Terms and Techniques

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Barrie Isaac Carpenter
6 years ago
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1 Terms and Techniques

2 Types of Film Shots

3 Establishing Shot A wide distance shot telling you where or what the movie scene is. This is used to establish the place in which the film/scene will occur.

4 Extreme Long Shot (E.L.S) Wider than the long shot. The human figure is barely visible. This kind of shot is often used as an establishing shot for the scene. It normally shows an exterior or a larger interior

5 Long Shot (L.S) Establishes a new scene, giving context of events. A long shot shows a wide field of view of the subject and surroundings. The setting, and not a character, is the emphasis.

6 Mid/Medium Shot (M.S) A medium shot frames some of the subject while still showing part of the background. For a person, this would normally show them from the waist up. This focuses our attention on a particular subject.

7 Medium Close Up (M.C. U) A medium close up is between a medium shot and a close up. It shows the face very clearly, without getting too close. It is just a softer version of the close up.

8 Close Up (C.U) A close shot of an object or person, the aim being to focus our attention on a particular detail. Close ups of objects may serve as the starting point of a new scene, showing a new fact or location in the story.

9 Extreme Close Up (E.C.U) A more detailed shot to show exact detail. Showing even the smallest detail.

10 Cut In This shot shows a part of the subject, or another object, in detail. It can be used purely for editing (to insert between similar shots), or to indicate an important element of the story. Examples of a cut-in would be a person s hand or a coin on the ground.

11 Low Angle Shot This shot is taken from below a person. It shows the viewer that the person or object is big, strong or dominant.

12 High Angle Shot This shot is taken from above the person. It shows the viewer that the subject or object is small, weak and vulnerable. They can be used with establishing shots to show a large area.

13 Camera Movements

14 Pan Shot A shot where the camera goes from left to right or right to left. It is also used for following a slow moving object.

15 Track When the camera follows a fast moving object.

16 Tilt The camera will move up and down following the subject(s) or object.

17 Camera Focus

18 An object or figure is in sharp focus when it is clear and sharply defined. This simulates the natural eye in a normal situation and is used often in filming. Sharp Focus

When the object or figure in view, although clearly highlighted, is not as sharply defined or hard-edged as it is for sharp focus it is said to be soft focus.

19 When the object or figure in view, although clearly highlighted, is not as sharply defined or hard-edged as it is for sharp focus it is said to be soft focus. This can be used to suggest the softness of romantic vision, the haziness of poorly adjusted vision, visual difficulty through drunkenness, drugs etc. It is normally used very little. Soft Focus

20 Deep Focus This effect is achieved when objects or figures at different distances from the camera are deliberately kept in simultaneous focus. Deep focus is used to suggest a special relationship between the two objects or figures in simultaneous focus.

21 Camera Speed

22 To achieve this the camera is sped up so that when the film is played at the normal speed the subject appears to move more slowly. The slow motion is used to emphasise or dramatise movement. Slow Motion

23 Fast Motion This effect is achieved by slowing the camera down so that when the film is played at a normal speed the subject/s appear to move more speedily and jerkily. This is often used to suggest ridiculousness and is therefore usually a comic technique.

24 Lighting Techniques

25 This provides the main light on the set. It can be filled (see next slide) to provided even and shadow-free illumination. Key Light

26 This involves emphasising the key light to suggest the light source. This might be the light from a window. Key light is emphasised and fillers used to reduce shadow and soften the effect. High Key Lighting

27 This is the style used when shadow is emphasised. It is often used in thriller and horror films. Low Key Lighting

28 This is used to eliminate shadow and soften the directness of the key lights. Fill Light

29 This is used to produce a silhouette with the main source of light behind the subject. Back Lighting

30 Soundtrack

31 This is most often present in the film as part of the background to help convey the sense of feeling and location. Natural Sound e.g. the sound of surf, a river, cars passing, a battlefield.

32 Sound Effects Man made sounds E.g. clapping, tape rewind, laser beams, punching sound. Different sounds for suspense, excitement etc

33 Conversation between characters Dialogue

34 Narrator tells story/ thoughts as movie progresses Voice- over

35 A piece of music associated with a film Theme Music

36 Theme Songs Sometimes songs are written specifically for a particular film. The words are used in these songs to expand on the themes and ideas that are being presented in the film. Theme songs are often played throughout the film and over the credits at the end.

37 Often film-makers, with the proper permission and acknowledgements, use the songs already written to suggest a particular time, place or feeling. Adopted Songs

38 Editing Techniques

39 The cut is an editing technique most often used. The editor simply joins one scene to another or one shot to another at what is judged to be an effective point. The audience simply sees one shot replaced by another. Cut

40 Fade A fade occurs when an image gradually fades to a blank or coloured screen or when a blank or coloured screen slowly begins to reveal an image. These can be used at the beginning and ends of movies (fade in and fade out) or during a movie where one scene fades out and another fades in. This could suggest a passage of time, a journey or new location.

41 Dissolve A dissolve occurs when one frame is gradually replaced by another so that at midpoint of the dissolve are visible on the screen. These are used to suggest a special relationship between the scenes that dissolve into one another. Can also be used to show change of location or timeperiod, indicate a flashback, dream or to show what a character is thinking.

42 This occurs when one image appears to wipe off or replace another image. The wipe suggests a special relationship between images either side of the wipe or the incidents or locations that those images depict. Wipe

43 Narrative Devices

44 Images are just the visual objects in the frame e.g. the image of the whale in Free Willy. Image

45 A scene or sequence that represents or suggests something else (a metaphor). Metaphor

46 A symbol is an object or image that represents or suggests something else. E.g. a cross symbolises religion or Christianity because we have learned that association. Symbol

Types of Angles. Low Angle: High Angle: Dutch Angle:

Types of Angles. Low Angle: High Angle: Dutch Angle: Types of Angles Low Angle: To film this shot, the camera is placed lower than the person or object to be filmed. A low angle is used when you want to depict the power or importance of an individual or