3.5: Cinematic Stillness and the Power of "Ma"

Purpose:

This assignment invites you to explore how cinematography creates Ma—the deliberate use of stillness, pause, or space—to enhance storytelling. Using a scene from one of the selected films, you will analyze how cinematographers employ techniques like framing, negative space, and camera movement to craft these intentional pauses. Your journal entry will propose updates or expansions to the textbook’s Cinematography section, emphasizing Ma's contribution to narrative rhythm and emotional depth.

Assignment Overview:

Choose a scene from one of the following films:

• 13 Assassins (Takashi Miike)
• Adrift in Tokyo (Satoshi Miki)
• Beyond the Two Infinite Minutes (Junta Yamaguchi)
• Kubi (Takeshi Kitano)
• The Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa)

Analyze how the cinematography in your chosen scene creates Ma by using framing, camera movement, or composition. Specifically, consider how these elements contribute to moments of stillness or space that emphasize emotion, tension, or reflection within the narrative.

Your analysis will also propose a textbook contribution to expand on the idea of Ma as a visual and temporal concept in cinematography, offering new examples and insights for future students.

Prompts:

1. Framing, Negative Space, and Ma

Objective: Analyze a scene where framing and composition create moments of Ma.

Questions to Consider:

• How does the arrangement of characters or objects within the frame emphasize stillness or silence?
• How does the use of wide shots, close-ups, or empty spaces amplify the effect of Ma?
• Does the framing draw the viewer’s attention to pauses or moments of introspection within the narrative?

Textbook Contribution:
Propose a textbook section that explains how framing and negative space can create Ma, using your selected scene to illustrate the emotional impact of these choices.

Example:
In 13 Assassins, Takashi Miike uses a wide shot of the forest path before the final battle, with the samurai positioned in stillness. The symmetrical composition and vast negative space emphasize the calm before the storm, creating Ma that allows the audience to feel the weight of the impending conflict.

2. Camera Movement and Ma

Objective: Explore how deliberate camera movement or stillness creates temporal pauses in storytelling.

Questions to Consider:

• Does the camera’s stillness heighten a sense of pause or reflection?
• How does a slow pan, tilt, or tracking shot establish rhythm and Ma within the scene?
• Does the cinematography use these pauses to create anticipation or emphasize emotional shifts?

Textbook Contribution:
Expand on the textbook’s camera movement section, introducing Ma as a tool for pacing. Provide examples from your scene to demonstrate how cinematographers balance motion and stillness.

Example:
In Beyond the Two Infinite Minutes, the camera lingers on an empty monitor after a character leaves the frame, creating Ma that underscores the disorientation of the time loop. The momentary stillness allows viewers to process the narrative complexity before the next chaotic sequence.

3. Composition and Rhythm in Ma

Objective: Analyze how the rhythm of the cinematography creates Ma.

Questions to Consider:

• How does the scene’s composition establish a sense of balance or tension?
• Are moments of pause framed to guide the audience’s focus or evoke emotion?
• Does the cinematography allow the environment or setting to "breathe" in a way that creates Ma?

Textbook Contribution:
Propose a textbook revision that explores the role of composition in creating rhythmic pauses. Use your analysis to explain how cinematographers visually craft Ma through intentional stillness.

Example:
In Adrift in Tokyo, Satoshi Miki uses static shots of characters walking aimlessly through empty streets. The long takes and balanced compositions invite the audience to dwell on the quiet beauty of the mundane, creating Ma that mirrors the characters’ introspection.

Submission Details

Deliverables:

• Scene Analysis:
  A 500-word journal entry analyzing your chosen scene, focusing on how Ma is visually constructed and its narrative function.
• Textbook Contribution:
  Provide a clear, concise update or addition to the textbook’s Cinematography section, offering new concepts and examples related to Ma.

Formatting:

• MLA formatting for citations, including your chosen film.
• Use cinematography terms such as "framing," "negative space," "tracking shot," or "composition."

Evaluation Criteria:

• Depth of Analysis: Demonstrates a thoughtful, detailed examination of Ma and its relationship to cinematography.
• Textbook Contribution: Provides clear, insightful updates that enhance the Cinematography section with examples and practical concepts.
• Terminology: Effectively incorporates cinematographic terminology.
• Presentation: Organized, well-written submission with proper formatting.

Why Ma Matters in Cinematography

Ma—as a visual and temporal concept—goes beyond silence to include how filmmakers use space, pacing, and pauses in their cinematographic choices. This assignment encourages you to see how stillness and emptiness can be as powerful as action or movement, revealing new dimensions of storytelling through the lens. By contributing your analysis to the textbook, you’ll help future students understand how cinematographers use Ma to shape the rhythm and emotional impact of a film.