Film Dialogue

and
Social Conscientization
Titus Brandsma Center-
Center-Media Program
 Media
: channel through which
the message is transmitted.
: perspective, ideology,
lifestyle,
“ a way of life”
Media from means
(Paul VI)

… to culture (John Paul II)

 Film = Motion picture…
GENRES
• Action
• Romance
• Horror
• Adventure • Comedy
• Sci--Fi
Sci • “Adult”
• Drama • Cartoons
• Animation
• Period/Historical
• Musical
• Etc.
“pleasure politics”

Do films
influence our
perspective of
life, community,
society and
development?
FILMS – utilitarian approach

A medium for
conscientization.

Social Mobilization –
advocacy campaigns,
community education,
community organizing
 FILMS
– source of application for
media literacy education

Analyzing and
being critical
about the content
of media (films)

Practicing being
an active
audience.
 FILM
&
SPIRITUALITY
Spirituality

: dynamic relationship between

the divine Spirit and the human Spirit
that leads to transformation
transformation..

: “lived and a multiform phenomenon “

Can we experience God in films?

 Why do we watch films? Or why

not watch them?
 What are your considerations when
you watch a film? (mood, values,
regulations, etc.)
 What are your immediate reactions
after films?
 IMPORTANCE OF FILM
Immediate Reactions to Film
Peter Malone (On Screen)

 ‘I want to enjoy myself when I see a movie.’

 ‘I need a bit of escapism.’
 ‘Tickets cost so much these days and I’m not sure
they’re worth it.’
 ‘Everybody’s seen it, it’s the in-thing.’

 ‘Movies today are too permissive, too much
foul language, too much violence, sex and
nudity. Why isn’t there something decent for
the family?’
 I like a more serious film. I like a message. A
movie should have something worthwhile to
say.’
Film and Spirituality

Three Key Areas

• How do we understand spirituality?
• Characteristics of film language
• The dialogue concerning
spirituality in film
OR
 Entertainment
Anything that pleases us, lifts us out of
ourselves, helps us enjoy ourselves.
Sometimes it can be easy and quick bit of
relaxation – just vegging in front of the box – or
simply a time-filler.

True and genuine entertainment is something

that really satisfies and help us be our better
selves.
Education

Thinking of it as facts and figures being drummed into us

relentlessly, we may not be very keen on education at all.

While thinking of ‘education’ as the process in which we

are led out of our ordinary into something better, it might
seem more attractive. Education is then seen as more
satisfying, more pleasing, helping us to become our better
selves.

Education is not information, it is transformation!

FILMS
Films tell stories and drama of all kinds. When
we view films, we engage, participate,
identify, reject, classify, enjoy evaluate,
digest and criticize. Mostly in a spontaneous
way, jumping without order. We speak of
many things about the film informally with
one another during or after viewing: often
casually.

In short, we engage in interpersonal

communication about the film. We are doing
film dialogue, informally.
Three Areas to Consider

Social Impact of Film

Film as Art

Film as Business
 Media and Spirituality
Film, as the medium, the
language where to experience
the divine-
divine-human relationship
that eventually leads to
transformation..
transformation
Film and spirituality

 Bring out the

“spiritual dimension”
of the story!
 Fish out the Divine-Human relationship in the
story..
Characteristics of the Medium Film
to Express Spirituality

 Spirituality takes a form of a story or drama, of

dramatized-life stories. (narrative than argumentative
level)
 Always expressed in the form of a
concentration/condensation of crucial life events.
 Always situated in concrete socio-cultural contexts,
showing confrontation.
Characteristics . . .

 Always individualized and incarnated in living

persons. (lived spirituality).
 Quite often takes the form of an
audiovisualized life journey.
 The audiovisual language of film has at its
disposal its own facilities to express and
experience spirituality and spiritual values.
Characteristics. . .

 Spirituality implies visions/appreciation of

life, human nature, world and being –
often very different and conflicting
interpretations and evaluations of them.
Characteristics. . .

 Spirituality in the context of the film dialogue

is a dialogical spirituality
– It concerns spirituality and spiritual
values implied in the film story and is
explored/ discovered through the
dialogue in the group.
Film Dialogue
Film Dialogue & Other Concepts
 Film Reading - read the film
according to the message it is trying
to convey, promote and advocate.
Trying to at least closely capture what
the director is trying to say. Read the
film according to the directors’
perspectives and not the
viewers’.
Concepts . . .

 Film Critique/Analysis – criticize/analyze the

film according to the merits or demerits of the
film. Mostly according to the aesthetical aspect
(technical) and the how the story is written,
presented and developed through the film.
Usually, questions are if the film is near to the
realities of life, true to its adaptation. Not more in
the application of film to life. Also how characters
compliment or become a barrier to the
development of the story, how it relates to us.
Concepts . . .
 Film Appreciation –
appreciating the film out
of its goodness,
aesthetics and visually-
good and stunning
camera shots;
appreciate the film for its
diversity, appreciate
cultural diversity.
Film Dialogue

Focus - your inner self;self; as you watch, you

discover yourself, you make your journey to your
innermost being, you talk yourself through the
film and get attached with your senses, your
logic, your emotions and what the film for youyou..

“Mining the gold in films.
films.”

Focused on life’s experiences that has been called
by the film to surface - . “Inner Dialogue
Dialogue..”

Sharing with others and listening what others
have to say, and learn from them
them..
• Remember: All films have
values. But they depend so
much on the viewers’
viewpoints and perspectives.

• Films are reflective of realities.

