Untitled Page

Ethics and Film: Messages, Themes, and Techniques Module 4: The Merchant of Venice by Magaret Haun, PhD Key Concepts Key Concepts Do film directors or producers have the responsibility to create morally acceptable films? Who determines what is morally acceptable? Can a film be good if it relies on racist, sexist, or anti-semitic content? Why do we sometimes find ourselves resisting a film's "argument"? How do films pull us in to their worlds? How do films communicate their values? How important is it for our experiences as viewers that we share the values of a film? What is the difference between a fiction film and a documentary? Do the ethical responsibilities of a film director extend beyond the honest management of the actors and film crew? Can something as straightforward as the camera angle in a particular shot or series of shots be immoral, even sinister? How important is point of view as an element of both technique and content? What is the connection between a film's formal techniques (camera angle and distance, lighting, edits, etc.) and its content? Vocabulary Anti-Semitism In terms of the etymology of the word, prejudice against people of Semitic origins. Specifically, prejudice against Jewish people. Auteur Film director. The Auteur Theory argues that directors "write" or "author" their films insofar as the final product bears the unique markings of the director. Continuity Often the job the script supervisor, continuity ensures that related shots look related. Continuity people attend to camera angle, scene details, lighting, and script particulars. Cut away An editing technique that moves the film, say, from a long or distance shot to a tight or medium shot. Diegesis The total invented world of a narrative. The diegesis of Star Wars, for instance, extends over several films. Diegetic sound In the logic of a film, sounds heard by people in the film (gunfire, dialogue, a door slamming, etc.). Documentary types: Observational: significant camera movement, diegetic sound, no interviews, no text. (MTV, Triumph of the Will) Expository: charts, statistics, narrator, interviews, nondiegteic sound, music. (The Civil War by Ken Burns) Interactive: Interviews, subject is confronted, voice-over, on-screen narrator. (Fahrenheit 9/11-anything by Michael Moore) Establishing shot At the beginning of a movie, the establishing shot provides an orientation to place and time. The opening shot at the beginning of Far From Heaven, for example, establishes the geographical setting as suburban and the chronological setting as the fifties. Ethical scheme May be tacit or explicit, a film's ethical message in its totality. Ethos The beliefs of a culture, country, group, or organization. Lighting Low-key or dim, high-key, neutral, bottom/side, or front/rear, how a scene is lit determines much of the viewer's understanding of the action. Long shot Shows the entire object or human figure. Medium shot A camera shot taken from a medium distance. A medium shot can establish body language and movement and is thus similar to a long shot. Mise-en-scene From the French, everything in a scene (actor, objects, background). Montage Shots or short scenes edited together for a particular effect or message. One of the most famous montages in 20th century film occurs toward the end of The Godfather as Michael sponsors a bloodbath that coincides with his participation in the christening of his nephew and godson. Non-diegetic sound Sounds that logically could not be heard by people in the film at the time of filming. The music in Jaws, for example, is not heard by the shark's victims or the people onshore. Panning When the camera pans, it moves left or right along its horizontal axis. Point of view (and point of view [POV] shot) The perspective from which a story is told. A POV shot shows what a character sees. In other words, the camera enables us to see a scene as a character sees it. Mike Nichols uses the POV shot to enormous advantage in The Graduate. Racism A belief in the superiority of one group of people. Scene (and scene sequence) A scene is marked or defined by an event in the film. The term is also used to describe a particularly vivid film moment. A scene sequence is a collection of scenes that comprise the beginning, middle, and end of an action in the film. Sexism A belief in the superiority of one gender. Tight shot Closely frames a human subject or object. Many tight shots frame faces. Tilt When the camera tilts, it moves up or down along its vertical axis. Xenophobia A fear (and perhaps dislike) of foreigners. Yale University provides an excellent resource for moving footage that demonstrates the techniques and film elements described here at http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/.

