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Formulation of the Classical Hollywood Style

Formulation of the Classical Hollywood Style. The Classical Narrative. CAUSE & EFFECT Primitive period (1894-1908), most common framing the long shot Impossible to see facial expressions & small gestures Presented “too much” for viewer With classical model, this changed

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Formulation of the Classical Hollywood Style

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  1. Formulation of the Classical Hollywood Style The Classical Narrative

  2. CAUSE & EFFECT • Primitive period (1894-1908), most common framing the long shot • Impossible to see facial expressions & small gestures • Presented “too much” for viewer • With classical model, this changed • Multiple lines of action • Narrative material broken down • Editing, camera distance, inter-titles, acting articulated cause & effect

  3. CAUSE & EFFECT & REALISM • Basis of cause & effect narrative was compositional unity • Reality has accidents & coincidence; not the classical narrative • Realism important for mise-en-scène • The classical film begins in medias res • Begin in middle of action; we learn about characters & previous events through exposition • In primitive film, we learn little about characters or events before film began

  4. THE PSYCHOLOGICALLY BASED CHARACTER • Film turned toward literature for characters with multiple traits • These character traits were necessary to motivate action • Characters have only traits needed for the narrative • “Realistic” traits will motivate some later action or event

  5. SUBJECTIVITY • With increase in length & complexity, additional traits added • By 1915, mental subjectivity seen in some films • Earlier films had included subjectivity • Usually only as basis for entire film or when absolutely necessary • With classical film, portions of objective narrations could be subjective

  6. OTHER WAYS TO PERSONALIZE CHARACTERS • By 1909, most important characters were given names • By the mid-1920s, they were also given “tags” • Star system also helped to personalize characters

  7. CHARACTER GOALS • Characters in primitive films reacted to events; in classical films have clear goals • Goals met with obstacles • CHARACTER & TEMPORAL RELATIONS • As films became longer, plots initially covered more story time • But generally showed only “high points” • Temporal gaps marked with inter-titles

  8. Films began to cover less time • More, briefer, temporal gaps • Sought ways to make narration less self-conscious • This was solved in several ways: • Concentrating on character actions & goals • Technical devices marked deviations from chronological order • Fades or dissolves instead of superimpositions • Also motivated by the narrative • DEADLINE important to structuring temporal progression

  9. THE FUNCTIONS OF INTER-TITLES • EXPOSITORY TITLES • Common in primitive cinema • Summary expository titles • Establishing expository titles • In later silent era • “LITERARY” inter-title • The “ART” inter-title • Sometimes used to establish setting • Or used non-diegetic images to convey idea

  10. DIALOGUE TITLES (came later in primitive cinema, favored over expository titles) • Expository titles used at beginning of scenes, dialogue titles within scenes • INSERTS: Close-ups of letters, newspaper headlines or articles, photographs, etc.

  11. THE “AMERICAN” STYLE OF ACTING • 1909-1913, shift in acting style • More restrained style; emphasized facial expressions & small gestures • Improvements in film stocks, lighting equipment, make-up, etc.; better actors • Helped bring about CHC editing style: • Close-ups needed to fully utilize this style of acting • Breakdown of space required continuity rules

  12. UNITY & REDUNDANCY • All of these features appeared in the primitive cinema • But not used systematically with conventionalized meanings • Might use 1 of these features, & build the narrative around it • Classical cinema codified devices, used to create unified feature-length films, redundant narratives

  13. Formulation of the Classical Hollywood Style The Continuity System

  14. THE CONTINUITY SYSTEM & SPACE • Editing increased as films became longer & more complicated • A potentially disruptive force • Required a system to maintain unity • After 1907, industry, trade press & “how-to” books promoted continuity as essential for a “well-made” film • Referred to both narrative continuity & clearly-articulated space & time • Continuity then came to refer specifically to editing guidelines

  15. ESTABLISHING SHOTS • Originally, films consisted of 1 long take with a fairly distant framing • Then, a number of these shots (tableaux) • No change in space or time within shots; changes between tableaux • Joined by expository inter-titles • With multiple shot scenes, these became establishing shots • Used to establish mise-en-scène & show most of the action • Came at beginning & end of scene; closer shots pointed out details, showed expressions, etc.

  16. By late teens, establishing shot functioned as in continuity editing system • 1 shot among many, established mise-en-scène • Scene itself consisted of a number of closer shots • Establishing shot appeared again only if mise-en-scène changed • Placement varied; not always at the beginning of the scene

  17. ANALYTICAL EDITING • IN THE PRIMITIVE ERA • Cut-ins used rarely • Most often medium shots, from same angle as establishing shot • They were used to: • Show facial expression • Show details not visible in the establishing shot • To indicate POV • To limit space for special effects • Cut-ins avoided if possible; actors moved closer to camera

  18. BY THE MID-TEENS • Cut-in became much more common • No longer had to be motivated by POV, a specific detail of information • Could be from any angle • Could give a better vantage point • Increase in film length & editing made cut-in more acceptable • By 1917, cut-in a staple of continuity editing system

  19. SCREEN DIRECTION & THE 180° RULE • Originally, no editing, therefore no problem • Later, 1-D sets & backdrops made it impossible to violate rule • Audience conceived of as if it were a theater audience • With analytical editing & 3-D sets, the tradition continued • Breaks in continuity occurred, but relatively rare • They occurred due to: • Shots taken out of continuity without script girls • The lack of formal guidelines

  20. MULTIPLE SPACES • CONTIGUOUS SPACES joined by character movement, eyeline match, shot/reverse shot system • NON-CONTIGUOUS SPACES • Most often articulated using crosscutting • Could compress time; important with short films • Later, used to expand time; important with longer films

  21. SPACE & THE SPECTATOR’S ATTENTION • Attention of viewer guided using other elements of film style • STAGING IN DEPTH • Actors began to move toward the camera • After this, actors began to be placed more in depth • Helped bring the viewer into a 3-D space

  22. SETTINGS & DEPTH • Painted backdrops had advantages, but lacked verisimilitude • As soon as studios could afford 3-D sets, they did so • Late 20s, efforts to eliminate difference between location & studio shots • 3-D sets allowed for more extensive analytical editing

  23. DEEP FOCUS CINEMATOGRAPHY • During most of silent period, efforts to achieve greatest depth of field • But only 2 planes were in deep focus (middle ground & background) • Deep focus made staging in depth possible • However, lighting was needed to draw this attention

  24. LIGHTING FOR CLARITY & DEPTH • During teens, movement away from even, overall illumination & towards selective lighting • An effort to motivate light as coming from diegetic sources • Hollywood refined backlighting, creating “rim” lighting

  25. FRAMING AS A GUIDE FOR THE SPECTATOR • Classical cinema centered important narrative information • Camera movement began as a way to center action in frame (reframing) • Served other functions also: • Tracking & panning to follow actions • Panning & tilting to reveal or conceal information • With increased planning of shots, camera movement not as necessary

  26. STABILITY AFTER 1917 • By mid-20s, CHC style reached a high degree of stability • Many models to follow • Young filmmakers in 1920s had films as their models • Informal apprenticeship program • Trade papers, instructional manuals, etc. perpetuated style • Trade organizations also helped to perpetuate CHC style • Adherence to “quality filmmaking” rewarded by audiences & studio heads

  27. CONTEMPORARY RECOGNITION OF STANDARDIZATION • Standardization regarded as a positive force • Early years regarded as a separate era • Progress “halted” now that “near perfection” had been attained • After this point, changes in CHC style relatively small • Minor changes such as increased graphic continuity • Assimilation (& “taming”) of other styles

  28. Clara Bow, the “It” Girl

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