Intro Cinema Terms

three-point lighting

a common technique of lighting a scene from three sources. the key light is the main source of illumination, usually creating the dominant contrast, where we look first in a shot. fill lights are less intense and are generally placed opposite the key, illuminating areas that would otherwise be obscured by shadow. backlights are used to separate the foreground elements from the setting, emphasizing a sense of depth in the image

close-up

a detailed view of a person or object, a close-up of an actor usually includes only his or her head

close-up, close shot

a detailed view of a person or object. a close-up of an actor usually includes only his or her head

epic

a film genre characterized by bold and sweeping themes, usually in heroic proportions. the protagonist is an ideal representative of a culture--national, religious, or regional. the tone of most epics is dignified, the treatment larger than life. the western is the most popular epic genre in the US.

film noir

a french term referring to a kind of urban american genre that sprang up after WWII, emphasizing a fatalistic, despairing universe where there is no escape from mean city streets, loneliness, and death. stylistically, noir emphasizes low-key and high-contrast lighting, complex compositions, and a strong atmosphere of dread and paranoia

telephoto lens, long lens

a lens that acts as a telescope, magnifying the size of objects at a great distance. a side effect is its tendency to flatten perspective

wide-angle lens, short lens

a lens that permits the camera to photograph a wider area than a normal lens. a side effect is its tendency to exaggerate perspective. also used for deep-focus photography

three-shot

a medium shot featuring three actors

two-shot

a medium shot featuring two actors

extreme close-up

a minutely detailed view of an object or person. an extreme close-up of an actor generally includes only his or her eyes or mouth

widescreen, also CinemaScope, scope

a movie image that has an aspect ratio of approximately 5:3, though some widescreens possess horizontal dimensions that extend as wide as 2.5 times the vertical dimensions of the screen

extreme long shot

a panoramic view of an exterior location, photographed from a great distance, often as far as a quarter mile away

storyboarding

a previsualization technique in which shots are sketched in advance and in sequence, like a comic strip, thus allowing the filmmaker to outline the mise en scene and construct the editing continuity before production begins

genre

a recognizable type of movie, characterized by certain pre-established conventions. some common American genres are westerns, thrillers, sci-fi movies, etc. a ready-made narrative form

medium shot

a relatively close shot, revealing the human figure from the knees or waist up

reestablishing shots

a return to an initial establishing shot within a scene, acting as a reminder of the physical context of the closer shots

reverse motion

a series of images are photographed with the film reversed. when projected normally, the effect is to suggest backward movement--an egg "Returning" to its shell, for example

bird's-eye view

a shot in which the camera photographs a scene from directly overhead

high angle

a shot in which the subject is photographed from above

low angle

a shot in which the subject is photographed from below

lengthy take, long take

a shot of lengthy duration

oblique angle, tilt shot

a shot photographed by a tilted camera. when the image is projected on the screen, the subject itself seems to be tilted on a diagonal

dolly shot, tracking shot, trucking shot

a shot taken from a moving vehicle. originally tracks were laid on the set to permit a smoother movement of the camera

crane

a shot taken from a special device called a crane, which resembles a huge mechanical arm. the crane carries the camera and the cinematographer and can move in virtually any direction

long shot

a shot that includes an area within the image that roughly corresponds to the audience's view of the area within the proscenium arch in the live theatre

classical cutting

a style of editing developed by DW Griffith, in which a sequence of shots is determined by a scene's dramatic and emotional emphasis rather than by physical action alone. The sequence of shots represents the breakdown of the event into its psychological as well as logical components

minimalists

a style of filmmaking characterized by austerity and restraint, in which cinematic elements are reduced to the barest minimum of information

expressionism

a style of filmmaking emphasizing extreme distortion, lyricism, and artistic self-expression at the expense of objectivity

formalist, formalistic

a style of filmmaking in which aesthetic forms take precedence over the subject matter as content. time and space as ordinarily perceived are often distorted. emphasis is on the essential, symbolic characteristics of objects and people, not necessarily on their superficial appearance. formalists are often lyrical, slef-consciously heightening their style to call attention to it as a value for its own sake

