Film Studies Unit 2

Mise en scene

Staging or putting on an action or scene. It is a physical creation and an emotional concept.

• Placing people objects and elements of decor in a scene

• Movements

• Lighting

• Camera angles

• Sounds

Composition

Visualizing and putting plans into practice. Organization, distribution, balance, relationship or stationary objects and figures as well as light shade line and color within the frame. There are two aspects of composition: framing and kinesis (movement)

On screen space

What is in the cameras viewfinder

Off screen

Space that is excluded

Open frame

People and things can enter and leave, realistic

Closed frame

Characters and objects do not have free will to come and go, anti realistic, expressionistic

Rule of thirds

Fore middle and background planes. It helps visualize the overall effects of the shot and helps the audience see action as if it were 3D

Shooting angle

Level and height of the camera in relation to the subject being photographed

Long shot

Shows full human body, usually filling frame and some of its surroundings

Medium shot

Shows the human body from the waist up

Dutch angle

Camera is tilted, implies world in the frame lacks balance

Mask

Cut out placed in front of the camera and used to create a frame within a frame

Extreme long shot

Human figure is placed far from the camera

Extreme close up

A very close shot of some detail

Medium long shot

Taken from the knees up and includes most of a persons body

Eye level shot

Taken from an observers eye level implies attitude towards subject is neutral

Close up

Shows a part of the body traditionally a face filling the frame

High angle shot

Camera is above the action and implies superiority

Aspect ratio

The ratio of the width of image in the frame to its height

Low angle shot

Camera is below the action, implies helplessness or the impression of a superior force

Aerial view shot

Extreme POV shot taken from a plane or very high crane, implies observers omniscience

Tracking shot

The camera moves smoothly with the action

Pan shot

Horizontal movement from a stationary position of the camera

Tilt shot

Vertical movement of the camera from a stationary position

Crane shot

Made from a camera mounted on an elevated arm which is capable of moving by its own power