Intro to Film 2025 • Professor Gregory Zinman • Emory University

Author: Leo Bi

  • Creative instrument _ Cinematography

    This week’s reading on Chapter 5, “The Shot: Cinematography”, which is actually an exciting part for me since creative and effective cinematography can always shock me a lot and make me marvel at the powerful role of cinematography in shaping a film’s narrative and emotional expression.  The reading emphasizes how the camera is not just a recording device but a creative instrument that shapes meaning.

    I believe that this chapter mainly focuses on four elements of cinematography:

    ·  Photographic qualities: such as tonality, contrast, and exposure.

    ·  Depth of field and focus: which guide the audience’s attention through selective focus, deep focus, or rack focus.

    ·  Framing: such as camera distance, angle, and aspect ratio, which determine how space is perceived.

    ·  Camera movement: from pans and tilts to tracking shots and long takes, which create rhythm and continuity.

    Then, I’ d love to share some cinematography that I appreciate a lot, and I hope these examples can better explain the power of cinematography.
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    For example, in Life of Pi, the shots of the glowing ocean at night left a deep impression on me. (I watched this film when I was in elementary school, but it is still the top 3 movies in my hurt, and will always recommend to my friends watch it!) The strong contrast between the bright bioluminescence and the dark sky creates this dreamlike, almost spiritual mood. The framing often puts Pi small against the endless sea, making his struggle feel even more overwhelming.

    In The Shawshank Redemption, I always think of the moment when Andy escapes and raises his arms to the sky in the rain. The low camera angle looking up, combined with the crane movement that slowly lifts, makes us share his feeling of freedom. It’s simple, but so powerful.

    In The Wolf of Wall Street, the cinematography almost becomes part of the chaos itself. The restless tracking shots and sudden zooms mirror Belfort’s manic lifestyle, while the rapid cuts in the office scenes—where dozens of brokers shout into phones at once – intensify the sense of frenzy. Together, these choices capture not only the dizzying speed of the financial world but also its obsessive, almost pathological hunger for money.

    All of these examples made me realize just how much cinematography directs our attention and emotions. It doesn’t just record the story—it tells the story. And honestly, it makes me marvel at the powerful role cinematography plays in shaping both plot and emotion.

  • The Grand Budapest Hotel_ Viewer’s Comment

    The use of Mise-en-Scene in The Grand Budapest Hotel


    Hello classmates, it was great to watch this interesting movie with you all this afternoon. I don’t know how you felt about this movie, but personally speaking, I loved it. The plots are so tight, and I got fully immersed in it! Besides the fantastic storytelling, I believe that this movie effectively shows the power of Mise-en-Scene. The smart uses of setting, costume and makeup, lighting, and staging not only help the audience engage better, but also gives us more space to explain the film further and taste it deeper.

    In this post, I’d love to share with you some of my findings while watching and also share initial questions I have, so we can further discuss them.

    Insights:

    1. In the scene of reading Madame D.’s will, Gustave and Zero are standing at the door of the entire room, on the opposite side, wearing purple suits, while almost all of the other people in the same scene were in black. By contrasting standing position and clothes’ color, I think that the director is trying to emphasize the contrast of their personalities: Gustave and Zero embody individuality, elegance, visually marked by their purple uniforms. The others dressed uniformly in black represent conformity, rigidity, and the coldness of aristocratic tradition. (Costume & Makeup + Staging)
    2. Jopling: This ruthless killer is depicted by using a combination of costume and lighting techniques. If I remember correctly, he is always dressed in black throughout the entire movie, often wearing black sunglasses or having shadowed eyes due to the lighting effect. For example, in the snow mountain scene, he chases after Zero and Agatha on a sled after Gustave and Zero escape. The stark white snow, contrasted with Jopling’s dark figure, strengthens his dark side and ruthless personality. (Costume + Llighting)
    3. In the prison escape tunnel, light becomes symbolic: the small window glows brightly while everything else is engulfed in darkness. This stark contrast emphasizes freedom as a distant possibility, a fragile opening amid confinement. (Lighting + Setting)


    Questions:

    1. Why does Anderson begin the film in a cemetery filled with crosses? How does this opening frame set the tone of memory and loss? (Setting)
    2. What’s the implication of the children with weapons in the second scene? Is Anderson suggesting that violence disrupts innocence and order? (Staging + Setting)
    3. How does Anderson’s pastel palette (pink hotel exterior, purple uniforms, candy-colored props) evoke nostalgia? Does it make the story feel like a memory or a fairy tale? (Costume & Makeup + Setting)
    4. What are the symbolic meanings of the painting Boy with Apple? Why did Anderson choose this painting instead of others? (Props/Costume & Makeup)
    5. Why does Anderson often isolate characters in their own shots during dialogue (like Gustave and Zero on the train), instead of framing them together? (Staging)

    Hope we can discuss further in the comment area or in class!