The Art and Science of Filmmaking Name______Meyers and Hoffman
Film Terminology 101
FRAMING / SHOTS
Term Definition
Long Shot (LS) a shot taken from some distance; shows the full subject and perhaps the Unforgiven surrounding scene as well. Master and Commander
Full Shot (FS) a shot that would generally show an entire persons body Office Space Pulp Fiction
Medium Shot (MS) people are seen from the waist up; in between a full shot and a close-up Unforgiven
Close-up (CU) the image being shot takes up at least 80 percent of the frame, usually the Tropic Thunder shoulders and head
Extreme Close-up (XCU) a head, or only a portion of a head would take up the entire frame Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Establishing Shot / Scene sets the scene or shows the space of a scene; often a long shot or series of Patton shots at the beginning of a film that establishes something about a world, character, or problem
Over the Shoulder Shot often used when filming two people having a conversation, this shot has Pulp Fiction the effect as if someone is there firsthand observing the action
Two-Shot a common shot that shows two people in the frame Pulp Fiction
Three-Shot a common shot that shows three people in a frame Pulp Fiction
FOCUS
Term Definition
Soft Focus when a director intentionally puts his or her object slightly out of focus to Moonstruck make the image look softer or unclear
Rack Focus when a director shifts the focus from one object to another in the same Everything is Illuminated shot in order to redirect the audience’s attention Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Deep Focus when the foreground and background are equally in focus; these shots are Citizen Cane rarely done
CAMERA ANGLES
Term Definition
Low Angle (LA) camera shoots subject from below; has the effect of making the subject Triumph of the Will look larger than normal—strong, powerful, threatening Unforgiven
High Angle (HA) camera is above the subject; usually has the effect of making the subject High Noon look smaller than normal—weak, powerless, trapped Office Space
Eye Level (EL) accounts for 90 to 95 percent of the shots seen because it is most natural; Tropic Thunder camera is even with the key character’s eyes
Dutch Angle shot that is tilted sideways on the horizontal line (also called “canted” Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner angle); used to add tension to a static frame, it creates a sinister or distorted view of a character
SOUND
Term Definition
Diegetic sound that could be heard logically by the characters within the film; Chinatown sound can also be internal diegetic, meaning that the sound can be heard only within the mind of one character
Nondiegetic sound that could not be heard by characters; sound given directly to the Garden State audience by the director
LIGHTING
Term Definition
Low-Key scene is flooded with shadows and darkness; creates suspense/suspicion Blade Runner
High-Key scene is flooded with light; creates bright and open-looking scene 2001: A Space Odyssey
Bottom / Side direct lighting from below or from one side; often dangerous or evil- Young Frankenstein looking, may convey split personality or moral ambiguity Silence of the Lambs
Front / Rear soft, direct lighting on face or back of subject—may suggest innocence, Casablanca create a “halo” effect
CAMERA MOVEMENT
Term Definition
Pan stationary camera moves left or right Master and Commander
Tilt stationary camera moves up or down Moonstruck
Zoom the camera is stationary but the lens moves, making the objects appear to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon grow larger or smaller
Dolly / Tracking Shot the camera itself is moving with the action—on a track, on wheels, or The Birth of a Nation held by hand Easy Rider
EDITING TECHNIQUES
Term Definition
Cut when one image or seen immediately changes to another; called a cut Vertigo because the film was literally cut and spliced together
Fast Cut a series of cuts in rapid succession, can be used to create suspense or Black Hawk Down tension
Long Cut one continuous scene lasting more than 10-20 seconds, can also be used A Touch of Evil to create suspense or tension
Jump Cut A cut that changes time, place, and subject matter; an abrupt shift in the 2001: A Space Odyssey film
Fade scene fades to black or white; often implies that time has passed Chinatown
Dissolve an image fades into another; can create a connection between images Modern Times
Cross-Cutting / Parallel Editing cut back and forth to action that is happening simultaneously The Birth of a Nation
Flashback movement into action that has happened previously, often signified by a Everything is Illuminated change in music, voice-over narration, or a dissolve; a “flash-forward” leads us ahead in time
Eye-Line Match a shot of a person looking, then a cut to what he or she saw, followed by a Philadelphia cut back for a reaction
Montage a series of shots pieced together, often accompanied by music, to show Bride and Prejudice the passage of time Thelma and Louise
OTHER
Term Definition
Mise-en-scene refers to what appears within the frame of the shot, including the Dead Poet’s Society costumes, props, acting, lighting, and makeup.