Film & Lit Midterm Study Guide (2024)

Direct characterization

The method of revealing a character's traits through explicit descriptions and statements made by the narrator or other characters in the story.

Indirect characterization

The method of revealing a character's traits through their actions, thoughts, dialogue, appearance, or other character's perceptions of them.

STEAL acronym

Modes of indirect characterization:

• Speech: What the character says and how they say it.

• Thoughts: The character's inner thoughts and feelings.

• Effects: How others react to the character and the impact they have on the story.

• Actions: What the character does and how they behave.

• Looks: The character's physical appearance and how it reflects their personality or traits.

Flat character

A flat character is one-dimensional and lacks depth. They have limited emotions and predictable behaviors, serving a specific purpose in the story. They support main characters and advance the plot.

Round character

A round character is a complex and well-developed character in a story. They undergo changes and have depth, personality, and emotions, making them relatable and realistic to readers.

Static character

A static character remains unchanged throughout the story. They do not experience any significant character development or growth.

Dynamic character

A dynamic character changes and grows in a story, with evolving beliefs and values. They are multi-dimensional and their actions reflect their shifting perspectives.

Four types of conflict

• Man vs. man

• Man vs. society

• Man vs. nature

• Man vs. self

5 Parts of Plot

• Exposition: The beginning of a story where characters, setting, and background information are introduced.

• Rising Action: The series of events that build suspense and lead to the climax.

• Climax: The turning point or most intense moment in a story.

• Falling Action: Events that occur after the climax, leading to the resolution.

• Resolution: The end of a story where loose ends are tied up and conflicts are resolved.

Symbol

A literary device that represents something else, often an abstract idea or concept. It adds depth and layers of meaning to a text.

Thematic topic

A concise expression (usually one or two words) representing the central focus of a story. Examples include "Love," "Justice," and "Identity."

Theme statement

A universal message or lesson conveyed in a literary work. It reflects the underlying meaning or purpose of the story. A theme statement is a full sentence, unlike a thematic topic.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere or vibe created by the text, influencing the reader's feelings. It sets the overall emotional tone without explicitly stating it.

Tone

The author's attitude or perspective expressed through the writing. It conveys the author's feelings toward the subject matter, characters, or audience, shaping the overall mood of the work.

Foreshadowing

A literary device that hints or suggests future events in a story, creating anticipation and suspense for the reader.

Suspense

A feeling of anticipation and tension created in a story, keeping the reader hooked and wanting to know what will happen next.

Point-of-view

The perspective from which a story is told, determining the level of knowledge and bias of the narrator.

• First Person: The narrator, often a character in the story, uses "I" and recounts their own experiences and thoughts.

• Second Person: The narrator directly addresses the reader using "you," involving the reader in the narrative.

• Third Person: The narrator, external to the story, uses "he," "she," or "they" to recount the experiences of characters.

High-key lighting

Lighting characterized by right, even illumination that minimizes shadows and creates a well-lit, low-contrast scene. It is often associated with a positive or upbeat mood.

Low-key lighting

Lighting characterized by shadows and dark tones. It creates a high-contrast, dramatic effect, often used to convey mystery, suspense, or a somber atmosphere.

Neutral lighting

Lighting that is balanced and does not create extreme highlights or shadows. It aims for an even distribution of light, providing a natural and realistic look without emphasizing specific areas. Neutral lighting is commonly used for scenes where a balanced and unobtrusive illumination is desired.

Side/bottom lighting

Lighting that illuminates the subject from the side or below, creating shadows on one side and highlights on the other. It has the potential to convey a split personality or evoke a sense of moral ambiguity.

Front lighting

Illumination that comes from the front of the subject, reducing shadows on the front side. This creates a well-lit and evenly illuminated scene, providing clarity and visibility. Front lighting is often used to create an innocent “halo-like” effect that highlights innocence.

Diegetic sounds

Sounds that originate from sources within a film’s fictional world. These sounds are perceived by both the characters and the audience, contributing to the overall realism and immersion in the storytelling environment.

Non-diegetic sounds

Sounds that are not part of a film’s fictional world. They exist outside the story space and are typically added during post-production. Only the audience, not the characters, hears these sounds. Examples include background music, narration, or sound effects that can enhance the mood or signal a turning point in the story.

