Realism and formalism

Realism and formalism are two different styles of film. Realism film aims to produce a film that is based on events in everyday life. A formalist film is used to entertain the audience and is generally not based on everyday life.

These two styles of film use different techniques for effect to convey these styles. Realism films usually contains long takes without quick edits, special effects or transitions. It often excludes non-diegetic sound and uses natural lighting. Realism film also uses natural sets without anything added to it for effect. Story lines are realistic with no point of view, and simple camera shots are used for a realistic effect. The camera can also be handheld to again portray a realistic approach or symbolize a figure. There are also parts of the script that don't relate to the plot what so ever. Some realism films use unknown actors. An example of a film like this is This is England. The film has a realistic narrative structure and character. It is set in the 1980's, the era of the skinheads and the film aims to accurately show this. Racism is also brought up in the film to show the time the film was shot and this adds to its realism. The film's mis en scene also adds to the film's realism, with an effective setting of a small English town, as well as believable character looks. Furthermore, the main character position was auditioned on the town the film was to be shot and audtioned young boys from around the town. However the boy that got the part, (Thomas Turgoose) didn't audition at first, and was spotted by one of the film's producer, found playing on the street with his friends. He went in for an audition and turned out to be perfect for the part. All of these techniques gel together to produce a life like effect, a realist film.

A formalist film is simply the opposite of realism, and aims to produce an entertaining film. Often, formalist films use a large amount of special effects and non-diagetic sounds to create a dramatic effect. Formalist films are generally set in un-realistic settings, occasionally in fantasy settings, while artificial lighting and props can also be used. The characters often contain a hero and a villain, and the narrative is usually unrealistic. Camera effects are used well, with a variety of camera shots and angles, with quick and rapid editing. An example of a formalist film is Die Hard, which uses a wide variety of special effects as it aims to create a dramatic effect.