The performance of individual actors should be considered.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 458.

Look at the background and set pieces.

The job of a cinematographer (or director of photography) is to create the proper atmosphere for the film. When you watch a film for analysis, try to ignore the actors and dialogue for a few minutes. Pay attention to the shapes and colors of the scenery, sets and costumes. They should all be working together to create a specific mood or ambience. The use of light and darkness can be very important, as can other atmospheric effects such as shadow and fog. In a good film, the background information should enhance the scene but not overwhelm it. When cinematography is not handled well, the audience might focus on distracting elements in the background. When analyzing a film, ask yourself if the setting and background added more to the story or distracted you from it.

It can be easy to look at a particular lead character's performance and fail to notice the supporting actors' efforts. When analyzing a film, pay attention to what other characters are doing when they are not part of the main action. A good actor understands that his or her role is to drive the plot forward or establish a character in the audience's mind. The actor portraying a villain, for example, must be a formidable opponent for the actor portraying the hero. Supporting characters may not have much dialogue, but their presence can still be felt by the audience. When analyzing the performance of actors, ask yourself if they successfully portrayed the character and provided something for other actors to work against.