Video Production and Editing Semester 1

Straight on (flat)

• eye-level camera angle (neutral shot)

“Flat shots are often used in comedic scenes. Often including 2 characters, the focus is on the characters performances

• a passive type of shot (neutral)

Extreme Wide Shot

• often used as an “establishing shot”

• gives a lot of info about physical surroundings

• can convey: isolation(solitude), vastness, scope of what’s at stake, result of accomplishment or failure, etc.

close up

• shows something/someone in details

• creates intimacy

• gives instant importance to someone’s expression

  if it’s an object, it is usually a setup for a later pay-off

Dutch Angle

• dynamic. creates tension. out of balance.

• used for action, mystery, danger, tense moment

Upshot

on character: gives a sense of importance, power, dominance

on background: dramatic, can be used to introduce feared/mysterious character

downshot

makes characters feel: smaller, defenseless, on the receiving end, acted upon

groupshot

• often staged to showcase the leader of the group (or the outcast)

• used to take a breather and re-assess where the group is headed or how they feel about the situation. kind of like an “establishing shot” for characters

over-the-shoulder

used for dialogue sequences or to show where a character is looking/needs to go

back to the camera

• often used in poster design these days

• the character and the environment are clearly shown

• audience projects meaning on character’s journey. a way to vicariously get into head/villains POV.

Looking back over the shoulder

• creates a sense of intimacy

• a “one more thing” type of moment

• can provide opportunity to reveal secret about character of a change of mind (ex. villain reveal)

cutting on action

• starting with an establishing shot isn’t always necessary

• puts audience in the middle of the action, keeps it guessing, on the edge of it’s seat

• often used in thrillers and action films

Pre-production

the process of preparing all the elements involved in the film before full-scale production begins

production

the tasks that must be completed or executed during the filming stage or shooting such as recording raw footage and sound

post-production

the images, sound, and visual effects that are edited and composed into a finished product or video

Pre-production roles

producer, screenwriter, director

Production Roles

production designer, sound designer, camera operator

post-production roles

editor, sound effect editor, animator

bumpers

A short video clip that represents a video production company, director, and/or Studio Company using their names or logos in an animated title page

Character

a person or role in a novel, play, or movie.

movie poster

a poster used to promote and advertise a film. Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. They normally contain an image with text. Today's posters often feature photographs of the main actors.

setting

the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place.

plot

the main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence

genre

a category based on similarities in either the narrative elements or the emotional response to the film. 

film trailer

(also known as a preview or coming attraction) is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema, the result of creative and technical work. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening.