CAMERA
TERMINOLOGY
Canted
Angle – A shot which is tilted to one side. This is often used to create a feeling of
disorientation.
Close up (and variations): close ups, including extreme, big and medium
close ups, are used to draw the viewer closer and to involve them in what is
happening; they also used to observe reactions and emotions, such is happiness,
elation or tension. These shot often
used to privilege the protagonist over other characters and position the
audience with him or her
Crab Shot: a type of shot which involves the camera being placed in a confined
space. e.g. A shot taken from inside a cupboard is the
subject opens the cupboard door.
Crane Shot (or Aerial): a type of shot in which a camera is
positioned on a specially designed crane, which can be raised and lowered and
will. A crane shot is a high-angle shot
but the versatility of the equipment allows a director to start a shot from a
high-angle and then swoop down toward the subject at ground level. http://www.youtube.com/user/FilmSchoolOnline#p/u/9/8tZiFwSmhBI
Deep Focus: a camera technique that allows objects both near and far from the
camera to be in focus at the same time.
Establishing shot: the shot (usually wide or long), often used
at the start of a programme or film, a new section of a programme or at the
start of a new scene to establish the relationship between the set/location and
the characters and to show the whole view
Hand-Held shot: A
shot filmed with the camera not on a trpid but instead held by the camera man,
often whilst walking. This makes the
shots seem quite shaky. This can make
the audience feel the scene is more realistic, or can make us feel like we are
part of the action
Head-On Shot: for a type of shot in which the action comes directly toward the
camera. Head-On shots are often used in
war or action movies to enhance the sense of involvement and excitement of the
audience, for example, charging cavalry may be directed at the camera.
High angle: to provide a view from above the subject(s), often making the
subject look vulnerable, isolated or powerless.
This is sometimes combined with a crane shot into a closer shot of the
subject(s).
Long Shot: a distance shot where the camera is a long way from the subjects being
filmed. A long shot can be effective as
an establishing shot that sets the scene for the action and roles in the
viewer.
Loose Frame – Describes a shot where there is a lot of room around an object or
person. Usually used to show them as
being alone or isolated or unimportant.
Low-Angle Shot: a shot where the camera approaches a subject
from below eye level. A Low-Angle shot
can emphasize the size of the object being filmed and add to a point of view
perspective. It can make the character
shown seem big and powerful and it can make us or the character we are seeing
through, seem small and weak.
Master Shot: a camera shot used at the beginning of a sequence to establish the
component elements and relationships in such a way as to allow the audience to
make sense of the action follows.
Pan:
camera action involving gently moving the camera 180°across the subject matter
in a horizontal plane
Point-of-View Shot (POV or Subjective Filming): a camera shot taken from the position of the
subjects, used to enhance a sense of realism and audience involvement in the
action.
Pull Focus – Describes a shot where one thing was on focus, and then the lens is
changed so that something else stops being blurry and becomes in focus. Often used to show how something has become
more important.
Rule Of Thirds – Describes a technique used to make a shot
look interesting. Rather than placing a
person or object in the middle of the frame, they are placed at the sides, or
where the lines cross on this imaginary grid.
Shallow Focus – Describes a shot where an object near the
front is in focus, and everything else behind is out of focus (blurry). Often used to make one thing seem more
important. Eg
Soft focus: in images, the use of a special lens or filter to create a hazy light
around the subject. Soft focus shots are associated with the
romantic or sentimental treatment of subject matter.
Subjective Filming (or POV): a type of shot in which the camera is
positioned as if looking at the world through the character’s eyes.
Tight Frame:
Describes a shot that is
composed with the person or object given very little space around them. Often used to make them seem important, or
trapped.
Tilt: a
camera movement that involves moving the camera vertically up and down from a
fixed position.
Tracking Shot: a camera shot in which the camera moves
along rails to follow the subject. When
the rails are replaced by a moving platform on wheels, the shot is called a
dolly shot. As you wont know how this
shot was filmed you can call it either a Tracking OR a Dolly shot.
Whip Pan: a very fast pan between two or more characters all points of
interest. He gives the impression camera
has been ‘surprised’ by activity and is used in the place of a more
conventional cu or shot/reverse shot.
