cinemawaves
explore film movements and history of cinema
Over the course of film history, we have witnessed significant changes in how we interact and perceive our favorite visual medium. Throughout various movements in film, there is much to discover about the advancements in cinema’s rich history.
what is a
film movement?
A film movement signifies a wave of cinematic works, usually following a particular trend in cinema, shaped by and reflecting the time, people, culture, and political events of the location from which it emerged. These cinematic works frequently draw inspiration from cultural roots influenced by events of national tragedy, popular culture or social issues. Often, these film movements are instigated by filmmakers or film critics who develop concepts through discussions on how to craft films and then translate those ideas into cinematic practice.
In addition to cultural influences, the art of filmmaking itself can serve as a medium for a film movement, resulting in an experimental approach to both filmmaking and storytelling. Many contemporary filmmakers refer to, and revisit, numerous classics from different film movements for guidance and creative stimulation, rendering them an integral part of cinema’s history and a pivotal element in its future development.
We can analyze and divide the cinematic timeline, spanning from silent films to contemporary blockbusters, into thirty essential film movements, each waiting to be discovered here on CinemaWaves.
To enhance comprehension of the material, here are explanations provided for some of the notable terms used in the field of cinema:
Art House Film
Typically aimed to a niche audience that appreciates the unconventional and avant-garde. They prioritize creative vision and emotional depth over commercial profits, making them a canvas for filmmakers to explore unique themes, styles, and narrative structures. Art house films frequently delves into abstract, symbolic, or metaphorical storytelling, inviting viewers to engage with the content on a more intellectual and emotional level.
Independent Film
Or indie film, is a feature or a short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies. They are sometimes distinguishable by their content and style and the way in which the filmmakers' personal artistic vision is realized. Usually, those films are made with lower budgets than major studio films.
Experimental Film
Avant-garde, or experimental, cinema is a style of filmmaking that re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Experimental films, particularly early ones, relate to arts in other disciplines: painting, dance and poetry or arise from research and development of new technical resources.
Animated film
An approach in which static images are manipulated to generate the illusion of motion. In traditional animation, images are drawn by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, many animations are computer animations made with computer-generated imagery. Stop motion animation, has continued to exist alongside these other forms.
Motion Picture
Work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere through the use of moving images. The word "cinema", short for cinematography, is often used to refer to filmmaking and the film industry, and the art form that is the result of it - the seventh art form.
Auteur
In film, the term "auteur" refers to a filmmaker who has a distinct and recognizable style, creative vision, that is evident throughout their body of work. It is often considered the primary creative force behind a film, with a significant degree of control over its artistic and thematic aspects, suggesting that their personal vision and ideas are central to the work's creation.
Film Studies
Film studies are an academic discipline that deals with various theoretical, historical and critical approaches to cinema as an art form and a medium. Film studies are less concerned with advancing proficiency in film production than it is with exploring the narrative, artistic, cultural, economic and political implications of the cinema.
Film Criticism
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outlets, and academic criticism by film scholars who are informed by film theory and are published in academic journals.
World Cinema
World cinema encompasses movies produced beyond the boundaries of the American film industry, with a specific focus on those that diverge from the aesthetics and principles of mainstream commercial film. This term serves as a platform for the exploration of national identity, offering a cinematic perspective that portrays the world as postcolonial, peripheral, or distinct from the dominant Hollywood paradigm.