1. Did you know that some of the elements of modern cinematography date back as far as 900 B.C.? Visit http://www.precinemahistory.net for an extended timeline. What part did the camera obscura and the magic lantern play in developing a system of monocular perspective on which Renaissance painting, photography, and eventually motion pictures would be based? What were some of the techniques of early photography that continue to determine the look and texture of period films today? What were some of the mechanical devices for recording and/or reproducing motion that preceded the advent of film? When and where did the first film screening take place? You will find the answers to these and many other questions at the site.
2. The article "On Visual Design and Staging in Casablanca" (http://imv.au.dk/publikationer/pov/Issue_14/section_1/artc10A.html) by Jakob Isak Nielsen is actually less about visual design prior to shooting than about the staging, framing, and composition of shots. Read through the article, paying particular attention to its descriptions and diagrams of shots from Casablanca. What does Nielsen mean by "aperture framings"? In his view, in addition to filling out the composition, how do they help to direct the viewer's attention, evoke mood, and perhaps have metaphorical and thematic implications for the film as a whole?
