Formalist film theory

Okay kiddo, you know how you have a favorite toy, and you love playing with it because it's fun?

Well, some grown-ups also have a favorite thing they love, and it's watching movies!

But watching movies is not just about having fun, it can also be a job or a way to study how movies are made.

One way some teachers and grown-ups study movies is called "formalist film theory."

This means they focus on how movies are made, and how things like camera angles, lighting, music, and even how long a shot lasts can make you feel different emotions.

Think about it like putting together a puzzle. Each puzzle piece represents a different part of the movie, and when they all fit together, you can see the whole picture.

The workers who make movies use these puzzle pieces when they're making a movie and put them together to create a story and make you feel certain things.

So, when people study movies using formalist film theory, they try to figure out what puzzle pieces the creators used and why they chose those pieces. They also try to understand how all of the puzzle pieces work together to create an overall experience.

Does that make sense to you, kiddo?