Cinema derived from the ancient Greek word, ‘kinema’, meaning movement, is quite an attraction since the olden days till the new era.
A cinema generally is a place where people go to watch films for entertainment. But diving in a more abstract term – it is an art of moving images that tells stories. It consists of anything that can be titled as ‘moving pictures’ ranging from short animated films to the long movies.
There are varieties of different types of cinemas across the world ranging from the American continent to that of Asia, each having their own unique characteristics and styles,
Even though they are different, there is a common ground where we find similarities between all of them.
The narrative structure of the film:
One of the things that we find common in all the film across the globe irrespective of their origin is their narrative structure- the way in which the film is being presented. The narrative structure of a film represents the story and plot.
Narrative structure includes-
Three-Act Structure – Stories following the three-act structure divide the narrative into beginning, middle and end.
- In the Setup, the setting, characters and the narrative world are established.
- In the Confrontation, the tension and crises build as rising action.
- The final act rises to a climax and ends in the Resolution
The Fichtean Curve – Includes three essential elements of rising action, climax and falling action.
- The protagonist already begins in the rising action.
- Two thirds into the narrative, the climax occurs, which is a crisis at the height of tension.
- The falling action happens after the climax and leads to the resolution.
The Hero’s Journey – Many films incorporate elements of the hero’s journey, a narrative template involving a hero who goes on an adventure, faces a crisis, wins a victory, and then returns home transformed.
Genres:
A film genre is a stylistic or thematic category for motion pictures based on similarities either in the narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response to the film.
There are certain universal genres that are found in every type of film industry. These are divided into-
Basic genres include – Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thriller.
And some include a little more intense such as – Crime thriller, Disaster thriller, Psychological thriller and Techno thriller.
Themes:
The theme is the heart of the movie and also what regulates. It is one of the reasons why people go to the movies.
A short definition for the theme is:
Story (Action) + Plot = Character Development Yielding the Theme.
Thus the theme can be called a combination of the story, plot, characters and so on.
The different types of themes include – Love, Humanity vs. Technology, Sacrifice, Good vs. Evil, Death, Perseverance, Family drama, Justice and many more.
Cinematic techniques:
It talks about the specific way for a filmmaker communicate meaning to the audience to more effectively.
It involves visual storytelling that consists of – lighting, camera movement, camera angle, editing, shots and cinematography.
One of the prevailing techniques used by films that is known by almost everyone is of the sound, voice and music which is integral to most films and/or film viewing experiences.
Even the earliest silent films were often shown with live musical accompaniment. Sound enhances the imaginary world, it can provide depth, establish character and environment, introduce a new scene or cue the viewer to important information.
Sounds can be classified as:
- Diegetic sound is any sound that the character or characters on screen can hear – example, characters talking to one another.
- Non-diegetic sound is any sound that the audience can hear but the characters on screen cannot – includes background music.
Music and sound effects play crucial roles in setting the mood and enhancing the narrative.
Character archetype:
It generally means the people who fulfill specific roles within the plot or conflict and help develop the literary work’s theme, meaning, or purpose. `
There are common archetypes to which the film usually binds with such as – the hero, the mentor, the trickster, the villain and the love interest. They appear frequently across various cultures.
One of the main elements of framing up a character is its reliability. The protagonists of the story are mostly designed to be relatable characters, embodying them with virtues and ethics.
Not to forget the different award functions and international film festivals that promote cross-cultural appreciation and recognition.
One thing that is to be noted is that even being different from each other and having their own unique style, all of them are influenced by each other in everyday life.
They are also responsible in raising social awareness about various streams and play an important role in social impact on the world.
These commonalities underscore cinema’s role as a powerful medium for storytelling, transcending cultural and linguistic barriers to connect with audiences worldwide.