Ethics and Film: Messages, Themes, and Techniques Module 4: The Merchant of Venice

by Magaret Haun, PhD

Key Concepts

Key Concepts
Do film directors or producers have the responsibility to create morally acceptable films?
Who determines what is morally acceptable?
Can a film be good if it relies on racist, sexist, or anti-semitic content?
Why do we sometimes find ourselves resisting a film's "argument"?
How do films pull us in to their worlds?
How do films communicate their values?
How important is it for our experiences as viewers that we share the values of a film?
What is the difference between a fiction film and a documentary?
Do the ethical responsibilities of a film director extend beyond the honest management of the actors and film crew?
Can something as straightforward as the camera angle in a particular shot or series of shots be immoral, even sinister?
How important is point of view as an element of both technique and content?
What is the connection between a film's formal techniques (camera angle and distance, lighting, edits, etc.) and its content?

Vocabulary

Anti-Semitism In terms of the etymology of the word, prejudice against people of Semitic origins. Specifically, prejudice against Jewish people.
Auteur Film director. The Auteur Theory argues that directors "write" or "author" their films insofar as the final product bears the unique markings of the director.
Continuity Often the job the script supervisor, continuity ensures that related shots look related. Continuity people attend to camera angle, scene details, lighting, and script particulars.
Cut away An editing technique that moves the film, say, from a long or distance shot to a tight or medium shot.
Diegesis The total invented world of a narrative. The diegesis of Star Wars, for instance, extends over several films.
Diegetic sound In the logic of a film, sounds heard by people in the film
(gunfire, dialogue, a door slamming, etc.).

Documentary types:
Observational: significant camera movement, diegetic sound, no interviews, no text. (MTV, Triumph of the Will)
Expository: charts, statistics, narrator, interviews, nondiegteic sound, music. (The Civil War by Ken Burns)
Interactive: Interviews, subject is confronted, voice-over, on-screen narrator. (Fahrenheit 9/11-anything by Michael Moore)

Establishing shot At the beginning of a movie, the establishing shot provides an orientation to place and time. The opening shot at the beginning of Far From Heaven, for example, establishes the geographical setting as suburban and the chronological setting as the fifties.
Ethical scheme May be tacit or explicit, a film's ethical message in its totality.
Ethos The beliefs of a culture, country, group, or organization.
Lighting Low-key or dim, high-key, neutral, bottom/side, or front/rear, how a scene is lit determines much of the viewer's understanding of the action.
Long shot Shows the entire object or human figure.
Medium shot A camera shot taken from a medium distance. A medium shot can establish body language and movement and is thus similar to a long shot.
Mise-en-scene From the French, everything in a scene (actor, objects, background).
Montage Shots or short scenes edited together for a particular effect or message. One of the most famous montages in 20th century film occurs toward the end of The Godfather as Michael sponsors a bloodbath that coincides with his participation in the christening of his nephew and godson.
Non-diegetic sound Sounds that logically could not be heard by people in the film at the time of filming. The music in Jaws, for example, is not heard by the shark's victims or the people onshore.
Panning When the camera pans, it moves left or right along its horizontal axis.
Point of view (and point of view [POV] shot) The perspective from which a story is told. A POV shot shows what a character sees. In other words, the camera enables us to see a scene as a character sees it. Mike Nichols uses the POV shot to enormous advantage in The Graduate.
Racism A belief in the superiority of one group of people.
Scene (and scene sequence) A scene is marked or defined by an event in the film. The term is also used to describe a particularly vivid film moment. A scene sequence is a collection of scenes that comprise the beginning, middle, and end of an action in the film.
Sexism A belief in the superiority of one gender.
Tight shot Closely frames a human subject or object. Many tight shots frame faces.
Tilt When the camera tilts, it moves up or down along its vertical axis.
Xenophobia A fear (and perhaps dislike) of foreigners.

Yale University provides an excellent resource for moving footage that demonstrates the techniques and film elements described here at http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/.