MCM 209: DRAMA FILM AND DOCUMENTARY
Dr. Nwachukwu
1. General introduction
2. Definitions and meaning
3. History of Drama 1
4. History of Drama 2
5. Aristotles contribution
6. Types of Drama
7.Hands on dramatization of exercises
8.Concept of film
9.History of film 1
10.History of film 2
11.The basics of film making
12.Documentary, Definition and conceptual insight.
13. Types of Documentary films
14. The basics of Documentary film production
15. Evaluation and revision, preparation of examination.
DEFINITION AND MEANING.
DRAMA
Drama is the specific mode of entertainment which involves the telling of a story
usually to entice audience through dramatization by actors on a stage.
The word drama has its origins from the early greec where it's meant to do or to
act, in essence, the concept of drama has always revolved around make believe. This
means that at the sole of drama we can find fiction or a personal compilation/
composition which is not reality or actuallity in the way that we know.
Going back to our initial definition we find that Drama is essential in story
telling and that it's involved in trying to entertain our audience by trying to
create situations, circumstances, people and event which are then relay to the
audience as drama.
Additionally, drama is presented on a stage which may go from an open space to a
designated stage to a special location theater where the audience can gather and
participate in the experience. At the same time it is important to know that those
who do the story Telling in drama are the actors/actresses these are persons who
take on the roles of character in the story.
Drama has evolved over thousands of years and has taken on specific cultural and
geographical influences . Drama can be differentiated Chinese, European, African,
Arab or Indian. We must also note that at the beginning of the concept of drama
there were forms of drama Tragedy and Comedy.
TRAGEDY
In tragedy the story are merged to draw fear and concern from the audience. Usually
there is the main character called the protagonist. The entire drama revolves
around how he or she decidedly goes into dangerous places to accomplish his
personal will, usually he does not survive the journey and the audience accepts him
or her for making human errors.
COMEDY
Comedy on the other hand was conceived to be a light hearted story telling form in
which the characters are not exposed in any kind of serious danger.
As a matter of fact comedy was intented to make people laugh by employing heavy
dozes of humor.
FILM
Film is story telling which involves the recording of life moving images which
when processed can be projected to the screen as moving images.
The actual recording Of film with the camera is not done in the continuing way.
This is to say that film recording is done frame by frame. In doing this the film
camera captures Many different images in continuous stages of movement. The film
camera has the capacity to capture and arrange different still photograph of
natural movement which will be processed and then presented to give the illusion of
continuous motion
Film has similarities with other art just as they are different, but it is agreed
that film has the capacity to capture all the arts together and present to an
audience with its unique abilities to mimick natural movement
It is also said to display certain outstanding features known as INTENSITY,
INTIMACY and U PIQUITY.
INTENSITY
Intensity refers to the ability of film to capture the attention of the viewer very
powerfully.
We all know that in real life everyone has many objects fighting for attention and
this object directly and indirectly individual from focusing on a particular object
at any point in time.
However film is able to channel the entire attention of the viewer to the screen
and present its content at the same time. It is a problem to remember that the
original concept of film entails putting the audience in dark environments this
limits what people can see apart from the screen, through this technique film is
able to decide on what the audience sees and focuses upon at any point in time.
INTIMACY
Intimacy, in everyday language refers to closeness between two things especially
human beings. Film has the capacity to do beyond what we are exposed to in real
life e.g: we are all able to perceive any image at all in close up or tight close
up naturally. A close up short in a film is a framing of a camera to potray in an
object in such a way the identity is unique.
A close up short is a shot that shows the chest area to the head. It is impossible
for anybody to frame that body part without seeing the rest. But film is able to
segment different part of the body and present it to the viewers.
UPIQUITY
Upiquity being present or being felt in every place at every time This has to do
with the ability of film to go beyond the limits environment by showing the
audience things the natural eye cannot see in a way that enhances the narrative or
story being told. Film is able, for example to go to the past and bring out images
and events which are then related to the present time event.
It is possible for film to go to the future which are aligned with the present film
may decide to use the drone or crane to create an image which the natural eyes
cannot perceive in nature.
All this capabilities presents film as an all seeing and all knowing entertainment.
THE
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