CINEMA: The PHYSICALITY of FILM
a commentary
A film theater.
Photo credit to this site(click here)!
The cinema is beautiful with painted walls and a dazzling colorful red blanket screen filled with so much emotions. I fled out from that cinema in tumultuous and heartbreaking freedom. A freedom that became known to men ever since an integration of reality and art happened. At the end of the film some of us wept, or laugh, or devote time to realize and figure things. It is an internal process that we intuitively achieve.
If you might live fifty years ago, you would understand this alluding concept. The main precept of this concept comes with the evolution of cinema viewing. I was born in the videotape age. My father introduce me to films when i was 1 year old, he told me, when he bought a videotape of the animated film BAMBI.
I have always known my father as a cinephile since i was a kid. I have grown in a lot of films, of course, mostly animated and superhero movies. Most of them i have seen in the hall of home cinema: television. Though i have been constantly remembered to spend most of my time watching anime and Taiwanese series on TV, i still remembered operating the BETA MAX player with expertise. My late Lolo even called me "titong" when it comes to electronic equipments. "Titong" means an individual who can troubleshoot any equipment failure known to him.
As for my childhood i never understood the difference between the halls of cinema and the intent of television viewing, not until last night after reading an article on FILM FORM. The author argued that there is a big difference in textual analysis when one views a film from a cinema than in television. I realized that there is.
Now, the transformation became even important: from magnetic tape to digital compact disks. Viewing became a personal, hedonistic topic. The definition of FILM AUDIENCE (AUDITOIRE-in french) has also been revised.
The author of the article, Dyer, conversed that this transformation creates a deterioration of concentration in viewers of film. Theater offers this viewing experience the pleasure of sitting with a large screen. The focus is also intense. But when it comes to the home viewing experience, the focus and concentration decreases because of external factors.
One eminent effect of home viewing is decrease in the size of screen and the introduction of distracts that may affect the viewing experience. As the film being 'pan and scanned' from the 5 reels of filmstrips to a videotape, there is a 2/3 decrease in the size of the image, as what Dyer said. The resolution of film is also affected depending on the size and type of television or projector used. Flat screens has a dissimilar effect than usual curved TV screens. One might observe that flat screen may project thinner images than the usual curved ones.
A home television.
Another effect is affected by the background events happening during the viewing process. Usually, in theaters the darkness covers this events like people walking away or towards the screen, or children playing in front of you. In home viewing, the light does not shade away such movements. one can see family members walking in front of the screen, hence disrupt concentration of the eyes. Sound can also be a factor. The surround sounds of the cinema offers the ultimate hearing experience. Basses can crack your ear drums. In home viewing, the sound is only limited to the sounds of the TV set. if one really has a surround sound system, it can be a disadvantage to the neighbors.
However, there are also some disadvantages in viewing in the theater. Some of you may have experience iMAX in SM Mall of Asia. The control of the exhibitor of films can highly affect the viewing experience. From the post-produced film, this control take place during distribution and exhibition. The economic and architectural limitation of the theater can affect the quality of film. Though there was never a ratio of the size of screen to view a film, except of course during 1930s to early 1950s, the size of the theatre can incredibly affect the viewing experience.
These are some of the physical aspects of film that should be noted. These are external factors. However, the physical aspects of film is less important than the essence of film: how is it when we view it.
During the viewing process the activation of human perception and it's susceptibility to light became instilled. It became a passive experience. Also the activation of values, beliefs and ideological precepts played a role in the contextual part of film viewing. These elementary process is most important in film viewing. How the image is percepted and comprehended by our brilliant brains has a more relevant effect than how it is projected.
--------------------------------------------
"What is essential is invisible to the eye."
---Socrates. Greek Philosopher
--------------------------------------------
Ciao! God bless!
If you might live fifty years ago, you would understand this alluding concept. The main precept of this concept comes with the evolution of cinema viewing. I was born in the videotape age. My father introduce me to films when i was 1 year old, he told me, when he bought a videotape of the animated film BAMBI.
I have always known my father as a cinephile since i was a kid. I have grown in a lot of films, of course, mostly animated and superhero movies. Most of them i have seen in the hall of home cinema: television. Though i have been constantly remembered to spend most of my time watching anime and Taiwanese series on TV, i still remembered operating the BETA MAX player with expertise. My late Lolo even called me "titong" when it comes to electronic equipments. "Titong" means an individual who can troubleshoot any equipment failure known to him.
As for my childhood i never understood the difference between the halls of cinema and the intent of television viewing, not until last night after reading an article on FILM FORM. The author argued that there is a big difference in textual analysis when one views a film from a cinema than in television. I realized that there is.
Now, the transformation became even important: from magnetic tape to digital compact disks. Viewing became a personal, hedonistic topic. The definition of FILM AUDIENCE (AUDITOIRE-in french) has also been revised.
The author of the article, Dyer, conversed that this transformation creates a deterioration of concentration in viewers of film. Theater offers this viewing experience the pleasure of sitting with a large screen. The focus is also intense. But when it comes to the home viewing experience, the focus and concentration decreases because of external factors.
One eminent effect of home viewing is decrease in the size of screen and the introduction of distracts that may affect the viewing experience. As the film being 'pan and scanned' from the 5 reels of filmstrips to a videotape, there is a 2/3 decrease in the size of the image, as what Dyer said. The resolution of film is also affected depending on the size and type of television or projector used. Flat screens has a dissimilar effect than usual curved TV screens. One might observe that flat screen may project thinner images than the usual curved ones.
A home television.
Photo credit to this site(click here)!
Another effect is affected by the background events happening during the viewing process. Usually, in theaters the darkness covers this events like people walking away or towards the screen, or children playing in front of you. In home viewing, the light does not shade away such movements. one can see family members walking in front of the screen, hence disrupt concentration of the eyes. Sound can also be a factor. The surround sounds of the cinema offers the ultimate hearing experience. Basses can crack your ear drums. In home viewing, the sound is only limited to the sounds of the TV set. if one really has a surround sound system, it can be a disadvantage to the neighbors.
However, there are also some disadvantages in viewing in the theater. Some of you may have experience iMAX in SM Mall of Asia. The control of the exhibitor of films can highly affect the viewing experience. From the post-produced film, this control take place during distribution and exhibition. The economic and architectural limitation of the theater can affect the quality of film. Though there was never a ratio of the size of screen to view a film, except of course during 1930s to early 1950s, the size of the theatre can incredibly affect the viewing experience.
These are some of the physical aspects of film that should be noted. These are external factors. However, the physical aspects of film is less important than the essence of film: how is it when we view it.
During the viewing process the activation of human perception and it's susceptibility to light became instilled. It became a passive experience. Also the activation of values, beliefs and ideological precepts played a role in the contextual part of film viewing. These elementary process is most important in film viewing. How the image is percepted and comprehended by our brilliant brains has a more relevant effect than how it is projected.
--------------------------------------------
"What is essential is invisible to the eye."
---Socrates. Greek Philosopher
--------------------------------------------
Ciao! God bless!
