FORGOTTEN FILMFROM BEGGININGS TO “TALKIES”

UNIT 2. THIS IS CINEMA!LESSON 1. THE BIRTH OF CINEMA

GEORGES MÉLIÈS

THE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

Who was Georges Méliès?

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

Méliès discovered:

That cinema could

manipulate and distort

time and space.

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1896. Le Manoir du diable. 3’18’’

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ApA4juipUk

GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

He was a wizard of special effects

Objects suddenly

appeared and disappeared

or were transformed into other objects.

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

He used 3 basic special effects:

1. The stop motion.- Is the most simple camera trick

- Used to change one thing into another.

( the trick you saw in the previous film)

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

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THE RESULT

GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

Remember

What we can now do  

with a laptop and only one finger, more than

one hundred years ago

wasn’t so easy.9

GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

1. The stop motion:

What is it? First: Place the camera on a tripod and don’t

move it. Secondly: Record one shot of an object Then: Turn the camera off Next: Change the object Finally: Record the second object

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

2. The dissolve- Used to get the illusion that objects were changing form.

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

2. The dissolve

What is it? First of all: Repeat the same process as you

did in Stop motion special effect. Then: Open the camera and roll the film

back. Next: Record over the frame already

recorded.

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

3. The double exposure- Used as a common technique in filmmaking for creating ghost like images or adding people who were not originally there

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

3. The Double exposure

What is it? First of all: repeat the same process as you

did in Stop motion special effect. Next: similar to the dissolve effect open the

camera and roll the film back. Then: record over a strip of film already

recorded not just one or two frames.

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1898. L’home des têtes 47’’

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oFnOAnL8Ss

Click on the link

1901. L’home a la tête de caoutchouc

16http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7lsCqjOGic

GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

Cinderella was a well-known folk tale.

When Méliès shot his short film in 1899,

he constructed a narrative with

different scenes for the first time.

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The word “story “ may be used as a

synonym of “narrative”

GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

In films, we use

shots, scenes and sequencesto construct a narrative or a story.

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

What is a shot?

Shot: is a continuous strip of motion picture film, created using a series of frames that runs for an uninterrupted period of time.

Shots are generally filmed with a single camera and can be of any duration.

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

What is a scene?

Scene: is a series of shots which form the same narrative unit and share the same setting as a play.

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

What is a sequence?

Sequence: is a series of scenes which form a distinct narrative unit, usually connected either by unity of location or unity of time.

Normally, different sequences doesn’t share the same setting.

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1899. Cendrillon. Cinderella. 4’24’’

22http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYmCUFl96PQ

1899. Cendrillon. Cinderella. Story board. Narrative- story line

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These shots form a scene because they

share the same setting

1899. Cendrillon. Cinderella. Story board- Narrative- story line

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These shots form a scene because they

share the same settingThis scene and the scene

before become a sequence because they are connected by unity of time (the viewer should

know the previous scene to understand this one)

1899. Cendrillon. Cinderella. Story board. Narrative. Story line

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These shots form a scene because they

share the same setting

This scene and the previous scene become a sequence

because they are connected by unity of time (the viewer should

know the previous scene to understand this one)

1899. Cendrillon. Cinderella. Story board. Narrative-story line

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This is a new scene because settings are

different

This scene and previous scenes become a sequence because they are connected by unity of time (the viewer should know the previous

scene to understand this one)

FILM NARRATIVE - STORY LINE

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

Look at the settings

The sets and scenery in the film are simple flat painted backdrops.

They are like theatrical scenery

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

Think of the camera position

The camera:• Is placed right in the middle. • Is always at the same distance from the backdrop. • Doesn’t move.

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GEORGES MÉLIÈS. A TRIP TO THE MOON1902.LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJ4Mh4Elx4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZV-t3KzTpw&feature=related

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GEORGES MÉLIÈSTHE FATHER OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

Many of Méliès’ special effects are evident in his film “The impossible voyage” 1904

The impossible voyage. Part 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHUdyHx6bXkThe impossible voyage. Part 2http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbe8qfjgKJQ&feature=relatedThe impossible voyage. Part 3http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8uTaoiFUIY&feature=related

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UNIT 2. WORD BANK

32Clil project by Rosa Maria Andrés Blanch IES Vilatzara 2011

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UNIT 2. THIS IS CINEMA. Georges Méliès. Websites

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo0i4snkh_khttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXwGN2uSsn0

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