental flower
(moats), Le Notre formal schemes used these elements in conjunction
with the parterre.
The form
Analysis
The medium
Analysis
1. Is the design suitable for the function for which the architecture was
built?
2. What is the significance of the figure/s to you in terms of personal
historical, social, or political value?
Analysis
1. As the royal residence for Louis XVI, it has the look appropriate to
a king’s palace.
2. The lavish design, vast space and the best materials used for the
palace and gardens reflect the importance and role of the king
during the era.
The style
Analysis
About Wright:
The second floor is much smaller than the first and has only one
bedroom with an adjoining roof terrace. All the three floor plans form a
pattern in such a way that they are arranged round the single vertical
element, which is the natural stone tower-the staircase. At the foot of
the staircase is the supported ground floor and the slope of the hill.
The base of the building is made of natural stone, the individual stories
are made up of reinforced concrete, and the walls of glass.
What Frank Lloyd Wright achieved in this building was to place its
occupants in a close relationship to the surrounding beauty – the trees,
the foliage and the wild flowers.
PHOTOGRAPHY
What Photography Is
The word "photograph" was coined in 1839 by Sir John Herschel and is
based on the Greek φῶς (photos) "light" and γραφή (graphé)
"representation by means of lines" or "drawing", together meaning
"drawing with light".
Function
History of Photography
Processes
Modes of Production
1. Advertising photography
2. Fashion and glamour photograph
3. Crime Scene Photography
4. Portrait and wedding photography
5. Wildlife photography
Photography uses film that comes in cartridge rolls that are easily
mounted inside the camera box. Today, the material used in
photography has evolved from film to digital. Digital photography
emerged through technological developments in computer systems.
Images are recorded instantly, which may be viewed in the camera
LCD or through the computer. These images may be printed through
the computer printer on special printing paper or in plain bond paper.
Aside from a camera and film, photography requires other things.
The Subject
This is the main focus of your photograph. It is what you want the
viewers to see first when they see the image. It can be a still life,
portrait, landscape, human interest, lights or distorted figures. It is
usually the sharpest object in the photograph.
Background and Foreground
Rule of Thirds
Lighting
Motion can be captured through the camera. A fast shutter speed can
freeze a motion. A slow shutter speed can make the image appear
blurred. For example, a speeding horse can be sharp in a photograph
when shot with a fast shutter speed. It can look out of focus and blurred
with a slow shutter speed.
The Form
The Medium
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS
His camera gave him entry into large social functions ― weddings,
funerals, baptisms, parties and dances ― as well as intimate family
gatherings. Shooting the tractor from an interesting angle, the machine
does not distract the subject of the photograph: two Filipinos looking
very hard working, posing for the photograph, the same way a person
would have his/her photo taken beside in a Ferrari prestige car. Shows
how the Filipinos worked in their new land and home. Through the use
of perspective, the tractor wheels in front seem bigger than the back
wheels. Perspective also shows the mountains and trees in the
background smaller than the human figures because they are farther in
the camera.
The background, foreground and subject are all sharp because of the
camera exposure to light. Despite this, the viewers eyes are easily
directed to the two men, with faces that shows traces of old age and
hard work. Their clothing reveals they are in a foreign land because in
tropical Philippines, farmers work in minimal clothing and do not wear
hats. Photographs of genre subject like this is characteristic of the
1950s where everything is shown in sharp and the main subject in still
position. This is due to the limitation of the camera that could not
capture movement. Blurring technique was also not possible, since
there were not too many apertures and shutter speed options.
The Form
Analysis
The Medium
Analysis
Analysis
1. The main figures are two farmers posing while riding the tractor.
2. The objects surrounding them do not conflict with the main
figures, rather enhance them as the focal point of the
photography.
3. This shows the lifestyle, work and state of being of the Filipinos
who migrated to America in the 1950s.
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does the artwork have that are also
present in the other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of art and the principles of organization that identify
the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement?
Analysis
Meyer was born and raised in the Philippines and immigrated with her
family to Minnesota, USA in 1981. As a photojournalist, she was
assigned to cover the US-led war in Iraq. The photograph War in Iraq
shows soldiers saving an old man from a car bombing incident. The
photograph consist of two parts. On the left are three human figures
escaping from the bombing. This may be one image in itself but on the
right, there is a burning car that cannot be neglected because its dark
smoke connects to the image on the left.
The space below the car is empty and this gives a breather from the
fully-occupied space on the left side occupied by three figures. Thus,
the diagonal composition of the photograph is well-balanced. This is
achieved through the use of perspective, where the car is located far
from the main figures and therefore serves as a background. The main
figures are also sharp, with details like human teeth showing and the
different shades of green in the soldiers’ uniform.
This owes to the precision of the camera in recording details. Modern
innovations in photography have benefited not only photojournalism but
photography in general. High speed, sharp focus, high image resolution
and color sensitivity are just a few capabilities of the camera that
modern photographers enjoy.
The Form
Analysis
The Medium
Analysis
Analysis
1. The main figures are the two soldiers carrying a bloody victim
away from the burning car in the background.
2. The burning car clearly tells us the cause of the injury.
3. The photograph tells us about the human suffering and struggle in
the US-led war against Iraq.
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis
The ‘rule of thirds,’ where the subject should be located either above or
below the center of the frame is observed by Bourke-White as she put
the row of queuing Americans right below the billboard that occupies
more than half of the horizontal frame. Photographs during the 1930s
were in black and white but the lack of color does not affect the
message, which is important in this case because it serves as a mirror
of reality at a particular time and place in American history.
Using some guide question, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities
of the Louisville Flood Victims, 1937
The Form
Analysis
The Medium
Analysis
Analysis
Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis
Digital photography has higher initial cost because the digital camera,
which is very light in weight, is more costly than the film camera. Its
megapixels are limited to the camera model and therefore allows lower
resolution. It has a memory card that can store a lot more images than
a roll of film. Images taken through digital camera can be edited and
manipulated through the computer. You can print on photographic
paper only the images you like. Digital camera offers many options for
effects such as zoom, wide-angle and built-in filters.
Digital art is considered new media and is produced with the aid of
technology and computer. It is an overarching term that refers to all
mechanized or computer-based art i.e., art generated with the aid of
digital technology. It includes animation, the art of the world-wide-web,
CD-ROMS, computer graphics, cybernetic sculptures, and even dance,
film, photography, synthesized music and laser shows, to name a few.
The burgeoning of this art began with the increased availability of
personal computers in the 1980’s, while its incipient development is
traced from the rapid advances of computer technology in the 1950’s
and 1960’s that support research and development of computerized
intelligence in the service of military defense systems during the Cold
War.
The computer is the essential medium or tool for this art. One of the
strongest points of this tool is its seemingly limitless digital capability of
reposition, combine, filter, color, alter and produce new images within
the friction-less and seamless space of its memory.
Digital art involves a complex interaction among the artist, the medium,
and the “viewer.” In the virtual world of digital art, the artist interacts
with the computer to make art with which the “viewer” interacts either
by retrieving the art that had been created into his own … computer or
manipulating it in another pre-programmed routine that vary according
to his own commands or movements.
In this set-up, the artist, the viewer and the machine are engaged
interdependently where the “viewer” does not simply perform to
complete the work but also initiate and assign content. Unlike in film,
television and video where he is a delegated passive viewer, or in case
of the visual art, where he is a mere spectator, the “viewer” becomes
an author and editor in the sphere of cyber art.
