Aesthetics its most basic is a study of the look, mood and feel of the film as styled by the film's key elements of film form - how is the look of the film being created?
A film offers two principle pleasures: one is the pleasure of ‘story’ or narrative ; the other is the pleasure of sensory spectacle, otherwise known as the aesthetic.
To study film aesthetics is to ask questions about all those things in the film (for example, lighting, music, camera movement, set design, editing rhythm) that are there primarily to offer texture to the film.
Stylistic choices can be described as ‘artistic’ and point to a focus on film as a medium that invites appreciation of elements which are, strictly speaking, not essential for the telling of the film’s story. A slight variation on this explanation is the following: often we forget the story of a film over time but hold on to particular moments. This is a recollection of the aesthetic – the memorable moments of ‘cinema’ which are brilliantly achieved, deeply affecting and often much referred to. In practice the distinction between these two pleasures should not be pushed too far, like some sort of crude distinction between content and form.
Aesthetics is a particularly good way into a consideration of the auteur and an excellent way into the students’ own production work. Learners may take the study of mise en scene further by looking at the film as a piece of art, commenting on visual elements such as contrast, colour, lines, framing, grain, tone, lighting, negative space, focus, pattern, balance/imbalance.
At the heart of a study of film aesthetics are the “elements of film form ”: Cinematography, miseen-scène, sound, performance and editing. The shot-by-shot choices made by the filmmakers provide the basis for a study of the aesthetic character of the film in question. As these choices are made by individuals or by individuals working in collaboration, then a focus on auteurism is likely to be helpful, even in sections of the Specification where auteur study is not required. It may also be interesting to look at the stylistic influences on a film. Cultural and Institutional contexts may also be points of focus, where the style of the film reflects these contexts, for example Classical Hollywood or Soviet filmmaking in the 1920s.
Further information on film form and aesthetics here
Aesthetics Starter Questions: • How are the elements of film form used to create aesthetic effect in this sequence? • Does the beauty of this moment in the film also propel the narrative forward? • Does the narrative pause to allow the spectator to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the film? • Does the decision to create a strong aesthetic effect suggest something about the film’s key message? • Is the aesthetic effect in this sequence typical of this filmmaker? • How is the pace of the film being managed? • How is the look of the film being created? • How is sound design contributing to effect and audience response? 18 • How is choreography of actors within space being exploited? • How is set design contributing to the film at any given moment?
Aesthetics is a particularly good way into a consideration of the auteur and an excellent way into the students’ own production work. Learners may take the study of mise en scene further by looking at the film as a piece of art, commenting on visual elements such as contrast, colour, lines, framing, grain, tone, lighting, negative space, focus, pattern, balance/imbalance.
At the heart of a study of film aesthetics are the “elements of film form ”: Cinematography, miseen-scène, sound, performance and editing. The shot-by-shot choices made by the filmmakers provide the basis for a study of the aesthetic character of the film in question. As these choices are made by individuals or by individuals working in collaboration, then a focus on auteurism is likely to be helpful, even in sections of the Specification where auteur study is not required. It may also be interesting to look at the stylistic influences on a film. Cultural and Institutional contexts may also be points of focus, where the style of the film reflects these contexts, for example Classical Hollywood or Soviet filmmaking in the 1920s.
Further information on film form and aesthetics here
Aesthetics Starter Questions: • How are the elements of film form used to create aesthetic effect in this sequence? • Does the beauty of this moment in the film also propel the narrative forward? • Does the narrative pause to allow the spectator to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the film? • Does the decision to create a strong aesthetic effect suggest something about the film’s key message? • Is the aesthetic effect in this sequence typical of this filmmaker? • How is the pace of the film being managed? • How is the look of the film being created? • How is sound design contributing to effect and audience response? 18 • How is choreography of actors within space being exploited? • How is set design contributing to the film at any given moment?
More questions and examples from our film texts here
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