You are sitting in a film theatre. Only when the action on the screen and the reaction in your mind are united as one, "film" is taking place. This communication begins with "The Writing Process" and continued with "The Film Process", and concludes when the film finally (and hopefully) reaches its audience and is shown in a cinema - the process is never really over, the film is transferred to video or DVD and could be brought to life for a new generation through the vision of a different filmmaker. The film could also inspire a stage play, a novel, a television series, a documentary or even a series of paintings.

In analysing and evaluating film it is important to understand that film, like speech and writing, has a unique language that can only be fully comprehended through watching and studying film.

Cinephiles, and particularly those who want to write for a visual medium,  have to take two pairs of spectacles to the cinema: they should plunge into each film and surrender their whole beings to whatever the story demands; they should also watch it from a distance, judging it objectively as a work of art.

12 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE US WHEN WE VIEW SOMETHING:

1. Involuntary attention: You are walking your dog along a busy road. Suddenly, as a car races by, the driver blasts the horn! You nearly leap out of your skin and your dog barks. Both you and your dog were suddenly influenced by a loud sound. Your attention was involuntarily disrupted.
   
2. Voluntary attention: Whenever you pay attention to one specific activity rather than to another, you are voluntarily choosing between alternatives.
   
3. Intensity and size:  Intense sounds and larger objects draw the attention.
   
4. Novelty or contrast: Filmmakers try and make their films stand out by finding a unique angle - something to set their particular film apart from the crowd. Filmmakers try to outdo the films made before in a similar genre. They use novelty and contrast to make a film more interesting.
   
5. Movement: We're fascinated by movement because the entire world moves. Leaves on the trees move in the wind, cars speed by. Filmmakers are aware that film is a moving art form. They constantly attempt to find ways to keep the film moving.
   
6. Motivation:  When we feel like doing something, we are motivated. Our motivation depends a great deal on our voluntary and involuntary attention and on our past experience. The filmmaker uses other techniques to hold our attention and to motivate us to continue watching the film: colour, beautiful dissolves, fast cutting from one scene to another, etc.
   
7. Set patterns: As individuals become older, they become more set in their patterns of thinking. When we see films, we should keep in mind that "set" is a part of all human beings. It is a kind of influence that gets in the way and doesn't allow us to see clearly the ideas presented in films.
   
8. Past experience: When we see a film, we are bringing with us our total past life experience. If you have little experience with more sophisticated films, you may find concepts, ideas, and visual images and techniques that are unfamiliar. As you see more films, you begin to build a background of past experiences that will enable you to make connections and see relationships.
   
9. Mind and body: Mental attitude, or the physical condition of your body also influence how you perceive films.
   
10. Surroundings: The physical condition of the room helps to influence how you perceive film. Is there a light on in the room? Is the room dark? Too hot?
    
11. Conformity: People are very much influenced by other people. Although most people think of themselves as individuals, and many like to think they are nonconformists, most psychologists agree that people are influenced by others because of their inner need for acceptance.
    
12. Prejudices: Each individual watching a film sees it his or her own unique way. No two people will see and hear exactly the same thing.
    

1. The Idea: What is the premise? The premise is the basic idea: if the premise is 'family is more imporant than becoming the most imporant artist of your time', does the film succeed in showing us how imporant family is, and why family is more imporant that indivual freedom? Is the premise original and compared to other films with the same premise, is it unique, fresh and original? In exploring the idea you have to also define the concept: Is it high concept (an event driven story, where the events cause the story to happen and unfold); or a character driven narrative (where the actions of the characters allow the events to unfold).  High concept stories should be filled with physical action and spectacular adventure. Low Concept stories will deal with the internal and external conflicts of the characters.  A film can be high and low concept, offering a balance of both. An idea is usually fresh and invigorating if told from the storytellers unique culture, history and personal experience. The concept was original, refreshing and captivating. It was a meaningful experience.  You left the cinema with food for thought and took the story home with you. It introduced you to new ideas, new worlds, new experiences and made you think about issues that were covered in the story. You laughed, cried and were scared and responded to whatever the story demanded. 
   
2. Genre: What type of story is it and does it kive up to its expectations? If it is a thriller, was it filled with supense, or a horror that scared you to death? Does the story fullfil the conventions of its genre, or re-invent genre? Genre conventions will give the story unique characters, events and specific settings.
   
3. Theme (Thought or idea). Ideas convey the meaning of events and expresses what the writer/filmmaker believes about why things happen, what we can learn from them, about the meaning of life and the human condition. It is abstract issues and feelings that grow out of the dramatic action. Does the film deal with good and evil? Romance? Greed? Courage? Revenge?  It could be a large theme like the "futility of existence"; or it can be smaller, it could be "family life is great", 'the underdog triumphs',  'triumph of the human spirit', 'coming of age'. Most films that are dramatically successful express some underlying idea that has universal appeal for audiences, who can identify with the characters and situations. Most stories have more than one theme. This is what causes conflict and drama.
   
4. Action and Plot: The plot is the arrangement of actions designed to tell the story. Don't confuse effective dramatic action with activities. A dramatic action is an act performed by a character which in turn causes another character to perform yet another action. Good drama builds a chain of such actions from the beginning of the play right up to the end.  Story is what happens. Plot is how the what happens. The plot is the story developed from beginning to end. If the plot is executed successfully, the film will make sense. If the plot is confusing, the audience will get lost and not be able to follow the journey the characters went on.
   
5. Character (s): The character (s) must compel the audience's attention. Audiences want characters that will take them on a journey both foreign and familiar. Interest in character is generated both by the audience's familiarity with the character's goal and by the actions the character performs to achieve that goal. The actors brought the characters to life and added their own individual and unique dimension. How were the development of the characters.
   
6. Language or Verbal Expression: Most of the film's action and meaning will be articulated through what a character says, how a character speaks. Good dialogue will tell an audience what it needs to know and will create an event, change the dynamic of the plot, and alter the character's lives.  It is action orientated and must deliver exposition (what has happened), depict action (what is happening), and promise future action (what may happen).
   
7. Sound: There are three types of sound in film: dialogue, music and sound effects. You understood what the characters were saying. The music contributed to the theme, story, and characters. The sound effects were startling and dazzling, and pulled the audience into the story. Music has always played a major part in film - as song, as music for dance, in opera, in musicals and as incidental music. Audiences respond to music in physical, emotional and intellectual ways. Language is about words, but the sound of those words can be musical. In film, as in life, audiences need music; it is a vital part of the human experience. The music contributed to the theme, story, and characters.
   
8. Spectacle, Image or Visual Adornment: Spectacle makes audiences say "Wow". This could be achieved in big special effects, or in small effects gestures (the lighting of a candle). It is primarily a visual element (framed action). The costumes, production design and make up will contribute to the spectacle, authenticity and enhances the illusion of reality.
   
9. Cinematography and Lighting: It was an overall visual experience. The visual images contributed to the story, mood and setting. It was not a travelogue or catalogue to some foreign destination. You could smell and taste the food, feel the heat, and felt uncomfortable when the character entered a strange or dangerous environment.
   
10. Editing: There was pace, rhythm and tempo. The audience was involved in the action and captivated by the silence of a dramatic, internal confrontation. You understood what the characters were feeling and going through and felt exhausted after the car chase.
    
11. Direction: The director did tell the story visually. He understood the story, theme, situations and characters. He moved the audience emotionally.
    
12. Personal taste: The film worked for you though it was not your favourite genre. You will watch it again. Buy the video or DVD. Your personal comment on how you viewed/ experienced the film and how it affected you is is not a review, but your point of view.