Cinematic storytelling

the long version

Dialog is one of the best known, and obvious, elements in a film. But the language of cinema is more subtle and sophisticated than dialog alone. From Metropolis to Kill Bill, this remarkable reference guide reveals 100 of the most potent storytelling tools of the film medium. It demonstrates how master screenwriters and directors depend on cinematic devices to pump up action, create characters, and energize a motion picture's plot. Cinematic Storytelling compresses 100 years of film history, outlining the important connection between film technique and storytelling. It shows how the purposeful use of film techniques like lighting, editing, and sound can evoke audience emotions like fear, hatred, or anger without a word of dialog. It demonstrates how character values and themes are expressed cumulatively over time and nonverbally. In this, the reader is given both the critical tools to better understand modern moviemaking and the creative tools to more fully exploit the dramatic potential of the medium. - Back cover.