1. Digital Photography
2. Photo Painting
3. Digital Collage
4. Integrated Digital Art
5. Digital Painting
6. Vector Drawing
7. Algorithmic/Fractals
Photo Painting
Digital Collage
This is the “mixed media” of the digital art world. Artists combine any
number of the techniques to achieve unique results. The digital
environment is much less restricted than conventional mediums in this
type of integration and manipulation.
Vector Painting
The artist uses vector drawing software and creates the image totally in
the virtual environment. This makes use of shapes which are outlined
and can be filled with various colors and patterns. This tends to
produce a harder edged or graphic look.
Algorithmic/Fractals
The Form
The Medium
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
The Use of Shapes in Stephanie Syjuco’s Black Market
The Form
Analysis
Analysis
Analysis
1. The main figures are the blotted commercial goods that have
been reduced to irregular shapes obstructing the color setting
which has then become the background to the more prominent
black shapes.
2. The blotted out goods in the picture is “the very reason that gives
the multi-nationals global economic control”.
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement?
Analysis
Yellow, green and blue textured surfaces give the image a descending
effect, putting it close to the base. There are pairs of red eyes in varied
sizes that give an impression that some creatures are observing the
movement of the color formation.
The Form
1. Color and texture are the dominant elements in the digital work
EGGY.
2. The image is conglomeration of playful and irregular shapes,
forms colors and texture arranged in semi-formal composition.
3. The image pleases the viewer's eye , because although there are
several forms in artistic frame, the artist achieved balance through
the harmonious distribution of colors and shapes.
The Medium
Analysis
Analysis
The style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other artworks by same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of design that
identify the artwork with the other work s done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis
Also noticeable in the artwork is the black woman making her way to
the door, holding a tray. This speaks of the American household that
employed African household help. In doing digital art, Harris begins
each work with a pencil drawing and then works on the image on her
computer screen using the mouse, adding color, perspective, and using
the elements of art on computer art. This takes 1 ½ weeks.
Gary Soulsman, writes in The News Journal about Harris’ computer art:
The Form
The Medium
Analysis
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of arts and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the same era or
movement.
Analysis
The idea of installation came to prominence in the West in the 60s and
is traced from Dada and Surrealism, and much later on, in Fluxus, an
international avant-garde art movement from the 1960s up to the 1970s
participated in by divergent groups from Germany and other cities in
Holland, England, France, United States and Switzerland who delight in
spontaneity and humor. Fluxus advanced artistic experimentation
mixed with social and political activism. Conceptual art, which promotes
the idea above the form, and other radical movements such as German
sculpture of the 1980s likewise influenced the development of this art.
The materials used in installation are varied and range from the natural
to the artificial. Most of these media are perishable and/or cast-offs or
simply object-detritus. Reeds, tree branches, rocks, textiles, plastics,
empty match boxes, dead batteries, rope and machines --- working and
not working are among the endless possibilities that are used or
assembled in three dimensions to make-up an installation work. These
are set in ordinary spaces such as a wide-open ground, a street, a
corridor, a backroom or even a prison cell in contrast to the limited
gallery niches allotted to traditional art objects.
The Form
The Medium
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with other works done in the period.
The Form
Analysis
The Medium
Analysis
Analysis
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does the artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with the other works done in the period.
Analysis
1. The artwork empowers the viewer and converts him or her into a
participant.
2. This is evident in other installation works not only by Tence Ruiz
but as well as other installation artists.
3. Space converts into context and supplies meaning to the work.
4. Similar works of the era allude to contemporary social and
political issues.
Mona Hatoum made a series of wire mesh, which look like cages such
as found in a hen house. They are piled on top of the other and
arranged in a U-shape enclosure. The whole arrangement looks like an
architectural model of a small city that is made up of box-like, uniform
and functional mesh lockers. It is lighted by one bulb that swings,
making the wire lockers cast their shadows all over the walls and
ceilings. The effect creates a feeling of spatial and emotional
disorientation in the spectator.
The Form
Analysis
The Medium
Analysis
Analysis
1. What particular characteristics does this artwork have that are also
present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of art and principles of organization
that identify the artwork with other works done in the period.
Analysis
The recent theater work of the Anino Shadow Play Collective recorded
an actual shadow play adaptation of Francisco Balagtas’ Florante at
Laura. In the process, it combined a variety of materials and elements
coming not only from traditional puppetry and shadow play, but also
cinema, drawing, literature, music, painting and video. In the same
manner, a musical event may include sound, spectacular impressions
and video. Cinema may creatively integrate elements of photography,
video, film, music and literature and other materials in its production.
Another element that is common among the combined arts is the locus
--- the specific space in which Music, Film and Theater and other
combined Arts occur. This unique spatial quality not only serves as
physical or tangible receptacle that enables these arts to manifest as
they move in time but also gives them a definitive shape. Adolphe
Apphia, one of the 20th century’s major theoreticians of Theater, in
Action, Space, Light, Painting, illustrates this point in reference to the
theater space. He says that space must conform to the plastic feature
of the actor or the actress, and that its must work to serve his or her
moving, alive and three dimensional character.
Space, in this sense, not only locates the actor or actress in three-
dimensional space but also defines his/her performance’s dynamic
shape. One’s experience of the combined arts may also be affected by
the kind of spaces in which these arts are held. The audience’s
experience of a play performed in a traditional theater building
complete with an arena, thrust, or proscenium stage will be different
from that performed in an alternative space.
The display of skills in Music, Theater and Cinema, and all the
combined arts for that matter, is realized through a set of production
techniques, processes and conventions, and through the organization
of specific elements according to certain rules or principles that are
unique to each art form.
1. Script of Narrative
2. Acting
3. Production Design which includes the props, set design, costume
and decor
4. Staging or Directing
5. Cinematography
6. Editing
7. Sound Design
The Analysis of the Combined Arts
Form
Medium
Medium refers to the material used by the artist. There are a variety of
materials used in the combined arts. Theater uses the body and voice
as the principal media while music makes use of the voice and sound.
The media are the vehicles with which the artist conveys the content of
his or her art work.
Subject Matter
Style
1. What particular characteristics does this art work have that are
also present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements, principles and conventions that
identify the art work within the same genre and period.
The guide questions provided can lead to an appreciation of the
aesthetic qualities of art.
Knowing the:
What Music Is
Rhythm
Beat
The beat is the recurrent throb or pulse that makes one want to move
along with the music. Beat is divided in terms of time. When at a
concert or just listening to a favorite song, one might notice people’s
feet tapping unconsciously. He/she is actually doing a beat of that
music! It can be fast, slow or moderate. It should never be erratic.
Having frequent starting and stopping or going faster or slower makes
the music sound disorganized and annoying to listen to.
Meter
This is the way of measuring rhythm where the beats are organized into
regular groups. It is the organized pattern of music. There are many
types of meter. An example is the duple meter which has two beats per
measure or a triple meter, which has three beats in each measure. For
these examples, count loudly the counts in capital letters. The vertical
lines serves as a division of the measures: When you counted the
capitalized numbers out loud, what you did was placed an accent on
those numbers.
Syncopation
Tempo
Tempo is from the Italian word “time.” This means the speed of the
music is measured in beats per minute. To get an idea, try counting
your watch; it moves at a rate of 60 beats per minute. In a song, that
would be 60 beats per minute.
