Lesson 2 Plan

Lesson 2 Plan

The Technology of Filmmaking

Overview

Film is the most technological art we have. It involves chemistry, physics, material science, optics, electronics, and mechanics, and it depends upon practical psychology for its effect on the observer in a way no other art does. What’s more, in the past 20 years, nearly all of the analog mechanical and chemical devices that had been painstakingly developed over a period of more than a century have been reworked as electronic digital tools, doubling the technological quotient of the medium.

In Lesson 2, we will outline the theory of film technology and begin the discussion of the digital revolution that is quickly changing the science (and the art) of film.

Time Estimate

It should take 4 hours to complete this lesson’s material.

Objectives

After successfully completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Explain the basic psychological phenomena that make film possible.
Speak knowledgeably about the composition of photographic images.
Describe the basic relationship between the old analog world and the new digital world.

Activities

During this lesson, you will complete the following activities:

At the Movies: 2001: A Space Odyssey: We’ll watch 2001: A Space Odyssey, the science-fiction film that created a futurist worldview that has dominated movies since 1968. Watch for the striking compositions for which the film is famous.

Outside the Theater: Composing a Photograph: In this activity, you’ll find and describe one of your snapshots that has an interesting composition and describe it for us. If you can’t find one that already exists, try shooting a new photo, paying particular attention to composition.