realism, realistic

a style of filmmaking that attempts to duplicate the look of objective reality as it's commonly perceived, with emphasis on authentic locations and details, long shots, length takes, and a minimum of distorting techniques

high key

a style of lighting emphasizing bright and even illumination, with few conspicuous shadows. used mostly in comedies, musicals, and light entertaining films

high contrast

a style of lighting emphasizing harsh shafts and dramatic streaks of lights and darks. Often used in thrillers and melodramas

low key

a style of lighting that emphasizes diffused shadows and atmospheric pools of light. often used in mysteries and thrillers

lyrical

a stylistic exuberance and subjectivity, emphasizing the sensuous beauty of the medium and producing an intense outpouring of emotion

subsidiary contrasts

a subordinated element of the film image, complementing or contrasting with the dominant contrast

deep-focus shot

a technique of photography tat permits all distance planes to remain clearly in focus, from close-up ranges to infinity

deep-focus shot

a technique of photography that permits all distance planes to remain clearly in focus, from close-up ranges to infinity

cutting to continuity

a type of editing in which the shots are arranged to preserve the fluidity of an action without showing all of it. an unobtrusive condensation of a continuous action

full shot

a type of long shot that includes the human body in full, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom

classical cinema, classical paradigm

a vague but convenient term used to designate the style of mainstream fiction films produced in America, roughly from the midteens until the late 1960s. the classical paradigm is a movie strong in story, star, and production values, with a high level of technical achievement, and edited according to conventions of classical cutting. the visual style is functional and rarely distracts from the characters in action. movies in this form are structured narratively, with a clearly defined conflict, complications that intensify to a rising climax, and a resolution that emphasizes formal closure.

take

a variation of a specific shot. the final shot is often selected from a number of possible takes

linear

a visual style emphasizing sharply defined lines rather than colors or textures. deep focus lenses are generally used to produce this hard-edged style, which tends to be objective, matter-of-fact, and antiromantic

painterly

a visual style of emphasizing soft edges, lush colors, and a radiantly illuminated environment, all producing a romantic lyricism

closed form

a visual style that inclines toward self-conscious designs and carefully harmonized compositions. the frame is exploited to suggest a self-sufficient universe that encloses all the necessary visual information, usually in an aesthetically appealing manner

jump cut

an abrupt transition between shots, sometimes deliberate, which is disorienting in terms of the continuity of space and time

convention

an implied agreement between the viewer and artist to accept certain artificialities as real in a work of art. in movies, editing (or the juxtaposition of shots) is accepted as "logical" even though a viewer's perception of reality is continuous and unfragmented

5 basic distortions

animation, fast motion, slow motion, reverse motion, freeze frames

point-of-view shots

any shot that is taken from the vantage point of a character in the film, showing what the character sees

angle types (5)

birds-eye, high angle, eye-level, low angle, oblique angle

color values

dominant color, contrasting foils, color symbolism

13 elements for mise en scene analysis

dominant, lighting key, shot and camera proxemics, color values, lens/filter/stock, subsidiary contrasts, density, composition, form, framing, depth, character placement, staging positions, character proxemics

cover shots

extra shots of a scene that can be used to bridge transitions in case the planned footage fails to edit as planned. usually long shots that preserve the overall continuity of a scene

fast stock

film stock that's highly sensitive to light and generally produces a grainy image. often used by documentarists who wish to shoot only with available lighting

slow stock

film stocks that are relatively insensitive to light and produce crisp images and a sharpness of detail. when used in interior settings, these stocks generally require considerable artificial illumination

3 visual planes

foreground, midground, background

avante-garde

from the French, meaning "in the front ranks." those minority artists whose works are characterized by an unconventional daring and by obscure, controversial, or highly personal ideas

5 basic actor positions

full-front, quarter turn, profile, 3/4 turn, back to camera

composition (mise en scene analysis)

how is the 2D space segmented and organized? What is the underlying design?

character proxemics

how much space between characters

density (mise en scene analysis)

how much visual info packed into image. is texture stark, moderate, or highly detailed

