The Terms You Need to Talk About What You See The Language of Film The Terms You Need to Talk About What You See
5 Elements of the SHOT 1. Framing 2. Focus 3. Angles 4. Lighting 5. Camera Movement
FRAMING Establishing Shot Shot taken from extreme distance. Used to establish setting or scene or to establish size of something
Establishing Shot
FRAMING Long Shot (LS) Shot taken from distance. Gives sense of time and place, establishes setting, shows distance or separation between characters, can show relationship of character to surroundings. Usually the full body of a character.
Long Shot
FRAMING Close Up (CS) Subject takes up at least 80% of the frame, leaving out much context. CS brings attention to a tiny detail or clue, and is often intimate and revealing.
Close Up
FRAMING Medium Shot (MS) A neutral, comfortable shot. Used most often, and normally features the characters from the waist up.
Medium Shot
FOCUS Soft Focus Just ever-so-slightly out of focus Makes the image seem softer; unclear Dreamlike
Soft Focus
FOCUS Rack Focus When a director shifts the focus from one object to another in the same shot in order to direct the audience’s attention. Communicates power, the character noticing/seeing something
Rack Focus
Deep Focus Foreground and background equally in focus. Creates a greater sense of reality, as the audience members choose what to look at.
Deep Focus
ANGLES Low Angle Camera shoots the subject from below; subject appears larger than life, powerful, sometimes threatening
Low Angle
ANGLES High Angle Camera is above the subject looking down on it. Subject appears smaller than normal, sometimes weak, powerless.
High Angle
ANGLES Eye Level Like a medium shot, this is the most neutral, natural angle. Even with the character’s eyes, it accounts for 90-95% of the shots.
Eye Level
ANGLES Canted or Dutch Angle The camera is titled. Gives a tense, unbalanced effect. Creates a sinister, distorted view of the character.
Dutch Angle
LIGHTING Low Key Scene is flooded with shadows and darkness. -Can convey suspicion, mystery, or danger OR -Can convey peace, romance, or introspection …depends on the theme/tone of the film/scene
Low Key
LIGHTING High Key Scene is flooded with bright, open light. Lack of shadows or contrast. Characters are seen clearly - not threatening -often used for comedies/romantic comedies
High-Key
LIGHTING Neutral General, even, natural lighting. Daylight. - like the medium shot and the neutral angle, this is the most common lighting.
Neutral
Lighting Bottom/Side Scary, intimidating effect. Indicates the characters may be evil, are hiding something, are morally ambiguous, or are conflicted in some way -often in horror/dark movies
Bottom & Side
LIGHTING Front - Even lighting with no shadows. Used to show innocence or openness, most common with the hero/heroine Back - Creates a full or semi-silhouette of the object in the frame
Front & Back
CAMERA MOVEMENT Pan, Dolly, Zoom Pan - Band of Outsiders CAMERA MOVEMENT Pan, Dolly, Zoom Classic dolly shot - Goodfellas http://youtu.be/OJEEVtqXdK8 Slacker – Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlmfRuXxuXo Pan – Wes Anderson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrgIW8rOsV0
Shaky Cam Jason Bourne Films, Shaky Cam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywAk2NSKv8Y Saving Private Ryan - Omaha Beach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82RTzi5Vt7w
SOUNDS - Diagetic and Nondiagetic Mean Girls http://youtu.be/fbPJn7bi9gk Jaws/Psycho/Blazing Saddles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_4hOY-9nKA
EDITING Cut - Most common; a quick “cut” to the next image Fade - Fade to black before fading back in; often indicates time has passed
Editing Cross Cut – Braveheart http://youtu.be/PD5Imb7vWSc
Editing Dissolve – to enhance flashback - Cars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTKb97SrqyE
Mise-en-Scene in WWZ