Film Appreciation THE 107

Production

10 to 60 days on average. The film is actually shot. Director in charge, though producer still oversees work. Marketing continues.

Blockbuster Filmmaking

A film that seeks to overwhelm the competition through sheer volume of release.

Cross Cut, Parallel

A kind of spatial edit that links events in different locations... suggests that events are happening at the same time, and also tends to suggest the different events have a thematic, emotional, and/or topical relationship.

Allegory

A kind of story in which every setting, character, and prop has deliberate symbolic meaning.

Overlapping Cut

A kind of temporal edit in which the same action is replayed multiple times in order the stress the importance of that action

Leitmotif

A piece of music that accompanies a person, idea or situation - for example the music that always plays when Jaws is around.

Snoori Cam

A set up in which the actor wears the camera, usually with the camera pointed back at the actors face.

Longtake

A shot that continues for an unusually long time before the transition to the next shot. For many filmmakers, is an approach to be utilized frequently or even over the entire film. Some view it as the best form of cinema because it puts the storytelling in the actors, movement, camerawork, and mise-en-scene.

Frame

A single still from a strip of film or the four borders of the film

Shot

A single uninterrupted strip of film, or a single take with the camera

Scene

A smaller unit of narrative. Ends when there is a change in location or time

Hyper Editing

A style of rhythmic editing in which the entire film is composed of many, many short shots and virtually no longtakes.

Sub Genres

A sub category of a broader genre with particular icons and conventions of its own yet also fitting within the parameters of a bigger genre.

Theatrically

Acting inherited from stage performance. Relying on unreal characters and situations.

Turning point

After the character hits their low point, they usually reexamine their initial strategy and come up with a new plan. In tragic films, this point is sometimes missing, or the new choice is worse than the first.

Elliptical Cut

Also an alteration in time, but on a much more specific scale, used to skip over unnecessary information. We do not need to see a woman walk all the way down a hallway to understand how she got from one room to another.

Headroom

Amount of space above characters head. Too much space or too little space above the head will create stress in the image. Putting an actors eyes on the top horizontal line when using the rule of thirds will create a visually balanced

Continuity Editing

An approach editing that puts story ahead of style. Seeks to avoid disruption in time and space by minimizing the noticeable effects of editing.

Montage

An approach to editing in which shots of differing content are linked to suggest a thematic or emotional connection. Is often employed to condense a large amount of narrative information into a single interrelated sequence.

Non Linear Style

An approach to filmmaking in which the normal laws of Time and Space are suspended to achieve subjective and/ or thematic clarity. Films like Pulp Fiction and Memento make heavy use

Reality

An attempt by the filmmakers to create as authentic a character as possible, regardless of how real or fantastical the setting is.

Props

An object that has a function in the story - A setting will be filled with objects, but some have more artistic and symbolic value than others. Filmmakers will usually draw attention to important objects

Inciting incident

An occurrence or a choice which upsets the normal balance of the world. Sometimes subtle, sometimes not, but the characters will have to act to deal with this threat.

Motif

Any element in a film, visual or sonic, that is repeated to draw emphasis to its importance to the themes and vision of the film. Often times, identifying and recognizing will illuminate some of the primary themes in a film.

Editor

Assembles the raw footage into a cohesive story.

Pan Tilt

Camera swivels horizontally on a tripod. Camera swivels vertically up and down on a tripod.

Steady Shot

Camera taken off tripod and carried by an operated wearing a rig that dampens bounce. Allows for smooth camera movement in small or complex locations.

Handheld

Camera taken off tripod and carried... creates a bumpy, energetic, in the moment feel.

Rhythem and Sound

Coordinating Beat (a pulse), Tempo (the frequency beats), and Accent (the strength, weakness, and consistency of the beats)... Manipulating the sound has profound emotional effects on the listener, and the variations are endless.

Composer

Creates the films musical score in post-production

Timbre

Describes unique voice or identity that each sound possesses. For example, a piano and violin can play the same note but they would sound very different.

Emotional Impact

Did you feel the emotions the character felt?

