Directing, 5th Edition

CHAPTER 10

FORM AND STYLE

 

 

The screenplay is content rather than form. Form is how that content appears on the screen and form should never be approached as a merely functional vehicle. A film that delivers a memora-ble and intriguing impact usually has a form special to the story’s purpose and themes. Norman McLaren’s short Neighbours (1952) makes stunning use of pixilation. This creates a powerfully allegorical tone and enhances the film’s theme about men, possessions, and territory. Chris Marker’s unforgettable futuristic fable La Jetée (1962) is told entirely in still photos with just a few seconds of movement in a single mysterious shot (Figure 10-1).

Possibilities in form, seemingly unlimited, are to a large extent circumscribed by the ...