Starter Pack for Film Language Revision
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MICRO ELEMENTS OF FILM STUDIES ANGLES SHOT SIZE MOVEMENT •Extreme long shot (XLS) Subject is far away •pan Camera moves left or right-shaking The camera is above the subject •HIGH •LONG SHOT (LS) Whole subject can be seen •tilt Camera moves up and down-nodding •LOW The camera is below the subject •MEDIUM LONG SHOT (MLS) Top of head to thighs •ped Camera looks forward, sliding up or down •Medium/Mid shot (MS) Top of head to waist •dolly Camera moves forward, fixed position •CANTED The subject appears tilted •track •Medium close-up (MCU) Top of head to chest Smooth sideways shot. Aka, ‘crab’ •EYE LEVEL Camera is level with subject’s eyes •zoom •Close-up (CU) Top of head & shoulders •crane Camera lens moves forward or back •BIRD’S EYE Camera is high in the air •Big close-up (BCU) Whole head •steadicam Not placed on tripod, held ‘in hands’ •Extreme close-up (ECU) •cameraWORM’S EYE Camera is low on the ground A part of thework head •pov From perspective of a person MISE-EN-SCENE editing performance SETTINGS & PROPS •JUMP CUT Sudden cut from one shot to another Where the scene is, when the scene is and the objects •FADE-OUT A fade from one scene to another SHY TRANSFORMATIVE BRASH used to show this. FLIRTATIOUS REALISTIC RASH •DISSOLVE Gradual fade as the image dissolves COSTUME, HAIR & MAKE-UP ADVENTUROUS SILLY IRRESPONSIBLE Clothes worn & style of hair. •CUT AWAY Film cuts to something else off screen. FACIAL EXPRESSION & BODY LANGUAGE IMMATURE CHILDISH CHEMISTRY How people move their body and faces •WIPE Image wipes to reveal a new image. WILD AGGRESSIVE IMPOSING LIGHTING & COLOUR •MATCH-ON ACTION Is a cut that shows two views of CAREFREE CAMP CHILD-LIKE The brightness, colour, position and size of light. The the same action. overall colour, tone or temperature of a scene. •GRAPHIC MATCH One object is matched by one of a COURAGEOUS METHOD ACTING similar shape on the next shot. EFFECTS TYPES SOUNDTRACK DEAFENING BANG HOWL DIEGETIC Sound the characters can BOMBASTIC CRAWLING SPRITELY HARSH BUZZ ECHOING hear DRAMATIC PIERCiNG IMPOSING LOUD CRACKLING GROWL NON DIEGTEIC Sound the characters MOVING SHRILL PACEY SUBTLE SCREECH WHIMPER cannot hear SWEEPING PLAYFUL REGAL Sound that is in contrast BRASH SNAPPING RUMBLE CONTRAPUNTAL to the images EVOCATIVE DELICATE LANGUID MUFFLED THUD ROAR PULSING CHILLED GLOOMY MELODIOUS RUSTLE VOCIFEROUS PARALLEL Sound that is similar to FAST SOARING SCARY soundthe images shot sizes camera angles • What is the main object we are focusing on? Is it a person? • Where is the camera placed? • How far away from the camera is the object or person? • Where is the camera in relation to the main object or person? • Why do you think the camera is where it is? • Is the camera looking ‘straight on’ to the person or object? • How does the camera draw attention to this person or object? • Or is the camera looking at an ‘angle’? • Would the film feel different if the camera was closer/further away? • What is the angle trying to communicate? • Is one character always shown at the same distance? • Does the angle make a person appear taller or shorter? • Why is one shot size used consistently, i.e; long shots for locations? • How does the angle chosen help to suggest something? • Does the shot size work to show people in the same way? • Why do you think the angle has been chosen? • Why might the shot size change, even if the object doesn't? • How would it look if the angle was different in some way? What is cinematography? cameraCinematography is a term that applies to both mise-en-scene and to camera ‘work’. It is concerned with the shot size, the camera angle, the movement of the camera and also other elements such as focus, colour, light and shade, ratio, camera stock and lens/camera type. Most of this you will not be expected to know/analyse, but it’s important to know that cinematography can include aspects of camera work and mise-en-scene. camera movement camera movement shot angle shot size • Does the camera stay still or does it move at all? • Pan • High • Extreme long shot (XLS) • When the camera moves, what direction does it move? • Tilt • Low • Long shot (LS) • How can we describe the movement of the camera? • Dolly • Canted • Medium long shot (MLS) • Does the movementwork have a specific term or name? • Zoom • Eye-level • Medium shot (MS) • What is this movement showing us that it didn’t show before? • Crane • Bird’s Eye • Medium close-up (MCU) • Is the movement from the whole camera or the lens zooming? • Ped • Worm’s Eye • Close-up (CU) • Does the movement help to emphasise someone or something? • Track • Big close-up (BCU) • What is the connection between what we see at the start of the • Crab • Extreme close-up (ECU) camera movement, to what we