Film terms

Actor

Male playing film part

Adaptation

film written based on something else

Ad- Lib

Improvised dialogue or action in performance.

Anti climax

A disappointing or lesser ending than expected, often following a buildup of tension or excitement.

Antihero

A central character in a story who lacks traditional heroic qualities, often embodying flaws or moral ambiguity.

Atmosphere

The overall feeling or mood created in a film, often established through visual and auditory elements such as lighting, sound, and music.

Back light

light on back of subject

bit part

actor with a very small part

Cameo

small part by popular star

camera movement

when the camera moves

cast

players in a film

casting

process of selecting actors for film

character actor

not stars but easily recognizable characters played by smaller actors

cinematographers

AKA DP. establishes look of the film and is in charge of camera and lighting crews

Close-Up

head and shoulders shot

conflict

heart of the film where the drama takes place

continuity

when the story continues in an orderly and logical manner

crane shot

camera mounted on long arm movable up and down

cross cutting

editing from one scene to another

cutaway

shot that cuts away from main action relating to it

day for night

underexposing film in order to make it look like night during the day

Day player

actors who are only hired for a single day in a movie

Dialogue

words spoken by actors in a film

director

person who oversees production of the film

Dolly

mechanical moveable device on wheels that holds a camera

dolly shot

moving camera shot on a dolly

dramatic structure

the arrangement of elements in a films plot

dubbing

recording of dialogue in a studio after the footage is shot

dutch tilt

composition with camera viewing the scene at a diagonal angle

dynamic cutting

scenes that are juxtapose in a manner to break up normal continuity

Editor’s cut

an editors finished version of a film before it’s presented to director or producer

establishing shot

shot that establishes location and surrounding of the main action in a scene

Extra

Actors used as background atmosphere

fade

a shot where the image gradually fades to black

feature film

a film that is the main attraction generally lasting longer than 70 minutes

feature part

not the star of the film but a role of importance

Final cut

the edited version of a film that has been approved by the producer and/or studio

Flash back

going back in time to a scene that denotes an earlier time

follow focus

A shot where the subject moves , but the focus changes with the subjects movement.

genre

certain films alike in theme plot look and character type

Hand held

a shot with camera man holding the camera instead of using a camera

hero

A male who performs heroic deeds

heroine

a female character who performs heroic deeds

hook

a story plot post at the beginning of the film to catch the audiences attention

insert shot

cutting away from a master shot to a scene showing greater detail or information

jump cut

leaving the continuity of. scene to insert a seemingly irrelevant shot

key light

the main light that is most powerful on a subject

love interest

the person one character pursues in order to have a romantic relationship

low angle shot

shot taken from lower than eye level

magic hour

the time just before sunrise or sunset when the suns glow gives off golden lighting

master shot

wide shot that establishes scene

method actor

a style that an actor has in which they shed their own personality to embody the character

minor character

an actor playing an insignificant role in a film

mismatch continuity

scenes that do not edit together smoothly

mood lighting

lighting that evokes a certain mood

motif

something that keeps reappearing in a film

narrative film

generally considered a fictional film that tells a story

Noise

unwanted sound usually caused by a technical problem

nonlinear

a story that is not told in chronological order

objective camera

camera work camera work that has little impact on the viewer in terms of technique or style

original screenplay

an original idea written for the screen

overacting

large gestures along with lovely expressive facial gestures

over the shoulder

a camera shot usually seen during a conversation in a film shot over one actors shoulder seeing the other’s face

pan

horizontal camera movement

parallel editing

the technique of interacting between two simultaneous stories or scenes

POV shot

camera is used to show what an actor sees

producer

person responsible for finding the script and hiring

Rack focus

changing focus from one area in the scene to another

Reaction shot

when an actor is reacting to another character’s actions

reveal shot

A shot in which the camera moves to reveal new information

role

a part in a film played by an actor

Rough cut

a film with all the scenes edited together in order but not timed to length or quality

scenario

an outline for a screenplay that gives a general idea of the plot and characters

scene

an individual moment, place, or location where action takes place

screen direction

when an actor moves from left to right or right to left

screenplay

a story in a format that allows the director to make a film.

screenwriter

the person who writes a screenplay

segue

dissolve in sound while the next fades in

sequence

series of scenes edited together to form a coherent event

shot

a single continuous scene taken by a camera

star

featured player in a film

starlet

young attractive actress usually known more for looks than acting ability

stereotype

actors placed in similar roles from film to film with little to no diversity

story

the complete plot of the film

story line

outline of major events in a film

straight man

actor in a film who sets up a comedian so they can deliver the punchline

subtext

when events take place beneath the obvious

supporting role

an actor who helps embellish the film stars part

swish pan

moving a camera from side to side very fast

take

a single shot of a scene

tag

after the conclusion of a story there is an additional scene that adds more information

tilt

vertical camera movement

top billing

refers to stars who have their name generally before the title of a film

trailer

previews for a new film

truck shot

a camera is mounted on a moving vehicle

wide angle

a camera shot that shows a wide field of view

Wipe

a popular transition that wipes the screen of a shot for the next one

zoom

when the camera appears to move toward or away from an object