Film Analysis and Film Techniques

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, types of analysis, and technical terms in film analysis based on the lecture notes.

Mise-en-scène

Everything seen in a shot, including settings, costumes, lighting, props, and actor movement.

Setting

Where the scene takes place.

Lighting

How the scene is lit.

Cinematography

How the camera is used to create images, including camera angles, shot types, camera movement, and focus.

Camera angles

The position of the camera (high angle, low angle, etc.).

Shot types

The size of the shot (close-up, long shot, etc.).

Camera Movement

How the camera moves (pan, zoom, tracking shot, etc.).

Focus

What is clear or blurry.

Editing

How shots are put together.

Cuts

How one shot changes to another.

Rhythm and pacing:

How fast or slow the editing is.

Sound

Everything you hear in a film.

Dialogue

The words spoken by characters.

Sound Effects

Sounds added to create realism or emotion.

Characters

The people in the story and how they change.

Themes

The main ideas or messages of the film.

Diegetic sound

Sound that the characters can hear, such as dialogue, music playing in a room, or an explosion.

Non-diegetic sound

Sound that the characters cannot hear, such as background music.

Montage

A series of shots put together to show an idea or the passage of time.

Steps for Analysing a Film

Watch carefully: Pay attention to the shots, music, characters, and important objects.

Choose a focus: Decide which element you want to analyse.

Find evidence: Look for specific examples in the film.

Form your thesis: Decide what you want to say about the film.

Build your argument: Use examples to explain and support your ideas.

Formalist film analysis

A type of film analysis that looks at camera work, editing, lighting, and sound.

Narrative film analysis

A type of film analysis that looks at the story, characters, and themes.

Ideological film analysis

A type of film analysis that looks at the social and political ideas in the film.

Psychoanalytic film analysis

A type of film analysis that looks at characters' unconscious desires, fears, and symbols.

Cultural/Historical film analysis

A type of film analysis that looks at the film's historical and cultural context.

Tips for Analysing a Movie or TV Show

Plot: Look at the story, conflicts, and themes.

Character development: Examine how characters change and what motivates them.

Cinematography: Look at camera angles, shots, and lighting.

Sound: Analyse the music, dialogue, and sound effects.

Direction: Look at the director's choices and style.

Acting: Examine how actors perform their roles.

Historical context: Consider when and where the film was made.

Cultural significance: Think about the film's impact on society.

Personal response: Explain what you think and feel about the film.

180-degree rule

Keeping the camera on one side of two characters so their positions stay consistent.

Airborne shot

A shot filmed from the air, usually using a drone or aircraft.

Arc

The camera moves in a curved path around a subject.

Backlighting

Light comes from behind the subject, often creating a silhouette.

Bridging shot

A shot used to show a change in time or place.

High-angle shot

The camera looks down at the subject.

Low-angle shot

The camera looks up at the subject.

Close-up

A shot showing a person's head or a small object in detail.

Cut

An immediate change from one shot to another.

Cross-cutting

Switching between two events happening at the same time in different places.

Continuity editing

Editing shots so the action appears smooth and continuous.

Deep focus

Keeping objects in the foreground and background in focus.

Dissolve

One image gradually fades into another.

Camera dolly

A wheeled platform used to move a camera smoothly.

Dolly shot

Moving the camera towards, away from, or sideways past a subject.

Dolly zoom

Moving the camera while zooming in the opposite direction, making the background appear to change size.

Editing

Choosing and arranging shots to create a film.

Ellipsis

Leaving out part of the story or a period of time.

Establishing shot

A wide shot showing where a scene takes place.

Eyeline match

Showing what a character is looking at in the next shot.

Extreme close-up

A very close shot showing a small detail, such as an eye.

Extreme long shot

A very wide shot where the subject looks tiny compared to the surroundings.

Fade in / Fade out

An image gradually appears from or disappears into black.

Flash forward

A scene showing something that will happen in the future.

Flashback

A scene showing something that happened in the past.

Focus

How clear and sharp an image is.

Framing

How people and objects are positioned within the shot.

Hand-held shot

A shot filmed while the camera is held by hand, often creating a shaky effect.

Key Light

The main light used to illuminate a subject.

Fill light

Extra light used to soften shadows on a subject.

Key light

The main light used to illuminate a subject.

Flashback

A scene showing something that happened in the past.

Flash forward

A scene showing something that will happen in the future.

Framing

How people and objects are positioned within the shot.

Hand-held shot

A shot filmed while the camera is held by hand, often creating a shaky effect.

Jump cut

A sudden cut that makes time or movement appear to jump.

Long shot

A shot showing the subject's whole body and much of the surroundings.

Master shot

A shot showing all the main action in a scene.

Match cut

A cut connecting two shots through a similar image, movement, or composition.

Medium close-up

A shot showing a person from the chest up.

Medium shot

A shot showing a person from the waist up.

Over-the-shoulder shot

A shot filmed from behind one character's shoulder, often during a conversation.

Pan

The camera turns horizontally from left to right or right to left.

Point-of-view shot (POV)

A shot showing what a character sees.

Racking focus

Changing focus from one object to another during a shot.

Reverse angle

A shot showing the opposite view, often of another character in a conversation.

Scene

A part of a film that usually takes place in one location and focuses on one action.

Shot

A continuous piece of film recorded by the camera.

Storyboard

Drawings showing how the shots in a film will look.

Static Frame

A shot where the camera stays completely still.

Tilt

The camera moves vertically up or down.

Tracking shot / Travelling shot

The camera moves alongside or follows a subject.

Two shot

A shot showing two people in the same frame.

Whip pan

A very fast horizontal camera movement that creates a blur.

Whip zoom

A very fast zoom in or out.

Wipe

One image moves across the screen to replace another.

Zoom

Making an image appear closer or further away using the lens, without moving the camera.