Basics Film-Making 04: The Language of Film

Basics Film-Making 04: The Language of Film explores the means by which film communicates meaning.

Most films are a mosaic of fractured images and fragmented narratives, yet we have little problem piecing them together into a complete, meaningful sequence. The average audience is capable of following the most labyrinthine plots, feeling genuine emotion for characters, and believing that their worlds continue to exist even after the film has ended.

This book discusses the stories films tell, the sign-systems they deploy, the interpretive contexts we are invited to place them in, and the range of aesthetic elements which contribute to the cinematic image.

Robert Edgar-Hunt is Head of Programme for Film and TV Production at York St. John University, UK, where he is developing postgraduate provision in Screenwriting and Film Production. John Marland is Senior Lecturer in Film and TV Production at York St. John University, where he has taught and developed both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in scriptwriting. Steven Rawle is Lecturer in Film Studies at York St John University, where he teaches film form and the politics of global cultural production.