An Introduction to Film Analysis

An Introduction to Film Analysis is designed to introduce students to filmmaking techniques while also providing an invaluable guide to film interpretation. It takes readers step by step through: -the basic technical terms -shot-by-shot analyses of film sequences -set design, composition, editing, camera work, post-production, art direction and more -each chapter provides clear examples and full colour images from classic as well as contemporary films Ryan and Lenos's updated edition introduces students to the different kinds of lenses and their effects, the multiple possibilities of lighting, and the way post-production modifies images through such processes as saturation and desaturation. Students will learn to ask why the camera is placed where it is, why an edit occurs where it does, or why the set is designed in a certain way. The second section of the book focuses on critical analysis, introducing students to the various approaches to film, from psychology to history, with new analysis on postcolonial, transnational and Affect Theory. New to this edition is a third section featuring several in-depth analyses of films to put into practice what comes before: The Birds, The Shining, Vagabond, In the Mood for Love, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.

Michael Ryan and Melissa Lenos

Introduction Meaning in Movies Shot-by-Shot Analysis Writing About Film: The Art of Active Viewing Part 1: Technique and Meaning 1. Composition 2. Camera Work 3. Editing 4. Set Design 5. Lighting 6. Sound 7. Color 8. Narration 9. Structure, Character, Motif 10. Film Style: Realism and Expressionism Part 2: Critical Analysis 11. Historical Criticism 12. Structuralist Criticism 13. Psychological Criticism 14. Ideological Criticism 15. Gender Criticism 16. Ethnic Criticism 17. Post-Colonial / Transnational Criticism 18. Post-Structuralist Criticism 19. Political Criticism 20. Evolutionary Theory 21. Affect & Emotion Part 3: Sample Analyses 22. The Birds 23. The Shining 24. Vagabond 25. In the Mood for Love 26. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Student Assignments Further Reading Bibliography Index