The Key Elements of Film Form

The Basics of Film Form

Film form refers to the technical elements that make up a film, including lighting, sound, mise-en-scene, editing, and cinematography.
Mise-en-scene comprises everything that appears in the frame and how those elements are arranged.
Cinematography refers to the process of capturing moving images on film or some other medium. It involves elements such as shot types, camera angles, movement and composition.
Sound in films includes diegetic sound (sounds within the world of the film) and non-diegetic sound (sounds added in post-production).
Editing involves cutting, sequencing and manipulating the film sequences to manage the pace and narrative.

Film Form in Classical Hollywood Cinema

Classical Hollywood films typically followed the principle of continuity editing, ensuring that the audience always knew where they were in the narrative.
Lighting tended to be three-point lighting, with key light, fill light, and back light to create a naturalistic look.
Cinematography favoured a deep focus, where the foreground, middle-ground and background are all in focus.
Sound often used a leitmotif - repeated music associated with a particular character, idea or location.
Mise-en-scene often adopted a realist aesthetic, even when the narrative was fantastical.

Narrative and Style in Classical Hollywood Cinema

Classical films adhered to a linear narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Events were often driven by character goals, with a central protagonist who undergoes some kind of change by the end (a character arc).
There was often a clear distinction between good and evil, with characters falling clearly within these categorisations (binary oppositions).
Classical Hollywood style seeks to be invisible, prioritising the smooth telling of the narrative rather than drawing attention to the filmmaking techniques.

Context of Classical Hollywood Cinema

These films were produced during the Studio System era (roughly 1930-60), where the ‘Big Five’ studios (MGM, Paramount, Fox, Warner Bros. and RKO) controlled all aspects of the film-making process.
This was essentially factory production, with each studio having a recognisable house style and stable of contract actors.
The films explored themes relevant to the times and often reflected American values and ideology of the period. Cultural, social, political context is crucial to understanding these films.

Remember, thorough understanding of these elements will deepen your comprehension of film form and aid your analysis in any film critique or discussion.