Examples of Tempo
Categories of Tempo
• Grave • Larghetto
• Largo • Adagio
• Lento • Not quite as slow as largo
• Andante • Slow
• Moderato • Slow
• Allegretto • Medium slow tempo
• Allegro • Moderate, or medium
• Vivo, or vivace • Not as fast as allegro
• Presto • Fast
• Prestissimo • Lively and brisk
• Very slow and solemn • Very fast
• Slow and broad • Very, very fast
Melody
Horizontal Movement
Pitch
Another name for this is tune. This can be easily recognized in a song
since it is the “body” itself. It can move in an up and down motion. This
motion of movement of the pitches are called melodic curve. Melody
has other aspects. When the curve reaches its highest point, that would
be the climax.
Range
There is also a label for the distance between the highest and the
lowest pitches, i.e. range. As for distance, it can either be narrow or
wide. If there are many notes separating the lowest and the highest
pitch, that is a wide range. If there are few notes in between them, it is
a narrow range.
Scale, Octave
• A major scale has half steps between the 3rd and 4th notes and
the 7th and 8th notes.
• A minor scale has half steps between the 2nd and 4th notes and
the 5th and 6th notes.
Harmony
In both harmony and counterpoint, pitches sound at the same time, and
yet they also progress in terms of time.
Chords
Polyphonic - If you and your friends were to talk at the same time, it
would sound irritating and confusing. In music, when different
instruments play at the same time and blending the sounds together,
great music is produced. Such is the polyphonic texture, wherein it has
more than one independent melody occurring at the same time.
SOUND IN MUSIC
• pitch
• dynamics
• tone color
• duration
Pitch
Dynamics
Simply put, it means how quiet or loud a sound is. Dynamic levels
indicate the mood of the music and appeal to the emotions. Loudness
indicates the mood of victory or suspense or happiness. Softness
indicates calmness or sadness. The degrees of loudness or softness
are classified into the following Italian terms:
Dynamics
• Pianissimo • Forte
• Decrescendo • Fortissimo
• Piano • Very soft
• Diminuendo • Gradually softer
• Mezzo Piano • Soft
• Crescendo • Gradually softer
• Mezzo Forte • Moderately soft
• Gradually louder • Loud
• Moderately loud • Very loud
Tone
How does tone differ from pitch? Tone is a sound that has a definite
pitch. Play do re mi fa sol la ti do on the keyboard or simply sing it.
Did you notice that you started with do and ended with another do?
Both dos have different pitches and with the second do, you ended
with the higher pitch, although they have the same sound. In cases
where the tone sounds alike, it is separated with an octave. Timber is
the “tone color” in music, much like how you have different colors when
you paint. It is the quality of the sound. Take for example, a violin and
an oboe playing at the same time with the same volume, note, and
length. You can distinguish between the two instruments despite their
similar performance because of their different sounds. They have
differences in their timber.
Duration
Musical Form
Form describes how the music is set up. Most songs aired on the radio
are in verse-refrain form. Songs may have forms with varied
techniques called repetition (e.g. the refrain of a song), and variation
(as in songs where the rhythm changes within the song). In describing
the form, each section of the music is given letters that identify each
part of the song.
For example, in Josh Groban’s song To Where You Are, he sings with
piano accompaniment in the first stanza.
Let us label this “A.” When it comes to the refrain, it is very different
from the sound of the first stanza as the melody changes and few
instruments are now being played. This can be labeled as “B.”
It is in noticing the differences in each part of the song that you can
recognize its form and give them labels. The difference can be in the
melody, the harmony or in the rhythm and the lyrics. If the first
stanza/chorus is exactly the same as the second stanza/refrain, then
you can just repeat the label that you gave the first stanza/refrain for
the second (e.g. A for the first stanza and another A for the second
stanza).
If there are similarities with the different sections but are quite different
from each other (e.g. all stanzas are the same but differ in a little from
each other), you can add another apostrophe to the letter. (e.g. A for
the first stanza, A’ for the second, and A” for the third, etc.) If there are
many differences in each part (e.g. a section is so different from your
previous letter labels and you already have A and B), you can add
letters like “C.”
The agung, a large, deep rimmed, hanging gong, is also struck on the
boss, but it is damped by inserting a knee into the gong and holding the
boss with one hand to produce a deep, muffled timbre. The gandingan
are also large gongs, muffled as they are played, but they have large,
shallow rims and produce a higher, resonant sound. Finally, the
babandil, a small hanging gong, is struck on the rim to produce a crack
sound.
When all the gongs are played together, they combine different types of
gong timbres into a single ensemble. These musical instruments are
used in rituals and social gatherings. Palabunibunyan instruments are
heard in various occasions such as weddings (kailang), baptisms
(paigo sa ragat), and healing rites (kapagipat). Festive gatherings
become venue for musical competitions, which are opportunities for
gong players to display their skill and virtuosity.
Guitar
The guitar is the most familiar stringed instrument of all. Generating the
sound for instrument would be by strumming and plucking the strings
with the fingers, or sometimes using a pick. The guitar usually has six
strings, but interestingly, there are other versions such as seven string
guitar, a four, an eight, a ten, even twelve strings. With its application in
many music types, its versatility makes the guitar a very valuable
instrument.
Violin
Perhaps this reminds you of Sharon Corr (with the Corrs) or Lucia
Micarelli (with Josh Groban). This is the famous instrument you see
cradled over the shoulder and under the player’s chin. This beautiful
instrument is called the violin. It is part of the violin family. Among them,
the violin is the smallest and has the highest pitch. Sometimes, it is
called a fiddle, so if you play the violin you can be called a violinist or a
fiddler. It is a bowed string instrument.
Lute
It looks like a fat guitar with a broken end, but it isn’t; and neither is it a
guitar. This instrument is called the lute, which is a general term for any
plucked string instrument with a round deep back with a neck.
Harp
Trumpet
Saxophone
Snare Drum
The snare drum derives its name from the fact that it has a set of
“snares,” cords that are placed together either made out of metal wire,
gut, or cable (plastic or metal).
Bass Drum
The largest drum of the orchestra, the big drum on a marching band
and the most visible drum part on band set-ups, the bass drum has a
low pitch and due to its size has a boomy sound when struck. For this
reason, it is usually muffled either by holding it or placing a foam,
pillow, or blanket inside it.
Bongos
Conga
Looking like the bongos is the conga, which is played by using the
hands for striking. It is made either of fiberglass or wood.
Cymbals
Made of different alloys such as brass and bronze, the cymbals are
used in most music. The cymbal is designed according to its usage,
such as cymbals to be suspended on a stand or held by hand, struck
by stick or crashed to each other.
Tambourine
With the instrument and the beater made of metal, the triangle is struck
to produce a ringing tone. It is either hung by string or by hand, used in
different types of music including rock music.
Marimba
With its keys arranged like the piano, this percussion instrument called
the marimba is struck by mallets to generate its sound.
THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF SELECTED MUSICAL PIECES
The flute is appropriate for birdlike, fast and cheerful passages. The
use of the harpsichord, a 17th-18th century keyboard instrument,
contributes to the light character of the piece; perhaps also to establish
its historical authenticity as a composition that belongs to the Baroque
period. As for the dynamics, there is not much contrast between soft
and loud; it is generally moderately loud; thus, one can say that there is
no drama in the piece; it simply gives the impression of children
frolicking in the meadows, or simply having fun.
