Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Arts and Humanities

Genres

Musical, Action, Romantic Comedy, Western, Science Fiction, Drama, Animation, Horror, Futuristic, Humorous

Adjectives

Others

Based on a novel: basada en una novela.

Based on a true story: basada en una historia real.

A hit: éxito de taquilla.

Cast: reparto  (de actores).

Costumes: vestuario.

Direct: dirigir.

Get rave reviews: conseguir críticas muy favorables.

Last: durar.

Main character: protagonista, personaje principal.

Nominate for an Oscar: nominar a un Óscar.... Continue reading "Film Terminology: Genres, Adjectives, and More" »

Camera Work

Camera work involves various techniques to convey meaning and emotions. These include:

• High/Low Angles: Used to show dominance or inferiority.
• Point of View/Over the Shoulder Shots: Encourage audience identification with the character.
• Camera Movement: Suggests character's state, such as fast-paced or anxious.
• Two Shots: Emphasize the relationship between characters.
• Zoom: For emphasis.
• Close-Ups: Capture emotions and reactions.
• Long/Establishing Shots: Show setting and costumes.

Common camera shots include establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, high angle, low angle, canted angle.

Camera movements include pan, tilt, track, crane, Steadicam,... Continue reading "Film Techniques Glossary" »

Tragic Climax: Romeo and Juliet's Final Moments

This film clip depicts the heart-wrenching final moments of two young lovers. The narrative unfolds as Juliet lies in bed, feigning her death. Overcome with grief, Romeo decides to poison himself to end his suffering.

Subsequently, when Juliet awakens from her feigned death and discovers her beloved Romeo dead, she tragically takes her own life by stabbing herself.

Audio Cues Enhancing the Tragedy

The sound design plays a crucial role in conveying the emotional intensity of the scene:

• Initially, we hear Romeo's cries and the sounds of him caressing and kissing his beloved Juliet.
• As Romeo ingests the poison, sounds of his pain are audible.
• Finally, when Juliet awakens to find Romeo dead, her cries of

*Barbie* Movie Review: Margot Robbie Shines in a Feminist Take

A Deep Dive into Barbieland and Beyond

Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, brings the iconic doll to life in a refreshing cinematic experience. The film stars Margot Robbie as the titular Barbie, alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken, and, naturally, all the types of Barbie you can imagine. Barbie lives an ideal life in Barbieland. Everything is perfect there, with parties full of music and color, and every day is the best day.

Of course, Barbie asks herself some uncomfortable questions that don't fit with the idyllic world in which she and the other Barbies live. When Barbie realizes that she is able to place her heels on the ground and have flat feet, she decides to put on some shoes and travel... Continue reading "Barbie Movie Review: Margot Robbie Shines in a Feminist Take" »

Impressionism

A group of artists renowned for their innovative painting techniques and approach to using colour in art and light in nature. They abandoned the conventional idea that the shadow of an object was made up from its colour with brown or black added. The Impressionists capture the atmosphere of a particular time of day or the effects of different weather conditions on the landscape.

Dadaism

A form of artistic anarchy born out of disgust for the social, political, and cultural values of the time. It embraced elements of art, music, poetry, theatre, dance, and politics.

Surrealism

Was the 20th-century art movement that sought to liberate creativity from the limitations of rational thought by exploring the hidden depths of the 'unconscious... Continue reading "Key Art Movements of the 19th & 20th Centuries" »

• Promote parallel thinking
• Encourage thought in all its breadth
• Separate

The Naturalists' View on Meaning

Ancient Greek philosophers who advocated this position viewed naming as a natural relationship between the signs and what these signs signified. They thought that the form of words was thus related to their meaning. This relationship was said to emanate from rigidly fixed inviolable principles on which man had no control.

The existence of a number of onomatopoeic words in natural languages, that is, words whose phonetic form is an imitation of the original sound they refer to such as cuckoo, splash, crush, and hoot in English, backed up the view held by the naturalist school.

The Conventionalists' View on Meaning

Greek philosophers who argued for the conventionalist explanation viewed the relationship of naming... Continue reading "Semantic Theory: Naturalists vs. Conventionalists" »

Eddie Carbone: A Tragic Protagonist

Eddie Carbone, the protagonist of Arthur Miller's The View from the Bridge, is a complex and tragic figure. A longshoreman living in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Eddie is a man of limited intelligence and self-awareness, whose tragic flaw is his inability to escape the bubble of his own constructed world.

Eddie's Secret Lust for Catherine

Eddie harbors a secret lust for his orphaned niece, Catherine, which ultimately leads to his downfall. This lust is hinted at throughout the play, but it is not until the end that Eddie fully comprehends his feelings. Beatrice, Eddie's wife, is the first to express this possibility, and Alfieri, the play's narrator, also realizes Eddie's feelings during his first conversation with him.... Continue reading "The View from the Bridge: A Tragic Tale of Love, Betrayal, and Redemption" »

Media Production Terminology

Podcast: A digital medium distributed over the internet, accessible on computers and portable media players.

Packages: A pre-recorded radio item which can include interviews, commentary, and music.

Producer: The individual responsible for the financial and administrative aspects of a production, overseeing general supervision, fundraising, and hiring.

PS: Problem Statement.

PVS: Project Vision and Scope.

Paintbrush: This brush allows painting in various shades and patterns.

Pie Charts: A graphic representation of data where a circle is divided into sectors, each representing a percentage of the whole.

Pixel: Short for "picture element," a small square or dot containing a single point of color in a larger image.

Plug-ins:... Continue reading "Essential Media Production Terms and Definitions" »