Wide shot: this can be used as an establishing shot of a set or location or to
show a large crowd of people. They can
also emphasize the isolation of a single figure.
Zoom/Reverse Zoom: the adjustment of the camera lens to allow the
operator progressively to move in close off or to pull away from the subject.
180
degree Rule – Where, during a scene featuring two people
or more, we can imaging an imaginary line joining those two people
together. Adhering to the 180 degree
rule would mean you would always ensure your camera was on one side of that
line and the camera would never be crossed to the other side. Sticking to the 180 degree rule allows the
viewer to feel comfortable, helps us understand the positioning of the
characters and makes it feel like real life. ihttp://www.youtube.com/user/Sarahmediafilm#p/c/6A39684E8F4376B7/0/HdyyuqmCW14
Breaking
the 180 degree rule (Crossing the Line) – Where, during a
conversation or a scene between two people, the camera does NOT stick to one
side of the line (see above) and crosses over at some point. This disorientates the viewer as we are
unable to work out the position of the characters within the room. It makes the scene seem odd or strange and
may reflect the feeling of the characters.
ihttp://www.youtube.com/user/Sarahmediafilm#p/c/6A39684E8F4376B7/0/HdyyuqmCW14
To see video examples of various shot types:
EDITING
TERMINOLOGY
Action match: A shot that cuts to another continuing a
piece of action or movement between the shots. Allows audience to see a
smooth action despite a cut in the shot.
For example we might see someone shoot a gun, and the editor would
perform an action match so we then see the bullet hit someone else and they fit
together seamlessly so we see both people’s perspectives. http://www.youtube.com/user/Sarahmediafilm#p/c/9A8A1640CC2BB752/1/laUPi7MPOSQ
Continuity Editing: an editing style that aims to present the
text in a chronological manner to emphasize the real-time movement of the
narrative and to create a sense of realism for the viewer by giving the
impression of continuous filming. Continuity
editing creates a narrative that approximates to the real experience of moving
through time, even though screen time usually covers a much longer period. Audiences feel comfortable with a linear
progression that reflects their everyday experience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoaw7iTPlZc
Cross
cutting (also known as Parallel editing) – Where an editor cuts
between two separate scenes happening in two separate locations at the same
time. This serves to illustrate a
contrast or a link between them. For
example, cross cutting between adults having a quiet drink in a pub, and a wild
teenage party will contrast the two age groups.
Another example is in the Godfather where the editor cut back and forth
between the christening of a child in a catholic church, and the violent
killing of several men. The cross
cutting in this sequence emphasises the violence as we see it juxtaposed
against childlike innocence and religion. http://www.youtube.com/user/FilmSchoolOnline#p/u/13/A7SLL9esQOA
Cut – The
move from one shot to another can tell us lots of things. For example, it can draw our attention to
things. If a woman is day dreaming at
her desk and the editor cuts to a scene of a man, we can assume that she may be
dreaming about him.
Cutaway: a brief shot that is not totally necessary but is cut into a scene showing
a related action, object or person, not necessarily part of the main scene,
before cutting back to the original shot.
For example a couple may be having an argument which is the main scene
but the editor may choose to include a cutaway shot of their child’s crying
before cutting back to the couple arguing.
This emphasises the child’s emotions and helps the audience to
understand that we are to disapprove of these people’s argument. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONMSe_zhq70
Dissolve - Dissolve is when the first shot is on screen
and the 2nd shot starts appearing on top of it more and more until
all you can see is the 2nd shot.
Often used to link two scenes or two people together. Sometimes used to show time moving on etc.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoaw7iTPlZc
Ellipsis: the removal or shortening of elements of a narrative to speed up the
action. For example an editor might use
ellipsis in a sequence about a young man taking a drink by cutting straight to
him as an old man, drunk and alone. The
editor has missed out the story in the middle to speed up the action and show
us how quick this man’s life has passed.
Eyeline Match: a type of editing that maintains the eyeline
or level when cutting from a character to what’s the character sees. The effect of the edit is to create a sense
that what the camera sees is what the character sees. It puts us in the position of the characters
and helps us feel empathy for them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoaw7iTPlZc
Fade: a
type of moving image editing where the image gradually fades and disappears,
leaving a white or black screen. A fade
to black often suggests that time has passed or a situation has ended. A fade to white often suggests a dream
sequence.