Using some guide questions, let us analyze the aesthetic qualities
of J.S. Bach’s Badinerie
The Form
Analysis
The Medium
Analysis
1. What particular characteristics does this musical piece have that are
also present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of music that identify the musical piece
with the other works done in the same era or movement.
Analysis
The Form
Analysis
Analysis
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this musical piece have that are
also present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of music that identify the musical piece
with the other works done in the same era or movement.
Analysis
If you listen to the harmony, there are more notes sounded together,
some are dissonant of the chord that gives a feeling of discomfort or
anxiety. Thus, in traditional harmony, this has to be resolved so that
there is a feeling of finality, relaxation or rest. Otherwise, just like in
contemporary compositions, the impression given is one of “hanging,”
no resolution or closure.
The Form
Analysis
The Medium
The Style
1. What particular characteristics does this musical piece have that are
also present in other works by the same artist?
2. Describe the use of elements of music that identify the musical piece
with the other works done in the same era or movement.
Analysis
In Theater, the performance refers to acting that takes place within the
dynamics of space and time of the theatrical setting. A performance
requires many special vocal and physical skills on the part of the actor
or actress. There had been no devised method or system to carry out a
credible performance. Constantin Stanislavski, Russian actor and
director and founder of the Moscow Art Theater, forwarded a realistic
acting grammar which is now called the Method of Physical Actions or
simply the Stanislavsky system.
Furthermore, Brecht insist that each element must make its own
statement because such would highlight the disparity among them, and
consequently help the audience to become critically aware of their
implications. For example, Brecht would apply ironic lyrics to
lighthearted songs to make the listener even more aware or critical of
the implications of the song. In Theater, the demonstration of skill or
performance of the actor or actress varies constantly as it depends on
the kind of audience to whom the actor or actress responds. As a live
event, a theatrical performance would always have a unique impact on
the dynamic real-time interplay between the actor and the audience.
The Audience
Stage directions:
Ancillary areas:
The Stage is usually set up at the Loading Dock end of the building for
ease of setup. Opposite the stage is Front of House or FOH,
sometimes called "Sound World", as the Mixing consoles are located
here. Standard stage directions are usually used (Stage Right, Stage
Left, Downstage, Upstage, etc.). The Monitor mixer often go SL in
"Monitor World", and lighting dimmers go SR in "Dimmer Beach".
The main floor at the Reisch Center is designed as a hockey rink, and
is surrounded by a protective wall called a Dasher, even during
concerts. Seating is located on the main floor between the Stage and
FOH, and also in the bleachers. Audience entrances from the
concourses (lobby areas) into the seating bowl are called VOMs, short
for "Vomitories", the old Roman name for such entrances.
The Proscenium or Picture Frame Stage
Parts of an Arena:
Thrust Stage
The Thrust Stage has been the most widely-used stage space. It has
its seats on three sides or arranged in a semi-circle, which enclose a
stage that protrudes into the center. It has entrances and exists at the
back of the playing area and a sort of stage house for scene changes.
This stage is said to fall between the Proscenium and Arena stages as
it combines the sense of intimacy and focused stage set of the
Proscenium.
Aprons
Boxes
Zeami Motokiyo
Edo Period
Characters
He tells a story through a dance while the kyogen then recapitulates the
story. The shite returns dressed as his true self with a mask and new
elaborate clothes. His performance peaks in a dance at the close of the
play. In the performance, the chorus, which is usually eight to fifteen in
number, chants the words of the shite as he dances. They are found on
kneeling position at the opposite side of the bridgeway or hashikagari
or on the right side of the stage from the audience viewpoint.
The musicians or hayashi, on one hand, who play flute and drums are
seated in front of the painted pine tree. They also vocalize kakegoe or
rhythmical sounds as part of the musical score. There are stage
assistants or kuoken who are clearly visible to the audience when they
fix and handle props, straigthen costumes, or prompt actors.
Order of Performance in a Noh Drama
1. Orchestra enters
2. Chorus enters
3. Waki crosses bridge, traveling song; Waki goes to Waki pillar
[waki-bashira]
4. Shite enters; song stating theme of play
5. Waki converses with Shite; asks Shite to tell tale
6. Shite tells tale; story dance
7. Kyogen or lower character recapitulates story
8. Shite returns in new costume, often with new identity; tempo
increases; performance peaks in dance.
The actor makes his entrance. Previously, he had been standing in the
mirror room where he looked into a full-length mirror to help him get in
character. He leaves the room and the curtain between the mirror room
and the stage is lifted from the bottom by backstage assistants. The
actor moves to the bridge area, railed on either side, behind the stage
of the Kasuga shrine in Nara, about 6.5 feet wide and from 33 to 52
feet in length.
The bridge is roofed. On the rear wall of the stage is painted a stylized
pine-tree which serves as a reminder of the pine trees. Basically in slow
motion the actor moves towards the stage proper. He slides his feet
alone the floor. When he reaches the stage proper he passes a pillar
referred to as "the pillar of the principal character." The actor then
usually moves towards the front of the stage. Since he is wearing a
mask, it is difficult to see exactly where he is going so he focuses on a
downstage pillar, called "the pillar on which the eye is fixed.”
The oldest surviving Noh garments date from the 15th century during
the reign of the sixth shogun, Yoshimasu (reigned 1440-1473). The
particular costume worn by the actor depends on the role played. Thus,
a certain kind of costume indicates a certain kind of character type such
as a young woman, a handsome man or a demon. The color of the Noh
costumes is important.
Bugaku masks were used during the Heian period. The masks
varied in size and were usually made up of cypress wood. The
bugaku masks do not cover the ears like the gigaku mask. The
mask can be 7 to 13 inches long, 6 to 9 inches wide, and 4 to 7
inches deep. The carvings on these masks are supposed to
resemble Buddhist statues.
The bugaku masks were used in only dances and since they
were, the masks showed abstract looking expressions. Theses
masks were used or dancing to different types of music such as
togaku and komagaku.
There are about 80 different types of masks that are needed for
Noh plays, but there are over 200 different types of masks. The
normal Noh mask is designed to have a smaller face. These
masks are carved from hinoki wood and if you move them a
certain way then the shadow will make the mask look like its
changing expression. Being able to allow the mask to do this is
important because the actors have be allowed to change
expression and mood. The only people that wear masks in Noh
plays are the main characters, the shites, and their followers.
In some Noh plays the shite will change masks to show the true
character and his nature. Choosing masks for characters is very
important because it is used to show what the shite is in the
character. One type of Noh mask is the hannya mask. The
person who wears this mask is supposed to play a jealous and
evil woman who has turned into a demon. The pointed horns and
the metal eyes and teeth are used to show anger and wrath. The
hannya masks were designed based on the early snake masks
and by painted scrolls, which were dated back to the Muromachi
period.
The coloring of the masks shows how much passion that certain
character has in that demon’s anger. Ko-omote is another Noh
theatre mask. This mask represents a young woman who is calm.
The Ko-omote mask represents the traditional Heian beauty
featuring shaved eyebrows, blackened teeth, and neat hair.
Some ko-mote masks have lips that are farther apart and fuller
looking cheeks. You can tell how old a character is supposed to
be depending on how wide the masks eyes. The ko-mote masks
have eyes that are closer together to represent that it is a younger
woman. Otoko masks are the masks that young man wear.
