Download - Cinematography
aerial perspectivea cue for suggesting represented depth in the image by presenting
objects in the distance less distinctly than those in the foreground
axis of actionIn the continuity editing system, the imaginary line that
passes from side to side through a main actors, defining the spatial relations of all the elements of the scene as being to the right or the left. It is also called the 180-
degree line. When the camera crosses this axis at a cut, those spatial relations are reversed thereby confusing the
audience. It is one of cardinal rules of continuity editing not to cross this axis during a sequence.
backlightinglighting cast onto the figures from the side
opposite the camera. It creates a thin outline of light on the figures' edge.
camera anglethe position of the frame in relation to the subject it shows. A high angle is when camera is looking down, low angle when looking up. camera movement onscreen impression that the framing is changing with respect to the scene being photographed. This is usually achieved by actual movement of camera but also by a zoom lens or special effects.
canted framinga view in which the frame is not level.
Either right or left side is lower, causing objects in the scene to
appear tipped.
cinematographya general term for all the manipulations
of the film strip by the camera in the shooting phase and by the laboratory in
the development phase.
Cinéma véritéa cinema that utilized lightweight equipment, two-person crews (camera and sound), and
interview techniques. It is also now often used loosely to refer to any kind of documentary
technique. See direct cinema.
close-upa framing in which the scale of the object shown is relatively large, most commonly a person's head seen from the neck up,
or an object of a comparable size that fills most of the screen.
contrastin the cinematography, the difference
between the brightest and the darkest areas within the frame
crane shota shot with a change in framing
accomplished by having the camera on the crane and moving through the
air in any direction.
deep focusa use of the camera lens and lighting that keeps both the close and distant planes being photographed in sharp
focus.
deep spacean arrangement of mise-en-scene
element so that there is a considerable distance between the plane closest to the camera and the
one farthest away. Any or all of these planes may be in focus.
depth of fieldthe measurements of the closest and farthest planes in front of camera lens
between which everything will be in sharp focus. For example,a depth of field from 5 to 16 feet would mean everything closer than 5 feet and farther than 16 ft would be out of
focus.
distance of framingthe apparent distance of
the frame from the mise-en-scene
elements. Also called "camera distance" and "shot scale". Close-up and medium long shot are examples of terms referring to distance of
framing.
dollya camera support with wheels, used
in making tracking shots.
establishing shota shot, usually involving a distant
framing, that shows the spatial relations among the important figures, objects,
and setting in a scene.
exposurea measure of the amount of light striking the surface of the film. Overexposed film
gives a very light, washed out, dreamy quality to the print image while
underexposed makes the image darker, muddy, and foreboding.
extreme close-upa framing in which the scale of object is
very large; most commonly, a small object or a part of the body. Also called
detail shot
extreme long shota framing in which the scale of the object shown is very small; a panoramic view
of an exterior location photographed from a considerable distance, often as far
as a quarter-mile away.
eyeline matcha cut obeying the axis of action principle, in
which the first shot shows a person looking off in one direction and the following shot shows a nearby space containing what he or she sees. If the person looks left, the following shot should
imply that the looker is off screen right.
fast motionThe film is shot at less than 24 frames per
second so that when it is projected at normal speed, action appears to move much faster. (A
slow motion is achieved when film is shot faster than 24 frames and projected at normal speed.)
Also called accelerated motion.
fill lightlighting from a source less bright than the key
light, used to soften deep shadows and illuminate areas not covered by key light. Also
called filler light. See three-point lighting.
film stockor simply film, the strip of material upon
which a series of still photographs is registered; it consists of a clear base coated on one side with light-sensitive emulsion.
filtera piece of glass or geltain placed in front of
camera or printer lens to alter the quality(color) or quantity of light strking the
film in aperture.
focal lengththe distance from the center of lens to the point at which the light rays meet in sharp
focus. The focal length determines the perspective relations of the space represented
on the flat screen.
focusthe degree to which light rays coming from the same part of an object through different parts of the lens re-converge at the same point on the film frame, creating
sharp outlines and distinct textures. focus in, out a punctuation device in which the image gradually
comes into focus or goes out of the
forelengtheningthe linear distortion caused by wide-angle lens; the perception of depth is
exaggerated.foreshortening
the distortion caused by a telephoto lens; the illusion of depth is compressed.
frame0. a single image on the strip of film.
