Film 101 vocabulary

this one is vocabulary only

Cinematography 

The art of writing with movement and light; it shapes how we see, the images tone, focus, color, movement, and texture 

Tonalities: difference between darkest and lightest areas

High contrast: sharp shadows (Film Noir, Sin City)

Low contrast: soft, muted (Little Women 2019)

Exposure

amount of light reaching the film/sensor

Overexposure and Underexposure

Over=too bright

Under= too dark

Example: Moonlight (2016) uses subtle underexposure to create intimacy in night scenes

What is the standard frame rate (fps)

• 24 fps = standard cinema 

• Higher fps (slow motion when played at normal speed) 

• Lower fps (fast motion) 

Example: Raging Bull (1980) uses slow motion to emphasize brutality and emotional disconnection

Wide-angle (short lens)

Exaggerates depths, distorts edges

Example: Do The Right Thing (1989) adds tension and energy to confrontational scenes 

Normal (medium lens)

resembles human vision

Telephoto (long lens)

flattens space, isolates subject

Example: Lost in Translation (2003) shows emotional distance in crowded settings