The Film Form
In traditional movie productions, a typical
celluloid film strip has separate frames.
Each frame differs slightly by a fraction of
a second and in order to complete ONE
SECOND’S WORTH OF ACTION in film,
you need to RUN 24 OF THESE FRAMES
in rapid succession.
Earlier, film was called “moving
pictures” but was later on shortened to
CINEMA – refers to specific bodies of
work in film that carry specific thematic
Two formats of film
Total running time does not exceed one hour.
Exceeds one hour and lasts up to two to three
Modes/Stages of Film Production
1. Preproduction – Planning stages of the film; could
take months or years
Developing the concept of the story
Writing the full-blown script or screenplay
Casting (the producers/creators will be the one to
determine who will be hired to act)
Also called “Principal photography phase”
Actual shooting of the film
“Point of no return”
(Mainstream commercial film) Two hours = 30
days more or less
This is where all the post-processing happens
Usually, a mainstream commercial film is edited for less than
Visual effects/graphic requirements
There are different formats of film according to
its visual treatment and style. Each format has
its accompanying discipline, aesthetics, and
guidelines to follow and appreciate.
Fictional in nature
The characters and situations are familiar to people
because they could happen in real life.
The closer a story’s reality is to the viewers reality, the
more universal the film would appear, making it more
endearing to film viewers anywhere
A film, in a way, is a reflection or a
representation of reality.
That is why we see many recurring elements
and storylines in narrative cinema.
Presents non-fictional or factual characters and situations
Usually, it is made to present a specific issue or societal
concern to its viewers
Sometimes, documentary films carry some form of advocacy
Filmmakers hope that by capturing the realities in the film,
they will be able to elicit support for the issues they are
Animation encompasses the frame-by-frame
shooting and projection of fictional films
(using drawings, sketches, or puppets) and
now, computer-generated images or
Strays away from the traditional narrative
The experimental films tries to play around
with the physicality of the film form, the
shooting styles, the production process, and
Highly symbolic or philosophical
Actually, it is difficult to strictly define experimental
film as a strict definition would contradict its essence
At least through the 1960’s, to some extent, many
experimental film as a strict definition would
contradict its essence itself.
Ex. Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis (an 8 hour film by Lav
A GOOD MOVIE HAS THREE THINGS:
1. Technical Excellence –the way the basic technical
requirements of the film medium are met
Production design (set, props, costumes, make-up)
2. Literary value – Every good film should have
a good screenplay.
Characteristics: Plot, Characterization
3. Cinematic sense – Cinematic value resides in
the director’s ability to integrate sight and
sound, visual image and sense, and plot and
meaning into the film or storyline.
A form of television advertisement that acts as a
stand-alone program, and typically lasts longer than
five minutes. Because an infomercial lasts longer than
a regular commercial.
It is able to present more details about a product or
service and gives a company more time to present a
persuasive call to action.