Film Appreciation Chapter 6 part 1

take

An indication of the number of times a particular shot is taken

widescreen

Any aspect ratio wider than 1.33:1, the standard ratio until the early 1950s.

plane

Any of three theoretical areas—foreground, middle ground, and background—within the frame

extreme long shot

A shot that is typically photographed far enough away from the subject that the subject is too small to be recognized, except through the context we see, which usually includes a wide view of the location, as well as general background information. When it is used to provide such informative context, the extreme long shot is also referred to as an establishing shot

high-key lighting

Lighting that produces an image with very little contrast between darks and lights. Its even, flat illumination expresses virtually no opinions about the subject being photographed.

fill light

Lighting, positioned at the opposite side of the camera from the key light, that can fill in the shadows created by the brighter key light. Fill light may also come from a reflector board.

backlight

Lighting, usually positioned behind and in line with the subject and the camera, used to create highlights on the subject as a means of separating it from the background and increasing its appearance of three-dimensionality.

setup

One camera position and everything associated with it. Whereas the shot is the basic building block of the film, the setup is the basic component of the film's production.

establishing shot

A shot whose purpose is to briefly establish the viewer's sense of the setting of a scene—the relationship of figures in that scene to the environment around them. This shot is often, but not always, an extreme long shot

subtractive color systems

Adopted in the 1930s, this technique involved shooting three separate black-and-white negatives through three light filters, each representing a primary color (red, green, blue). Certain color components were subtracted (or removed) from each of the three emulsion layers, creating a positive image in natural color

grip

All-around handyperson on a movie production set, most often working with the camera crews and electrical crews.

cinematography

The process of capturing moving images on film or some other medium.

lighting ratio

The relationship and balance between illumination and shadow—the balance between key light and fill light. If the ratio is high, shadows are deep; the result is called low-key lighting; if the ratio is low, shadows are faint or non-existent and illumination is even; the result is called high-key lighting.

aspect ratio

The relationship between the frame's two dimensions: the width of the image related to its height.

colorization

The use of digital technology, in a process similar to hand-tinting, to" paint" colors on movies meant to be seen in black and white.

aperture

Also known as gate. The camera opening that defines the area of each frame of film exposed.

key light

Also known as main light or source light. The brightest light falling on a subject

middle-focal-length lens

Also known as normal lens. A lens that does not distort perspectival relations.

rack focus

Also known as select focus, shift focus, or pull focus. A change of the point of focus from one subject to another within the same shot. Rack focus guides our attention to a new clearly focused point of interest while blurring the previous subject in the shot

long-focal-length lens

Also known as telephoto lens. A lens that flattens the space and depth of an image and thus distorts perspectival relations.

zoom lens

Also known as variable-focal-length lens. A lens that is moved toward and away from the subject being photographed, has a continuously variable focal length, and helps reframe a shot within the take. A zoom lens permits the camera operator during shooting to shift between wide-angle and telephoto lenses without changing the focus or aperture settings.

short-angle-focal-length lens

Also known as wide-angle lens. A lens that creates the illusion of depth within a frame, albeit with some distortion at the edges of the frame.

iris

An adjustable diaphragm that limits the amount of light passing through the lens of a camera.

focusable spotlight

A lamp that produces hard, mirror-like light that can be directed to precise locations.

floodlight

A lamp that produces soft (diffuse) light.

prime lens

A lens that has a fixed focal length. The short-focal-length, middle-focal-length, and long-focal-length lenses are all prime lenses; the zoom lens is in its own category.

reflector board

A piece of lighting equipment, but not really a lighting instrument, because it does not rely on bulbs to produce illumination. Essentially, a reflector board is a double-sided board that pivots in a U-shaped holder. One side is a hard, smooth surface that reflects hard light; the other is a soft, textured surface that reflects softer fill light

best boy

Assistant to the gaffer

film stock

Celluloid used to record movies. There are two types: one for black-and-white films, the other for color. Each type is manufactured in several standard formats

additive color systems

In early film-making, techniques used to add color to black-and-white images, including hand-coloring, stenciling, tinting, and toning.

low-key lighting

Lighting that creates strong contrasts; sharp, dark shadows; and an overall gloomy atmosphere. Its contrasts between light and dark often imply ethical judgments. Compare high-key lighting.

3 point system

Perhaps the best-known lighting convention in feature filmmaking, a system that employs three sources of light—key light, fill light, and backlight—each aimed from a different direction and position in relation to the subject.

camera crew

Technicians that make up two separate groups—one concerned with the camera, the other concerned with electricity and lighting.

production value

The amount of human and physical resources devoted to the image, including the style of its lighting. Production value helps determine the overall style of a film.

slate

The board or other device that is used to identify each scene during shooting

gaffer

The chief electrician on the production set

gauge or format

The dimensions of a film stock and its perforations, and the size and shape of the image frame as seen on the screen. Formats extend from Super 8mm through 70mm but they are generally limited to three standard gauges: Super 8mm, 16mm, and 35mm.

focal length

The distance from the optical center of a lens to the focal point (the film plane that the cameraperson wants to keep in focus) when the lens is focused at infinity.

depth of field

The distance in front of a camera and its lens in which objects are in apparent sharp focus.

lens

The piece of transparent material in a camera that focuses the image on the film being exposed. The four major types of lenses are the short-focal-length lens, the middle-focal-length lens, the long-focal-length lens, and the zoom lens.