Question four.

Explain and illustrate three different ways in which emotion can be conveyed in a film - eg  through cinematography, visual design, effects,  sound, character design, symbolism.

Expressing emotion in films needs more than the dialogue and a good script. It is conveyed through visual design, effects, sound, character design, symbolism, and cinematography. All of these create depth to the film, which creates emotion. They help create emotion in different ways, which helps the viewer understand why the characters are feeling the way they are, or what the characters are feeling. It also helps to set the mood for the scene, and what possible emotions will be expressed.
Cinematography can add to the emotional impact of a film and can express the feelings of a character without the need for dialogue or music. Great cinematography adds layers of meaning to a film. This includes camera shots, camera angles, camera movement and lighting. Alfred Hitchcock was a master when it came to cinematography. He was able to capture suspense in his films using cinematography.

Image one

In the image above, the viewer will feel as though that they are in the car with the character, hearing her thoughts as she drives. It also feels personal, as thought it is a place that the viewer should not be. This is created by the camera angle and the lighting.
Visual design is also important when it comes to illustrating emotion in a film. It creates emotion by the presence of the characters, and the staging. The camera angles and lighting is a key part in the design, helping to create balance in the scene.

Image two

In image two the emotion is dark, gloomy and miserable. The only light coming from a window from the top left of the scene, which is high lighting the characters expressions. The emptiness of the room and the darkness also sets the mood of the scene, and what emotion it will be portraying.
Sound is a brilliant way to illustrate emotion in a film. The high pitched 'shreaking' tone of the violins for the shower scene in Psycho for example. The music captures the emotion of the character and the scene. It is intense, quick, powerful and terrifying. The music is nothing complex, and there is no real build up with the music to prepare the viewer. This creates suspense, and a way to relate to the character emotionally as the viewer did not expect what was to come.


References

[Woman driving Psycho] n.d. [image online] Available at: < http://nipufilm.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/psycho-1960.html> [Accessed 24 May 2012].

[Sweeney Todd] n.d. [image online] Available at: < http://www.noupe.com/design/what-popular-movies-can-teach-us-about-design.html> [Accessed 24 May 2012].