Graphic
match – A cut from one shot to another that look visually the
same (possibly linked by a similar shape, a similar colour etc. They are there to show us a clear link
between two scenes. Often this is making
a comment on the issue. For example, a
young girl playing with a red doll then is cut together using a graphic match
with a woman holding a baby dressed in red.
This might suggest that the young girl has grown up into the woman. Or it might emphasise the gender stereotype
of women looking after babies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtbOmpTnyOc
Jump Cuts – a
cut that moves to a very similar part of the same scene but missing a piece of
action out (eg a character is on one side of the room, and then is on the other
and we don’t see him walking). They are
often used to disorientate the viewer, or show how disorientated a character
is. For example, if a party of young
people was being shown and included lots of jump cuts, it would represent the
young people as disorientated, implying they were drunk and wild. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONMSe_zhq70
Linear Narrative: a sequential narrative with a beginning, a middle
and an end-in that order. Linear
narratives provide a straightforward, sequential representation of events
leading to a single resolution. As such,
easily accessible to audiences and are the dominant form in mainstream media
representations.
Shot /
Reverse Shot – cutting between two people having a conversation
(rather than including them both in one static mid shot) can help to contrast
them and make them seem different. It
highlights their differences and also allows us to see the reactions of
characters.
Slow motion: used in the editing process to slow down the action for emotional or
comic effect.
Split Screen: an editing technique which involves the cinema screen being split
into two or more parts to allow the showing of events that are taking place at
the same time.
Superimpose: the appearance of writing/symbols or images on top of an image so
that both are visible at once, increasing the amount of information the viewer
has in one shot.
Visual
effects – depends on what it is.. Often it depends on what the
character’s reactions to these special effects are. For example, a man who has no reaction to a
massive fiery explosion will seem brave and masculine. Graphics on screen (eg numbers and facts as
seen in CSI, may represent someone
as intelligent or competent in their work.
Showing someone in colour when
the rest of the image is in black and white emphasises them and draws
the audience’s attention to them as important.
Wipe:
a moving image editing technique that involves one image wiping another off the
screen. This suggests that whatever
scene / character pushes the other one off the screen, is more important or
powerful. Wipes can go left or right, up
or down and even be in shapes like stars! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnixMJvOtpI
SOUND
TERMINOLOGY
Ambient
sound - The sounds of the location eg
water noises near a river, cows mooing in a farm etc. They tell us what kind of place we are in and
if we see how characters react to these sounds it tells us a lot. Noisy cars,
horns, people, traffic represent a region as being busy and urban and not very
homely.
Asynchronous
sound –
Asynchronous sound is where the sound is either out of sync with the
visuals or is unrelated to the visuals. Sound
that is just out of sync would make the viewer feel disorientated and would
make the characters and scene seem strange.
Sound that is unrelated to the visuals may be there for emphasising
something. For example, in the Godfather
film, we see a man murdering people in cold blood, but hear the sounds of a
priest christening a baby. This contrast
emphasises the loss of innocent life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC1-6nDGRfc&feature=related
Contrapuntal
sound – sound or music that seems strange in
comparison to the scene we are seeing.
For example in the film the Shining, during beautiful scenes of winding
roads and countryside on a sunny day, we hear quite scary ominous music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQNqFfXSt38&feature=related
Dialogue – the
words the characters say. What do the
characters actually say? Do they reveal their beliefs, or their attitudes? How
do they say it? If someone’s voice
sounds nervous and wobbly it tells us a lot about their character. If they speak softly it implies they are weak
or emotional. If they have a deep
booming voice it makes them seem more masculine. Don’t forget accents as they tell us where
someone is from and emphasise their differences from others.
Direct
address (also known as breaking the 4th wall) –
where the character talks to the audience directly. Don’t confuse this with a
point of view shot. It is very unusual
and breaks the reality for the audience, but also helps us to see that
character as an equal, a friend, as someone to sympathise with. Often seen in shows like Scrubs and Malcolm
in the Middle.