Color Lighting

Different colors tend to produce different moods. A contrast of colors in a shot may produce a sense of conflict or drama. Lights can have gels put on or can use a colored bulb to create different effects. Standard bulbs either create a slight yellow glow or a slight whitish/blue glow.

Presence

Does the character have on screen charisma?

Found Footage

Employing pre-existing visual materials, such as archived photos, video, paintings, objects etc.

Closed Space

Essentially when lines within the frame reinforce the frame and possibly even add new frames within the main frame.

Testimonial

Eyewitnesses, experts, participants who share their interpretation of the material.

Exhibition

Film is screened for mass audience consumption. Goal is to get target audience to see film and drag friends to it. Producer in charge as marketing campaign continues to seek out new audience and sustain income.

Hybrid Films

Films that employ the conventions and icons of multiple genres.

Post Production

Footage is given to editor. Musical score and sound layered onto film. Marketing campaign launches into high gear. Producer in charge.

Midpoint

From plot point 1 to this moment, the protagonists strategies are working well enough to manage. At this moment, things suddenly go bad, and the situation rapidly deteriorates. Desperation sets in.

Rule of Thirds

Guideline for creating a balanced image where the frame is divided by 2 Horizontal and 2 Vertical lines.

Shot Scale

How big the human figure is in the shot - Wide shots tend to favor the environment - Close ups tend to favor performance

Vertical Lines

Images dominated by lines tend to communicate authority, organization, discipline, control, dominance

Horizontal Lines

Images dominated by lines tend to evoke calm, restfulness, passivity, peace, epic scope, open space

Voice

In dialogue is the principle that every character should have a unique vocal presentation.

Monochromatic Hue

In this approach, all colors are a single hue that is then brightened, darkened, saturated or de saturated to provide variation (ONE)

Physicality

Is the physical movement, posture, and manner of the actor in tune with your understanding of the character?

Producer

Manages the business aspect of the film, organizes and hires cast and crew.

Discontinuity Editing

More concerned with creating mood, theme, psychology, emotion, or plot than trying to hide the edit. Continuity editing is an ordered approach to create consistency... More like poetry in a sense, preoccupied with feeling and sensation, not logic.

Production Designer

Oversees the design of props, make up and setting.

Color

Product of different lighting tend to produce different moods

Conventions

Refers to broader, less definable elements in a film. Things like character archetypes, themes, story, or overall look of the film.

Icons

Refers to specific elements in a film, usually visual. A prop or a setting that immediately evokes the genre.

Tone

Refers to the brightness of a subject.

Sound Designer

Responsible for creating the sound elements needed by the director.

Cinematographer

Responsible for executing the camera-work and the lighting sought by the director.

Director

Responsible for the creative decisions in making a film... Is the person responsible for the overall vision of the film.

Development

Rights to script is acquired, several years of work put towards honing the material and judging its marketability. Search for interested actors, directors, or other key crew begins. Money is also a prime concern. Producer in charge.

Pre Production

Script itself is purchased. Real work begins as shooting dates are now set. Remaining crew is hired. Plans are set down for how and where to shoot the film. Marketing campaign begins. Producer is in charge. Storyboards (a drawn, previsualization of the film rendered by a storyboard artist)

Quality Lighting

Soft lighting is a gradual transition from light to dark, hard lighting is an abrupt, defined line separating light and dark.

Diagetic Sound

Sound that is part of the film world (sound the characters can hear)

Non Diagetic Sound

Sound that only exists for the audience (most film scores are there for audience only of example)

Eyeroom

Space for a character to look. When a character has space for them to look, this will result in a more balanced image. When they do not have frame area to explore with their eyes, the result is typically a stressful image.

Circular Lines

Tend to express flow, graceful movement, softness, flexibility

Diagnol Lines

Tends to communicate direct movement, action, imbalance, stress, depth

Intensity Lighting

The amount of difference between shadowy areas and light areas. High comes from contrast, low results from affinity.

