10398 - Filmology (1)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student: acquires, according to the doctrine, the double character of the film as “material object” (the film) and as “image” (on screen); knows the fundamentals of material history and cinematographic techniques, with particular reference to silent films; knows the process of film decay and its reasons (physical-chemical, economical, historical); acquires the basics of the historical-philological investigation of the film representation.

Course contents

I.1. Elements of filmic representation (1895-1910): the film program

I.1.1. Thomas Edison, the Lumière brothers, Georges Méliès, Segundo de Chomón

I.1.2. The origins of Italian cinema

I.2. Elements of filmic representation (1911-1918): the rise of the feature film

I.3. Elements of filmic representation (1920s-1930s): the introduction of sound film

II.1. The cinema heritage and the dispersion of films

II.2. Silent cinema: materials and techniques

II.3. Silent cinema: film bases and film formats

III.1. The use of color in silent cinema: technical and aesthetic issues

III.2. Coloring techniques: hand-coloring, tinting, toning, pochoir (or stencil)

III.3. Other coloring techniques

Readings/Bibliography

The students must choose one text from each section, for a total of four texts to be studied.

 

Section I:

Silvio Alovisio, Giulia Carluccio, Introduzione al cinema muto italiano, Torino, UTET, 2014.

Or

Gian Piero Brunetta, Il cinema muto italiano, Roma - Bari, Laterza, 2008.

Or

Gian Piero Brunetta, Guida alla storia del cinema italiano, Torino, Einaudi, 2003.

Or

Mariapia Comand, Augusto Sainati, Storia del cinema italiano, Milano, Pearson, 2022.

 

Section II:

Paolo Cherchi Usai, Una passione infiammabile. Guida allo studio del cinema muto, Torino, UTET, 1991; ; nuova edizione (aggiornata e ampliata): Torino, UTET, Roma, CSC, 2022.

Or

Carlo Montanaro, Dall’argento al pixel. Storia della tecnica del cinema, Recco (GE), Le Mani, 2005; new edition: Padova, Linea Edizioni, 2019.

Or

Giovanna Fossati, From Grain to Pixel. The Archival Life of Film in Transition, Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press, 2018; Italian translation: Giovanna Fossati, Dai grani ai pixel. Il restauro del film nella transizione dall’analogico al digitale, Bologna, Persiani, 2021.

Or

Paolo Caneppele, Denis Lotti, La documentazione cinematografica, ovvero Le Fonti storico-cinematografiche. Manuale per studiosi, studenti, appassionati, Bologna, Persiani, 2014.

 

Section III:

Federico Pierotti, La seduzione dello spettro. Storia e cultura del colore nel cinema, Recco (GE), Le Mani, 2012.

Or

Noël Burch, Il lucernario dell’infinito. Nascita del linguaggio cinematografico, Parma, Pratiche Editrice, 1994; new edition: Imola, Cue Press, 2021.

Or

André Gaudreault, Cinema delle origini o della “cinematografia-attrazione”, Milano, Il Castoro, 2004.

Or

Giovanna Fossati et alii, The Colour Fantastic. Chromatic Worlds of Silent Cinema, Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press - Eye Filmmuseum, 2018.

 

Section IV:

Michele Canosa, “Corto/lungo metraggio”, in Aldo Bernardini, Adriano Aprà (edited by), Storia del cinema italiano. Volume II (1895/1911), Venezia - Roma, Marsilio - Bianco & Nero, 2018, pp. 451-467.

 

All the above texts are available at the Biblioteca del Dipartimento di Musica e Spettacolo (via Barberia 4).

Teaching methods

Lectures (in person, variations may apply due to unforeseen circumstances).

Assessment methods

Individual Q&A session.

During the exam session, the students will be asked questions relating to the topics discussed during the course, with a specific focus on the history of Italian silent cinema.

It is mandatory to watch the main films mentioned in the bibliography.

In order to obtain a good mark, it is essential to master the film terminology, and to demonstrate critical thinking and adequate exposition skills.

The exam will be passed by the students who: (1) acquire the basic notions of filmology; (2) acquire in-depth knowledge about the following topics: color in silent cinema and coloring techniques; (3) understand what the “primitive” modes of film representation are, and how they work; (4) understand the main characteristics of early cinema; (5) are capable of analyzing the works of the so-called film pioneers.

The exam will NOT be passed by the students who ignore the very basics of film history due to superficial, lacking or non-existent study of the texts listed in the bibliography. An unclear exposition (with regards to Italian language and/or argumentation) may lead to an insufficient mark.

In view of the exam, the students may submit an essay of ten pages maximum (“tesina”). The topic of the essay should be discussed in advance with professor Michele Canosa, and sent to him via e-mail at least one week before the Q&A exam session.

A CAUTIONARY NOTE: the essay is NOT mandatory and it does NOT exonerate the students from attending the Q&A exam session. An essay showing originality, a good literature review, a solid methodology, a good use of Italian language and abidance by the rules of academic writing will pave the way for the students to obtain an excellent mark.

Teaching tools

Film screenings.

Office hours

See the website of Michele Canosa