Visual Literacy\

What is static art?

Still images in photographs, drawings, paintings, posters, advertisements.

What is sequential art?

Images which move from frame to frame in print form which appears in storyboard, graphic novel, comic strips, and the the photo essay.

What is parallel action?

Narrative strategy that crosscuts between two or more separate actions to create the illusion that they are occurring simultaneously.

What is objective camera?

Scene is shot from the viewpoint of a spectator watching from outside the scene.

What is subjective camera?

A character directly involved in the action.

What is a hook?

The opening sequences in a film catching the audience's attention and draw them into the plot.

What is a caption?

The printed line(s) of text appearing at the bottom of the screen to describe the setting or to translate foreign words.

What is miseenscene? (6)

It refers to everything in the frame of a static or moving image such as
- lighting
- objects/props
- setting
- music/noise heard
- staging and movement of subjects/actors

What is a extreme long shot?

Shows landscapes or the view of the whole world, a town, or a city.

Purpose: - establish setting to introduce main characters

* to indicate emotional separation (two characters separated by a great distances)

What is a long shot?

Overall view from a distance of a character's environment often used as an establishing shot to set the scene *The subject's whole body is shown along with the entire area of action.*

Purpose:

* to establish setting to introduce main characters
* to indicate emotional separation (two characters separated by a great distance)

What is a full Shot (FS)

A variation of the long shot, showing the full subject from head to toe.

What is a medium shot/mid shot? (3)

Shows the subject form the mid-shin or mid-thigh up.

Purpose: - to emphasize the relationship between two or more characters.
- separates characters from the background (often used in dialogue scenes)

What is a close shot? (1)

Subject is shown from waist up.

What is a close up? (2)

Focuses on the subject's face (details expressions and reactions). It shows either head or head and shoulder. It may also focus a small object

Purpose: -for emphasis

What is a extreme close up? (2)

A variation of the close-up and singles out of portion of the face or isolates a detail (might focus on a person's eyes or lips for example). It may magnify the image to the point of distortion.

What is a tracking or dolly shot (1)

Single continuous shot made with a camera moving along the ground usually on a dolly.

What is a subjective shot? (1)

Framed from a particular character's point of view.

What is an aerial shot? (2)

Filmed from a helicopter, plane, etc.

What is a crane shot? (1)

A shot (usually a pan or tilt) in which a crane is used lift the camera above the action.

What is an arc shot? (1)

Subject is filmed by an encircle or moving camera

What is a boom shot? (1)

A continuous single shot made from a pole which has a camera suspended from it (held just above the action).

What is an establishing or master shot? (2)

Shows the overall view of a location or all actors in the scene. It is usually wide or long shot used to orient the viewer to the scene. Other shots are often edited into the master shot.

Purpose:
- to establish the relationship of details which will be emphasized in later shots.

What is a hand-held shot? (4)

A shot taken with a moving camera that is often deliberately shaky to suggest documentary footage in an uncontrolled setting.

Purpose:
- to create a sense of anxiety and confusion
- to involve the audience directly in the scene with the character
-to add realism

What is a reaction shot? (1)

A medium shot which shows a subject's reaction to an event.

What is a reverse shot? (2)

Two shots commonly linked - frequently used to show two people talking and listening to each other.

What is an over the shoulder-shot? (1)

A shot that gives us a character's point of view but that includes part of that character's shoulder or the side of the head in the shot.

What is a birds eye view angle? (1)

Camera is placed virtually on top of the subject looking down towards the subject and the ground.

What is a high angle? (4)

Camera shoots down at the subject.

Purpose:
- used to increase vulnerability
- shows powerlessness (inferiority)
- decreases size

What is a low angle? (4)

Camera shoots up at the subject.
- used to increase size
- shows power (status/superiority)
- used to inspire awe

What is a straight/flat angle? (2)

Camera is at eye-level (most common shot)

Purpose:
- shows equality, sincerity, and honesty between the subject and the audience.

What is an oblique/canted/dutch angle? (5)

Shot by tilting the camera frame off its normal vertical axis and making subjects look askew (off-kilter).

Purpose:
- creates a sense of disorientation
- emphasizes a strange mood
- suggests a subject view point (from the perspective of someone who is high on drugs or alcohol)
- could suggest a symbolic unbalance (a world which lacks harmony and balance)

What is a wide angle? (1)

Offers a greater panorama without having to pan or move the camera.

What is a fisheye lens? (2)

It is like looking into a mirrored glass ball it creates an exaggerated linear distortion.

What are transitions? (1)

A tool that connects one scene to another.

What is a bridging shot (transition)? (2)

Used to "bridge" a jump in time, place, or other discontinuity.

E.g. falling calendar, newspaper headlines, seasonal changes, maps.

What is a cut? (1)

The ending of a shot.

What is a jump cut transition? (1)

A cut that visually jars or disturbs the viewer, most often by making a break in the continuity of a scene.

What is a cutaway transition? (2)

A shot inserted into the master or establishing shot in order to focus on some elements of the scene.

E.g. director may cut away from a medium shot of a fight scene to a close-up of an actor in order to show his emotions.

What is cross cutting transition? (2)

Cutting back and forth between two scenes to create the impression that they are happening at the same time (to create similarity and contrast).

What is a fade in/fade out transition? (4)

Going from black (nothing on the screen) to a shot (fade in) or going from a shot to black (fade out). These transition usually connote a larger amount of time passing or might also be used to signal a break in the narrative (the end of an act for instance).

