moving images

dissolve

when one sequence fades over another

cut

an abrupt transition from one shot to another

wipe

when one shot replaces another by moving or 'wiping' from one side of the frame to another. can be done in any direction and in various shapes.

fade

transition that can be used at the end of a scene to signify the audience the scene is over. Action will usually fade to black.

voiceover

non-diegetic sound of a person speaking over a scene

synchronous sound

sounds that are expected to be heard with what is viewed

asynchronous sound

sound that does not match or is unexpected with the images on the screen. can be used to build tension, suspense or emotion

shallow focus

part of the image is in focus while the rest is out of focus or blurred. this draws attention to a particular action/character

fast paced editing

when scenes are edited together using lots of shots cut together quickly

sub-genre

a smaller, more specific genre within a broader genre and often has its own set of common tropes and characteristics

hybrid-genre

when the conventions of 2 or more films are combined/merged.

signify

the association that a sign or symbol refers to. (a man holding a gun may signify he is violent)

protagonist

the hero

antagonist

the villian

cgi

Computer Generated Imagery

mise en scene

contained in the scene. props, set, costume, lighting, body language, facial expression, make-up.

over the shoulder shot

camera is placed behind the shoulder of someone. good for conversation

the 30 degree rule

the camera should not move over 30 degrees between shots. otherwise it will look like a jump-cut which will disrupt the flow of the film looking natural.

eye level shot

the camera is positioned at the same level as the actors' face. gives a feel of realism

hand held shots

the opposite of dolly shots. they can denote realism. they are shaky.

pov shot

when the camera is the 'eyes' of a character. point of view shot.

worms eye view

extreme low angle shot that can make humans look like giants. camera is usually placed on the ground.

panning

a movement which scans a scene horizontally.

pulling/throwing focus

when you change focus during shot. (the shot begins to focus on the plant in the foreground, then adjust focus until the girl in the background is sharp)

close up

either a face or specific detail. shows background in frame.

eye line match

(a shot of a women looking off-screen to her left might be followed by a cut to a painting that she's looking at)

180 degree rule/axis of action

when the camera should not move the opposite side of where it was originally placed in the first shot. the characters are usually facing each other vertically.

establishing shot

used to show the setting of a scene. usually doesn't include humans. usually shows exterior.

exterior

outside

interior

inside

extreme long shot.

like an establishing shot, but includes humans, however they are very small in the shot because of how far away it is.

long shot

shows full body in frame

medium shot

body cut off at midriff (in frame)

contrapuntal sound

sound which works against the tone of a scene

non-diegtic

sound you dont see

sound bridge

sound from a previous scene carries over into the opening of the next one

continuity editing

shots from different angles are cut together to create a sense of continuous movement

zoom

not to be overused but can give a documentary feel. can be used as a reveal tool. can be used to convey emotion.

convey

communicate

shot/reverse shot

where one character is shown looking at another character, and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. good for covering conversation.

oblique/canted angle

the camera is tilted to one side. good for showing disorientation

dolly shot

the camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action (following a moving figure or object). sometimes called tracking. vertical. (in = foward) (out = back)

track left or right

like a dolly shot but horizontal

steady cam

when you can hold a camera without it being shaky while filming. camera stabilizing system.

aerial shot

a variation of a crane shot, usually taken from a helicopter. often used at the beginning of a film to establish setting.

zoom lenses

zooming in to get a close-up from far away

crane shots

dolly shot-in-the-air. can move up, down, left or right. used by a camera operator in a crane.

key genres

horror, western, action/adventure, romantic comedy, science fiction, crime

directional continuity

(if a character is shot crossing the road from the left side to the right side, the next angle of that shot should still perserve that sense of direction. if the next showed him walking from the right to the left, the audience would assume he changed direction)

genre

french word for 'type' or category

high angle

good for showing weak characters

low angle

good for showing confident/strong characters.

extreme close up

close up but with no background in frame

birds eye view

shows a scene directly above scene/object/human

3 point lighting

key light. fill light. back light

fill light

secondary light source used to balance out the key light and change the level of shadows

key light

the primary and brightest source of light

high key

brightly lit shot with little or no shadows, uses all 3 point lighting

low key

hardly any back light and fill light. mainly just key light but that can be very dark too.

freeze frame

highlights an important moment by creating a pause effect in which a single frame of film is extended for several seconds.

slow motion

effects are usually captured by changing the films speed.

cross cutting

used to cut between two different actions happening at the same time. by cutting back and fourth between these different events, the director can establish that they are somehow linked.

match on action

when one shot cuts to another, portraying the action that was present in the first shot. (a long shot of a woman walking, then cuts to a mid shot of her walking, then a close up)

montage editing

almost like a slideshow of clips. can cut rapidly from wide shots to extreme close ups. they are fast paced.

editing

the joining together of individual shots into visual sequences

graphic match

to cut from one scene to another that is similar. combines the elements from the first scene to the next scene.

diegetic

sound you see

cinematography

lighting camera man. the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images.

tilts

a movement that scans a scene vertically. the camera is moved up and down.

back light

lighting from behind the subject. reduces most of the shadows from behind.