Costumes and Makeup

The appearance of the characters - especially powerful in communicating character identity - it can reveal how a character wants to be perceived, and perhaps also reveal things they do not know about themselves (unconscious choices)

Dolly or Tracking Shot

The camera and Tripod are placed on a wheeled cart and rolled along the ground.

Crane Shot

The camera and tripod are placed on a crane and moves up and down through the air. A crane usually has wheels.

Theme

The central concerns of a film. The philosophy's or ideas that are expressed and explored in a creative work.

Protagonist

The character(s) from whose point of view we experience the story. The character(s) we connect with and root for regardless of their overall goals.

Plot

The events we see and hear in a film. It's basically "what happened".

Pitch

The frequency of the sound waves. Also effects our perception of distance - high feels closer, lower feels further. However, also influences our perception of speed. Higher feels faster, lower feels slower.

Volume

The height of a sound wave...effects our perception of distance. Louder sounds feel further away and quieter sounds feel closer

Shot Angle

The height of the camera in relation to the actor - High (looking down) - These angles tend to diminish the power of the subject. -Low (looking up) - This angle tends to make the character look more powerful or in control

Deep Space

The illusion of a 3 dimensional image on a flat plane. Can be created through perspective, size difference, or diffusion.

Climax

The moment of maximum tension. Here, the protagonists new strategy will either fail or succeed. Conflict is resolved either way, successfully or not.

Resolution

The phase after the conflict where theme is clarified and character destiny is illuminated. It is this phase in which the philosophical meaning of the journey can be understood by an attentive viewer.

Direction Lighting

The primary source that the light appears to be coming from, such as underlighting, backlighting, toplighting, side lighting, or 3 point lighting.. to name a few.

Plot point 2

The protagonist realizes his or her efforts will not succeed. They must either commit more fully, try a new plan, or possibly quit. At any rate, a new approach is needed.

Plot point 1

The protagonist, who before this point was not really engaged with the conflict, now gets involved.

Fidelity

The sound and image communicate the same idea / experience, or they are at odds with one another. A sound that is faithful coordinates with the image while an unfaithful sound does not.

Setting

The times and places in which the story takes place.

Suspension of Disbelief

The willingness of the audience to believe in the reality of the film world. This disbelief is crucial for fiction film.

Thesis

Thoughtful, analytical and fairly objective assessment of the human issues revolving around the themes in the film. It is the conclusion or interpretation of the themes.

Casting

Was the right actor / actress chosen for the role?

Subtext

What is said by the actor is layered with multiple possible interpretations - essentially, what is said and what is meant can be different, The meaning beneath the words

Flashback/Forward

When a cut jumps backward or forward in time

Linear Motif

When a picture is reduced to its simple lines. In doing this, a complex image is reduced to a combination of horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and circular lines.

Match on Action

When action started in one shot is continued in the following shot.

Jump Cut

When both shots are not just similar in design, but are actually two shots of the same subject with virtually no change in composition, form of discontinuity.

Rhythm in Editing

When shots are connected by patterns of shot length (in seconds). How long each shot is in relation to the other shots.

Flat Space

When the filmmaker maximizes the sense of the image being a 2 dimensional plane by eliminating depth cues

Composition of Balance or Stress

When the image creates a more peaceful, beautiful, and eye pleasing, we call it balanced, when the graphic weight of the image is evenly distributed throughout the frame, this usually creates a visually balanced experience for the viewer. -When the cinematographer seeks to create visual tension and imbalance in the shot.

Contrast Affinity

When there are differences in visual elements in the image, such as half the screen being white and the other half being black. When there is similarity in the image, for example if one half the screen is forest green and the other half is jade.

Form Cut

When two or more shots have distinct, similar visual elements or patterns in them.

Surface Division

Which occurs when you divide the frame into halves, thirds, fourths or so on, these divisions can be vertical, horizontal, circular, curved, diagonal etc. the more you include, the more chaotic and intense the image will become.

Complimentary Hues

With this scheme, two different hues are the dominant colors. Blue/ Orange is most common

Scriptwriter

Writes the script