Diegetic Sound: sound that you could hear if YOU were one of
the characters inside the scene. This
include words the characters say, background noises like traffic and crowd
noise and even music IF it is heard by the characters eg at a club, on a
television etc Diegetic sound can set
the mood of the piece, influence a character’s behaviour or emotions, and help
the viewer to see a scene as realistic etc
Non
Diegetic Sound – Other sound that the characters in the scene
could not hear . For example, a musical
soundtrack, a voice over etc. Non
diegetic music sets the scene and time period as well as atmosphere. A voice over allows the audience to hear
someone’s thoughts and empathise with them.
Pitch – Low
pitch described a sound that is deep and low (eg Thunder) and high pitch
describes a sound that is higher and lighter (eg a phone ringing)
Rhythm –
Describes the beat of the music, whether it is fast or slow. Sound or music with a fast rhythm is often
used to increase a sense of urgency or threat.
Sound or music with a slow rhythm is often used to depict calmness and
peace. Sound or music with an irregular
rhythm is used to confuse the audience and make them feel uncomfortable.
Voice over: the use of a voice, over images, perhaps as an introduction, a
linking narrative device for or to comment on action. It allows the audience to
see inside the head of a character, helping us to empathise with them.
Sound
bridge – a portion of sound that covers a cut, normally to link two
scenes together. For example if you were
to see a woman talking about how much she missed her boyfriend, and her voice
continued as a sound bridge on top of the shot of him, even if just for a few
seconds, it emphasises that he is the man she is talking about. Sound bridges are often used to try and mask
cuts from the audience, making it seem more realistic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkpD2Nr5yI&playnext=1&list=PL011F31D3E38DBB59
Sound
motif – Hard to spot in a short clip. But this is a sound which normally represents
a certain character. For example the Da
DA of the shark in the film jaws. We
associate that music with them.
Sound
Effects – A sound accompanying an action, sometimes musical. For example in the film Psycho, short sharp
violin noises accompany each stab of the knife during the famous shower
scene. This emphasises the violence of
each stabbing motion and makes it more dramatic.
Soundtrack:
Music from a soundtrack (all the sounds) or score (just the music) emphasises
the themes and emotions of a scene or character. Think about the beat and instruments
used. For example a high energy dance
track with loud crashing tones will emphasise someone’s youth.. a girly soft
piano music might help us to see a woman as stereotypically delicate and
feminine.
Synchronous
sound - synchronous sound is sound that is in sync with the visuals
and was filmed at the same time.
MISE-EN-SCENE
TERMINOLOGY
Lighting
(general) – can be used to highlight important characters
Chiaroscuro
Lighting – a scene lit with extreme lighting, lots of shadows, some
very bright parts. See the effects of
low key lighting. Also used to make a
location or character seem very dramatic and unusual. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SlH_uvPuRw
Body
Shape and Language – the way a character’s body looks and the way
they hold their body eg confident, slumping down, cowering from someone
etc It tells us what type of person they
are and how they feel about others.
Facial
Features and Expression – the way a character’s face looks and
shows emotion. For example a shocked
expression, sadness, a look of love. You
can also comment on the way they look such as a interesting features such as
bad teeth, small, squinty eyes etc It
tells us what type of person they are and how they feel about others.
Props –
Items a character possesses or picks up eg a gun or a bunch of flowers etc..
They can tell us lots about what type of person someone is
Costumes –
clothes a character is wearing. You
could comment on the style, shape, choice of item, colour, etc. They can tell us lots about a character, what
type of person they are, how they are feeling etc. For example a floaty dress might represent
someone as being traditionally girly. A
policeman’s uniform might represent someone as having authority and power. Baggy, shapeless clothes might suggest
someone is shy, where as tight clothing might suggest they are confident and
flirtatious.
Hair
& Make Up – the
appearance of the hair of a character and the cosmetics a character might be
wearing such as lipstick, a skin head etc.
They tell us things about the character.
For example a woman wearing very little make up might be seen as being
very naive and innocent.
Voice
/ Tone – The way a character speaks tells us a lot. Someone who stutters might be nervous. Someone who shouts may be angry and powerful.
Colour –
Colours in a scene often represent things.
Red can represent anger, passion, danger, love. Blue can seem calm and peaceful, sometimes
sad. You must pick the most appropriate
meaning for the scene.
