American Cinema Course (Discussion Forums)
American Cinema Course (Discussion Forums)
In Discussion Forums, post your response to the following discussion topic. Your initial posting should include three or more resources, which must be referenced using
APA style.
1) Cinematic language allows filmmakers to capture viewers' attention and transport them into a myriad of imaginative worlds. Explain the importance of cinematic
language, and provide some examples of the elements of which it is comprised. In your posting, describe the effects of cinematic language in films you have seen.
2) Using concrete examples from a specific film, explain how the elements of mise-en-scène helped to convey the film’s meaning.
3) John Ford's The Searchers is a classic American Western. Discuss how the cinematographer's choice of film stock affected the film’s overall look and feel. How
did this differ from the traditional Western genre film?
4) After viewing John Huston's The Maltese Falcon, identify the cinematic elements associated with film noir. Which ones were evident in this film, and what
purpose did they serve?
5) In Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg visually awed the audience while depicting the consequences of human ambition. Give an example of how Spielberg’s editing
techniques created a cohesive world in which action, both live and computer-generated, was seamlessly integrated.
6) Technology continues to redefine the cinematic experience. Based on the readings and the screenings for this course, examine the journey of the medium of film:
has the “magic†of cinema disappeared? Explain your answer.