Final answer:
French New Wave filmmakers separated their work from classic Hollywood cinema by adopting a naturalistic style, shooting on location, utilizing handheld cameras, employing jump cuts, and focusing on personal and political themes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The filmmakers who initiated the French New Wave sought to distinguish their work from classic Hollywood cinema by employing various innovative techniques and storytelling methods. Unlike the structured, formulaic approach prevalent in Hollywood productions, French New Wave directors utilized a more naturalistic and free-form style.
French New Wave auteurs like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut rebelled against the traditional filmmaking conventions by shooting on location, using handheld cameras for a more intimate and spontaneous feel, and employing jump cuts for a fragmented narrative. Through these practices, they infused their films with a personal touch and self-reflexivity that was significantly different from Hollywood's more polished and narrative-driven approach. However, the French New Wave directors still maintained a respect for cinema as an art form, often referencing film history and making use of cinematic language in innovative ways.
Further distinguishing themselves from Hollywood norms, French New Wave filmmakers often tackled social issues and political themes, reflecting the changing times and drawing from their own experiences. The movement's influence is still felt today, as it ushered in a modernist perspective to cinema that inspired filmmakers around the world.