see at the end of the movement? • Steadicam shot sizes camera angles cameradescription of scene workcamera movement most important shots or movements setting & props costume, hair and make-up: • Where is this scene taking place? • How are people dressed? • What do we learn about the situation? • Does anyone stand out with their costume? In what way? • Was an establishing shot used to set the scene? • What does the clothing of everyone suggest about the • How does the setting communicate ideas about the film? situation or scene? • Is the setting a generic convention? • Is hair used to signify anything about any characters? • What props can we see? • Do people have make up on? Who? Why? • Do the props help to establish a time or place? • Is make-up used as a visual effect to create a specific • Are there anymise- significant props? appearance for a character? facial expression and body language: • Are the actors using their faces in an interesting way? Are they pulling a certain face?! What does this tell us? • How are people standing? Are they posing in a certain way of using their body to communicate their feelings at all? • What can we learn about people based just on their faces and how they’re reacting to others around them? Is it suggesting anything about their feelings, emotions or characteren as a person? - lighting and colour : positioning of objects and people: • Is this scene bright/dark? What colours stand out? Is anything • Where are the people standing? Is anyone in a place that really particularly bright? Where is the light coming from? stands out? Where? • Are there any parts of the scene that are darker than others? • Who is the most important person in this scene? How can we • Why is this lighting like this? What does it tell us about the tell this? time of day or the situation as a whole? • What do we learn about this situation or scene based on what • What does the colour or light tell us about the people or we can see in terms of where people and objects are? scene? • What does the composition of the scene direct us to look at? • Has the sceneoverall colour been graded in post-production? Why? • Are any props placed in a significant place? For what reason? mise-setting & props costume, hair and make-up: facialen expression and body language: - scenelighting and colour : positioning of objects and people: setting & props costume, hair and make-up: • Where is this scene taking place? • How are people dressed? • What do we learn about the situation? • Does anyone stand out with their costume? In what way? • Was an establishing shot used to set the scene? • What does the clothing of everyone suggest about the • How does the setting communicate ideas about the film? situation or scene? • Is the setting a generic convention? • Is hair used to signify anything about any characters? • What props can we see? • Do people have make up on? Who? Why? • Do the props help to establish a time or place? • Is make-up used as a visual effect to create a specific • Are there anymise- significant props? appearance for a character? production design: facial expression and body language: stock & aspect ratio • How would you describe the • Are the actors using their faces in an interesting way? Are • How does the film stock overall look of the film? they pulling a certain face?! What does this tell us? appear; clean and clear, dirty • Does the mise-en-scene • How are people standing? Are they posing in a certain way or mottled? create a time period or help of using their body to communicate their feelings at all? • Has film stock been used or to establish a genre? • What can we learn about people based just on their faces has the film been digitally • Is character or personality and how they’re reacting to others around them? Is it graded to create grain? Why? reflected in the production suggesting anything about their feelings, emotions or • What aspect ration is the film? design? How is this achieved? characteren as a person? -Why was that chosen? lighting and colour : positioning of objects and people: • Is this scene bright/dark? What colours stand out? Is anything • Where are the people standing? Is anyone in a place that really particularly bright? Where is the light coming from? stands out? Where? • Are there any parts of the scene that are darker than others? • Who is the most important person in this scene? How can we • Why is this lighting like this? What does it tell us about the tell this? time of day or the situation as a whole? • What do we learn about this situation or scene based on what • What does the colour or light tell us about the people or we can see in terms of where people and objects are? scene? • What does the composition of the scene direct us to look at? • Has the overallscene colour been graded in post-production? Why? • Are any props