Thursday 19 April 2018

Orson Welles as an auteur

Image result for deep focus shotRecurring themes.


  • "Over-fondness for the Baroque" -  AndrĂ© Bazin
  • Deep focus/deep space compositions (in picture) - very difficult to do as requires a good director, a split, and perfect lighting.
  • Corruption
  • isolation
  • the downfall of a powerful man
  • low-key lighting 
  • extravagant mise-en-scene 
  • Right and wrong - use lighting and shadows that distorts or hides the faces of the immoral or “dirty.” A technique by German expressionists 
  • smoke and mirrors.

Image result for citizen kane mansion
Recurring themes in Citizen Kane.

    Image result for citizen kane opera scene
  • Baroque & exotic styles - in Kane's mansion, Xanadu. includes statues, artwork and lavish furniture.
  • Isolation - Despite his lavish life Kane tries to buy his second wife's (Susan) affection an instead ends up pushing those closest to him away, she ends up leaving him - "49,000 acres of nothing but scenery and statues."
  • long takes/deep focus - adds sense of realism to sensual stories. Allows Characterisation and for the audience to see what the actors can not.
  • right & wrong lighting Susan Kane’s regrettable performance in the opera house where Kane is completing a drunken Jedediah’s scathing review of Susan’s amateurish singing.

Recurring themes in The Lady from Shanghai

  • Low-key lighting/deep focus

Monday 9 April 2018

Auteur presentation review

Observed by Kirsty Grewcock

Key aspects that were done well:
  • picking out key aspects
  • understands and explains camera techniques
  • high use of context and facts 
  • includes points about German expressionism influence on Hitchcock
  • usage of images 
  • includes own personal views
key areas for development:
  • include videos to contextualise points of analysis 
  • include auteur theory
  • talk about lighting techniques
  • use quotes
  • write down your points instead of just talking about them