FILM TV 122D Lecture Notes - Leni Riefenstahl, Ken Burns, Cliffhanger
2 Jun 2018
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FTV 122D – FILM EDITING – STUDY GUIDE 3: GENRE & SOUND – 2017
Spring 2017 © Karen Smalley – UCLA FTV 122D 1
GENRE: ACTION & SUSPENSE
KEY FEATURES OF ACTION SEQUENCES
• CONFLICT
o Scenes based on CONFLICT – typically two characters at odds with each other
o Each character attempts to achieve a goal
o Conflict presented by crosscutting between the efforts of opposing characters.
o Heightened conflict – stakes are high, life and death
• CROSSCUTTING
o Keep both hero and villain in the mind of the viewer
o Cut away at critical “cliff-hanger” moments – extending time and tension
• IDENTIFICATION WITH MAIN CHARACTER – emotional involvement
o SUBJECTIVE POV
o SUBJECTIVE CAMERA ANGLE
o CLOSE-UPS and EXTREME CLOSEUPS
• EXCITATION
o Movement within shots
o Movement of camera, lens & camera mount
o Variation in length of shots (time on screen)
• INTENSIFICATION – leading to CATHARSIS
o Shortest shots as scenes climax – intensification
o Increase in pace as threat increases
o Intensity over context
o Wide shots only when needed for info or to relieve tension
KEY FEATURES OF SUSPENSE SEQUENCES
• CROSSCUTTING – hero and source of terror
• SUBJECTIVE vs. OBJECTIVE INFORMATION
o Do we know more or less than the character?
o Do we watch with them / through them – subjective POV?
o One trick - subjective POV, then objective, then subjective again. We know as much as
the character, then we learn more, then back to subjective so we don’t know when the
axe will drop – but we know the axe is there.
o Misdirection – lead the audience astray
o Close-ups put us with the protagonist
• CUTAWAYS - ticking clock - or cutting away at cliff-hanger moments
• OFF SCREEN SOUNDS - footsteps etc
• MISDIRECTION!
• PACE
o Milk the ANTICIPATION - Sustain TENSION through LONGER SHOTS.
o Prey on the fears & anxieties of the audience through slow build
o Mood of constant menace - no letting up
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Key features of suspense sequences: crosscutting hero and source of terror, subjective vs. Objective information: do we know more or less than the character, do we watch with them / through them subjective pov, one trick - subjective pov, then objective, then subjective again. Ftv 122d film editing study guide 3: genre & sound 2017. Let the audience in on the joke or not (set-up - anticipation vs. surprise) Reaction shots make the joke hit home. Tell them what you"re going to do ( set up the joke) Tell them what you did ( reactions as punctuation or pay-off) Editor plays key role in finding / writing / structuring the story. Audio & picture separate elements, with audio often the through-line motivating picture. Use of b-roll (film/video), graphs/charts, and stills, which often feature ken burns technique of zooming/panning photos. Use of lower thirds text, identifying subjects ( talking heads ) interviewed.
