film study terms

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Film Study Terms

Frame

Dividing line between the edges of the screen image and the enclosing darkness of the theater

Single photo of film

Camera Shots & AnglesCinematic shots are defined by the amount of

subject matter within the frameShots can vary in duration

Shots vary in time from “subliminal” (a few frames) to “quick” (less than a second) to “average” (more than a second but less than a

minute) to “lengthy” (more than a minute)

Long Shot

Shot taken from a great distance, almost always an exterior shot, shows much of locale

Medium Shot

A shot taken from a sufficient distance to show a landscape, a building, or a large crowd

Close-Up

The viewing field shows part of no more than one or two people in the frame, usually only upper body, or faces

Extreme Close-Up

A shot of a small object or part of a face that fills the screen

Zoom In

Not a camera movement, but a shift in the focal length of the camera lens to give the impression that the camera is getting closer to or farther from an object

Types of AnglesThe angle is determined by where the camera

is placed not the subject matter Angles can serve as commentary on the subject

matter

Point of View:Over the Shoulder Shot

Usually contains two figures, one with his/her back to the camera, and the other facing the camera

Bird’s Eye View or From Overhead

Camera is placed directly overheadExtremely disorientingViewer is godlike

High Angle or From Above

Camera looks down at what is being photographed

Takes away power of subject, makes it insignificant

Gives a general overview

Low Angle or From Below

Camera is located below subject matterIncreases height and power of subject

Oblique Angle

Lateral tilt of the camera so that figures appear to befalling out of the frame

Suggests tension and transitionSometimes used as the point of view of a

drunk

Point of View (POV)

A shot taken from the vantage point a particular character, or what a character sees

“Eye-Level”

Roughly 5 to 6 feet off the ground, the way an actual observer might view a scene Most common

Camera Movement

Pan

The camera moves horizontally on a fixed base

Tilt

The camera points up or down from a fixed base

Tracking (dolly) shot

The camera moves through space on a wheeled truck (or dolly), but stays in the same plane

Getting from Scene to Scene

Cut to

Transition between scenes when one scenes ends and another one begins

Most common

Dissolve to

A gradual transition in which the end of one scene is superimposed over the beginning of a new one

Fade-out/Fade in

A scene gradually goes dark or a new one gradually emerges from darkness

Lighting

High Key Light• High-key lighting is a style of lighting that aims to reduce

the light contrast present in the scene.

• done partly for technological reasons, since early film and

television did not deal well with high contrast ratios, but

now is used to create an upbeat mood

• often used in sitcoms and comedies.

• High-key lighting is usually free from dark shadows

high-key lighting fails to add meaning or drama by lighting

certain parts more prominently than others

Low Key LightLow key light shows

the contours of an object by throwing areas into light or shadow while the fill light provides partial illumination in the shadow areas to prevent a distracting contrast between bright and dark

Low key refers to any scene with a high contrast ratio, especially if there is more dark area than light

BacklightingThe main source of light is

behind the subject, silhouetting it, and directed toward the camera

refers to the process of illuminating the subject from the back The back light is sometimes called

hair /shoulder light, because when lighting an actor/actress, backlighting will cause the edges of his or her hair to glow if he or she has fuzzy hair.

Voice OverA character’s voice is

heard while he/she is not in the scene

Examples: character might be dead, might be narrating to give more information about the situations, might be providing the voice as another character reads, etc.)

(and the symbols behind them)

COLOURS

WHITE~purity, snow,

peace, innocence, cleanliness, simplicity

RED~Passion, strength,

energy, fire, love, arrogance, danger,

blood, and war

BLUE~

Seas, skies, peace, unity, harmony, tranquility, calmness, coolness, confidence, loyalty, royalty, and nobility

GREEN~Nature, spring, fertility, youth, environment,

wealth, good luck, and envy

YELLOW~Sunlight, joy,

happiness, earth, optimism,

intelligence, summer, and hope

PURPLE~Envy, sensuality,

spirituality, creativity, wealth,

royalty, and nobility

ORANGE~energy, balance,

heat, fire, enthusiasm, and

autumn

BROWN~Calm, depth,

natural organisms, nature, richness, dirt, dullness, and

filth

mysterious, sophisticated; gloomy and threatening

BLACK~

All images obtained through “google images” via public domain