The session was called Exploring Film Language and was from a study pack produced by Film Education. It was broken into several sections:
a) Lighting – Mildred Pierce, the scene at the beach house looking at whether the lighting was low or high key, whether it was used for dramatic effect, how it helped create the overall mood of the scene and how the shadows were used symbolically.
b) Sound – Once upon a Time in the West, what sounds to hear and what effect the they have on you and the sound bridge & Trainspotting, looking at Renton's voice-over, the use of Carmen, the expected audience and the diegetic and non-diegetic sound.
c) Camera – Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, with questions asking how the camera draws our attention in the attic, how it smooths the transition from the attic to the mountaintop, reflecting the mood of Victor and his companions, other things which reflects the camera movement, the handheld camera and the use of close-up.
d) Mise en scène – Jane Eyre, three clips of different locations asking how the mise en scène was used to indicate the atmosphere of the three places.
e) Editing – Psycho (the shower scene), looking at the number of edits before, during and after the attack, the effect on the spectator and also the framing, how John at least bodies represented in sequence. Battleship Potemkin (the Odessa Steps sequence), looking at why it's necessary to concentrate was watching sequence, how the editing emphasises the attitude and power of the soldiers, the vulnerability of the ordinary people and the atmosphere of chaos.
As I hadn't studied film academically before and this was my very first class, it pretty much blew my mind! Fortunately, I had seen most of the films/scenes and was familiar with the subject material though, as the module leader (Dr Sarah Leahy) said, those who would studied film at an undergraduate level would be sick of watching Mildred Pierce!
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