American Cinema: Changes in Cinematography - Essay Example

American Cinema: Changes In Cinematography The history of American cinema is dotted with timeless ics that go down in time and are revisited by new generations, only because they teach aspirants of movie making techniques that could create an everlasting impact on the audience. While there have been different transition periods which mark the growth of the American cinema, a handful of standard motifs that do not disappear from its face. In this study we try and assess how or why these motifs have stayed, and also keep an eye on how their treatment has not changed over the years. We take into consideration all key cinematographic elements like treatment of sound, light, and color, and try to develop an understanding of the director’s cut when making these movies. From One Transition To The Next: The Journey of American Cinema The most important era of transition in American cinema has been recorded from 1908 to 1917, where the first generation of moviemaking techniques got a make-over that changed audience experience immediately. While a set of standard treatments existed till the next transition came in, which was by 1960, we see a steady set of original and highly creative movies and storylines being dished out using the slowly evolving techniques. While post-1960 era has been a great entertainer (Grant, 2008, 129), the 2000s got us all some more cinematographic genius like the photoshop and more. All along the journey, we see a few repetitions in the form of storyline or story treatment. Yes, traditional film making was more of narratives and camera treatment, while present day filming is more dependent upon digital effects and photoshop, there still are indicators that even if the overall treatment of scenes has changed not much has changed in terms of content and story ideas. Here are a few examples that highlight on how in spite of the growth and variety, the history of American cinema is a great indicator of the steady speed with which technology has evolved in movie making and world cinema, simply because we get to see similar motifs being treated in new light again and again. Boxing Scenes: We have been treated to many boxing movies wherein stars have gone on to prove their acting abilities accompanied by serious brawn and action. Not all movies that had boxing scenes in it were only about the game. In fact, Charlie Chaplin, the most unlikely actor whom you would expect to see in the boxing arena, used a duel in City Lights (1939) and did a good job out of it. Not to forget, he was also the director of the movie and rehearsed for only four days for the scenes. His treatment of the scenes was as precise as anything in 1939 could get to, but the fact that it was a silent movie, demanded that the actors performed at their best while shooting and make their punches look all natural. We could now move to a different movie in 1980, which was the Raging Bull. This is another movie that set up Robert DeNiro as an action star and had very emphatic boxing and action scenes in it. When you study these two movies and compare notes, you find that the lighting effects used in both were more or less similar other than the regular era wise differences. However, the sound and the camera treatments were highly different. While the camera positions concentrated on distant shots in the Chaplin movie, Raging Bull had a frenzy of dangerous looking close-ups and the ghastly sound effects (Lastra, 2013, p.14). Driving Scenes: American movies see a whole lot of driving scenes in which the main protagonists are filmed seated inside cars they are driving or talking out of. A movie that made cars of the 60’s era look trendy was American Graffiti (1973). This movie had loads of car action, shots taken inside and outside the cars, and rapidly happening scenes. Compare this with the same motif in Casablanca, wherein the lead pair is shown cruising along the highway right at the beginning of the story. The background treatment and the colorization show how deeply movie making can change the mood of the scene. With steady camera positions the romantic, picturesque and dramatic Casablanca drive looked picture perfect. And with its multi-directed camera angles, all of the American Graffiti drives and crashes, looked funny, swift, and real. The panachromatic hue treatments only added to the brightness of the car colors and made the movie look funnier. In the subsequent paragraphs, we study the use of cinematography techniques and how the repetition of motifs did not stop directors from using new combinations of lighting, camera set-ups and color. Lighting: Light effects seen in all the romantic and tender scenes have undergone major changes in recent times. However, the change was more visible and important in the black and white era, wherein the director’s decision would bring in a totally new language n the scene, one that is induced not by music, but by the lighting treatment. In the black and white era, monochrome differences could not be brought in without experimenting upon different forms of light. For example, the light treatment in Gone With The Wind (1939) was totally different from the treatment used in Casablanca (1942). While the former based the depth of its scenes on shadowed (Keating, 2013, pp.7-44) backgrounds, the latter used filter lights to ensure the heroine’s eyes sparkled during the shots. Another point to be noted here was that the monochrome lighting used on men was always subdued than what was used on women. Even in Casablanca (1942), the living room scenes which were brightly dealt with, was kept bereft of shadows, till the romance was ushered in. This game of partly dark and partly