The uba mask was originally made for Takasago but then was
later on added to other plays. The shikami masks are used as the
demon masks. You can tell when you look at the masks that this
is what they are used for because of the way they look. The fang
teeth and the evil looking mouth show the fear that is portrayed in
this mask. There is a red complexion on the mask. This shows the
anger in the demon just like in the hannya mask. Both the teeth
and the eyes are painted a metallic gold as well. The chujo mask
is another mask worn by a young male. These masks have very
light skin and high eyebrows as well as black teeth, which was
normal for a court nobleman at that time.
This mask is said to represent the famous poet Ariwara no
Narihira. The chujo mask is usually used for the character of
Prince Genji in The Tale of Genji. This mask can also be used to
show different parts as well. These are some of the masks that
are used in Noh theatre.
Noh theatre has been around for hundreds of years, and has
almost always used masks to portray different characters. Each
mask has a specific use and feeling to it. All of the masks that
have been mentioned have been used in numerous different Noh
plays in Japan for thousands of years. Masks are a very important
part of Noh theatre and it would not be the same without them.
Two characters may appear on the stage nearly side- by-side, but
again the audience comes to understand that they are not yet in each
other’s presence. While this may be confusing for the first time viewer,
for many people who come to understand these and other conventions,
Noh creates a much more powerful theatrical expression than realistic
theatre.
Theatrical Elements in Ritual Performances
Props
The most commonly used prop in Noh is the fan, as it is carried by all
performers regardless of role. Chorus singers and musicians may carry
their fan in hand when entering the stage, or carry it tucked into the obi.
In either case, the fan is usually placed at the performer's side when he
or she takes position, and is often not taken up again until leaving the
stage.
There are six elements in a tragedy --- and by extension, all drama.
The first three, the basic subjects of drama are Plot, Character and
Thought. The last three elements deal with language and performance.
They are Diction, Song and Spectacle. Hence, the organization of the
Western Classical Drama may be approached through the parts of the
dramatic action.
Plot
It is the most important element of the drama. Aristotle calls it the “soul
of tragedy.” It refers to the arrangement of the incidents, which has a
Beginning, Middle and End. The parts of the plot are unified such that if
any of its parts is displaced or removed, the whole play will be
disjointed or disturbed. This also means that this “single” action should
take place in one day. During the Renaissance, dramatists derived the
“unities” of action, time and place, which come from their translation or
interpretation of the Poetics.
Character
The character is the principal material from which plots are developed.
Characterization delineates a person from other persons. It operates on
physical, or biological, societal, psychological and moral levels. The
physical or biological level defines gender, age, size, coloration, and
general appearance. The societal level includes factors that place a
character in a particular societal environment. It defines the economic
status, profession, religious belief, and family relationships, among
others.
Thought
Song or Music
This originally refers to the singing and dancing of the chorus, which is
an integral part of drama during Aristotle’s time. Music in drama
extends to all patterned sounds and may include the sound of actors’
voices, incidental songs and background music, and instrumental
accompaniment. Music may serve to establish variety, convey a mood,
characterize or suggest ideas.
Spectacle
Space for instance, must conform to the plastic feature of the actor, and
must work to serve the actor’s moving, alive and three-dimensional
character. Light, the third important element in the hierarchy must also
become active to bring out the drama established by the actor. In this
order, the Actor presents the drama in a three-dimensional Space,
while Light gives life to both. Moreover, the ultimate integration of all
the elements of a play takes place in the spectator’s mind. He is the
final individual who brings the parts together to complete the theater
event.
Within the ritual process, there are also elements that provide pleasure
or entertainment. To achieve these ends, masking, costuming,
impersonation, dance, music, narrative, humor are used or performed
in rituals. The demonstration of skills or expertise by the ritualist in the
execution of an action or a series of action and recitation of chants
always significantly counts in the performance of rituals.
The Form
The Style
Actors are given the chance to explore not only the interior but also the
central and peripheral playing spaces (through the orchestra and the
skene) in this kind of physical set-up. Greek actors also rely on large
simple gestures or movements and their ability to declaim the script
since facial expressions and vocal inflections could not be depended on
with the theater‘s physical expanse. The actors would wear masks
made of lightweight wood, cork or linen to help portray their character
and other roles including female characters. Some experts say that
masks also work as a megaphone to help project the actors’ voices.
Form
Analysis
Analysis
The Style
This play starts off with the waki, a male Buddhist Abbot of the Dojo
Temple or Dōjō-ji announcing that a new bell would be dedicated in the
Temple, which has had none for years. He leaves the temple with
warning, forbidding the priests to admit women. The shite, an elegant
woman dancer then appears who declares that she should be allowed
to perform the shirabyoshi dance in the dedication. The priests allows
her to enter. The shite starts to dance in triangular patterns, which later
become disarrayed and chaotic. The dancer finally knocks the hat
she's wearing, stamps her feet and looks at the bell.
Then she swings her fan back and forth and then leaps up causing the
giant bell to crash to the ground around her. The bells become fiery hot.
The Abbot (waki) then returns and tells why women are forbidden in the
temple by telling a story about a girl who was told to marry a priest. The
girl asked the priest to marry her but the latter fled in terror. The girl
transformed into a serpent because of fury, and chased the priest until
the temple of Dōjō-ji.
In the Temple, the priest hid in an unraised bell to which the serpent
coiled itself around. It set a fire because of the latter's intense passion,
and burned the priest alive. In the play, the girl's ghost comes back
through the shite and reveals herself as a snake-demon when the bell
is finally raised in the dedication. The priests attempt to defeat her but
to no avail, so she is simply chased away in the end.
Form
Analysis
Analysis
The Style
Analysis
If God will be revenged for this deed, O, know you yet, he doth
publicly;
Take not the quarrel from his powerful arm;
He needs no indirect or lawless course, To cut off those that have
offended him.
Form
1. The plot and use of language are some of the dominant theatrical
elements in the play.
2. They are employed to emphasize the theme or meaning of the
play.
3. The play makes use of the thematic convention of immortal
revenge.
Analysis
The Style
Analysis
Add to this the ability to understand the movement of the camera and
the transitions from one moving picture to the next in relation to the plot
and aesthetics, and the result is a spectatorial activity that requires
undivided attention and makes one realize that watching a movie is not
at all easy and relaxing as commonly thought.
Narrative
This technique tells a story, using the techniques of theatre. This type
of film follows literary construction in that it begins with expository
material, adds levels of complications, builds to a climax, and ends with
a resolution of all the plot elements.
Documentary
Absolute
This film exists for its own sake, to record movement or form. There is
no story and rarely runs longer than twelve minutes (one reel) and has
no commercial intent.
Shots
What the camera records over a period of time: the basic unit of
filmmaking.
Editing
The editing process creates or builds the film. Artists rarely record
cinema in the order of its final presentation. They film it in bits and
pieces and put it together
Camera Focus
Transitional devices can be worked into a scene during the editing and
usually indicate the end of one scene and the beginning or another.
The camera can cut or jump to the next scene, but a smoother
transition occurs if the scene fades out into black and the next scene
fades in. This is a dissolve. As viewers, we need to develop an
awareness of how the director articulates movement from one section
to another and how that form of articulation contributes to the rhythm
and style of the film.
