Film Studies Vocab

establishing shot

a shot that sets up the context for the scene ahead, designed to inform the audience where the action will be taking place

shot size/camera distance

how much of the setting or subject is displayed within a given frame

low angle

a shot from a camera angle positioned anywhere below the eye line, pointing upward

high angle

when the camera looks down on the character or subject from an elevated perspective

canted/Dutch angle

a camera shot that has a noticeable tilt on the camera’s z-axis

over the shoulder

a shot in which the camera is placed just behind an actor so that they are just in the frame while you capture the on-screen coverage

bird’s eye/overhead

when the camera is placed directly above the subject

deep focus

allows the cinematographer to keep everything in perspective without favoring foreground, mid-ground, or background

shallow focus

keeps one part of an image in focus while the rest is out of focus

rack focus

changing the focus of the lens during a continuous shot

panning

horizontal movement in which the camera moves from a central axis

whip pan

a camera rotation on the x-axis that is so fast it creates an (often disorienting) blur effect

tilt

the camera stays fixed but rotates up and down on a vertical plane

push in

the camera moves physically closer to the subject

pull out

moves the camera away from the subject

zoom

focal length of a camera lens is adjusted to give the illusion of moving closer or further away from the subject

crash/snap zoom

a zoom shot executed rapidly

dolly zoom

move towards or away from a subject while zooming in the opposite direction

tracking

any shot that includes a moving camera that follows the character(s) or subject(s)

trucking

the camera moves laterally along with the subject it’s capturing

arc

orbits the camera around a subject

boom/crane

a shot taken by a camera on a moving crane or jib

handheld (random movement)

a shot taken with the camera being supported only by the operator

static shot

a shot that is devoid of camera movement

eyeline match

where an actor looks during a scene

cross cutting

an editing technique that cuts separate actions together to illustrate moments that take place simultaneously within the narrative structure

split edit (J cut/L cut)

an editing technique used for scene transitions or within a scene in which the audio of one scene or shot precedes or follows the image change

cut on action

cuts from one shot to a closer shot in order to emphasize an action

smash cut

an abrupt and/or jarring edit that cuts from one scene to another without pause or warning

fade in/fade out

gradually moves to or from an image to or from black

dissolve

gradual transition that moves from one image to the next

match cut

uses elements from the previous scene to fluidly bring the viewer through to the next scene

jump cut

when a single shot is broken with a cut that makes the subject appear to jump instantly forward in time

axial cut

the subject in the image gets larger or smaller in the frame with each cut

diegetic sound

any sound that originates from the world of a film

non-diegetic sound

any sound that doesn’t originate from the world of the film

mickey mousing

syncs the accompanying music with the actions on screen

sound bridge

transitions from one scene to another through sound

symmetrical framing

elements on one side mirror their counterparts on the other side

negative space

empty space around and between the subject(s) of an image

unbalanced composition

elements have uneven visual weight within the frame

mise-en-scene

the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play

long take

is shot with a duration much longer than the conventional editing pace

insert shot

a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length from the master shot

POV shot

the camera is positioned to show what a certain character is seeing from their perspective

reaction shot

a shot which cuts away from the main scene in order to show the reaction of a character to it

blocking

the movements of actors on a stage or movie set

shot/reverse shot

one character is shown looking at another character, and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character

pedestal

when the camera itself is moved up or down without tilting the lens

deep space

when significant elements of an image are positioned both near to and distant from the camera

Kuleshov effect

viewers derive more meaning from the interaction of two sequential shots

elliptical editing

certain parts of a scene are omitted

overlapping editing

an expansion of time