Art & Culture Test 1 - Cinematography

Mise-en-scene

anything that appears in front of the camera. the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play. It encompasses elements like lighting, costumes, and props, creating the overall visual style of a scene.

cinematography

movement of and placement of the camera; the art of making motion pictures.

post-production

editing/finalization of a film; work done on a film or recording after filming or recording has taken place.

high angle

the camera is high up looking down; communicates helplessness, vulnerability. 

low angle

the camera is low looking up; communicates how massive & uncomfy something is; can also communicate tension or power/intimidation.

point of view shot

angle that follows the character’s eyes. What we have seen or will see depends on the shot before it. Immerses the audience into the character’s perspective. 

Insert shot

inanimate objects or tight close up shots of items/body parts. Helps to highlight what crucial details the director/filmmaker wants the audience to notice.

Bird’s Eye View

the camera is directly above to help the audience sense the environment.

Push-in

when the camera itself is pushing into a character; demonstrates how the director wants the audience to pay attention to the character’s actions and emotions. Makes the scene become more intense. 

Pull-out

The camera is initially close into a character’s face and then begins to pull out physically farther from the character. Gives the audience a better sense of the environment or creates a bigger picture. 

panning

moving left and/or right (horizontally) from a fixed perspective; only the camera moves.

truck

moving left and/or right (horizontally); the camera AND the cameraman moves.

tilt

moving up and/or down (vertically) from a fixed perspective; only the camera moves.

pedestal

moving up and/or down (vertically); the camera AND the cameraman moves.

arc

the cameraman orbits the camera around the subject in a 360 motion.

canted angle

diagonal/crooked angle in order to show discomfort, unease, disorientation, or dramatic tension; shows a realization about what situation a character is in.

tracking shot

the camera moves with the subject/follows the subject around.

long take

Used to show duration & exhibit things happening in real time without any cuts. Used to create realism and immerse the viewer in a scene.

dolly zoom

combination of push in and zoom out, or pull out and zoom in simultaneously. For push in & zoom out—> the audience physically gets closer to the subject whereas the world around them gets farther. Vice versa for pull out & zoom in. Conveys shock/surprise or realization.

bilateral symmetry

perfectly even shot; completely symmetrical with both sides being equal if cut down the middle. evokes feelings of harmony and order.

deep focus

everything in a frame is in focus; both the foreground & background are in focus.

shallow focus

everything in the foreground is in focus, whereas everything in the background is out of focus.

deep space

action or movement is happening in both the foreground & the background.

unbalanced composition

asymmetrical; frame isn’t even on both sides. Communicates discomfort and disrupts order.  

negative space

part of the frame where there is not much going on or is unimportant; it can bring tension fear, or anticipation.

camera distance

space b/w the camera itself and the subject that is being filmed. 

blocking

arrangement of actors and props in a scene that is set to tell a story. Coordinates with mise-en-scene. Shows different aspects of a character’s personality or relationship dynamic.

establishing shot

a shot which sets the film’s location and time; can further set the mood of the film. It is usually at the start of the film or scene.

diegetic sound

sound that is within the world of the film we are watching.

non-diegetic sound

sound effects that you know the characters cannot hear. 

Mickey Mousing

movement of the character/subject or onscreen action matches the music and/or sounds. Makes it exciting or anticipating to get the audience pumped up.

Kuleshov Effect

the construction & what order we put the film in to understand the context. What can the order of these shots communicate. (ex. shot of a man, then a shot of food, then man smiles —> exhibits hunger). 

reaction shot

catches the reaction of a character; can only be understood in the context of the scene or a scene that comes before it.