Film Terminology The buzz words that make movie buffs true movie buffs.

Scene vs. Shot Shot: what is recorded by a single, uninterrupted operation of the camera when a camera starts to where it stops Scene: section of film of continuous action taking place in continuous time and space usually contains multiple shots

Cut: 1. action of stopping the film ( “ Cut! ” ) 2. a strip of film 3. joining separate shots together. 4. a version of a movie ( “ director ’ s cut ” ) Take: a version of a shot

Frame: (3 definitions) 1. a single picture from a strip of film 2. borders of the projected film on a screen 3. to position the camera in such a way that the subject is kept within the borders of the image Collin Farrel in Phone Booth (2002)

Widescreen/Letterbox: a VHS or DVD version that is shown with the same dimensions and ratios as the original (or close to it) theater version Return of the King (2004)

Intertitles/ title cards: printed material that appears periodically on the screen, most often used in silent films to give exposition, dialogue, thoughts, descriptions not shown. D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915)

: Mise-en-scène: French for “ staging ” ; the composition and arrangement of a shot The Graduate (1967)The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Searchers (1956) Rain Man (1988)

Open Space Open space on screen that symbolizes isolation Vanilla Sky 2001

Montage: type of editing in which brief shots are used to present a condensation of time and events

Types of Shots… Close Up (CU): shot of the head shot of the head Close Shot (CS): shot of the head and shoulders shot of the head and shoulders Braveheart (1995) Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Establishing Shot (ES): a shot which defines and area or setting The Searchers (1956)

Long Shot (LS) Aka: the Full Shot (FS): a shot of the entire person and much of the background a shot of the entire person and much of the background The Matrix Reloaded (2003) Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Medium Shot (MS): a shot between a close shot and a long shot a shot between a close shot and a long shot Bourne Identity (2002) House of Flying Daggers (2004)

Extreme Close Up (ECU): close up of a specific body part: eye, mouth, etc Extreme Long Shot (ELS): broad, panoramic view broad, panoramic view Fellowship of the Rings (2001) War of the Worlds (2005)

Objective Shot: Represents what the camera sees Subjective Shot: Represents what a character sees Memento (2000) Point of View

Shot-reverse-shot : alternating shots of characters in a conversation so that the first person is seen, then the other Notice how the camera is over this fellow ’ s shoulder. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Camera Angles

1. The Bird's-Eye view This shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle. Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally unrecognisable at first (umbrellas in a crowd, dancers' legs). This shot does, however, put the audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action. AKA- Angle of Destiny

2. High Angle Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.

3. Flat Angle A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground at eye level.

4. Low Angle These increase height and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.

5. Oblique/Canted Angle Sometimes the camera is tilted, to suggest imbalance, transition and instability. This technique is used to suggest POINT-OF- View shots.

Camera Movement

Pan: The camera moves horizontally on a fixed base. Pan: The camera moves horizontally on a fixed base. Tilt: The camera points up or down from a fixed base Tilt: The camera points up or down from a fixed base Tracking: The camera moves through space on a wheeled truck (or dolly), but stays in the same plane Tracking: The camera moves through space on a wheeled truck (or dolly), but stays in the same plane

Camera Movement Boom: The camera moves up or down through space. Boom: The camera moves up or down through space. Zoom: 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 Zoom: 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

Camera Transitions Cut: One scene ends and the other immediately begins. Fade: Fade-out (FO) when the light decreases to (usually) blackness. Fade-in (FI) when darkness gradually becomes lighter.

Camera Transitions Dissolve: outgoing and incoming images merge— one disappears to be replaced by another. Form dissolve is when similar frames fade (bodies in the same location)

Camera Transitions Wipe: One shot is pushed off the frame by another shot replacing it. Jump Cut: Is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly.

Sound in Film Diagetic Sound: Sound that has a source in the world of the story in the film, such as dialogue spoken by characters, sounds made by objects, or music coming from a source in the story. Non-Diagetic Sound: Sound coming from a source outside the world of the story in the film. Usually part of the score or soundtrack and voice-overs.

Duration of Shots Subliminal: a short but powerful shot of a character. Subliminal: a short but powerful shot of a character. Long take: a long take or oner is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. Long take: a long take or oner is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes.

Special Effects Blue Screen: When you take a picture with a green screen or a blue screen background, some photo editors have a feature called "chroma key" to allow you to replace the green or blue color with any background picture of your choice. Wayne’s World 1991

Matting: a masking/matting shot in which everything is blacked out except for one portion. Ex: Iris shot Sounds Effects: Sound from a source other than the tracks bearing synchronized dialogue, narration, or music. “James Bond” title montage

Special Effects Internal Framing: Where a character is framed by, for example, a doorway or window; this creates a frame within a frame and tends to emphasize the character, drawing our attention particularly to him or her. “The Shining” 1980