Cinematography

The use of storyboards and extensive concept art, as seen above, helped to form the moody and interesting look of Citizen Kane. In a way, this is a natural visual effect in that it is a manipulation of a set based on the imagination of an artist.

The aspect of Citizen Kane that it is likely most known for is its cinematography. The most unique aspect of Citizen Kane is the use of black and white film, coupled with a subtle use of 1940’s visual effects to create a standard in look and feel for films, both black-and-white and color. As seen in the clip below, the use of matte paintings, cross-fades, contrast, lighting, and visually interesting imagery creates a feel unlike other movies of the time.

The film Wizard of Oz was being created at the same time as Citizen Kane. It had a much larger budget, more experienced talent, used extensive matte paintings and make-up, and was shot mostly in color. With all this, it still does not come close to the overall mood and intrigue of Citizen Kane because of the cinematography. Citizen Kane's overall look is a landmark not because of an abundance of visual effects, but because it was one of the first to integrate visual effects in a way that did not compromise the film. Even many modern movies tend to exploit visual effects, rather than use them only where they really shine, such as in Citizen Kane.