Types of Dissolves
• Lap dissolve - occurs when the fade-out and the fade-in are
done simultaneously and the scene momentarily overlaps
• Wipe - a line moves across the screen, eliminating one shot and
revealing the next
• Iris-out or iris-in - a transition is created by the closing or
opening the aperture of the lens
Sensory Impact
The aim of film and all arts is to involve us in its product, either
emotionally or intellectually. Filmmakers enhance their final product by
using techniques that manipulate us toward a deeper involvement or
heightened intellectual response. Cross-cutting – alternates between
two separate actions related by theme, mood, or plot but usually within
the same time period. Its most common function is to create suspense.
Tension
Accepted Practices
Dynamics
Structural rhythm - this reflects the manner in which the various shots
join together and juxtapose with other cinematic images, both visual
and aural. The filmmaker creates a rhythm and pattern based on the
way they choose to tell the story and indicate deeper meanings and
relationships.
Symbolic images - are used by filmmakers to direct our attention to the
ideas inherent in the philosophical approach underlying the film (hero
dressed in white, villain dressed in black)
Audio Techniques
Critical Viewing
Cinema refers to the art form, and hence includes all the art works that
deal with the beautiful moving pictures. Two sub-categories classified
according to the type of recording and projecting medium used: Film
and Video.
Film
Video
Film and video will be used when the need to distinguish the medium
arises. (this section only provide a sketch of the production process.
For a detailed look at how movies are made, please refer to Sidney
lumets making movies or watch the extended edition DVDs of lord of
the rings.) The creation of a movie is a very long and tedious process
that demands the cooperation of a group of artists that share a
cinematic vision.
When the sets are up, the actors in character and the scene is
staged, then the cameras, begin to roll. This part is commonly called
the shooting, filming or production stage. This stage records all the
things that will be shown on screen, in film or video. For budgetary and
practical reasons, shooting is never done following the plot. Because of
this, the contents of film rolls are never sequential. To put scenes in
order, the services of the editor is sought.
This requires him to break down the movie into parts or elements and
understand how each of these interrelates with the others and to the
whole with a view to the plot and aesthetics. In this way, the spectator
becomes accustomed to noticing finer details. After constant practice ,
he/ she accounts for more things even during the first watch and leaves
the theater understanding more of the movie.
THE ELEMENTS OF CINEMA
What then are these elements that the spectator need to consider? A
movie can be divided into seven elements: 1) script or narrative; 2)
acting; 3) production design; 4) stage or directing; 5) cinematography;
6) editing; and 7) sound design.
Script or Narrative
The script is the basis of a movie. It provides the story that a movie
presents to the spectator. This story is composed of several elements
namely:
1) Characters
2) Dialogue
3) Setting
4) Plot
Characters
Are the agents of an act that constitutes an event. They are usually
persons --- human beings --- but there are occasions that animals,
machines, ordinary things, and fantastic creatures play the role of
characters in an animated film. There are two basic types of characters
in a movie: protagonists and antagonists.
There are also instances that the protagonist also functions as the
antagonist which is the case in most psychological movies. It is
important to note that the protagonist-antagonist paradigm does not
equal the hero-villain paradigm. Not all protagonists are good people.
Take for example the numerous movies involving thieves as
protagonists like Bonnie and Clyde or Ocean’s series or the local bio-
pics about criminals of the late 70s to the mid 80s like Ben Tumbling
and Alias Waray.
Character Traits
Character traits are revealed through what the character says, chooses
and does. While watching then, the spectator needs to account for the
patterns that emerge with regard to these things. This will enable him
to tract how the character develops throughout the whole movie.
Dialogue
It is the spatial and temporal locus of the events in the plot. It ensures
that events enacted by the characters happen in a particular place and
time. More than spatially and temporally containing the events, the
setting also contributes to the narrative by providing the context of the
action. To some extent, the setting shapes the characters and events
by providing the basic assumptions the movie uses. It gives the
spectator a framework in which to “participate” in the events. The
setting shapes the world that the movie presents to the spectator. And
the spectator should respond to the movie based on the context
provided by the setting. If the setting makes it possible for a man to fly
or for hobbits to roam the fields, then the spectator should accept it.
The setting disposes the spectator to the suspension of disbelief.
Plot
Story and plot are actually two different, though related things. This
lack of distinction is due to the fact that both the story and plot deal with
the same thing, i.e., actions or events that take place in the movie. But
closer study reveals that there are two very important differences
between the two.
The first has something to do with the sequencing of events while the
other refers to the quantity of narrative information present. With regard
to sequence, story events are always ordered chronologically while plot
events are not necessarily so. A plot may be temporally disjointed,
relying heavily on flashbacks or flash-forwards. There are occasional
movie plots that deliberately blur and confuse the temporal structure of
the narrative.
When the spectator watches, what he sees are the events are ordered
in the plot. And while watching, he needs to understand how each
event temporally relates to other events. This means that he needs to
mentally situate events in their chronological place. Understanding the
story thus requires an active mental chronological re-ordering of the
plot events.
In this sense, the plot events serve as raw material in the attempt to
mentally construct the story. The story is a result of re-ordering the plot
events. The plot is what the spectator watches; the story is what he
mentally possesses after re-ordering the plot. To make sense of
events, the spectator considers certain things that he sees, hears and
infers in the movie and relates them with each other. These things:
actions, persons, voices, noises, buildings, cars, etc. form what is
called diegesis - which Bordwell and Thompson define as “ the total
world of the story action.”
On top of this, the spectator also needs to think about the intended
meanings or purposes of the movie as elaborated by the plot that do
not directly affect the casual flow of the story. The point of the movie
becomes clear after considering the information contained in both the
story and the plot. The events in the plot are caused by a protagonist
driven by a superwant and meets antagonists which prevent him from
achieving his goal. Conflicts arise as the protagonist struggles to
overcome the obstacles presented by the antagonists.
Ends - begin with the climax when the protagonist and antagonist meet
in a final confrontation and continue in the denouement which shows
the aftereffects of the climax and finally complete the movie in the
resolution.
Not all plots are done in this conventional way, though. There are
some plot structures that do not follow the cause and effect principle
throughout the whole movie. The more common of these is the episodic
plot. This kind of plot divides the movie into a series of self-contained
units that are not related causally.
These units are called episodes. Episodes are small conventional plots,
meaning each of them has its own beginning, middle and end. An
episodic movie strings together these episodes and usually unites them
with the presence of a single character in each. These episodes may
also be linked by a common theme. To make sense of an episodic
movie, the spectator needs to understand the plot of each episode and
discover how each of the episodes relates to each other to bring out the
meaning of the movie.
In well written movies of this kind, the episodes may not be clearly
defined from each other. They may be inter-weaved, with episodes
unfolding gradually as events from each alternate as the movie
progresses. A spectator gains access to the script content through
visual and aural elements employed by film makers. These elements
are the raw materials that the spectator processes to follow the events
presented by the movie.
The three elements: production design, acting, and staging or direction
is easily referred to by anybody as mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene,
originally a theater term, refers to the things that happen on stage. In
film, it refers to the things present in the shot the things the spectator
sees on screen ( Bordwell and Thompson 156). The elements that fall
under mise-en-scene are:
Production Design
Set Design
Costumes
Are the clothes worn by the actors to portray a character. People often
claim that the clothes a person wears show his personality; “You are
what you wear” as the saying goes. This is very true in cinema where
costumes play a vital role.
Props
Decoration
Are the things that are not touched by the characters. On the superficial
level, decorations make the set of a movie visually appealing. It is like
make up on the face of the set. On the other hand, decorations help
establish the setting and give veracity.
