How to Analyse Movies #8: Putting It Into Practice

This is the final chapter to the How To Analyse Movies series. Here’s an overview of all chapters:

• How to Analyse Movies: The Introduction
• How to Analyse Movies: Signs, Codes & Conventions
• How to Analyse Movies: Mise-en-Scène & Editing
• How to Analyse Movies: Considering The Camera
• How to Analyse Movies: Lighting, Sound & Score
• How to Analyse Movies: Story & Genre
• How to Analyse Movies: Iconography & Realisticness

You’re probably left with the question: how the hell do I put all this information into practice? I realise it’s a lot to digest and when I was analysing film for my dissertation, I created a little “beat sheet” for myself.

Copy the following list of questions for whichever movie you want to analyse, to help keep you on track and to prevent you from becoming overwhelmed during watching. Most of this list should be answered while watching the movie. When you’re done, go back and check your answers to see if you missed anything.

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Film Analysis For Beginners: How To Analyse Movies

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Before You Start the Movie

Take notes of the following:

Name of the movie, its year of release. Director, and his/her trademarks you know of. Genre. Three of the lead actors’ names.

Importantly, write down your expectations – you’ll have expectations beforehand because marketing, reviews or even word-of-mouth have shaped them. If it’s an older movie, your expectations will have been shaped because of what you know of the era (et cetera).

While Watching the Movie

Take notes while you’re watching the movie. While it is hard to simply watch the movie and consider all the little elements and still see the bigger whole at first, it’ll get easier when you practice this more often. You’ll get attuned to it! Pause the film while you’re making notes if you’re afraid to miss something.

1.     Performances

What about the performances stands out to you?

2.     Direction

Is the film cohesive? How is the script visualized? Are the actors well-cast, and how is their performance, was proper direction given to them? How is it filmed? Consider all creative elements of the film

3.     Story

Think of flow, construction (acts), beginning and end, moral, et cetera

4.     Genre and Iconography

What elements are used to set the genre of the film?

5.     Mise-en-Scène

What elements do you see in individual shots that add to the story and the overall effect to the film? What purpose and what effect do they have, how were they created? Is a certain element repeated between shots?

6.     Cinematography

What shot types and camera angles are used and to what end, also consider camera movement

7.     Lighting and Sound

What types of lighting are used and to what purpose; what about sound, is there a lot of diegetic sound (or not) and to what purpose?

8.     Score

Does the score fit the film, what does it do for mood?

9.     Editing

Think about continuity, types of cuts, and what their purpose and effect are

0.  Realisticness

How is realisticness achieved?

11.  Signs and Codes

Seeing these require the most practice. Signs are small elements that signify certain meaning. Codes are groups of signs which can create bigger, more significant meaning. You’ll want to keep track of signs throughout the film.

12.  Conventions

Consider conventions used in the film – e.g. that what we take for “normal” in film, but may not actually be normal in reality

After Finishing the Film

Final thoughts

Make notes of your last thoughts, your feelings, how did the ending impact you, how did the filmmakers achieve this feeling? Did the film meet your expectations?

The Message

Now, after you’ve finished the movie, consider all your notes. What is the intended message of this film? What are you supposed to take away from it? How do the filmmakers achieve it?

That’s a wrap!

That’s it for the How To Analyse Movies series – I hope you’ve learned something, and enjoy watching and exploring the art of film!

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