From a certain distance the eye picks out the impressive building of the Overlook Hotel. The long shot on the hotel, taken in a central position in the scenic framework, establishes a state of apparent serenity, in which, however, a sort of instinctive oppression occurs, due to the prominence of the building in the shot.

Danny runs around this environment on his tricycle. The steadycam is following him closely, at a child height, according to a double purpose: to create involvement in the scene and to provide a partial view of the picture that produces anxiety. The same concern is created by the alternate noises of the tricycle’s wheels on wooden floors and carpets.

Each sequence of a film is not the result of a random choice. The director’s choice, of course, but not only. The camera angle, the type of lighting, colour preference, the space cut, give the visual sense of the cinematic image. The assembly, the time solution, the score’s sound adherence, support the narrative content of the story.

In front of a film you can passively receive the visual succession, or develop a network of information that enables us to "read" a certain passage, as well as fully perceive the film’s meaning and expression.

The cinema course for schools answers the need for a more conscious and critical reading, through an alternating informative or practical approach, easier to understand thanks to the constant projection of scenic frames and pieces of film. The aim is being able to provide basic tools for the knowledge of cinema, useful for reading films, being it Shining by Stanley Kubrick or any other story on the big screen.

By Francesca Lenzi