4 major proxemic patterns

intimate, personal, social, public

shot types (8)

medium shot, close-up, extreme long shot, long shot, full shot, extreme close-up, deep focus shot, establishing shot`

depth (mise en scene analysis)

on how many planes is the image composed

7 basic moving camera shots

pans, tilts, crane shots, dolly shots, zoon shots, handheld shots, aerial shots

filters

pieces of glass or plastic placed in front of the camera lens that distort the quality of light entering the camera and hence the movie image

fill light

secondary lights that are used to augment the key light--the main source of illumination for a shot. fill lights soften the harshness of the key light, revealing details that would otherwise be obscured in shadow

panning

short for panorama, this is a revolving horizontal movement of the camera from left to right or vice versa

aleatory techniques

techniques of filmmaking that depend on the element of chance. images are not planned out in advance but must be composed on the spot by the camera operator. usually used in documentary situations

dominant contrast

that area of the film image that compels the viewer's most immediate attention, usually becoming a prominent visual contrast

mise en scène

the arrangement of visual weights and movements within a given space

cinematographer

the artist or technician responsible for the lighting of a shot and the quality of the photography

rack focusing, selective focusing

the blurring of focal planes in sequence, forcing the viewer's eyes to travel with those areas of an image that remain in sharp focus

soft focus

the blurring out of focus of all except one desired distance range. can also refer to a glamorizing technique that softens the sharpness of definition so facial wrinkles can be smoothed over and even eliminated

frame

the dividing line between the edges of the screen image and the enclosing darkness of the theatre. can also refer to a single photograph from a filmstrip

first cut

the initial sequence of shots in a movie, often constructed by the director

edited sequence

the joining of one shot (trip of film) with another. the shots can picture events and objects in different places at different times. In Europe, editing is called montage

key light

the main source of illumination for a shot

eye-level

the placement of the camera, approximately five to six feet from the ground, corresponding to the height of an observer on the scene

setup

the positioning of the camera and lights for a specific shot

aspect ratio

the ratio between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the screen

final cut

the sequence of shots in a movie as it will be released to the public

dissolve, lap dissolve

the slow fading out of one shot, and the gradual fading in of its successor, with a superimposition of images, usually at the midpoint

proxemic patterns

the spatial relationships among characters within the mise en scene, and the apparent distance of the camera from the subject photographed

iconography

the use of a well-known cultural symbol or complex of symbols in an artistic representation. In movies, iconography can involve a star's persona, the preestablished conventions of a genre (like the shootout in a wester), the use of archetypal characters and situations, and such stylistic features as lighting, setting, costuming, props, and so on

available lighting

the use of only that light which actually exists on location

shot

those images that are recorded continuously from the time the camera starts to the time it stops. that is, an unedited strip of film

overexposure

too much light enters the aperture of a camera lens, bleaching out the image. useful for fantasy and nightmare scenes

cels

transparent plastic sheets that are superimposed in layers by animators to give the illusion of depth and volume to their drawings

open form

used primarily by realist filmmakers, these techniques are likely to be unobtrusive, with an emphasis on informal compositions and apparently haphazard designs. the frame is exploited to suggest a temporary masking, a window that arbitrarily cuts off part of the action

over-the-shoulder shot

usually a medium shot of two people, with the camera placed just behind the shoulder of one character, directed at the face of the opposite character

establishing shot

usually an extreme long or long shot offered at the beginning of a scene, providing the viewer with the context of the subsequent closer shots

tight framing

usually in close shots. the mise en scene is so carefully balanced and harmonized that the people photographed have little or no freedom of movement

loose framing

usually in longer shots. the mise en scene is so spaciously distributed within the confines of the framed image that the people photographed have considerable freedom of movement

subsidiar contrasts

what are the main eye-stops after taking in the dominant

shot and camera proxemics

what type of shot/how far away

foreground

when a critic isolates and heightens one aspect of a work of art from its context to analyze that characteristic in greater depth

backlighting

when the lights for a shot derive from the rear of the set, thus throwing the foreground figures into semidarkness or silhouette

dominant (mise en scene analysis)

where is our eye attracted first and why

pull-back dolly

withdrawing the camera from a scene to reveal an object or character that was previously out of frame