Location – A
place where the scene is set. A location
can tell us lots about the people in it.
For example a dirty, bloodstained basement could signify that a
character was a villain or up to no good.
A messy bedroom might signify that the character who owned it was
disorganised. Don’t forget to look out
for how a character reacts to their location as well (eg if they are
comfortable there or not)
Breaking
the Fourth Wall (Direct Address) – Describes a time where a
character may look directly at the camera and speak to the audience. This is highly unusual but can be seen
regularly in shows like Malcolm InThe Middle.
This is designed to emphasise that character as the most important, as
powerful, and as someone we should be siding with as it helps us feel like we
are “one of them” and as though we are one of their friends.
GENERAL
TERMINOLOGY
Agenda
–
A plan or belief system within a group, normally hidden from others. For example there is a belief that the BNP
have a racist agenda.
Antagonist – The
leading villain in the show (or the one the protagonist has to go up against)
Archetype – A
easily recognised type of character that can be found in many stories. For example, the hero, the princess, the
damsel in distress, the loyal friend, the villain, the temptress.
Binary Opposites – Two contrasting characters or scenes that are
seen in one show, that are clearly meant to be total opposites. For example there may be a sweet innocent
girl who is scared and weak, paired against an evil powerful man. They would be binary opposite
characters. Binary opposites could be
concepts such as good/evil, light/dark, male/female, old/young
Connotation –
Hidden Meaning. For example, “the
connotation of the main female
Conventional –
Something that is seen to be “normal”.
So a conventional female character would be quite weak, girly, and may
be a mother or a housewife.
Dominant
Ideology – A set of beliefs that are widely accepted as being the
most normal, or the most accurate. For
example, the dominant ideology of men is that they are strong, brave and work
to provide money for their families.
Homophobia -
Actions, behaviours, feelings or words which seem to discriminate against
people because of their sexuality. This
is normally because the person who is being homophobic believes there is a
difference between sexualities and thinks that one sexuality is better than the
other.
Juxtaposed – Two
different things placed next to each other to create meaning. For example a shot of a baby may be
juxtaposed with a shot of a funeral to emphasise the circle of life.
Male
Gaze
– A theory by a lady called Laura Mulvey which suggests that all media products
encourage the characters and audience to “leer” at and “look” at women. For example, “the camera angle looking down
Sarah’s cleavage encourages the audience to take a ‘male gaze’ over the female
character”
Media
Language – Simply means the combination of technical elements such
as camera shots, camera movement, editing, sound and mise-en-scene.
Patriarchy – A
type of society where men are dominant over women. Many feminists believe that we live in a
patriarchal society where women are forced to be weaker and subservient.
Positioning – how
the audience are encouraged to interpret a particular situation. For example, “the audience are positioned to sympathise
with the female character.”
Protagonist
–
The leading character in the show
Realist
/ Realism – A style of tv show / film which attempts to be as
“realistic” as possible. For example,
“Shameless is considered a realist programme.”
Being a “realist” programme doesn’t necessarily mean the show IS
realistic or accurate.
Racism –
Actions, behaviour, feelings or words which seem to discriminate against people
because of their skin colour. This is
normally because the person who is racist believes that there is a difference
between people who have different skin colours and they believe one skin colour
to be better than another.
Sexism
–
Actions, behaviours, feelings or words which seem to discriminate against
people because of their gender. This is
normally because the person who is being sexist believes there is a difference
between the two genders and that one gender is better than the other.
Stereotype – An overly
exaggerated representation of a type of person that is normally negative. For example a teenage stereotype would be a
hoodie wearing, knife carrying, criminal.
Unconventional –
Something which is seen to not be “normal.”
For example am unconventional female character might be powerful, the
boss of a company, and very dominant over other characters.
Versimilitude
–
A feeling of reality / real life created by particular elements. For example,
“The series Outnumbered creates a feeling of verisimilitude for the audience by
using a real house, every day storylines that would affect an average family,
and improvised dialogue.”
Xenophobia -
Actions, behaviours, feelings or words which seem to discriminate against
people because of their country of origin.
This is normally because the person who is being xenophobic believes
there is a difference between the countries and that one country is better than
the other