What is a dissolve transition? (2)

One image gradually fading in while simultaneously another fades out so that for a few seconds there are two visuals superimposed.

What is a match cut dissolve transition? (2)

Connects two shots cut together by having a character finish an action begun in the first shot (finished in the second shot)

What does superimposed mean?

To overlay one shot over another shot

two or more images can be seen at the same time overlapping.

What is a wipe transition?

One shot "wipes" across the screen and replaces another.

What is an iris in/iris out transition? (2)

The shot goes from a full-frame to focusing a small circle around a certain part of the shot with everything blacked out (iris-in) or the reverse occurs (iris-out).

What is a eye-line match transition? (2)

A cut between two shots that creates the illusion of the character (in the first shot) looking at an object (second shot)

What is a defocused shot? (2)

A shot taken deliberately out of focus (often to make a transition).

What is a shallow focused shot?

A shot in which the focus is clear only i one plane

the rest of the image is blurred (narrow depth of field).

What is a deep focused shot? (2)

A shot in which all areas from foreground to background are in focus (wide depth of field).

What is a soft focus shot? (5)

A slightly blurred shot.

Purpose: to make the subject seem more attractive, romantic, nostalgic or dreamlike.

What is a rack focused shot? (4)

A shot that has an on-screen focus change from an object in the foreground to an object in the background or vice versa in a single shot. Used to direct a shift and steer the attention of the viewer from one subject to another also known as selective focusing or pull focus

What is a pan (camera movement)?

Camera moves from side to side from a stationary position.

Purpose:
-to establish the setting or to indicate the character's range of vision

What is a tilt (camera movement)?

Stationary (still) camera moves up or down

Purpose: -to indicate size, strength, or sexuality

What is a tracking (camera movement)?

The camera moves smoothly following a moving object or person.

What is zoom-in (camera movement)?

Magnifies the subject while the camera remains stationary.

What is zoom-out (camera movement)?

Minimizes the subject while the camera remains stationary.

push in (camera movement)?

To have the camera physically move closer - usually rapidly.

What is a pull back (camera movement)?

To have the camera be physically pull back - usually rapidly.

What does it man if a subject is static?

The subject stays in the same position.

What does it mean when a subject tails away?

Subject walks away from the camera.

What is a right to left pan (camera movement)?

Is unusual

creates a sense of tension and suspense.

What does a left to right pan mean (camera movement)?

Mimics our normal reading style and is comfortable.

What does miseenscene mean?

It means "placing on stage" in French

What is a shot?

A continuous unedited piece of film of any length

What is a scene?

A series of shots edited together

What is a sequence?

A series of scenes edited together.

What is off screen audio?

Words heard with the actor outside of the cameras view

What is a voice over?

Words spoken off-screen and heard over visual shots.

What is mis-en-scene used to create? (2)

It is used to create symbolic meaning or dramatic effect. People and objects may be placed in formal patterns and shapes to add another layer of meaning to the actual events.

What is continuity editing?

Connection to one scene to the next in a smooth and chronological fashion.

What is montage editing?

A film editing technique in which a series of short shots are sequenced to condense space, time, and information.

What is bookending?

When a movie opens and concludes with a common element

What does it mean when a subject comes head on?

Subject moves toward the camera, involving the audience and perhaps shocking them

What does it mean when a subject moves in slow motion?

The action slows down noticeably emphasizes all aspects of the shot.

* implies strength or power
* audience is helpless
* used in dream sequences

What does it mean when a subject moves in fast motion?

An action scene is sped up.
- creates a comic effect, frenzy or confusion

What does it mean to freeze frame?

All movement on the screen stops.

What is high key lighting?

Lighting that is lightly lit (few shadows)

What is high contrast or chiaroscuro lighting?

(clear-dark) Lighting that arranges harsh lines of light and dark elements. May be used for symbolic intent or to establish an uneasy mood.

What is backlighting?

Illumination behind the subject
- more dramatic
- more angelic
- a hero

What is side lighting?

Illumination coming from the side of the subject, making the point of focus half-lit
- suggest ambiguity
- suggests psychological self-division

What is top lighting?

Lighting a subject from above
- creates a halo effect (purity)

What is under lighting?

Lighting a subject from below
- make subject sinister and threatening

What is unmotivated lighting?

Intense bright light from an unseen, impossible source, illuminating the point of focus.

What is motivating lighting?

Light from an explainable source (it would naturally exist in the frame).

What is diffused lighting? (3)

The light source is reflected rather than direct
Effect: Softer, lower-contrast image

What is ambient lighting? (2)

Natural lighting or surrounding light around a subject in a scene.

What is candlelight lighting? (4)

Using candles to light the scene
Purpose: Intimacy, romance, harmony

What is diegetic sound?

Any sound that could be logically heard by a character in the movie (ex, traffic, dialogue, background noise).

What is internal diegetic sound?

Sound that only the character can hear (ex, memory sequence, flashback).

What is non-diegetic sound?

Sounds from a source outside the storyline (ex, mood music or background narration).

What is ambient sound?

Refers to any sounds that are used to establish location.

What is pitch?

The highness or lowness of a sound

What is the tempo?

The speed of the beat

What is volume (in reference to visual literacy)?

How loud or quiet a sound is

What is a score?

Music written specifically for a film, typically for the beginning and end of the movie.

What is background music? (3)

Part of the score, accompanying a scene
Purpose: establish a specific mood, enhance emotion

What is the connotation of the colour red?(11)

urgency, love, passion, heat, sexual attraction, blood, strength, speed, danger, warning, excitement