GT Q2 HIME/FILM Words

mise-en-scene

the arrangement of everything in the frame; the placement of each thing in its exact place

auteur

a filmmaker whose personal influence and artistic control over a movie are so great that the filmmaker is regarded as the "author" of the movie

dominant

the first thing, image, or color the viewer is drawn to in the shot

lighting key

level of lighting used in a shot. Examples include high key (bright), low key (dark), high contrast (use of spotlight)

proxemics

the distance between the camera and the subject/action

angle

the relative height of the camera to the subject -- is it level (neutral, eye-level), high (looking down on the characters), low (looking up at them)?

color values

the dominant and secondary colors in the shot. Consider what effects these colors have on the shot, what symbolism might be expressed.

lens

Different focusing glass covers for the camera that distort or change the shot (e.g. closer, farther away, wider, thinner, blurred foreground, blurred background, etc).

filter

When placed over the lens (or added later in editing), distorts or changes the way the images are recorded (grainier, different colors, changes sound, etc -- think TikToks and Reels!).

stock media

images, sound, and text that add content or information to the shot. Stock can build detail (such as background filler or diagetic music), be essential to conveying the message of the shot (such as in a documentary when primary documents are provided), etc.

density

the amount of visual information in a shot. Is it highly detailed? Bare and stark? Crowded and cramped? Wide and clear?

composition

the organization or design of the shot, as we might describe a piece of traditional art. How are the pieces laid out in relation to one another? Is the space segmented or arranged in a particular way?

form

In film, a matter of a spectrum from open to closed. Is each thing happening in the shot planned (closed)? Or was the camera rolling, people living without direction (open)? Or some balance of the two?

framing

In film, a matter of tight versus loose. How much space do figures or characters have to move around the shot? Can they move freely or are they cramped in the shot?

depth

Thinking three-dimensionally, how many planes can the image be divided into moving from front to back? What is the relationship between those planes (or the visual information within them)?

character placement

Where in the frame is the character? Center, top, bottom, edge?

staging positions

In relation to the camera, which way are characters facing? What direction are their bodies turned? Be wary not to confuse this with character placement! Five staging placements -- full front, quarter turn (toward), profile, three-quarter turn (away!), back to camera

secular

attitudes, activities, or practices that have no religious or spiritual basis

abhor

to hate, detest

demure

quiet, modest, reserved

hegemony

domination over others

insular

separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off

invective

an angry verbal attack

polemic

an aggressive argument against a specific opinion

seminal

original, important, creating a field