This week we began with doing some research into pre-cinematic and cinematic devices. I looked into a variety of devices including phenakistoscopes, thaumatropes, zoetropes, and a variety of current staging and editing techniques and camera angles. It was interesting to see how the process and development of film and cinema over time with the advancement of technology.
From my research I decided on three pre-cinematic and cinematic devices that interested me the most: stereoscope, shadow play, and mise-en-scène.
What I found interesting about the stereoscope (right image) was how simple yet fascinatingly technical the design of the device was. Invented in the 19th Century, the stereoscope creates an illusion like image for the viewer. Known as the original virtual reality, stereoscopes use two images (one for the left eye and one for the right) to create the illusion that the image is 3D. I find it fascinating how such a simple device of such an early time was able to trick the mind into experiencing a 3D effect.
Shadow play (top left image) was another interesting device. When doing my research, I was instantly reminded of the Hungarian shadow theatre company Attraction who competed on Britain’s Got Talent. I remember watching them on the TV and being so fascinated with how they moved and positioned themselves to tell a story and transition through scenes. Shadow play also reminds me Karate Kid (the Jaden Smith version obviously). It is another instance of illusion which I think is a massive part of film, whether that is the physical illusion of the DeLorean disappearing into thin air leaving a trail of flames behind it, or the emotional illusion created when Marley the dog dies (spoiler alert!).
I also wanted to explore some staging/editing devices and was really interested in mise-en-scène which is the arrangement of scenery, props and actors on a theatre stage or film set. The purpose of the mise-en-scène is to create or tell a story through the design and positioning of a set and camera angle. I found this interesting because it made me take a closer look at the spaces created in film. It’s interesting how fiction space are created and staged to tell a story and how we create relationships between different fictional spaces. Through the storytelling of film, audiences create relationships between the fictional spaces, mapping them out in relation to each other. It is fascinating how different our ideas of the layout of spaces is in comparison to reality when often scenes are filmed on sets or are at a variety of film locations. This reminds me of something I learnt about the television series The Vampire Diaries. The series was filmed in a town in Georgia, USA and although viewers didn’t have the town specifically mapped in their heads, the way it is filmed made it seem certain buildings and sites were further away from each other than in reality. I find it intriguing how directors and film producers can create fictional spaces and towns almost out of thin air. Mise-en-scène plays a part in telling the story of characters, film and space.
Spatial Design by Ciara 