Articles for tag: Costuming, Cultural Expression, Foreign Film, Society

April 25, 2025

Jeremy Towsey-French

The Narrative Power of Costuming in Film

In today’s class, our Big Screen Video Inspiration opener focussed on costuming as the main event of a motion picture. For this, I selected the following clip from the fantastic 1994 Australian film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert  (Directed by Stephan Elliott / Costumes by Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner / Cinematography by Brian J. Breheny). This film introduced us to Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving, while reintroducing the world to the great Terence Stamp. Backed by a meager $20,000 budget (Oz dollars), Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner won the Oscar for costume design at the 1995 Academy Awards.

April 9, 2025

Jeremy Towsey-French

Scene Analysis: Moonlight

Today’s class kicked off with an analysis of the beautiful water scene in the 2016 film, Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins. I’ve included some analysis slides below for a summary of our analysis. The water scene in Moonlight, where Juan teaches young Chiron (“Little”) to swim, is a pivotal moment of cinematic and storytelling excellence. Director Barry Jenkins uses the ocean as a powerful symbol of transformation and acceptance. The cinematography, often placing the camera at water level, immerses the viewer in Chiron’s experience, highlighting his vulnerability and the burgeoning trust he places in Juan. The natural light and the fluid