Year 12 Belonging - Images: September 2010

GLOSSARY OF VISUAL TERMS

aerial shot: A shot filmed from up high on a crane or in a plane.

ambient light: The natural light that surrounds the character.

angle of view: The angle captured by the lens. A telephoto lens has a narrow angle of view, while a wide-angle lens has a broad angle of view.

animation: Methods for moving inanimate objects so as to give the appearance of life on the screen.

backlighting: The main source of light is aimed at the camera from behind the subject, silhouetting it..

bridging shot: A shot used to cover discontinuity or a change in time or place.

camera angles: The position of the camera in relation to the subject being shown. The angle from which the camera takes the shot has an important effect on what the viewers see and on the effect of the shot. The camera angle, or where the camera is placed, is important as it indicates point of view, ie from whose perspective we are seeing the action, such as the character, audience or director. The five basic angles are overhead, high angle, eye level, low angle and undershot.

camera movement: As the camera moves, the way things appear changes, so different meanings are thus created; thus camera movement is important in defining and creating meaning in shots. The main camera movements are zooming, tracking, panning and tilting.

camera speed: The speed of the camera’s movement can be used to create special effects and enhance meaning, such as slow or fast motion, and the use of freeze-frames (a still image created by stopping the film in the middle of the action).

close-up: A film shot when only a part of an object or person is seen on screen; usually a head or head and shoulders shot.

composition: The composition of film shots is the control of all the elements in a single frame of film; the arrangements and relationship of the visual elements within a frame. Consider how the camera seems to place a frame around the view it has in front of it. The way the elements are placed within this frame is the composition of the shot. The composition of this isolated view or frame is dependent upon the choice of lens, and the placement of items within the frame. The composition also includes the camera angle and movement.

crane shot: A shot taken from a crane or cherry picker.

crosscutting: An editing technique that alternates between two different actions or scenes. See also ‘intercutting’.

crosslighting: Lighting a scene from the side of the frame.

cut: A cut has both utilitarian and aesthetic value in film editing. A cut allows the use of different types of shots without disrupting the action. The use of cuts as transitions, rather than the use of dissolves, fades and wipes, can affect the pacer of the film. The direct cut is the most immediate editing device for introducing new screen information. One shot is followed immediately by a cut to another shot.

cutaway: A cutaway, as the name implies, is a shot that does not focus on some detail of the shot before or after it but cuts away from the action at hand. It is the interruption of a continuously-filmed action by inserting a view of something else. It is usually followed by a cutback to the first shot. It may be a shot of an object that generally informs or reminds the audience of something it needs to know such as the clock ticking down on the bomb hidden beneath a car in a parking lot. The best cutaways are the ones that have some logic to them, that relate to the scene.

cut-in: A cut-in is a shift from distant framing to a closer shot of the same action.

deep focus: A technique that has the characters close to the camera and the characters in the background in focus at the same time.

diegetic sound: Any sound, voice or piece of music that comes from within the world of the narrative.

dissolve: A gradual transition, or overlap, in which one scene fades out as the other fades in. Both the end of the outgoing shot and the beginning of the incoming shot are briefly seen on the screen simultaneously. In traditional filmmaking the dissolve came to be the accepted technique for indicating substantial geographic leaps, passage of time, a flashback or a dream, or to show what the character is thinking. Dissolves are used to suggest a special relationship between the scenes that dissolve into one another; a relationship closer than one that would be suggested by a fade or cut.

establishing shot: In popular or ‘dominant’ cinema, the opening sequence is traditionally regarded as an ‘establishing’ shot: a long, wide angle view of an area or open space is given before the camera goes in closer to establish/identify the more specific location of a film story or scene. Later in the film establishing shots may be used to establish the settings for the action to come. Often a long shot that provides essential relational, spatial and background detail to the audience at the beginning of a film or sequence.

eye level shot: This shot occurs when the camera is level with the object or figure; like a normal eye-view of the scene, and suggests reality.

