Unlike most other arts, film depends on the psychology of perception for its effect. We’ll introduce this basic idea by examining the curious phenomenon of persistence of vision, then move on to describe and explore the three basic forces of movies:

1. Mise-en-scène
2. Montage
3. The moving camera

It should take 5 hours to complete this lesson’s material.

After successfully completing this lesson, you will be able to:

• Understand the basic psychological theories that make movies work.
• See how the two techniques of montage and mise-en-scène interact to produce the movie experience.
• Describe how the moving camera is used by filmmakers to create a new artistic point of view.

During this lesson, you will complete the following activities:

• At the Movies: North by Northwest: We’ll watch Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. As one of the master’s greatest films, it offers numerous examples of superior mise-en-scène, montage, and camera movement.
• Outside the Theater: Designing a Tracking Shot: In this activity, you’ll try your hand at creating your own tracking shot, either with a camera or with paper and pencil, and share your ideas with the rest of us.