ACTING AND STAGING
Acting
Staging
Staging makes the event in the plot a reality. Complete control of what
will happen.
Importance of Staging
It is through this art that the spectators gains primary access to the
meanings and effects is making.
The Director
• Art lies in his ability to stage the event to be shot in front of the
camera.
• Blocking
• Placement and movement
• Screen dimension and aspect ratio.
The main source of narrative information for the spectator is the mise-
en-scene. He can access it through the meditation of the camera and
the projector. Since the projector simply projects what the camera
records, it is passive medium in the transmission of cinematic
information. It does not contribute anything to movie narrative and
aesthetics; rather, it allows the spectator to see what is achieved using
the camera. The most basic use of camera is to record what is placed
in front of it.
The camera, which has the aesthetic and narrative uses, are achieved
through the following aspects:
1. photographic quality
2. framing
3. Distance
4. Movement
5. Rate of recording/projection speed
Darker values have a tendency to convey heavy emotions like grief and
melancholy while brighter values usually evoke lighter, happier things.
Intensity of colors is the degree of color saturation of an image. Most
movies approximate the colors of daily experience but there are movies
that exploit the artistic effects of color intensity.
1. Normal lens
2. Short-focal lens
3. Long-focal lens
4. Zoom lens
Long-focal lens or telephoto lens has the ability to make far things
look closer by compressing the spaces between objects. This results
into flat, depthless, almost two-dimensional images.
Zoom lenses have the ability to frame a panoramic scene and then
move closer to a subject and isolate her and vice versa, without
changing the position of the camera. Making an image appear to come
closer is called “zooming-in” and making an image appear to go farther
is referred to as “zooming-out.”
Shallow focus or soft focus shows images that are blurred. The more
common use of shallow focus is to have one plane in the picture sharp
and the rest clear. It is common, for example, to see shots where the
foreground is clear while the middle-ground and background is blurred.
Racking focus
Racking focus shifts the positions of the sharp and blurred images. It
shifts the attention of the spectator from one subject to another.
Deep focus
Deep focus keeps everything in the shot clear. This allows the
spectator freedom to choose what he will look at. It also forces him to
pay attention to how the shot is composed.
Framing
Aside from the eye-level angle, the other framing angles are: high-
angle, low-angle and canted frame shots.
Movement refers to the mobility of the frame due to the action of the
camera. The early days of the cinema has the camera mounted on a
fixed position to record whatever subject is placed before it. The
technology then does not allow the camera to be mobile. But now it is
common to see the camera change angles and positions in one
continuous shot. The camera can move in basically two ways: it can
move on axis from a stationary point or the whole camera- - lens,
mechanism, and base - - can physically change in location.
Axial movement is further divided into the pan, tilt and roll. The first
two mimic the head turning sideways or nodding up and down. Rolling
approximates the head rotating from side to side with the tip of the nose
as axis, although it is possible to complete a 360 degree camera roll.
EDITING
That the timeline of the plot is adhered to. This does not mean that the
plot always needs to have chronological sequencing.
Continuity Editing
Non-Continuity Editing
Elliptical Editing
Passes over dead plot time and jumps directly to a point in the plot that
is significant. A movie may jump only a few seconds to a span of years
depending on the requirements of the plot.
Montage
Jump Cuts
Requires that the spaces in shots in scene are the same. The positions
of characters and things in the shots should not change location so as
not confuse the spectator.
Parallel Editing
Superimposition
Shot Overlaps
Repeat the same shot or shots of the same image taken from different
positions two or more times. It only shows one action several times
consecutively. A scene is usually composed of several shots and the
changing of one shot to the next is called a transition. There are several
transitions in cinema that are used to achieve myriad of effects
depending on what the filmmaker intensions are:
• Cut - is a transition where a shot is immediately replaced by
another shot.
• Fade - is a transition where images in a shot either gradually
disappear into a black or white screen. It is used to introduce a
scene a fade-in or to conclude it fade-out.
• Dissolve - is a transition where images from a shot are gradually
replaced by imaged from another. There is a point in the dissolve
where the images from both shots overlap.
• Wipe - is a transition where a second shot takes over the first by
sliding over it. A visible bar that marks the edge of the second
shot is seen passing over the first shot.
• Iris - is a transition and a framing technique that uses a circular
frame around images. As a transition, an iris can close or open to
conclude or introduce a shot respectively.
MOVIES
They are sometimes judged to be slow and boring or fast and exciting.
This is primarily influenced by the movie’s pace and rhythm which is
dictated by the duration of the takes or how long a shot lasts before a
cut is made.
Sound Design
Although early cinema does not use sound extensively, and many a
good directors claim it is dispensable, it is now an integral part of
cinema. Sound has special uses in cinema. Even during the so called
“silent days” when movies are accompanied by live music to enliven it.
This is still applied today although contemporary cinema is no longer
purely ornamental.
Its design now has narrative and aesthetic functions. Sound design
refers to the interrelationship of sounds and silences in a movie. It
includes every auditory sensation from noises to music as well as
silences. Sound is done during post production which is designed
according to the rhythm and pace of the images created during editing.
Sound in Cinema has two kinds
External Diegetic sounds are sounds that come from the objects
in the story. These include ambient noises, voices, music, etc.
These sounds are used to make a scene realistic.
• Non-Diegetic sounds are sounds that are not present in the story
world. The most common of these is background music. They
used to enhance or create moods or to explain things as in
narration.
Aside from the abovementioned functions, sounds, like editing ensures
that unity in the movie is maintained. Sound bridges are used for
linking together two scenes. It is achieved by a sound overlap wherein
sound from a previous scene continuous into the next or a sound from
the proceeding scene is introduced at the end of the preceding time.
Sound is also responsible for rhythm in the movie. A rural rhythm
complements visual rhythm and the speed of the sound is usually
congruent with the speed of image movement and shot transitions.
When studying the use of sound, therefore, it must always be done in
connection with the cinematic elements.
Algren
In the example, it is noticeable that many things in the story are missing
in the main plot of the movie. Although both versions of the story share
some same events, some of the events that revolve around the
Japanese are either implicit in the plot or inferred by the spectator. This
is also true for the first event in Algren’s story, where the plot revolves
around.
He leaves the government and the money and fight alongside the
samurai for honor and the samurai for honor and restoring the good
values of the old samurai way. His new desire is to do the honorable
act of fighting against the eradication of a group of people and the
tradition they embody. Blocking his goal is another American military
consultant, Col. Bagley and the Japanese merchant, Omura, adviser to
the young Emperor. The second up to the last part of the film reveals a
deeper longing in Algren much different from the need of financial
compensation.
Set design
In The Last Samurai, the production design brings back the spectator
on the end of 19th century San Francisco and Japan through the set,
costumes, props and decoration. San Francisco is depicted without the
modern skyscrapers that are a familiar sight in the city. A shot of the
city street showcases wood buildings side-by-side brick structures;
images which hearken to the days when the city is transitioning into a
modern cityscape.
• it establishes the locale through the rolling terrain and the cable
car commonly associated with the city and
• it establishes the historical situation through the absence of
skyscrapers and juxtaposing wood and masonry buildings.
