In Week 3, the class focused on film language and how meaning is created through cinematic choices rather than only through story content. This week helped me understand films not just as narratives, but as constructed visual and sensory experiences.
One key thing I learned is that a film can be understood on different levels of meaning. Simply describing what happens in a film is not the same as analysing it. Meaning can be communicated explicitly through dialogue and actions, but it can also be implied through character development, visual composition, editing, sound, and the overall atmosphere of a scene. This made me realise that many important ideas in film are not stated directly, but are suggested through how the film is made.
We also discussed different approaches to analysing films, such as focusing on visual form, narrative structure, or the broader context in which a film is created. Looking at camera movement, framing, lighting, sound, and editing helped me see how these elements influence how the audience feels and interprets a scene. Film language guides the viewer’s attention and emotional response, often without the viewer being fully aware of it.
This week was especially useful for my own animation and visual work. As someone working with moving images, understanding film language helps me think more carefully about how meaning can be built through visual decisions. Instead of only thinking about what happens in a scene, I now pay more attention to how shots are composed and how technical choices affect storytelling. This perspective will be important for future projects, particularly when planning storyboards and cinematic sequences.