Visual Film & Television Techniques

Visual Film & Television Techniques

Visual Techniques

Film is the idea of individual motion pictures, the field of film as an

art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording

photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation

techniques or visual effects. (Film, n.d.) To create a film you need cameras,

projectors, film stock, and lenses. The first films were created by the use of a

cranked camera. They were shot on a single reel, resulting in filmstrips that

were only 15-20 minutes. Independent producers pioneered the use of double

reel filmmaking during the years before World War I. This allowed the

production of longer films and opened the door for further growth and

opportunity. The Thaumatrope, Fantascope also known as the “spindle

viewer”, Kinematoscope, and the Praxinoscope were great inventions though

out time that complimented the first invention of film. The double reel camera

is another invention that became an icon of movie production.

By the 1880s, the development of the motion picture camera

allowed the individual component images to be captured and stored on a

single reel. This led quickly to the development of a motion picture projector to

shine light through the processed and printed film and magnify these "moving

picture shows" onto a screen for an entire audience. These reels are also known

as "motion pictures". Early motion pictures were static shots that showed an

event or action with no editing or other cinematic techniques. Though time,

color processes improved and became as affordable as black n white film.

(Camera, n.d.) The sophisticated use of lighting and different camera angles is

crucial in creating a scene 's atmosphere. This is a development in the film

industry to enhance the visual and sensual impact on the audience. Motifs are

also used to further these impacts.

The history of television is a path dependent history, one in

which past inventions and events exercise continuing influences. In 1928,

Philo Taylor Farnsworth invented a television system using an "image

dissector" camera. (Farnsworth, 2010). From primitive experimentation in the

1920s and 1930s through the advent of commercial television in the late

1940s, to color television as the standard by the mid 1960s, television has

grown quickly to become perhaps the most important single influence on

society today. (Runyon, n.d.)

The visual film techniques that are used in television and film are similar and have influence on one another. Camera techniques, editing,

lighting, and graphics are all used in contemporary films and television.

Throughout time, television has influenced film in the way it’s used

and how films are projected through the television screen. It shows the

camera’s creativity and how television itself was created (The Relationship

Between Film and Television, 2010). Digital cameras, projectors, and analog

video are inventions that were made to quicken the process of film making.

This allows consumers to purchase movies on DVD months after they’re

released.

Society has benefited from both film and television. Because of its

ability to create powerful touchstones, television and film enables people to

share cultural experiences with others. Children’s socialization and learning

skills can develop by watching educational programs. People can also receive

news updates about what’s going on around the world. As technology changes,

film and television will constantly improve and be beneficial to society.

References

Camera, t. 1. (n.d.). Film - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved June 4, 2010, from
Online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film

Film - Definition. (n.d.). Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus – WordIQ Dictionary. Retrieved June 4, 2010, from
Online: http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Film

Philo Taylor Farnsworth. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved

June 3, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica

Online: http://www.britannica.com/

Runyon, S. (n.d.). The Museum of Broadcast Communications. The

Museum of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved June 2, 2010,

from Online: http://museum.tv/

The Relationship Between Film and Television. (2010). Retrieved on

June 3, 2010, from

Online: http://www.filmreference.com/

References: Dictionary. Retrieved June 4, 2010, from Online: http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Film Philo Taylor Farnsworth. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved June 3, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Museum of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved June 2, 2010, from Online: http://museum.tv/ The Relationship Between Film and Television. (2010). Retrieved on June 3, 2010, from