Film Terminology and Production Concepts

Mise-en-scène

Refers to everything in the frame of the film, which includes lighting, set, props, and the staging and movement of actors.

Auteur

The prime author of a film, usually the director, who has artistic responsibility for a film and reveals a personal worldview through the work.

Composition

The aesthetic arrangement of all the graphic elements within the space of the screen (within the frame).

Frame

A single frame of a shot; some publicity stills are blowups of frames.

Shot

Generally, the smallest unit of unbroken film. The camera can move within it, but it ends the second the film transitions to another shot.

Long shot

A shot in which one can see the entire body of the actor.

Medium shot

A shot in which one can see the actor from the waist up.

Close-up

One can see only the actor’s face

Extreme close-up

You can only see part of the actor’s face (just the eyes)

Diegesis

A term that refers to the world of the film’s story (its characters, places, events), including not only what is shown but also what is implied to have taken place. It comes from the Greek word meaning Narration.

Diegetic sound

Sound that has its source in the narrative world of the film, whose characters are presumed to be able to hear it

Nondigetic sound