The Dancing Camera: Towards a theory of musical movement in film practice (original) (raw)

This article explores the similarities between narrative film and Western tonal music in terms of form and structure as well as the experiences and affect the two can create through certain techniques. The author uses dance as a bridge between the aural and the visual, as dance is often considered to be the most primary mode of visual expression of music in human cultural history. The main argument is that film can evoke experiences similar to those of music better than dance due to the latter’s limitations set by the human body. A detailed analysis of the three art forms combined with psychological and biological theories about their perception allows for in-depth comparison while selected case studies help to illustrate how musicality of film has been used in practice. The aim of the article is to encourage thinking of film form in alternative ways, from the perspective of a composer.