Later in the film, Edo is show as a more “modern” city throughout the
use of Western looking masonry structures. A chaotic mess of
telegraph lines also line the once clear skyline of Edo. In both the sets
of Edo and San Francisco, there is a strong feel of overcrowding and
hard, fast-paced living. The village of Katsumoto is starkly different from
San Francisco and Edo. In this set, the houses are farther apart from
which gives a sense of peaceful serenity. The houses are made in the
traditional plan using traditional materials: wood, thatch and washi–
paper walls.
Compared to the other two sets, the village appears more rustic and
definitely non-modernized but also more comfortably habitable. Aside
from the structures, this is made possible through the greenery that is
very much present in the village set which contrasts sharply against the
absent of plant life in the other two industrialized sets.
Costume
Algren’s blue uniform reveals that he is an army officer but the way he
wears it suggests that he is wary of his profession; he is burned-out
soldier. He wears his uniform sloppily with the coat unbuttoned. The
only time the spectator sees him wear it with pride and in full regalia is
during the audience with emperor after the battle. Used this way, the
uniform seems to be the outward image of his once lost and now
restored honor.
Donning the armor with the aid of Taka shows the latter forgiving her
husband’s killer and also reveals her feelings. It also suggests the
close affinity between Katsumoto and Algren. In a way, the two are now
brothers. The armor reveals that Algren is now part of the family. The
change in costume from the US army uniform to the samurai armor is a
visual indication of the character’s reversal. Once a mercenary tasked
with the extermination of the samurai, Algren is now part of the
rebellion.
Props
The katana given to Algren before the battle is used as a symbol of the
man who will wield it. The etching of the blade, which Katsumoto reads,
reveals it: “I belong to the man where East meets West.” This use of
props exploit the metonymic power of the object by using the sword as
an image that stands-in for the person of Algren. Placed within the
context of the whole narrative, the sword also alludes to the theme of
the movie. The etching serves as a thematic statement. Being given to
Algren, the sword also implies that bushido, which the sword
symbolizes in Japanese culture, is now embodied in the American.
Decoration
In the scene that introduces the main character of The Last Samurai,
Algren, in his army uniform, is shown slumped, drunk, on a chair
surrounded by crates and irreverently hung flags in a dimly lit room.
The state of the roof somehow reflects the state of the man occupying it
– a soldier that lost his sense of patriotism. This is confirmed in the later
scenes especially by the flashbacks to the slaughter of Native
Americans. After this pathetic image of Algren, in the room, a strong
sense of irony is achieved when he is introduced as great American
hero to the public. This would not have been possible if the room
decoration is neat and orderly. It is clear then that the decorations
deserve as much attention as the costume and props, because it, too,
has a story to tell.
THE NARRATIVE
Elements
Treatment
Purpose
Why are the elements employed in this way? The important elements
of the narrative are the characters, setting, plot and superwant. The
major character is presented as a dishonored ex-soldier. The setting
shows turn of the nineteenth century San Francisco and Japan. The
plot is conventional and begins in the middle of plot, a deeper longing is
revealed – to regain lost honor.
Elements
Purpose
Why are the elements employed in this way? The set, costume and
props are key aspects of production design in the movie. The set
shows San Francisco without the tall buildings. The Tokyo set is set like
San Francisco with its rows of structures and crowded streets. These
two sets are contrasted with the spacious fields of the village. The
American military costume of Algren is always worn lousily. He trades
this for a set samurai and clothing and armor in the middle and end of
the movie respectively.
In the epilogue, he dons his Army uniform again, but this time with
proper bearing. The katana is given to Algren by Katsumoto. It is
emphasized by being focused on and by translating the engraving on
the blade. The set not only shows the spectator a picture of the late 19th
century Japan, it also shows the effects of a false sense of modernity
as shown in the set of Tokyo which lost its old charm, pleasantness,
and Japanese character. The contrast of Tokyo with the village offers
an alternative that is threatened by advance of “progress.” The costume
reflects Algren’s personality. Exchanging his old uniform for samurai
garb indicates his reversal and redemption. The sword is the symbol of
Algren where the “Old meets the new.” The engraving serves as a
thematic statement.
Her voice once high and small, drops to a low guttural drone and then
rises to a high, painting moan: bedlam sounds that underscore her
mental instability. In the confrontation scene between the “ Mantis” and
Yasumoto, the placement of the two characters at the opposite ends of
the screen suggests a sense of uncomfortable tension between the two
characters. The actual physical distance also reflects the emotional and
psychological distance of the two
The movement of the actors around the set and in the relation to the
other actors also creates the same narrative effects. As Yasumoto
closes in on woman n the same scene, his interest in the madwoman’s
tale is very clearly evident. The slow and gradual approach reveals
caution on the part of the doctor. The girl’s reactions and gestures, on
the other hand, betray her dark motives. Through her movements, the
spectator is given access to her real motive: deceive and seduce the
doctor with the story She represents herself as a fragile and submissive
by sitting down.
When the doctor becomes more comfortable, she baits him further by
turning her back, which arouses the man’s interest even more. When
they’re already touching, and the doctor’s guard is down, the
madwoman makes her move, traps the doctor and attempts to stab
him. Aesthetically, the actor occupying the foreground usually receives
the most attention because his placement makes him larger than the
other actors placed at the back. This is shown in the scene preceding
the confrontation when the mantis” enters the doctor’s room.
Yasumoto is in the foreground and occupies most of the scene, this
directs the spectator’s attention to him. But to give emphasis to the
woman, Kurosawa shows the man’s back.
Even when the doctor closes in on the woman, the symmetry is still
maintained. The angle from where the spectator watches the scene
allows him to see both characters. This omniscience results in a
heightened suspense because spectator knows something-the “Mantis”
intention-that Yasumoto does not.
The relation of the movement of the actor to the candle suggest that the
decoration serves as a territorial mark that when crossed the girl who
occupies the space inside the barriers feels threatened. Crossed the
girl who occupies the space inside the barriers feels threatened. On
the girl’s part, the crossing of the line is the signal that the seduction is
successful and therefore begins to play-up her condition to bait the
foolish doctor even more.
Let’s analyze the aesthetic qualities of Akahige
ACTING
Elements
Treatment
Purpose
Elements
Treatment
Purpose
Elements
Treatment
Purpose
Throughout the whole scene, a long –focal lens is used thus flattening
the scene. The camera distance shows the blocking of the actors and
keeps them in a balances frame even as they move closer. It allows
the spectators to see the movements of the characters. It also
increases anticipation and suspense and draws the interest of the
spectator as it moves closer to the characters. The flattened images
contribute to creating surprise and tension especially in the introductory
shot of the scene.
Editing and Sound Design
Sound in “In the Mood for Love” is as sensual and leisurely as its
visuals. The rhythm of the music complements the visuals. The music
breathes romance into the movie and an occasion intentionally leads
the spectator to make abrupt conclusions that the movie later-on
proves false. The music in the restaurant the first time Mr. Chow invites
Mrs. Chan to dinner does this. It is easy to assume that what is taking
place is a date, but the conversation that takes place proves it is not.
GUIDE QUESTIONS
Editing
Elements
Analysis
The Purpose
Analysis
1. The cuts contribute to the unobtrusive fluidity of the transitions.
Together with the fades, the cuts contribute to the leisurely pace
of the movie.
2. The slow-motion also contributes to the rhythm and pace of the
movie while it is also giving sensuality and grace to the
movements of the images.
SOUND DESIGN
Elements
Analysis
Treatment
Analysis
The Purpose
Analysis