Trans-diegetic sounds

Sounds in a film that shift from diegetic to non-diegetic, or vice-versa. Sounds may become louder or quieter to signal this change. Trans-diegetic sounds link ideas and can signal a transition between scenes.

Focus

The clarity and sharpness of a scene’s subject.

Soft focus

A deliberate blurring of the image to reduce sharpness and create a dreamy or ethereal effect. Soft focus is often used for artistic or romantic purposes.

Deep focus

Both the foreground and background are in sharp focus simultaneously. This technique allows for a greater depth of field and is commonly used to capture detailed and expansive scenes.

Shallow focus

Sharp focus on a specific subject while intentionally blurring the surrounding areas, emphasizing the main focal point and creating a visually distinct and isolating effect.

Rack focus

Focus shifts smoothly from one object or depth plane to another within the same shot. This is often used to direct the viewer's attention to different elements in the scene.

Low angle

The camera is positioned below the subject, looking upward. This angle can make the subject appear larger, more powerful, or imposing.

High angle

The camera is positioned above the subject, looking downward. This angle can make the subject appear smaller, weaker, or more vulnerable.

Eye-level angle

The camera is positioned at the same height as the subject's eyes. This angle provides a neutral and natural perspective, often used for straightforward and relatable shots.

Dutch angle

The camera is tilted to create a slanted or skewed frame. This angle is used for visual impact, disorientation, or to evoke a sense of unease or tension in the viewer.

Dissolve

A gradual blending of one shot into another, where the first image slowly fades out as the next emerges. This technique creates a smooth and fluid connection between scenes, often signifying the passage of time or thematic connections.

Fade

A transition between shots where one image gradually darkens (fade-out) or brightens (fade-in). Fades are commonly used to signal the beginning or end of a scene.

Cut

A direct transition between two shots, creating an abrupt change. Cuts are fundamental in film editing and are used for pacing, rhythm, and to convey a sense of continuity or contrast.

Eyeline match

A continuity editing technique where the direction of a character's gaze in one shot is matched by the next shot, creating a seamless visual connection between the two shots.

Cut on action

A cut between two shots that occurs during a physical action, maintaining continuity and creating a smooth transition.

Crosscutting

Also known as parallel editing, it involves interweaving scenes from two or more separate storylines, often occurring simultaneously. This technique builds tension, emphasizes connections between events, or provides a broader perspective on the narrative.

Pan

A horizontal movement of a stationary camera (fixed point). A pan captures a sweeping view across a scene, often used to reveal different elements, like panning across a scenic landscape.

Whip pan

An abrupt and rapid pan movement. The whip pan is employed for dynamic transitions between scenes or to create a sense of urgency, adding energy to the visual narrative.

Tilt

Vertical movement of a stationary camera (fixed point). Tilting is used to showcase elements in the vertical axis, such as tilting upward to emphasize the height of a skyscraper.

Tracking

Camera follows a subject's horizontal movement smoothly, commonly used to capture characters or objects in motion, like following a character through a crowded street.

Trucking

The camera moves parallel to the ground (horizontally), often used to follow alongside moving objects, like tracking alongside a vehicle for a dynamic chase scene. The subject is seen from the side.

Zoom

Camera changes focal length to magnify or shrink the view, allowing for emphasis on specific elements without physically moving the camera. Zooms feel unnatural, as the human eye cannot zoom in or out.

Crash zoom

A rapid zooming in or out, creating a sudden and intense effect, often utilized to highlight a character's realization or shock (dramatic or comedic effect).

Dolly zoom

Camera zooms in while moving away from the subject or zooms out while moving toward the subject. The dolly zoom produces a disorienting effect that is commonly employed in suspenseful or dramatic scenes.

Random camera movement

Unpredictable and erratic camera motions, often with camera shake as well. Random camera movement can create subtle motion in scenes where the subject is stationary, or produce an intimate and subjective effect as though events are playing out in real time.

Close-up

A shot that tightly frames a single subject, typically the face or a specific detail, conveying intense emotions or emphasizing a particular element.

Medium/mid shot

A shot that frames a subject from the waist up or the chest up, providing a closer view than a wide shot but not as detailed as a close-up. Often used in conversations b

Long/wide shot

A shot that captures a broad view of a scene, often showing the entire setting or a large portion of it. Wide shots can be used to establish setting at the start of a scene, or highlight the scale of items in frame.