How to Watch a Film - STEP ONE
 

Introduction: This short list is provided for the average movie-goer to stimulate thought about film. It gives helpful hints on the art of reading, analyzing, watching, critically viewing, and deconstructing a film (to take apart the film's components and interpret how it was all intentionally assembled together). Anyone can learn the language, techniques, and structure of cinema of both the past and present. The Internet Movie DataBase (www.imdb.com) is always a useful resource for factual information about films. See also this site's Film Search page for other helpful film resources.

Here are some simple suggestions, as a first step, for viewing a film intelligently:

Choose an Appropriate Film to View:

Usually, watch a film that is worth your while. If you are in a film studies class, you will probably be studying some of the classics of cinema, rather than watching the latest popcorn film, action film or blockbuster.

This exhaustive list of various steps is not intended for fluffy, entertaining films that are to be watched for pure enjoyment's sake. However, make sure to choose a film from any of the wide selection of genre films available so that you can experience the entire spectrum of different types of films.

Have a Second Viewing:

Watch a deserving film more than once, and preferably with others so that the experience may be discussed afterwards.

During the first viewing:

• become familiar with the basic plot, main characters, important action, etc.
• in other words, acquire a brief synopsis of its story including time and place, the characters and their interactions, and the film's main themes without taking notes

The second time around:

• pay more detailed attention to what is being projected
• take notes and make observations
• begin to think in a more concentrated way about the film's structure, acting, directing, the camera shots and angles, etc.

[Note: Not all films deserve such scrutiny.]

Turn on Dialogue Subtitles:

Use the closed-caption feature with DVDs, in order to better understand the dialogue.

[Note: Oftentimes, the subtitles are abbreviated and do not match the actual spoken words.]

Examine Title and Credits:

Consider a film's main title and its opening credits:

• Why was the specific title chosen (were there any other alternatives considered?), and how do the credits establish a tone or mood?
• What are the first sounds and images in the film?
• Can you find any motifs in the credits?
• Do the end credits have any unusual features (e.g., out-takes, gags, additional footage, etc.).

[Note: Up until the 1950s, films had a very set format for the credits: (1) credits at the start, (2) a "The End" title card following the film, and (3) a cast list with character names. Recently, most films immediately begin with a plot sequence, with 'opening' credits ("main title") super-imposed over them after a few minutes, and extensive rolling 'full credits' ("end title"), usually white text on a black background, after the film concludes.]

Know Original Screensize:

Watch a film in a movie theater, if possible, where it was designed to be projected, or purchase the film in a 'wide-screen' format or in its original format.

[Note: Understand that films made before the late 1950s had a width-to-height aspect ratio of 4:3 (or 1.33:1) called 'Academy Ratio,' similar to a television screen, while more modern films have non-standard, wide-screen ratios (that are often viewed in the pan-and-scan mode).]

Determine Choice of Film Stock:

Consider why the film was made as either color or black/white (if a choice was possible).

Watch how color (or black and white) is used?

Evaluate Production Values:

Does the film have one or the other:

• high-production values (with a glossy and expensive look)
• low-production values (it's a low-budget, amateurish, B-film)

Study Running Time and Timeline:

Know the entire run time of the film and the locations of various segments (or sequences) or turning points within that time frame.

Keep track of the timeline of the film's parts - with the digital counter of a VCR or DVD player.