Architecture in Cinema Series – Elements

Elements create a strong effect on both art and architecture. Art hereby discussed is the Cinema (a wider and popular medium). Elements are important for both Spacemaking and Film making.

Inside the Jewish Museum, Berlin. copyright to https://www.denisesakov.com/
Both Cinema and Architecture have lots of similarities. as the prime aspect of both is to create an experience for its users. Elements are created and adopted in such a way to enhance their experience. For example, The Jewish Museum, Berlin by Architect Daniel Libeskind creates an emotional connection to the Jews feelings inside the concentration camps or gas bunkers for its users.
Similarly in the movie’ Requiem for a Dream’ by Darren Aronofsky creates a feeling of getting high while taking drugs by editing shots in a different way. The shot is edited with fast-motion, slow-motion, zoom in and zoom out which is called ‘hip-hop montage’ by the director.
Montage of the whole movie. copyright to https://www.thecinemaholic.com/
Elements are both physical as well as aesthetic. Architect Yatin Pandya speaks about these elements in his book ‘ The elements of space making’. He mentions that Wall, Floor, Roof, Door, Column, Window, Stairs as the physical elements involved in creating a space. Filmmaking also has certain elements to itself such as plot, visuals, dialogues, Scenes, Characters, Resolution, etc.

Both Architecture and Cinema share a few elements to a major extent such as Light, shadows, background, colors and nature, etc. Few times elements do a predominant role in both different domains. These elements also act in a balanced and subtle way to enhance the whole experience for the users/audiences.

Lights and shadows in the IIM Ahmedabad by Louis Kahn.
Here the Institute is filled with openings all over the spaces. This is created as the institute is operated predominantly in the daytime. The sunlight here is taken seriously and let into the building effectively to reduce the artificial light usages by the architect.
In this movie, the room of the protagonist plays an important role. It is characterized by the light source and its movement. This scene portrays that the room has a window facing the roadside. In the whole movie, window is not shown from inside the house. With its light source movement and shadows, it is portrayed in such a way.
Lights and shadows in the movie ‘Thuppakki’. Cinematographer Santhosh Sivan.
Artificial lights & Sources, as well as Natural lights, plays a major role in architecture as well as in movies. Light source and direction determine the experiences of the user.

Hereby there will be a series of blogs to understand the similarities between both domains. There will be a clear explanation of the elements related to them.

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