The Texture of Film

Films tell stories, create worlds and draw you into the reality of the characters. The way they do so is a question of texture. How is something like the texture of a film created? In this new, lively course, the many different aspects of film texture are unravelled by film journalist Kevin Toma (de Volkskrant) with the assistance of two guest speakers, illustrated by exciting film excerpts from classic and contemporary cinema. This in-depth, yet light-hearted voyage of discovery will teach you to look with pleasure, awareness and receptiveness at the texture of film – ranging from the precise choices of the director to the little flaws that give a film its personality. 

It is also possible to follow the individual lectures. Click on the green button to register for the whole series, or on the links below to register for an individual lecture.

UPCOMING:

Course evening 2: Exploring colour: every shade of cinema
Lennart Soberon, 17 March
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The use of colour forms an essential aspect of a film’s mise-en-scène. Whether it’s the candy-box look of Wes Anderson or the phantasmagoric dream landscapes of Dario Argento, colours are an important way for filmmakers to design their textured universe. This lecture teases the eye with an account of the technological, artistic and political aspects of film colours. Besides a historical overview of the mechanical and chemical processes that form the foundation of colour, we also look at the emotional and ideological repercussions that are involved in creative choices. Restorative debates and film-analytical feuds are among the subjects discussed in a lecture about why the tiniest visual detail is important. From now on, no shade of red will ever look the same.

Course evening 3: Inaudible melodies – about the film music of the 21st century
Kevin Toma, 24 March
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When was the last time you left the cinema with the film music still going round your head? There’s a good chance it was a long time ago. While we associate film music with the very distinctive, sing-along sounds of composers like John Williams (E.T., Harry Potter) and Ennio Morricone (Once Upon a Time in the West), in contemporary soundtracks there appears to be little scope for melodies any more. The style of modern film music is characterised by textures and repeated patterns, whether you’re listening to Christopher Nolan’s Batman films or to intimate arthouse dramas like All of Us Strangers. What’s the background of this development, and are there still catchy film melodies to be found? Kevin Toma gets to the bottom of it with you.

Course evening 4: The various functions of costumes
Basje Boer, 7 April
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What does clothing say about a character? What do their hairdo, make-up or accessories say? Costumes give filmmakers the opportunity to convey information about the characters outside the plot or dialogue, for example about their character, ideology or background. But costumes can also be part of the plot. They can underline the themes of the film, have a symbolic value or convey a particular mood. In this lecture, Basje Boer gives examples of the various functions of costumes in films. She zooms in on iconic items of clothing and legendary costume designers, talks about the crazes unleashed by some films and reflects on the role played by make-overs in films.

Course evening 5: The shadow of the microphone
Kevin Toma, 14 April
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However much time and attention is given to films, a microphone can still accidently be seen in shot sometimes, or a shot may be more out of focus than intended. Such blunders can bother us and even take us completely out of the film experience, whereas at the same time they are an honest testimony to the human handiwork behind every film. This final session chooses to take the latter perspective and to pay tribute to the flaws of films: their scratches and marks, their shaky images, their editing boo-boos and their secretly bungling actors. So that from now on films will become even better when you spot the shadow of the cameraman.

PAST LECTURES IN THIS SERIES:

Course evening 1: What is film texture? 
Kevin Toma, 10 March

In this introductory session, we look at what we mean by film texture. How does the camerawork, editing and costume design give a film its own specific character and temperament? What makes one film hip and another energetic or dreamy? And is there also something like over-textured film or even textureless film? Moving from national and historical film textures to the texture of film genres, Kevin Toma shows how a maker can put their own textural mark on a film. The session addresses things like the ambience of opening scenes and the finest shot in the history of film.