Basics Film-Making 04: The Language of Film explores the means by which film communicates meaning.
Most films are a mosaic of fractured images and fragmented narratives, yet we have little problem piecing them together into a complete, meaningful sequence. The average audience is capable of following the most labyrinthine plots, feeling genuine emotion for characters, and believing that their worlds continue to exist even after the film has ended.
This book discusses the stories films tell, the sign-systems they deploy, the interpretive contexts we are invited to place them in, and the range of aesthetic elements which contribute to the cinematic image.