Research of Film Styles for Short Film

What is an auteur?
Auteur theory is when a film reflects the director’s personal creative vision, as if he were the author. It is often easy to tell when a certain director has directed a film, as their ‘auteur’ is similar to other films of theirs. Auteur theory has had a major impact on film criticism since it was advocated by Francois Truffaut, a film director and critic, in 1954. It is the analysis of a film’s theory or characteristics of a director’s work that makes them an auteur. Auteurism is often associated with the French New Wave.

What is Cinema Verite?
Cinema verite is a style of documentary filmmaking which combines naturalistc techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing, camerawork, the use of the camera to provoke subjects and staged set-ups. Cinema verite is associated with taking a provocative stance toward its topics. Differences in cinema verite include whether the audience are aware of the camera or not.

What is avant-garde film?
Avant-garde film is a range of filmmaking styles that differ from the practices of mainstream commercial and documentary filmmaking. This is also known as experimental film. An avant-garde film can be noted by the absence of linear narrative and the use of various abstracting techniques such as out of focus, scratching on the film or rapid editing. The uses of non-diegetic sound or having no sound track at all are also characteristics of avant-garde film. Avant-garde films are usually low budget with little crew.

What is film noir?
Film noir is a term which describes Hollywood crime dramas. These films can include emphasis on cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. The film noir period was from the early 1940’s to the late 1950’s. These films involved a low key black and white visual style with roots in German Expressionist cinematography. The ideas of film noir products derive from the crime fiction that emerged during the Depression in the USA.

What is French New Wave about?
The French new wave was a term given by critics to a group of French filmmakers from the late 1950’s and 1960’s. They were influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of classical cinematic form and youthful iconoclasm. Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of a culture’s religious icons and other symbols by the culture itself. The French New Wave is an example of European art cinema.