Photography FAL-Murray Notes (Quiz/Flashcards)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key film and photography concepts from the notes.

Realistic Cinema

Movies that reproduce reality with minimal distortion, aiming to mirror the actual world; the artist tends to be invisible; cameras are recording devices with little commentary. (DOCUMENTARY)

Formalistic

A formalist approach focusing on spiritual or psychological truths, often conveyed by distorting surface reality.Expressionists (WILLY WONKA)

Classical Cinema

An intermediate style between realism and formalism, with a slightly stylized presentation but surface believability.

Bird’s-Eye View

Camera looks down from directly above the subject; creates a hovering, abstract or controlled perspective.

High Angle

Camera looks down on the subject; conveys overview, reduces subject importance, and emphasizes setting.

Eye-Level (Flat Angle)

Camera is on the same plane as the subject; little dramatic effect; favored by realist filmmakers.

Low Angle

Camera looks up at the subject; increases perceived height and importance; can inspire fear or admiration.

Bug’s-Eye View

Camera looks straight up from the ground; opposite of bird’s-eye view.

Point-Of-View (P.O.V.)

Image is presented as if seen through a character’s eyes.

Oblique Angle

Camera is tilted; horizon is skewed; used for POV shots or to suggest imbalance and tension.

Establishing Shot

Shot used to establish location; usually an extreme long shot or long shot.

Extreme Long Shot (ELS)

Shot taken from a large distance, often exterior; characters appear very small; used to show locale in epics.

Long Shot (LS)

Shows subject at a distance with surrounding environment; similar to the size of a theater audience.

Full Shot (FS) / Medium Long Shot (MLS)

FS shows the full body; MLS includes the actor and some surroundings but not the entire set.

Medium Shot (MS)

Shows the actor from about the knees to the head; includes some immediate surroundings; variations include Two Shot and Over-The-Shoulder.

Two Shot

MS that contains two figures from the waist up.

Three Shot

MS that contains three figures from the waist up.

Over-The-Shoulder Shot

MS showing two figures, one with back to camera, the other facing the camera.

Close Shot (CS) / Close-Up (CU)

Shot taken close to a subject, showing from shoulders up; reveals detail and minimizes locale.

Extreme Close-Up (ECU)

Shows only a small detail, such as the eyes or mouth.

Deep-Focus Shot

Long shot with multiple focal distances all in sharp focus; often uses a wide-angle lens to keep foreground, middle, and background clear.

Follow Focus

Camera maintains focus on a moving subject as it approaches or recedes.

Rack Focus

Shifts focus from one distance to another to guide viewer’s eye or imply cause/effect.

Soft Focus

Image or part of image is hazy or unfocused for stylistic effect.

Normal Lens

Focal length 18–30mm; perspective mirrors the human eye with even clarity across depth planes.

Zoom Lens

Lens with a changeable focal length, allowing a transition from wide to telephoto in one shot.

Wide-Angle

Focal length 1–17mm; exaggerated perspective; useful for deep-focus shots and emphasizing spatial distance.

Fisheye

An extreme wide-angle lens with a highly curved front that produces a 180-degree distorted image.

Telephoto

Focal length of 31mm and up; allows close-ups from a distance and flattens perspective; foreground/background separation.

Filters

Optical modifiers that alter color, lighting, and mood; can be used for cosmetic effects or to trap light for sparkle.

High Key Lighting

Bright, even illumination with few shadows; common in comedies and musicals.

High Contrast Lighting

Harsh light and deep shadows; used in tragedies and melodramas.

Low Key Lighting

Underexposed lighting with diffused shadows; creates mood for mysteries, thrillers, and gangsters.

Backlighting

Lighting that creates a silhouette or halo, often used for romance or to create mystery.

Overexposure

Too much light entering the camera, washing out detail across the image.

Three-Point Lighting

A standard setup consisting of Key Light, Fill Light, and Back Light.

Key Light

The primary, brightest light that defines the shot’s main subject and contrast.

Fill Light

A secondary light that softens shadows and reveals detail hidden by the key light.

Back Light

Light positioned behind subject to separate them from the background and add depth.

Cool Colors

Blue, green, and violet hues that tend to recede in the image and convey calmness.

Warm Colors

Red, yellow, and orange hues that tend to advance in the image and convey energy or aggression.

Black and White

Monochrome coloring; can be symbolic but may seem overly symbolic in some contexts.

Fast Stock

Light-sensitive film stock that can capture images with little illumination; common in documentaries but lower image quality.

Slow Stock

Less light-sensitive film stock requiring more illumination; higher image quality and precise color capture.

Digital Compositing

Combining multiple images digitally to create a final image for print or screen.

Double Exposure

Superimposition of two images to depict two levels of reality simultaneously.

Multiple Exposures

Superimposing many images at once to suggest mood, time, or a blend of places and events.