What is film appreciation?

This speaks a lot about ‘peculiar ‘choices made by filmgoers. They prefer to watch a film, which has all that they ‘LIKE ‘! So naturally they discard those films which have elements they
‘ DON’T LIKE ‘ ! And most of the time it so happens that the something in the category of ‘don’t like ‘is avoided without testing it at all. If one dares to taste something with ‘don’t like ‘tag, there is a chance one may like it and moreover one may go ahead to develop a taste for it. While doing so, one may curse oneself for keeping away from it for some unreasonable reasons. Remember what Ghalib has said, ‘Hai Kambhakht tu ne pi hi nahin!’.

Can, watching a film for a favourite star or things one likes most or strong belief in cast system of cinema or carrying all kinds of prejudices, be called enjoying the medium of cinema fully? No! Certainly not! There are several things in the ‘ frame ‘ but with this kind of choices filmgoer picks up only a few of them and ends up watching incomplete ‘ frame

The Film Appreciation Workshop helps us to look at the complete frame without missing anything. This is a first step towards enjoying, absorbing and appreciating everything that the medium has to offer. It’s an absolutely thrilling and of course enriching experience to learn to see a complete ‘frame ‘and perceive everything in it. This is the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between a filmgoer and cinema.

Syllabus: There are twelve important topics which are immensely significant in terms of learning the proper skill of the Film Appreciation.

1 ) Evolution of the Medium of Cinema :Main features being, invention of Magic Lantern, arrival of cinema in the form of moving pictures, first film of the world, transforming a scientific invention into a new art form, etc are explained in detail,  
supported with screening of first film of the world made in 1895 and a few other early films. This would further cover entire history of cinema till date in two parts – History of World Cinema & History of Indian Cinema

2 ) The  Language of Cinema : Like all other art forms, cinema too has its own exclusive language. Cinema communicates through this language rather than the language  in which the film is made. Without subtitles it is quite difficult to understand the content of the film made in one particular language of one particular land but one can easily understand ‘the Language of Cinema ‘, because it is a universal language. One can learn to ‘ read ‘ this language by studying its alphabets and the entire grammar.

3 ) Process of Filmmaking : One needs to know the role of every artist and technician involved in  filmmaking to appreciate a film in its right perspective. Though it is a director`s medium, it is his creation, it is his artistic expression and it is his baby, still it is amazing to know the contribution of the entire team as a team and also on individual level. It is quite revealing to know how the director uses their abilities, their talents to achieve the final impact. This further helps to appreciate a film in a better way.

4 )  Relation between Cinema & Other Traditional Arts : Cinema is the youngest art. And there is no denying that cinema has derived a lot from every art form. Cinema has used various element from different art forms for its (cinematic) expression. Despite the fact it is a pure and independent art form. Cinema is  the only art completely  based on science. Lot of technology is involved in cinema. 

5 )  Commercial v/s Art Cinema : There are two kinds of cinema all over the world. In fact there are two different approaches of filmmaking. Without understanding this properly a filmgoer blindly believes that one  is good while the other is bad. Filmgoers who like commercial cinema find Art Cinema` boring’ and those who prefer Art Cinema find commercial cinema as `trash’.The fact is altogether different.

6) Kinds of Films:There are mainly two kinds of films, fiction and non fiction. The fiction film has a fictional story told in a dramatic and entertaining way and in different genres. Non fiction contains documentary, short film, education film, propaganda film, information film etc.

7) Genres:There are various genres, in which films are made world over, like, family drama, action, suspense, thriller, musical, horror, science fiction,film within film and so on which have their own peculiar style of narration and treatment.

8) Our Films Their Films:There is a vast difference in our films and films made world over. To understand this one has to try to study the socio- political-cultural scenario of different part of the world with historical perspective.

9 ) Changing Technology :Cinema is the only art form which completely depends on technology. Since technology keeps changing with new invention, lots of changes happen in the entire filmmaking process which determines to adopt new  approach that gives a different and new look to films of present day. This also poses an important question – what is more significant, technology or cinematic expression?

10) Film Appreciation :With the help of above topics and several other issues that would follow, the actual exercise of film appreciation would be taken up time to time during which short films or clips from various films would be shown and discussed in detail. This is a very revealing experience for every participant that he / she has totally different approach in watching films and that helps a great deal to enhance ones understanding of cinema and that too  in a very appropriate way and in right perspective.

Cinema & Literature                            : Maithili Rao

Process of Filmmakin                          : Mahendra Teredesai

Changing Technology                          : Ravi Jadhav (Director of ‘Natarang ‘)

Film Appreciation                                : Anil Zankar