Media Studies Vocab #3

Composition Part II

Pan

•  camera moving left to right, getting closer to a character as moving (can be subjective and objective) 

Tilt

 vertical pan

Tracking/ Following shot

•  keeping person centered while following them 

Crab or slide shot

camera video shot taken going from left to right or right to left

Dolly

• - a movement of the camera into a scene up close to the subject; ending a shot when dollying out, something else is about to happen as a result of dollying out   

Arc Shot

•  same distance while camera goes around the subject to get a profile, over the shoulder and head on shot. 

Boom Shot

a camera is mounted on the end of a pole; a boom can be used for a mic

Jib Shot

jibs can be electronic or manual; jibs allow you to do a multitude of shots

Crane shot

a crane is a motorized jib usually mounted to a vehicle; a crane usually has a person with it

Steadicam

used to keep devices still; a tripod is a steadicam mount; need to spend a lot of time centering the camera; a device meant to keep the camera steady and centered; gimbal

Hand-Held

excellent because you can go anywhere with them; they are not stable;

Zoom

• the movement of lenses; dolly to move in 

Reverse Zoom

• the movement of lenses; dolly out

Framing

what to include within boundaries of the camera’s frame

Rule of thirds

divides screen into a 3×3 grid

depth of field

distance within a shot where objects appear acceptably sharp and in focus while areas outside this range are blurred

Deep focus

cinematographic technique that renders all elements in a frame—foreground, middle ground, and background—in sharp focus.

shallow focus

create visually stunning and immersive movie scenes

Focus pull

focus of the camera shifts from one subject to another within the same shot.commonly used to draw the viewer’s attention to a specific element in the frame, creating a sense of depth and visual interest.

Shading

Making all separate cameras appear to have the same look (color and white balance) when filming the same scene

z-axis blocking shot

similar to angle on angle shot

Character Framing

Position of characters within the scenes' frames

Crowding shot

captures a large group of people in a single frame.

It often emphasizes the scale of an event or setting.

create a sense of chaos or energy in a scene.

Head room

between the top of a subject's head and the top of the frame.

Looking/leading room

Looking room refers to the space in front of a subject that they are looking towards.

Leading room is the space in front of a moving subject, allowing for natural movement.

Both techniques enhance composition and guide the viewer's eye.

nose room

• space in front of a subject's face in a shot.

• It helps create a sense of balance and direction in the composition.