extreme long shot: A shot in which the scale framed is very small. Typically a wide landscape, cityscape or a crowd of people would fill the screen.

fade: A transition device for moving from one scene or sequence to another in a film. Fades can suggest a passage of time, or a journey, or a new location. The scenes each side of a fade have a special relationship that would not be conveyed by a simple cut. A fade-out occurs when the image on the screen fades to black to end the scene. The scene that follows may suddenly appear, termed a fade-out or cut in transition, giving the feeling of finality and separation to the scene just ending and introducing the new action in a dynamic, attention-getting way. Alternatively, it may gradually fade-in from black, termed a fade-out/ fade-in transition giving a slower, more contemplative movement.

fade-in: A dark screen gradually brightens to full strength and the shot appears.

fade-out: The shot gradually darkens and the screen goes black.

fast motion: Film that is shot at less than 24 frames per second and then projected at normal speed.

fill lighting: Lighting that is used to soften shadows within a scene. Used in conjunction with key lighting.

flashback: A scene inserted into a film that deals with past events. This is the past tense of a film.

flip: A type of wipe.

focus: The sharpness of the image in the camera lens.

focus in/out: The image gradually moves either in or out of focus as a method of transition.

follow shot: A shot that follows a character as he or she moves. Usually a tracking shot or zoom.

frame:

1. A single image on a length of film.
2. How a director chooses to position the camera frame to capture the action. 3. The borders of the image within which the subject is composed

freeze-frame: A still image created by stopping the film in the middle of the action so that it appears like a photographic still.

full shot: A shot of the character that includes the entire body and little else.

high angle shot: This shot is taken when the camera is above and looking down on the scene or object but not directly overhead. The main effect is to make the object or character look small and lacking in power.

hand-held camera: The camera operator uses his/her own body as a support for the camera instead of a tripod. Often this approach creates a bumpy or shaky image that reflects a subjective point of view.

hard lighting: Lighting that creates a stark contrast between shadowy and well-lit areas of the mise-en-scene.

height of framing: The distance of the camera above the ground.

jump cut: A jarring cut between similar shots that disrupts the flow of the narrative. It is often used to highlight the process of filmmaking or to cause the viewer to feel uncomfortable.

key lighting: The main lighting source in a scene. Used in conjunction with fill lighting and backlighting to create a three point system.

lens: A piece of glass with curved sides that gathers and focuses rays of light.

lighting: How the shot is lit for filming. High-key and low-key lighting are terms used for describing the quality of illumination and the intensity of the lighting in the frame. Usually high-key lighting is used to highlight the central subject. High-key lighting has bright, intense illumination. Low-key lighting has the opposite quality. It is more diffuse and shadowy. There is less general illumination in the shot, heavier shadows and a more atmospheric quality. Other effects can be created through use of back lighting where the light source is placed behind the subject to create a darkened effect on the subject, fill lighting where the lights are used to create or remove shadows, spot or pencil lighting which focuses on the subject or side lighting where only half the character’s face or object is lit and the other half is in shadow.

long shot: A shot that frames the entire figure of a human as filling most of the frame. The background is a significant part of a long shot.

low angle shot: This shot is taken when the camera is below or looking up at the object or character; suggesting power or dominance. It can also be used for caricature.

medium or mid shot: A film shot which includes half the body and a small part of the background. A shot that is framed from the waist up and fills most of the screen.

mise-en-scene: A French term that means "staging" or "production". Its literal meaning is "putting on the stage". It refers to all the elements that are placed in front of the camera. These include costumes, lighting, make-up, props and character behaviour. This term encompasses the overall design of the film and the mise-en-scene can help the viewer identify a film’s genre and context. It refers to all that appears in a frame, every visible element in the frame, how these elements are related to each other and how you see these elements. ie. what appears before the camera including performers, setting, lighting and décor. It also includes camera movement and action. The term means “placed in the scene” or “put in the scene” and refers to what is put into the frame, the modification of space.