• Films should be treated in the

light of spirituality and
meanings.
Main Objectives
of the Film Dialogue

 A better Christian understanding of

media stories
stories;;
 A process of dialogue, confrontation and
clarification;;
clarification
 Ordering and integration of experiences;
experiences;
 Growth in religious and spiritual
meaning;;
meaning
 Cultivation of the life of the spirit from a
Christian viewpoint.
viewpoint.
Sensibilities – Attitudes
towards Film Medium

Post Modern Film Theory:

Audience’s Perspective
Post Modern Film Theory
 What the audience gets or what impact it makes
on the viewers?
 How an audience receives message?
 What triggers their pattern of interpreting the
message?
 Why such impact which differ from one receiver
to the other?
 What is the connection between the audience
background and their way of reading the film?
Sensibilities – Attitudes
towards Film Medium

Modern Film
Theory

Director’s
Perspective
Modern Film Theory
 What the director tries to communicate?
 How symbols are used to get across his/her
message?
 Why such techniques are used in terms of shots,
transition, editing, lighting, sound effects,
musical scoring, location, props, casting or
portrayal of characters?
 Both theories
compliment each
other:
Technique and content
Director’s message and meaning
on the audience
 What is sensibility?
 Attitudes towards the
film medium is
audience perspective.
 Refers to: interests,
tastes and style of
individuals, groups of
culture.
Sensibilities . . .

 Interests
Sensibilities . . .

 Tastes

 Style
of individuals,
groups of culture
 Sensibility is a key idea for
helping us to appreciate our
differences in responding to
media and arts.
KEY FOCAL POINTS
OF SENSITIVITY

(Carl Jung, 1921 published

Personality Types)
Focal Points . . .
Focal Points . . .
Focal Points . . .
Focal Points . . .
Energy--Source
Energy
1. Extraversion
 Energized by the world out there, of people,
nature and situations.
 Left to ourselves for too long, feel drained and
need to seek company or be out and about.
2. Introversion
 Drained by having to be ‘out there’ too long and
regain energy by being ourselves
 Getting our energy from our inner world of
ideas, feelings, imagination
Pace
1. Deciders prefer that the movie gets going and
doesn’t delay. They want a rapid pace.
(commercial TV, music videos MTV,
government supported TV channels)
2. Data gatherers do not have that sense of
urgency and can relish what is on screen while
it is there.
Preferred Way of Observing – Impact
on the Senses
‘Sensate’ Type of ‘Intuitive’ Type of
Viewers Viewers
 Observe the detail of  Not so precise with
time and place details but can describe
 Focus on the present a general theme.
 Sensate types cannot  Notice the here and
quite appreciate how
the intuitive has not now but get an overall
noticed some crucial impression and then
detail right before their notice detail when they
eyes. are relevant.
Preferred Way of Observing –
Impact on the Senses
‘Sensate’ Type of
Viewers
 Sensate will respond
fully to color,
movement, forms.
 The more complex a
screenplay is, the more
difficult it may be for
the sensate to follow
and they may want to
give up while the
intuitive is enthralled.
‘Intuitive’ Type of
Viewers
 Intuitive types don’t feel
the need to notice the
detail.
 The more intuitive they
are, the less detail they
may notice.
 A film which relies on
sense detail or action
may not appeal to
intuitive.
Making Decisions –
Our Criteria
Subjective “feeling”
Objective“thinking” Approach
Approach  Prefer to be more
 Want the truth and go emotionally involved in
over it with clear the issue.
principles and logic.  Not so much a question
 Detached view of what of true or false, black or
is true or false, of what white; they might be
we judge to be right or grey area.
wrong.  Looking towards
 Confident in the goodness and harmony,
fairness of the decisions taking account of values
we make. and circumstances that
might alter the decision.
FILM AND SENSITIVITIES: Language,
Sexual Issues and Violence
 Film Sensibility indicates our interest, tastes and
styles. Within our sensibility, we are affected
differently by the treatment of the material.

We can ask why this is so and what are the

consequences.

 Film Sensitivity is a word about which we are

sensitive. It indicates how we are effected and
affected by what we see.
SENSITIVITIES . . .

 We can speak about the effect of – loud

noise, bright colors, too rapid movements,
being physically upset by violent scenes,
frightened by horror, breaking into laughter
through comedy. Sometimes it is just right.
Sometimes, it is too much.
 Varying Aspects
of Human Sensitivity
Delicacy
 Formation of a
‘delicate’
conscience
 This fine-tuning of
sensitivity should
lead to this kind of
‘delicacy’ of
sensitivity.
Aspects . . .
Fragility
 Fragility of sensitivity may
appear like a delicacy but,
rather, it is a sensitivity that
has been overprotected; not
been exposed to harsher
human realities.
Aspects . . .

Robustness
 In our real world of human
evil, the fine-tuning of a
sensitivity needs to be
robust, able to deal with
the brutality and be
compassionate to those
who suffer (rather than
avoiding the issue or, when
confronted by it, collapse or
become disillusioned).
Aspects . . .
Crassness
 The sensitivity not fine-
tuned but wallows in what
is ordinarily seen as
gratuitous is ‘crass’ or rude
or vulgar.
 Desensitization’ to
language and violence by
constant exposure or by
overexposure.
 With children, it is not that
they are desensitized but,
rather, they have not seen
through an adequate
training in sensitivity.
Area of Sensitivity
Area of Sensitivity . . .
Area of Sensitivity . . .
Now let’s experience
film dialogue…
 pelikula@titusbrandsma
Visit us at: www.pelikula-titusbrandsma.ph
Call us at 726-6054 / 09176270634