cinematography

Question 1

shot

Answer 1

• a single uninterrupted series of frames
• a basic unit of expression in film
• an image whose meaning unfolds over time

Question 2

scene

Answer 2

a sequence of shots edited to make a coherent narrative unit with a beginning, middle, and end.

Question 3

Aspect ratio

Answer 3

determines the shape of the rectangular frame. An aspect ratio is expressed as a fraction with width over height. There are three basic aspect ratios in film: 1.33:1 (most older black&white films, standard television sets); 1.85 (widescreen); 2.35:1 (most modern films, especially the ones with special effects, the widest frame size). High definition TV sets have an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Hence; black bars above the image if you watch a widescreen film on your high-def screen.

Question 4

Normal motion

Answer 4

24 frames per second in film and 30 frames per second in television (NTSC standard)

Question 5

Slow motion

Answer 5

camera records images at a speed faster than that at which it is projected (more than 24 frames per second).

Question 6

Fast motion

Answer 6

images are recorded at a speed slower than at which it is projected (less than 24 frames per second). Action appear unnaturally rapid. Used in old silent comedies.

Question 7

Time lapse

Answer 7

recording a small number of images over a long period of time, for example one frame per minute or day, to compress long passages of time into just a few seconds.

Question 8

Bullet time

Answer 8

first used in The Matrix, showing a single moment from multiple vantage points around the action.

Question 9

Shaping space

Answer 9

Filmmakers use specific camera positions and camera movements to create a meaningful visual perspective on a subject. Depending on where the camera is positioned and how it moves, we perceive characters, events, and objects differently.

Question 10

Eye-level

Answer 10

camera height - appears most natural and neutral in attitude towards the characters

Question 11

High-angle

Answer 11

shots tend to make a subject appear smaller and insignificant. However, that’s not always the case. High-angle shots from far away are often used in the openings and closings of film to distance the viewer from the action.

Question 12

Low-angle

Answer 12

shots often exaggerate the size and volume of the subject.

Question 13

Canted/Dutch angle

Answer 13

camera leans to one side framing the horizon as a diagonal: shows imbalance, high tension, spinning out of control, etc.

Question 14

Overhead/Bird’s eye

Answer 14

view shot shows the action from high above and can simply serve as the best perspective to cover the entire action or can have connotations such as “god is looking down at the characters.”

Question 15

camera movement can function in five ways:

Answer 15

• reveal information
• establish a character perspective
• convey a sense of space
• emphasize continuous time and space
• suggest mood

Question 16

Selective focus

Answer 16

part of image is in focus and part is out of focus

Question 17

Depth of field

Answer 17

the space in front of and behind the primary subject where objects remain in crisp focus

Question 18

Focal length

Answer 18

The measurement in millimeters of the distance from the surface of the lens to the surface of the film behind it. It determines depth of field, angle of view, and perspective

Question 19

Normal lens

Answer 19

this focal length approximates the vision and perspective of the human eye. The objects are as far apart from each other as we perceive them in real life.

Question 20

Wide-angle lens

Answer 20

exaggerates frame depth and perspective; objects appear to be farther apart than they are to our eye; foreground appears larger and background appears smaller; movement towards the camera appears faster; parallel lines curve slightly (most of the shots in Royal Tenenbaums); provides deeper depth of field.

Question 21

Telephoto lens

Answer 21

compresses perspective; distance between objects appears smaller; less difference in size between background and foreground; movement towards the camera appears slower; can provide shallower depth of field.

Question 22

Rack focus

Answer 22

changing focus from one plane of frame to another.