CMAf12 Film Noir and the Arts of Lighting

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Patrick Keating (lecturer), Mgr. Radomír D. Kokeš, Ph.D. (deputy)
Mgr. Šárka Jelínek Gmiterková, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Mgr. Radomír D. Kokeš, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Radomír D. Kokeš, Ph.D.
Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Radomír D. Kokeš, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 14. 10. 16:00–19:40 C33, Tue 15. 10. 12:00–13:40 C33, 16:00–17:40 C33, Wed 16. 10. 10:00–13:40 C33, Thu 17. 10. 8:00–11:40 C33, Fri 13. 12. 9:00–13:40 K23
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
More than any other set of films from the classical era, the Hollywood film noir is known for its lighting: the cast shadows, the blinking street signs, the eyes sparkling in the darkness. Each effect is rich in symbolism, evoking a world of danger and doppelgangers. But what happens if we set aside the symbolism? This lecture series offers a new account of film noir lighting, grounded in a larger theory of Hollywood cinematography as emotionally engaging storytelling. Above all, noir lighting is dynamic, switching from darkness to brightness and back again as characters change, locations shift, and fates unfold.
Learning outcomes
Students will learn a new account of film noir lighting, grounded in a larger theory of Hollywood cinematography as emotionally engaging storytelling.
Syllabus
  • In addition to the role of cinematography in Hollywood history, the possibilities and methods of its analysis and an explanation of its principles on the example of film noir, the lecture series will also work with a number of analyses of specific films, e.g. The Asphalt Jungle, Sorry, Wrong Number, Odds against Tomorrow, The Letter, I Wake Up Screaming, Phantom Lady, Strangers on a Train, Sweet Smell of Success, Gaslight, Secret beyond the Door, and Touch of Evil.
  • PATRICK KEATING is a professor in the Department of Communication at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He is not only a leading expert on the history of Hollywood cinematography and lighting, but also a professional cinematographer. He is the author of books Hollywood Lighting from the Silent Era to Film Noir (2009), The Dynamic Frame: Camera Movement in Classical Hollywood (2019) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2021).
Literature
  • KEATING, Patrick. The dynamic frame : camera movement in classical Hollywood. New York: Columbia University Press, 2019, xi, 349. ISBN 9780231190503. info
  • KEATING, Patrick. Hollywood lighting from the silent era to film noir. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010, xi, 296. ISBN 9780231149037. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, screenings
Assessment methods
The 100% attendance at the lectures is compulsory and will be checked throughout every lecture (with the exception of distance students who are allowed to miss two out of the six sessions). Written test (the preliminary one and the final one)
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught only once.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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