lit/lang midterm terms

Long shot (LS)

shot from some distance – shows full subject and perhaps surrounding scene as well

Establishing shot (ES)

contains lots of landscape or space of a scene; often a long shot or a series of shots

Close-up shot (CS)

image being shot takes up at least 80% of the frame

extreme close-up

focuses on one feature – shows only a part of a body or an object – no background shown

Medium shot (MS)

in-between LS and CS; people are seen from the waist up

soft focus

the object is intentionally out of focus to make the image look softer or unclear

rack focus

focus shifts from one object to another in the same shot to direct the viewer’s attention

deep focus

the foreground and background are equally in focus

low angle (LA)

camera shoots the subject from below

High angle (HA)

camera shots from above the subject (but not directly overhead)

Eye level (EL)

camera is level with the key character’s eyes – 90-95% of shots are from this angle

Slant angle

shot is tilted or slanted on the horizontal line

Point of view

camera takes perspective of one character and moves as that character does

pan

stationary camera moves left or right (horizontally)

tilt

stationary camera moves up or down (vertically)

zoom

camera is stationary but the lens moves closer to or farther away from the object

dolly or tracking

camera itself moves with or follows the action – on a track, wheels, hand-held (steadicam)

low-key

dim lighting – scene is flooded with shadows and darkness

high-key

bright lighting – scene is flooded with light

neutral

neither bright nor dim – lighting is even throughout the shot

Bottom or side lighting

direct lighting from below or from one side

Front or rear lighting

soft, direct lighting on face or back of subject

Diegetic

sounds that can be heard logically by characters of the film

Internal diegetic

sound can only be heard within the mind of one character (eg, internal voice-over, thoughts)

Non-diegetic

sound that is added to the film – heard only by the viewer, not the characters (eg, music, sound effects)

cut

immediate change of shot from one scene or subject to another

fade

scene fades to black before new shot

flare

scene lightens to complete white before a new shot.

dissolve

one image fades into another

crosscutting

shot cuts to an action that is happening simultaneously – also called parallel editing

flashback or flashforward

shot moves into action that has happened previously OR ahead in time

eye-line match

shot of a character looking; then a cut to whatever he or she is looking at – may be followed by a cut back for a reaction shot

slow motion

action is slowed down and depicted as slower than reality

fast motion

action is speeded up and depicted as faster than reality

setting

Established through descriptive details, often woven into the narrative or dialogue. Time, Place, Culture

plot

Structured with rising action, climax, and falling action, often focusing on a single main event

conflict

Built into the core of the story, driving character actions and plot development

framing device

Established at the start, sometimes revisited to conclude the story

exposition

Integrated naturally into the narrative, avoiding info-dumps

foreshadowing

Planted early in the story, often subtle hints or seemingly minor details

flashback

Inserted to provide crucial background information or character insight

in medias res

Begins mid-action, gradually revealing context through flashbacks or dialogue

denouement

Crafted to provide closure, often brief in short stories

point of view

Chosen to control information flow and reader intimacy with characters

narrator

Crafted to have a distinct voice, knowledge level, and relationship to the story

unreliable narrator

Developed through subtle contradictions or clearly biased perspectives

stream of consciousness

Written in fragmented, associative style to mimic thought processes

character development

Developed through actions, thoughts, dialogue, and reactions to events

protagonist

Centered as the main focus, often undergoing change or facing the primary conflict

antagonist

Constructed to create obstacles or opposition, can be a person, force, or internal struggle

characterization

Achieved through a mix of direct description and indirect revelation

dialogue

Written to reveal character, advance plot, and provide information naturally

epiphany

Positioned at a crucial moment, often near the story's climax

symbolism

Integrated subtly, often through recurring objects or actions

imagery

Woven throughout to create vivid mental pictures and sensory experiences

using sense images to make the meaning more vivid and to evoke emotions in the reader

motif

Repeated images, phrases inserted at key points to reinforce themes and create cohesion

allusion

reference to a person, place, or event which the reader already knows

simile

a comparison using "like" or "as"

metaphor

a comparison without the use of "like" or "as"

personification

giving human qualities to something that is not human

hyperbole

an exaggeration

pacing

Manipulated through varying sentence/paragraph lengths and scene durations

diction

the author’s choice or words

Chosen to reflect character backgrounds, story tone, and evoke specific emotions

figurative language

language that should not be taken literally or in its exact meaning, but which refers to another idea (figures of speech)

sight

visual imagery helps us "see" what is being described

sound

aural imagery helps us "hear" what is being described

smell

olfactory imagery helps us "smell" what is being described

taste

gustatory imagery helps us 'taste" what is being described

touch

tactile imagery helps us 'leer' what is being described

organic imagery

relating to the organs (heart, gut, knees shaking….)

symbol

a person, thing, idea, or action that stands for something else. It is usually something concrete that stands for something abstract

rhythm

the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables

example of rhythm

But soft, what light from yonder window breaks?

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

rhyme or end rhyme

the repetition of sounds at the end of the lines of a poem

half-rhyme

rhyming of the first and last consonants, with a different vowel sound in the middle

examples of half-rhyme

flip/flop

seen/sign

internal rhyme

rhyme within the same line of poetry

example of internal rhyme

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee

off-rhyme or slant-rhyme

a rhyme that is not full and perfect but contains echoes of parts of words

examples of off/slant-rhyme

last/west

trade/trod

eye-rhyme

words that look as though they would rhyme but they don’t

examples of eye-rhyme

great/defeat

compare/are

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds

example of assonance

The ploughman homeward plods his weary way

consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds

example of consonance

What a world of merriment their melody foretells!

alliteration

the repetition of beginning consonant sounds

example of alliteration

Doubting, dreaming dreams no modal ever dared to dream before

onomatopoeia

words that imitate sounds

example of onomatopoeia

How they clang, and clash, and roar!

cacophony

a combination of harsh, unpleasant sounds or tones

example of cacophony

My stick fingers click with a snicker

euphony

a combination of soothing, pleasant, soft sounds or tones

example of euphony

O star (the fairest one in sight)

repetition

words or groups of words that are repeated

Strategically placed to create rhythm, emphasis, or thematic significance

example of repetition

How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle

anaphora

the repetition of an initial word or phrase

example of anaphora

This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars

This other Eden, demi-paradise.

abstract

an idea, concept, belief that does not have an actual existence: opposite of concrete

ambiguity

a situation in which more than one meaning or interpretation is possible or expected (a part of human life - like most of our experiences)