When analysing a film’s mise-en-scene consider the following elements:

· setting/the set

· props

· costumes, make up and hairstyles

· actors, body language and position in frame (viewer tends to ‘read’ left to right across the screen)

· lighting; coding of colours

· camera angle and shot type.

montage: A French word meaning ‘mounting’ used generally to describe the assemblage of a film through editing or the changing of one image to another. The filmic version of collage. A sequence of film that juxtaposes different shots together to create new meaning, not present in either original shot. More specifically it is a number of shots edited quickly together in order to form a brief impression of a character, time or place. The term is used to describe a particular method of editing in which images, objects and figures are linked or overlaid in a variety of creative or unexpected ways in order to generate certain effects or ideas. Such a montage sequence in a film summarises a topic or compresses a passage of time into brief symbolic or typical images. Frequently dissolves, fades, superimpositions and wipes are used to link the images.

overhead angle shot: This shot is achieved when the camera is overhead or directly above the object or scene; shot is taken with the camera facing down. A number of effects can be created: objects or characters looking small, vulnerable, moving scenes look mechanical/predictable; city looks like a maze or ants’ nest and character can appear lost; can follow character or object at different speed/pace.

pan: A shot in which the camera moves horizontally across the frame following the action from one side of the screen to the other; the camera moves from side to side on its tripod. This movement gives a sense of a wider perspective or shot, the sense of our eyes ‘panning’ across a large scene (hence ‘panorama’).

point of view shot (POV): A shot where the camera is positioned to show a character's perspective. Usually placed after a shot of the character looking at something. In film, the position from which an action or subject is seen. This relates to where the camera is placed to capture the shot.

re-establishing shot: A repeat shot of the entire scene that occurs after a number of other closer shots within the scene.

rushes: Prints of the day's shooting are viewed to ensure that they are correct before the next day.

scene: A space within which a narrative action takes place; it is composed of one or more shots.

‘Scene’ and ‘shot’ are often used interchangeably.

shallow focus: Only those areas closer to the camera are in focus. This is the opposite of deep focus.

shot: One uninterrupted run of the camera. A continuously exposed and unedited image of any length. The shot is all that is recorded on film from the point at which the camera begins (“action”) until it stops rolling (“cut”). The choice of lens fitted to the camera determines the shot size or the amount of the scene which is included in the frame. A shot can be filmed from a variety of camera angles, and single frames can be selected and sequenced to create the most meaning. ‘Shot’ and ‘scene’ are often used interchangeably.

shot/ reverse shot: A shot reverse shot consists of a sequence of three shots. A shot from the other side of the previous shot such as cutting between two characters talking, a person exiting and entering though a doorway, a reaction shot or a P.O.V. shot. A basic production technique used during conversations to show each character delivering his or her dialogue.

soft lighting: Lighting that does not emphasise bright light or dramatic shadow. A gradual transition between light and dark is used.

special effects: An artificial manipulation of the elements of a shot. SFX An acronym for ‘special effects’ (sometimes given as FX). Special effects is a term used to describe a range of technological additions to the film to manipulate or alter what has been filmed.

tilt: The camera creates a mobile frame by moving up or down while on a stationary tripod.

tilting: The camera moves up or down to follow moving objects to reveal a scene or object which is too big to fit in one frame.

top lighting: Lighting that comes from above the characters to help separate them from the background.

tracking: The camera moves forward or backward through space, or parallel to the action. This is often done by placing the camera on tracks (“dolly tracks”). The camera seems to flow with the action, has similar movement, or gets ahead or behind the action.

tracking shot: The camera actually moves through space on tracks to create a mobile frame.

treatment: A general description of a film. Shorter than a screenplay but longer than an outline.

two-shot: A shot of two people.

undershot: This shot is taken when the camera is directly beneath the object or figure; suggesting extreme power or danger (eg undershot of stampeding cattle, undershot of a train etc)

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