When a series of frames are projected onto a screen in quick succession (currently 24
frames per second), an illusion of movement is created.
0. the size and shape of the image on the screen when projected.
0. the compositional unit fo film design.
framingthe use of edges of the film to select and to
compose what will be visible onscreen.freeze frame
a freeze shot, which is achieved by printing a single frame many times in succession to give the
illusion of a still photograph when projected.
frontal lightinglighting directed into the scene from a
position near the camera.
full shota shot of a subject that includes the entire
body and not much else.
gauge
The width of the film strip, measured in
millimeters. 35mm is most commonly used filmstock, 65mm and 70mm are used
for major epic productions.
hard lightinglighting that creates sharp-edged shadows.
hard-key lightinglighting that creates comparatively little
contrast between the light and dark areas of the shot. Shadows are fairly transparent and
brightened by fill light.
height of framingthe height of the camera above the ground, regardless of camera angle
irisa round, moving mask that contracts to close down to end an scene (iris-out) or emphasize a detail, or opens to begin a scene (iris-in) or to reveal more space
around a detail.
key lightin the three-
point lighting system, the
brightest light coming into the scene. See also
backlighting and fill light
long shota framing in which the scale of the object shown is small; a standing human figure
would appear nearly the height of the screen.
low-key lightinglighting tht creates strong contrast
between light and dark areas of the shot, with deep shadows and little fill light
matte shota type of process shot in which different areas of the image (usually actors and
setting) are photographed separately and combined in laboratory work.
medium close-upa framing in which the scale of the object shown is fairly large; a human figure seen from the chest up
fill most of the screen.
medium long shota framing at a distance which makes an object about 4 or 5 feet high appear to fill most of the
screen vertically. See plan americain, the special term for a medium long shot depicting
human figures.
medium shota framing in which the sclae of the object is of
moderate size; a human figure seen from the waist up would fill most of the screen.
mise-en-sceneall the elements placed in front of the camera to be
photographed, that is, part of the cinematic process that take place on the set, as opposed to montage, which takes place
afterward. It includes the settings and props, lighting, costumes and make-up, and figure behavior.
Mise-en-scene tends to be very important to realists, montage to expressionists.mise-en-shot the design of an entire shot, in time as well as space.
mobile framethe effect on the screen of moving
camera, a zoom lens, or special effects shifting the frame in relation to the scene
being photographed.
monochromatic color designcolor design which emphasizes a narrow set
of shades of a single color.
multiple exposurea number of images printed over each other.
multiple imagea number of images printed beside each other within
the same frame, often showing different camera angles of same action, or separate actions. Also called split
screen
180-degree systemthe continuity approach to editing which
dictates that the camera should stay on one side of the action to ensure consistent spatial relations between objects to the right and left
of the frame. The 180-degree line is also called axis of action.
offscreen spacethe six areas blocked from being visible on the screen but still part of the space of the
scene: to four sides of the frame, behind the set, and the behind the camera.
overlapa cue for suggesting depth in the film image by placing closer
objects partly in front of more distant ones.
panmovement of camera from left to right or vice versa on a
stationary tripod. On the screen, it produces a mobile framing which scans the space horizontally. Not to be confused with
tracking shot
pixillationa form of single-frame animation in
which three-dimentional objects, often people, are made to move in staccato bursts through the use of stop-action cinematography thereby breaking the illlusion of the continuous movement.
plan americana framing in which the scale of the object shown is moderately small; the human figure seen from the shins to the head would fill the most of screen; so
named by the French critics who found this the most frequent framing in American movies. This is also referred to as a medium long shot, especially when
human figures are not shown.
plan-sequenceFrench term for a scene handled in a single shot, usually a long take; often referring to
complex shot including complicated camera movements and actions. Also called
sequence shot.
