Film Studies - General Terminology

A-Level

diegetic sound

sound that has its source in the narrative world of the film, whose characters are presumed to be able to hear it

non-diegetic sound

sound that can be heard by the audience only, not the characters.

shot/reverse/shot

A shot of one subject, then another, then back to the first. It is often used for conversation or reaction shots.

Rule of Three

Imaginary lines on a screen, sectioning it into three so everything stays in proportion.

French New Wave

A film movement (1950s and 1960s) in France in opposition to the conventional studio system. Films often low budget with young actors, shot on location, used unconventional sound and editing patterns, and addressed the struggle for personal expression.

German Expressionism

A film style that emerged in the 1910s in Germany. It was heavily indebted to the Expressionist art movement of the time and influenced subsequent horror films and film noir

Film Noir

"Dark film," a term applied by French critics to a type of American film, usually in the detective or thriller genres, with low-key lighting and a somber mood.

film sequence

(n) a part of a film that deals with one event

Mise-en-scene

All of the elements placed in front of the camera to be photographed: the settings and props, lighting, costumes and makeup, and figure behavior.

cinematography

art of making motion pictures

Film Form

the overall system of relations that we can perceive among the elements in the whole film (mine en scene, cinematography, editing, performance, colour aesthetic, sound)

establishing shot

A shot, usually involving a distant framing, that provides context and shows the spatial relations among the important figures, objects, and setting in a scene.

Wide Shot

Shows subject and location or environment in its entirety, example: showing the entire room

Mid shot

Shot which shows a person from the waist up. Used in conversation and to show body language.

two shot

A medium shot featuring two actors.

close up shot

Shows a particular part of a subject with more detail, example: framing a subject from shoulders up

Extreme Close-Up Shot

Shows a particular part of a subject with extreme detail, uncomfortable, disturbing ,and often used in horror- chops frame up.

low angle

When camera location is below normal eye-level compared to the subject, makes the subject appear tall, powerful, dominating, or scary

high angle

The camera is above the subject. This usually has the effect of making the subject look smaller than normal, giving him or her the appearance of being weak, powerless, and trapped.

canted/oblique angle

The camera is tilted on its side (i.e not 90 degrees), transports viewer, otherworldly, confusing.

shallow focus

a shot in which only a narrow range of the field is in focus

deep focus

when the foreground and background are equally in focus- everything in the frame is visible

panning shot

A shot in which the camera remains in place but moves horizontally on its axis so that the subject is constantly re-framed.

Tilt Shot or Vertical Pan

Camera tilts up or down from a fixed base

whip pan

An extremely fast movement of the camera from side to side, which briefly causes the image to blur into a set of indistinct horizontal streaks.

tracking shot

The movement of an image through a scene, followed by a camera mounted on tracks.

Dolly Grip

crew member who pushes the dolly that carries the camera, either from one setup to another or during a take for moving camera shots

steady cam

Device enabling an operator to hand carry a camera with no visible jiggling or bouncing

crane shot

a shot taken from a camera mounted on a crane that can vary distance, height, and angle

digital film making

cheaper, easier, can see exactly what it looks like when filming, film for as long as you want, high quality, gains more viewers

film-making

sense of nostalgia, shows immense work, aesthetically pleasing, more expensive, creates a warmth and magic, never know what it looks like exactly until developed

Chiaroscuro

an effect of highly contrasted light and shadow created by light falling unevenly or from a particular direction on something.

three-point lighting

A common arrangement using three directions of light on a scene: from behind the subjects (backlighting), from one bright source (key light), and from a less bright source balancing the key light (fill light).

16mm film stock

film stock- cheap, smaller and narrower so is garner when blown up on big screens, used by horror or first time film makers

35mm film stock

film stock- standard size, less grain, best compromise

70mm film stock

film stock- rarely used, very expensive, large scale productions, blown up for huge screens

10-20mm lens

lens- wide angle, exaggerates space and creates epic vistas and landscapes

30-50mm lens

lens- used most often, mimics the way the eye sees, creates a naturalistic look

80-100mm lens

lens- close ups limit surrounding space, draws audiences eye to where director wants focus

4:3 aspect ratio

the aspect ratio of a television- first ever cinematic aspect ratio, the 'Academy' Ratio, easily coverts from film to TV, almost a square

1.85:1 aspect ratio

fills whole cinema screen, uses entirety of image and projects it

2.35:1 aspect ratio

primarily used as an aesthetic choice by film makers- a lot of auteurs use this- trims top and bottom edges and projects it

continuity editing

The 'Classical Hollywood' style of editing; intended to establish a logical coherence of time and space between shots, suggesting that everything in the scene is physically continuous, 'invisible' to spectator, identify important lapses of time and conceals insignificant ones, fluent and unnoticeable

Kuleshov Effect

a mental phenomenon by which viewers derive more meaning from the interaction of two sequential shots than from a single shot in isolation

180 degree rule

Filming and editing so that all shots in a scene are from the same side of an imaginary straight line running between the scene's major subjects.

action match

Where an action begins in one shot and continues in the next

eyeline match

A cut obeying the axis of action principle, in which the first shot shows a person looking off in one direction and the second shows a nearby space containing what he or she sees. If the person looks left, the following shot should imply that the looker is offscreen right, same level as character's eyes.

