dissolve
when one sequence fades over another
cut
an abrupt transition from one shot to another
wipe
when one shot replaces another by moving or 'wiping' from one side of the frame to another. can be done in any direction and in various shapes.
fade
transition that can be used at the end of a scene to signify the audience the scene is over. Action will usually fade to black.
voiceover
non-diegetic sound of a person speaking over a scene
synchronous sound
sounds that are expected to be heard with what is viewed
asynchronous sound
sound that does not match or is unexpected with the images on the screen. can be used to build tension, suspense or emotion
shallow focus
part of the image is in focus while the rest is out of focus or blurred. this draws attention to a particular action/character
fast paced editing
when scenes are edited together using lots of shots cut together quickly
sub-genre
a smaller, more specific genre within a broader genre and often has its own set of common tropes and characteristics
hybrid-genre
when the conventions of 2 or more films are combined/merged.
signify
the association that a sign or symbol refers to. (a man holding a gun may signify he is violent)
protagonist
the hero
antagonist
the villian
cgi
Computer Generated Imagery
mise en scene
contained in the scene. props, set, costume, lighting, body language, facial expression, make-up.
over the shoulder shot
camera is placed behind the shoulder of someone. good for conversation
the 30 degree rule
the camera should not move over 30 degrees between shots. otherwise it will look like a jump-cut which will disrupt the flow of the film looking natural.
eye level shot
the camera is positioned at the same level as the actors' face. gives a feel of realism
hand held shots
the opposite of dolly shots. they can denote realism. they are shaky.
pov shot
when the camera is the 'eyes' of a character. point of view shot.
worms eye view
extreme low angle shot that can make humans look like giants. camera is usually placed on the ground.
panning
a movement which scans a scene horizontally.
pulling/throwing focus
when you change focus during shot. (the shot begins to focus on the plant in the foreground, then adjust focus until the girl in the background is sharp)
close up
either a face or specific detail. shows background in frame.
eye line match
(a shot of a women looking off-screen to her left might be followed by a cut to a painting that she's looking at)
180 degree rule/axis of action
when the camera should not move the opposite side of where it was originally placed in the first shot. the characters are usually facing each other vertically.
establishing shot
used to show the setting of a scene. usually doesn't include humans. usually shows exterior.
exterior
outside
interior
inside
extreme long shot.
like an establishing shot, but includes humans, however they are very small in the shot because of how far away it is.
long shot
shows full body in frame
medium shot
body cut off at midriff (in frame)
contrapuntal sound
sound which works against the tone of a scene
non-diegtic
sound you dont see
sound bridge
sound from a previous scene carries over into the opening of the next one
continuity editing
shots from different angles are cut together to create a sense of continuous movement
zoom
not to be overused but can give a documentary feel. can be used as a reveal tool. can be used to convey emotion.
convey
communicate
shot/reverse shot
where one character is shown looking at another character, and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. good for covering conversation.
oblique/canted angle
the camera is tilted to one side. good for showing disorientation
dolly shot
the camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action (following a moving figure or object). sometimes called tracking. vertical. (in = foward) (out = back)
track left or right
like a dolly shot but horizontal
steady cam
when you can hold a camera without it being shaky while filming. camera stabilizing system.
aerial shot
a variation of a crane shot, usually taken from a helicopter. often used at the beginning of a film to establish setting.
zoom lenses
zooming in to get a close-up from far away
crane shots
dolly shot-in-the-air. can move up, down, left or right. used by a camera operator in a crane.
key genres
horror, western, action/adventure, romantic comedy, science fiction, crime
directional continuity
(if a character is shot crossing the road from the left side to the right side, the next angle of that shot should still perserve that sense of direction. if the next showed him walking from the right to the left, the audience would assume he changed direction)
genre
french word for 'type' or category
high angle
good for showing weak characters
low angle
good for showing confident/strong characters.
extreme close up
close up but with no background in frame
birds eye view
shows a scene directly above scene/object/human
3 point lighting
key light. fill light. back light
fill light
secondary light source used to balance out the key light and change the level of shadows
key light
the primary and brightest source of light
high key
brightly lit shot with little or no shadows, uses all 3 point lighting
low key
hardly any back light and fill light. mainly just key light but that can be very dark too.
freeze frame
highlights an important moment by creating a pause effect in which a single frame of film is extended for several seconds.
slow motion
effects are usually captured by changing the films speed.
cross cutting
used to cut between two different actions happening at the same time. by cutting back and fourth between these different events, the director can establish that they are somehow linked.
match on action
when one shot cuts to another, portraying the action that was present in the first shot. (a long shot of a woman walking, then cuts to a mid shot of her walking, then a close up)
montage editing
almost like a slideshow of clips. can cut rapidly from wide shots to extreme close ups. they are fast paced.
editing
the joining together of individual shots into visual sequences
graphic match
to cut from one scene to another that is similar. combines the elements from the first scene to the next scene.
diegetic
sound you see
cinematography
lighting camera man. the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images.
tilts
a movement that scans a scene vertically. the camera is moved up and down.
back light
lighting from behind the subject. reduces most of the shadows from behind.