AndAction
AndAction
An action for cinema literacy
(Coming soon)
An action for cinema literacy
(Coming soon)
The Name
And… Action!” is one of the most iconic phrases in filmmaking. Used by directors worldwide, it marks the exact moment when preparation gives way to performance and stories come to life.
More than a simple command on set, it has come to symbolize the beginning of every cinematic journey.
The Purpose
The phrase also carries a deliberate double meaning: it pays tribute to the traditions of cinema while serving as a call to purpose —
An action for cinema literacy.
It seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the language through which films are made, experienced, and appreciated.
The Identity
The defining color of AndAction is Cinema Burgundy (#A32E4C). Drawing inspiration from the velvet curtains of grand theatres, historic auditoriums, and the red carpet, it embodies cinema's enduring heritage. The color evokes passion, scholarship, craftsmanship, and cultural prestige, reflecting both the legacy of the art form and its ongoing pursuit of excellence.
The Inspiration
AndAction was inspired by an interview in which Martin Scorsese argued for teaching visual literacy directly, and early.
One has to begin, I think, to reach younger people at an earlier age for that to shape their minds in that critical way—a critical way of looking at these images, what they mean, and how to interpret imagery.
I think, in a more official way, rather than just punching something up on a computer or seeing something on a TV commercial or something like that, you really need to know how ideas and emotions are expressed through a visual form.
Now, that form could be video or film. It probably eventually would be digital video for a long period, for a long time to come, but it still has the same rules, and it still has the same vocabulary. And it still has the same grammar.
The grammar is panning left and right, tracking in or out, booming up and down, intercutting a certain way, the use of a close-up as opposed to a medium shot. What is a medium shot? What is a long shot? All these sorts of things, and how do you use all these elements, the different kinds of lighting, to make an emotional, psychological point to an audience?
I think we have to begin to teach our younger people how to use this very powerful tool because we know film—the image—can be so strong, not only for good use, but also for bad.
— Martin Scorsese, "On the Importance of Visual Literacy," Edutopia, 23 October 2006