fragmented editing

Editing that is non linear and doesn't have to be 'invisible', is artificial and illogical, doesn't necessarily follow order chronologically, make audience aware of construction deliberately, blur lines between time and space, disturbing or surreal- nightmarish occasionally- for symbolism or meaning, builds tension

fragmenting techniques

cross cutting, random location/set change, change of time abruptly (flashbacks and flash forwards), montages, removal of establishing shot, keeping in broke fourth wall moments (eg an actor looking at camera)

straight cut

the immediate transition from one shot to the next

fade (to black/white)

mostly used at endings of films- gentle, resolute, relaxing

cut to black

mostly used at endings of films- disjointed and abrupt

Cross Dissolve

a common type of transition, in which the first shot fades out while the second shot simultaneously fades in. During the cross dissolve, the two shots are superimposed as they fade.

parallel sound

sound that complements the image, for instance romantic music during a love scene- anchors our emotion

contrapuntal sound

sound that counterpoints or contrasts the image- harsh contrast, moral grey area, juxtapose

asynchronous sound

Sound that is not matched temporally with the movements occurring in the image, as when dialogue is out of synchronization with lip movements. used in foreshadowing or transitions (eg a character could say it's not going to rain, then we hear thunder and rain, and it cuts to them outside in the rain)

Foley Artist

the sound editor who creates or adapts and dubs onto the sound track various ambient or special sound effects.

Additional Dialogue Recording (ADR)

repeating the dialogue in studios in time to the images played on screen so sound is clearer (e.g in a city centre the sound is going to be low quality, so you would re-record the dialogue in time to the filmed scene)

non-verbal communication

communicating without the use of words.

vocal tone

this involves a certain way of sounding that expresses meaning.

facial expression

an arrangement of the facial muscles to communicate thoughts, emotions, and attitudes

Physicality/Body Awareness

an example of non- verbal communication

interactions

how a character responds and reacts to another character/scenario/environment

Method Acting

an approach that calls on the actor to use personal experience and sense memory to develop a character, living the life of the character even when not acting

Improvisation

to invent without preparation

Casting

the process of selecting actors for various roles

intellectual montage

The juxtaposition of a series of images ad short clips to create an abstract idea not present in any one image- creates symbolic meaning

modern montage

usually used to condense long lapses of time (e.g a couple spending time together over the summer- laughing, drinking coffee, sitting in a park, wandering through museums

montage

A quick succession of a variety of images or clips used to express an idea, time passing, meaning, or memories.

jump-cut

fragmented editing technique, pioneered by French New Wave, fragmented/fragmented reality

fast//slow motion

exaggerates or heightens emotions/events // chaotic, energetic, passing of time

parallel editing//cross cutting

The alternating of quick shots from two sequences, often in different locales, suggesting that they are taking place at the same time, creates tension and suspense. (e.g a woman with a pram crossing a road on one shot, the other a out of control bus hurtling down the road)

above the line costs

costs in the production of a film that are negotiated before filming begins

accelerated montage

a sequence made up of shots of increasingly shorter lengths that creates a psychological atmosphere of excitement and tension

Aerial Shot/Bird's Eye View

a camera shot taken from above, often camera is mounted on helicopter or aeroplane

ambient sound

Natural background noise recorded at the same time as the action.

analogue

technology for the recording and transmission of sound and images

artificial light

Refers to light produced by electricity as opposed to a Natural source such as the sun or moon.

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.

available light

The natural and/or artificial light that already exists at a location.

B-movie

low-budget movie; usually with little artistic aspiration and quickly made, came to prominence in the Depression in 1930s US

back projection

A method of projecting images onto a translucent screen behind the set during filming. Often used for projected scenery or special effects. Prevalent 1920s-80s- when characters were 'drving'

back story or exposition

dialogue about what happened to the character before the play began and what happens between the scenes and offstage

below the line costs

the expenses allotted to the crew, secondary cast, the shooting and assembly phases, insurance, and publicity, after shooting has began

Blacklist

A list of about 500 actors, writers, producers and directors who were not allowed to work on Hollywood films because of their alleged Communist connections.

blaxpoitation films

term used to describe films made in America I the 60s and 70s which featured black central characters

blockbuster

the type of big-budget special effects films that typically have summer or holiday release dates, heavy promotion, and lucrative merchandising tie-ins. characters are relatable and understandable, and the storyline is universally recognisable and predictable

Blocking

The planning and working out of the movements of actors on stage- characters and objects are partially obstructed in order to create meaning for the viewer.

blow up

process by which a still image or frame enlarged, so particular detail is highlighted- often used for marketing such as posters

Bollywood

Indian version of Hollywood (film industry), centered in Mumbai (formerly Bombay)

boom

A long pole used to hold a microphone, light or camera, whilst remaining outside the frame, handled by a boom operator.

breakaway

a prop or part of the set that is made to break upon impact.

Bridging Shot

a shot used to cover a jump in time or place or other discontinuity, connects scenes. Examples are: falling calendar pages, railroad wheels, newspaper headlines, seasonal changes.

British New Wave

films produced in Britain in the 50s and 60s, sharing its French counterpart's interest in experimental forms of camera work and editing.

buddy film

A friendship male-oriented action genre, especially popular in the 1970's, dealing with the adventures of two or more men, usually excluding any significant female roles. More modern versions evolved to include relationships that are not always male and heterosexual (e.g Thelma and Louise)

Call Sheet

A listing of which actors will be required for which scenes, and when they will be required.

cameo

usually a star's special appearance in a minor role in a film

point of view

filming as if the audience is seeing through the character's eyes

closed set

A set or location that is closed to all but specific crew and talent involved in the scene- give actors privacy or in order to generate speculation within the public

closure

relates to storytelling, bringing together of questions and loose ends to provide final answers