point-of-view(POV) shota shot taken with the camera placed
approximately where the character's eyes would be, representing what the character
sees; usually cut in before or after a shot of the character looking.
process shotany shot involving re-photography to combine
two or more images into one, or to create a special effects; also called composite shot.
pull-back shota tracking shot or zoom that moves back from the subject to reveal the context of the scene
rack focusshifts the area of sharp focus from one plane to another during a shot thereby directing the
attention of the viewer forcibly from one subject to another.
ratein shooting, the number of frames exposed per
second; in projection, the number of frames thrown on the screen per second. If the two are same, the speed of action appears normal while a disparity
will create slow or fast motion. The standard rate in sound cinema is 24 frames per second for both
shooting and projection (for silent film, it used to be between 16 and 18 frames per second
reaction shota shot that cuts away from the main scene or
speaker in order to show a character's reaction
reestablishing shota return to a view of an entire space
after a series of closer shots following the establishing shot.
reframingshort panning or tilting movements
to adjust for the figures' movements,keeping them onscreen or centered.
rollthe rotation of camera around the the
axis that runs from the lens to the subject. This is not common because its
effect usually disorients the viwer.
rotoscopea machine that projects live-action motion
picture film frames 1 by 1 onto a drawing pad so that an animator can trace the figures in
each frame. The aim is to achieve more realistic movement in an animated cartoon.
rushes
screen directionthe right-left relationship in a scene, set up in
an establishing shot and determined by the position of characters and objects in the
frame, by the directions of movement, and by the character's eyelines. Continuity
editiong will attempt to keep screen direction consistent between shots. See axis of action,
eyeline match, 180-degree system.
shallow focusa restricted depth of field, whic keeps only those planes close to the camera in sharp
focus; the opposite of deep focus.shallow space
staging the action in relatively few planes of depth; the opposite of deep space.
size diminutiona cue for suggesting represented depth in
the image by showing objects that are further away as smaller than foreground
objects.
soft lightinglighting that avoids harsh bright and dark areas, creating a gradual transition from
highlights to shadows.space
spaceAt minimum, any film displays a two-
dimensional graphic space, the flat composition of the image. In films which
depict recognizable objects, a three-dimensional space is represented as well,
which may be directly depicted as onscreen space, or suggested as offscreen space. In
narrative film, one can also distinguish between story space, the locale of the totality of the action (whether shown or not) and plot
space, the locales visibly and audibly represented in the scenes.
telephoto lensa lens of long focal length that affects a scene's perspective by enlarging distant
places and making them seem closer to the foreground planes. In 35mm filming, a lens of 75mm length or more. Normal lens for
35mm filming would be a lens of 35mm to 50mm.
three-point lightinga common arrangement using three directions of
light on a scene: from behind the subject(backlighting), from one bright
source(key light), and from a less bright source balancing the key light (fill light).
tilta camera movement by swiveling upward or
downward on a stationary support. It produces a mobile framing that scans the space vertically.
top lightinglighting coming from above a person or
object, usually in order to outline the upper areas of the figure or to separate it
more clearly from the background.
tracking shota mobile framing that travels through space
forward, backward, or laterally. It could move on tracks or dolly, or hand-held. Also called
"traveling shot."
underlightinglighting from a point below the figures in the
scene.
whip panan extremely fast movement of camera from
side to side, which causes the image to blur into a set of indistinct horizontal lines briefly. Often imperceptible cut joins two whip pans to creat a
trick transition between scenes.
wide-angle lensa lens of short focal length that affects the
scene's perspective by distorting straight lines near the edges of the frame and by exaggerating
the distance between foreground and background planes. In 35mm filming, a wide-
angle lens is 30mm or less. Produces the opposite effect of telephoto lens
zoom lensa lens with a focal length that can be
changed during a shot. A shift toward the telephoto range enlarges the images and
flattens its planes together, giving an impression of moving into the scene's space, while a shift toward wide-angle
range does the opposite.