Film Terms: Photography, Mise en Scéne & Movement

Shot

Images recorded continuously from the time the camera starts to the time it stops; an unedited strip of film.

Frame

The dividing line between the edges of the screen image; also a single photograph from the filmstrip.

Angle

The camera’s angle of view relative to the subject. (High angle = from above; low angle = from below).

Telephoto Lens

Lens that acts like a telescope, magnifying distant objects. Side effect: flattens perspective.

Point-of-View Shot

Any shot taken from the vantage point of a character, showing what they see.

Cinematographer

The artist/technician responsible for lighting and the quality of the photography.

High Key

Bright, even illumination with few shadows. Common in comedies, musicals, and light films.

Low Key

Lighting with diffused shadows and pools of light. Common in mysteries and thrillers.

High Contrast

Lighting with harsh shafts and dramatic streaks of light/dark. Common in thrillers and melodramas.

Filters

Pieces of glass/plastic in front of the lens that distort light entering the camera.

Mise en Scène

Arrangement of visual weights/movements within a space, defined by the frame. Includes staging and how it’s photographed.

Tight Framing

Close shots where mise en scène is so balanced/harmonized that subjects have little/no movement freedom.

Loose Framing

Longer shots where mise en scène is spacious, giving subjects considerable freedom.

Closed Forms

Visual style favoring self-conscious designs and harmonized compositions; frame encloses all necessary information aesthetically.

Pan

Horizontal movement of the camera from left to right (or vice versa).

Tilt

Shot photographed by a tilted camera; image appears diagonal when projected.

Dolly Shot

Shot taken from a moving vehicle.

Zoom Shot

Lens movement changing focal length from wide-angle to telephoto (or vice versa) in one shot, moving viewer in/out rapidly.

Hand-Held Shot

Shot with a moving camera held in hand; deliberately shaky, often for documentary style.

Pull-Back Dolly

Camera withdraws from a scene to reveal an object or character previously out of frame.