Alfred Hitchcock

Callum Watt 000873235-3 Soundtrack Analysis - Psycho In the clip that we are provided (known as “The Murder) we are given a very famous and influential scene from one of Alfred Hitchcock's most critically acclaimed films. Bernard Herrmann, the composer for the movie did a sensational soundtrack with a low budget, and even went against Hitchcock’s wishes of the score to be jazz based. With the low budget instead of using an entire orchestra Herrmann only used strings to create an arguably more…

The movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, directed by Milos Forman is a piece of art. Forman was meticulous in his direction of the film by keying in on specific aspects, and by incorporating distinct camera elements into the film. Forman compiled the camera elements of camera work as well as costumes and make-up to accurately depict his image. The movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, incorporates a variety of camera work elements. One element of camera work used includes a variety of shot…

Schindler’s List Made Powerful Through Technical Aspects Some movies are forgettable while others are unforgettable. Technical aspects used by a director are very important to the development of a movie’s storyline and are largely responsible for the outcome of it. The director controls the moods, the thoughts, and the interpretation of a piece of work by the way he incorporates technical aspects like color, lighting, music, sound, editing, film angles, and framing throughout his work. The use…

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film; Psycho is a prime example of a film that utilises expert editing. The “shower scene” from Psycho is where this incredibly skilful editing creates intense emotion in a fairly small time space through the strategic use of action, direction, form and concept edits which all ultimately add to the thriller-horror narrative of the film. The first edit in the “shower scene” is a direction edit as the shot where Marion Crane holds her hand out with the torn-up pieces of…

Photography is the key element of mise en scene that determines how an audience will interpret the visual information in film. Orson Welles used the photography of his 1941 film Citizen Kane to emphasize aspects of the film he wanted viewers to focus on, and to remove non-essential information from the frame. This was accomplished through various camera tequniques including manipulation of angles and proxemity. Approaching the end of the film there is a scene just after Susan (played by Dorothy…

Citizen Kane is undoubtedly one the world's most famous and highly-rated film. Its use of cinematic techniques, narrative techniques and experimental innovations in the areas of photography, editing, and sound brings the narrative to life and entices our engagement throughout the motion picture. Citizen Kane’s director, star, and producer were all the same genius individual - Orson Welles. Throughout this essay, I will look at such cinematic techniques used in the sequence “Young Charles…

Tim Burt and Robert Altman: Auteurs of the 20th Century All generations have produced their own Auteurs. All who have their own distinct creative ideas and procedures that allow them to create visually and auditory striking films. Two prestigious auteurs from the 20th century who have been recognized for their creative genius and their own unique style are Robert Altman and Tim Burton. Both directors have their own distinct style and approach to film making. Both of these directors are…

All through the ages Hollywood has been gifted with many directors who have been able to create Hollywood magic for many people sitting in dark movie theaters. One of these memorable directors was Frank Capra who died on September 3, 1991 at the age of 94. He was a leading director in the 1930s and 1940s and made many memorable movies like the popular Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Other classic movies included “You Can’t Take It With You” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”. Frank…

A dry, withered part of the world, for the most part, is established by the film’s mise-en-scene in Hell or High Water. From the dull colors of the cars and houses to the sea of lifeless yellow grass, it’s apparent the interactions between people, contrasted with the monotonous setting, are highlighted as an integral way the mise-en-scene reveals the characters. With the setting emphasizing their isolation, the mise-en-scene invites the viewer to empathize with the hardships the characters face…

Welles used sound to establish and further enhance the viewer’s attention to the meanings of what is portrayed on screen. Another impressive use of sound in Citizen Kane is the sequence after the end of the newsreel announcing the death of Kane. We are exposed to a room, dimly lit and shallow (unlike the deep and wide banquet room), full of men. The camera focuses on Mr. Rawlston, who, while he speaks, performs a myriad of motions towards and against the camera – all of which are enhanced…