PART
1
Film is a young medium. Painting, literature, dance, and theater have existed for thousands of
years, but cinema was invented only a little more than a century ago. Yet in its comparatively
short span, the newcomer has established itself as an energetic and powerful art.
It’s this art that we explore in this book. The chapters that follow show how creative people
have used moving pictures to give us experiences that we value. We examine the principles
and techniques that give film its power to tell stories, express emotions, and convey ideas.
But this art has some unusual features we should note from the start. More than most
arts, film depends on complex technology. Without machines, movies wouldn’t move. In addi-
tion, film art usually requires collabora-
tion among many participants, people
Film Art and
who follow well-proven work routines.
Films are not only created but pro-
duced. Just as important, they are
Filmmaking
firmly tied to their social and economic
context. Films are distributed and
exhibited for audiences, and money
matters at every step.
Chapter 1 surveys all these aspects
of the filmmaking process. We examine the technology, the work practices, and the business
side of cinema. All these components shape and sustain film as an art.
Copyright © 2016. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Bordwell, D., Thompson, K., & Smith, J. (2016). Film art : An introduction. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
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