1. Working with Cinematic Techniques:
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Working with Cinematic Techniques:

2. Purpose
Identify cinematic techniques and explain the effects in visual texts.

3. Cinematic Techniques
This handout is precious and must be kept safely in your binder behind HANDOUTS throughout this unit.
You may take notes on this sheet as we walk through the definition and effects of each technique.

4. Cinematic Techniques
The methods a director uses to communicate meaning and to evoke particular emotional responses in viewers

5. Shots and Framing Shot: Uninterrupted shot from Goodfellas.
a single piece of film uninterrupted by cuts
Uninterrupted shot from Goodfellas.
(first seconds is plenty)

6. ESTABLISHING SHOT - Often a long shot or a series of shots that sets the scene; it used to establish setting and to show transitions between locations
From the TV Show “Seinfeld”

7. LONG SHOT – a shot from some distance
LONG SHOT – a shot from some distance. If filming a person, the full body is shown. It may show the isolation or vulnerability of the character

8. Medium Shot (MS) The most common shot.
The camera seems to be a medium distance from the object being filmed.
A medium shot shows the person from the waist up.
The effect is to ground the story.

9. Close Up (CU) : the image takes up at least 80% of the frame
Extreme Close Up: The image being shot is a part of a whole, such as an eye or hand.

10. Two Shot: -A scene between two people shot exclusively from an angle that includes both characters more or less equally. -It is used in love scenes where interaction between the two characters is important.
Two Shot in Twilight

11. Camera Angles Eye Level:
A shot taken from a normal height; that is, the character’s eye level.
90-95% of the shots seen are eye level, because it is the most natural angle.

12. High Angle: - the camera is above the subject
High Angle: - the camera is above the subject. -This usually has the effect of making the subject look smaller than normal, giving him or her the appearance of being weak, powerless, and trapped.

13. Low Angle: -the camera films subject from below
Low Angle: -the camera films subject from below. -This usually has the effect of making the subject look larger than normal, and therefore strong, powerful, and threatening.
Inconceivable!!

14. Camera Movements Now, read from your handout…
Pan
Tilt
Zoom
Dolly/Tracking
Boom/Crane
Very Quick video on Camera Angles and Movements
Dolly/Tracking

15. Lighting Low Key: flooded with shadows and darkness
High Key: Flooded with light
Low Key: flooded with shadows and darkness
“Well, the Prince and Count always insist on everyone being healthy before they're broken.”
Lighting

16. More Lighting Bottom or Side Lighting: appear dangerous or evil
Front or Back Lighting: appearance of innocence, goodness, halo effect.
More Lighting

17. Better example of Bottom or Side Lighting – direct lighting from below or the side, which often makes the subject appear dangerous or evil
From the movie “The Blair Witch Project”

18. example of Back Lighting
From the movie “The Princess and the Frog”

19. Another example of backlighting
“Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.”

20. Editing Techniques: Read from your handout…
Cut
Fade
Dissolve
Wipe
Flashback
Shot-Reverse-Shot
Cross Cutting
Eye-Line Match

21. Sound Diegetic Non-Diegetic
Identify the diegetic and non-diegetic sounds in this film clip.

22. Identify! Each student will be assigned a number/category
1. shots/framing
2. camera angles
3. camera movements
4. lighting
5. editing
6. music/sound
Quickly review your category.
Watch the Pixar Short film and identify as many of your Cinematic Technique as you can find.
Write your answers on your own paper.
What effect did your technique create?
Another Pixar short film (time permitting)