bright backgrounds helped create the right mood for the scene. Panachromatic lighting and color effects came in with colored movies, and the world of widescreen techniques. Colors (ASC, 1994, p.235) used and depicted in the background were maintained at sober tones (Keating, 2013, pp.3), and this fell in place for all the classic movies since the seriousness of the plot and the scenes were easily depicted. However, the scene changes when movies for the younger generations got made. Bright colors, outrageous contrast treatments and experimental density combinations were used to create different themes. While this worked wonders in opening up new ideas that directors of different genres started experimenting with, the development of new techniques created scope for widespread varieties. Camera: Alfred Hitchcock is apparently one amongst the first set of directors who knew how to maneuver the camera to create a psychological impact on the viewer. While motion cinema takes its audience to a different realm in time and space, Hitchcock used concepts of camera angle to create illusions that were not only strong, but also made historical advances in the area of crime and suspense in Hollywood. In his movie Vertigo (1958), he used camera treatments that ushered in stylistic changes (Bordwell et al, 2003, p.589) in film making of that era. The thriller does not stop even when the happily ever after end is near, and surprises us with the sudden death of the real heroine of the movie, caused by a moving shadow, (who turns out to be a nun who appears suddenly at the spot and receives a shock herself due to the sight she beholds) that tips her off the tower they are on, leaving the audience shocked. All through the movie, camera treatment is concentrated on keeping the characters shrouded in mystery. Especially in the scene where Judy turns back to Madeleine, the revelation is so powerful for the eye that the very next move of passion only seems natural. Camera treatments have been changed but the essence of creating different combinations stays the same. It is this careful adherence to creating classic movies and entertaining audiences that seems to bring back the old combinations using the newer techniques. Has American Cinema Changed? With the greatest impacts in movie making emanating from the studios of Hollywood, American cinema has seen a great deal of cinematographic innovation after the onset of color photography. While similar motifs and story ideas have been used, similar techniques have also been used with new instruments and tools. Deep focus cinematography has a rich variety to offer since all the tools used in it are applicable for classic film making, and are adaptable to create themes and hues that fit any period and situation. Contemporary independent film makers have a whole new set of techniques to discover and use, since they do not follow the trained methodology or thinking style of the trained film school generations. However, the impact that the new techniques make will not be visible to the critic unless they are applied on old motifs. Therefore, with the fresh breed of directors and actors in Hollywood, followers of American cinema are looking forward to some new treatments on old motifs, which has been the most consistent factor of the industry. Over the decades, directors have tried to create new versions of the same motif and come up with innovative results. However, we cannot but speculate over the fact that with the inflow of fresh faces and new ideas, what makes these movie makers go back to using the same old motifs? Why should there be film content that has already been used in previous movies? Put in simple words, this bogs down to why car chases should either have screeching noise or punchy music? Why should close shots define boxing routines, or millionaires resort to prop smashing or drinking to vent out their anger? Conclusion: American cinema has really not changed over the past. And this is easily attributed to the fact that most directors perceive of what they study or watch prior to starting their work in a new light, and end up using new techniques and treatments to depict their version of the old story. This is a clear depiction of the American thinking wherein, freedom of using ideas is more important than just technical knowledge. While this gives us all a reason to look forward to novel and better cinematography and movie making techniques, we also realize that novel treatments do not mean new storylines. Many movies which had different storylines fell prey to the addiction of using old motifs with a newer treatment and failed to do well in the box-office. Creativity is defined at its best when a highly original storyline is treated with new motifs and backed by the latest techniques in cinematography. Although this thought does not undermine the creativity of present directors, it still challenges the standard structure of movie making as seen in the history of American cinema, and asks for new content, that is equally epic as the timeless classics that we have seen in the past. References: American Society of Cinematographers (1994). American Cinematographer, Volume 75, Los Angeles: ASC Holding Corporation. Bordwell, D., Staiger, J., & Thompson, K. (2003). The Classical Hollywood Cinema: Film Style and Mode of Production to 1960, London: Routledge. Grant, B.K. (2008). American Cinema of the 1960s: Themes and Variations, New Jersey: Rutgers University Keating, P. (2013). Hollywood Lighting from the Silent Era to Film Noi, New York: Columbia University Press. Lastra, J. (2013). Sound Technology and the American Cinema: Perception, Representation, Modernity, New York: Columbia University Press. Read More