Film, Form, and Culture: Fourth Edition

By Robert Phillip Kolker and Robert P. Kolker

Book Overview

Film, Form, and Culture (4th edition) offers a lively introduction to both the formal and cultural aspects of film. With extensive analysis of films past and present, this textbook explores film from part to whole; from the smallest unit of the shot to the way shots are edited together to create narrative. It then examines those narratives (both fiction and non-fiction) as stories and genres that speak to the culture of their time and our perceptions of them today.

Composition, editing, genres (such as the gangster film, the Western, science fiction, and melodrama) are analyzed alongside numerous images to illustrate the discussion. Chapters on the individuals who make films - the production designer, cinematographer, editor, composer, producer, director, and actor - illustrate the collaborative nature of filmmaking.

This new edition includes:

An expanded discussion of the digital 'revolution" in filmmaking: exploring the movement from celluloid to digital recording and editing of images, as well as the use of CGI

A new chapter on international cinema that covers filmmaking from Italy to Mumbai offering students a broader understanding of cinema on a worldwide scale

A new chapter on film acting that uses images to create a small catalogue of gestures and expressions that are recognizable in film after film

Expanded content coverage and in-depth analysis throughout, including a visual analysis of a scene from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight

An expanded chapter on the cultural contexts of film summarizes the theories of cultural and media studies, concluding with a comparative analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and Judd Apatow's This is 40

Over 260 images, many in color, that create a visual index to and illustration of the discussion of films and filmmaking

Each chapter ends with updated suggestions for further reading and viewing, and there is an expanded glossary of terms.

Additional resources for students and teachers can also be found on the companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/kolker), which includes additional case studies, discussion questions and links to useful websites.

This textbook is an invaluable and exciting resource for students beginning film studies at undergraduate level.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1138845728
• ISBN13: 9781138845725
• Release Date: August 2015
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 370 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Totally Satisfied

I received this book a lot sooner than I expected, which was perfect because it was for a class that was starting very soon after I ordered it. I received the book in what I think is much better quality than the seller posted. I was 100% satisfied and highly recommend this seller to everyone.

Great resource for teaching

I bought this book along with a few others and it has truely helped me develop a curriuclum for my high school Art of Film class. The DVD examples help to visually understand the concepts and I enjoyed it for my own knowledge as well.