english - technical codes

Question 1

Extreme long shot

Answer 1

Often used at the beginning of a scene or film to establish location

Question 2

Long shot

Answer 2

Gives the viewers a more specific idea of the setting

Question 3

Full shot

Answer 3

Complete view of the characters. Allows the viewer to take in costumes of characters and demonstrate the relationships between characters.

Question 4

Mid shot

Answer 4

Shows character/s from the waist up. Viewers can see the character’s faces more clearly as well as their interaction with others.

Question 5

Close up

Answer 5

Contains just one character’s face, enabling the viewer to understand the actor’s emotions and also allows them to feel empathy for the character.

Question 6

Extreme close up

Answer 6

Contains one part of a character’s face. Common in horror films, creates an intense mood and provides interaction between the audience and the viewer.

Question 7

Bird’s eye angle

Answer 7

Looks directly down upon a scene, used to establish setting.

Question 8

High angle

Answer 8

Looks down upon a subject, makes the character look vulnerable, inferior or small. Demonstrate to the audience the perspective of a particular character

Question 9

Eye-level angle

Answer 9

Equal footing with the character/s, allows the viewer to feel comfortable and familiar with the characters.

Question 10

Low angle

Answer 10

Looks up at a character, makes the character appear more powerful. Can make the audience feel vulnerable or small by looking up at the character.

Question 11

Dutch angle

Answer 11

Irregular or slanted angle, used to demonstrate confusion, madness or unease of a character. Can make audience feel uneasy.

Question 12

A crane shot

Answer 12

Is often used by composers of films to signify the end of a film or scene. The effect is achieved by the camera being placed on a crane that moves upwards.

Question 13

A tracking shot

Answer 13

Is similar to a dolly shot. A tracking shot moves on tracks to achieve the effect of following a character as they move through a setting. By using a tracking shot, the director gives the viewer a detailed tour of a situation.

Question 14

A dolly shot

Answer 14

Is similar to a tracking shot. A dolly shot moves on a trolly to achieve the effect of following a character as they move through a setting. By using a dolly shot, the director gives the viewer a detailed tour of a situation.

Question 15

Panning

Answer 15

Is used to give the viewer a panoramic view of a set or setting. This can be used to establish a scene. Panning refers to the horizontal movement of the camera (from left to right or vice versa).

Question 16

Tilting

Answer 16

Refers to the vertical movement of the camera (up and down), often to capture a character from head to toe.

Question 17

Mise-en-scène (Framing)

Answer 17

Mise-en-scène refers to all the objects and characters in a particular frame in the film. More specifically, it refers to the composition (the visual make-up) of the frame. When you use the term mise-en-scène, you are discussing where the composer or director has placed all the elements of the scene within the frame.

Question 18

Lighting

Answer 18

Lighting is a very important aspect for shaping meaning in films. What kind of atmosphere is created in a room lit by candles? Have you ever heard of mood lighting? A room that is brightly lit by neon lights might seem to be sterile or a shadowy room might be eerie or scary. The lighting technicians in a film crew have the task of creating lighting to suit the mood / atmosphere of each scene in a film

Question 19

Editing

Answer 19

Films are heavily edited. Filmmakers think carefully about how the sequence of shots, pace of editing and use of editing techniques contribute to the narrative, development of characters and audience engagement. Some questions to ask yourself are; Do the filmmakers choose to linger on a particular shot instead of cutting away? If so, why? Are there any particular editing techniques that stand out? What do they tell the audience about the character?

Question 20

Audio codes

Answer 20

These refer to the sounds we hear in films. This is made up of diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound.

Question 21

Diegetic sound

Answer 21

Diegetic sound refers to the sounds that the characters in the film can hear - these sounds emanate the world of film. Some examples are:
Dialogue, Traffic sounds, Footsteps, Rain, Police sirens, Birdsong.

Question 22

Non-Diegetic sound

Answer 22

Non-diegetic sounds are those that the audience can hear, but the characters cannot hear. They are outside the world of film. Some examples are:
Music, Narration and sound effects.

Question 23

Written codes

Answer 23

These refer to any written words that are present in a film. Written codes can often communicate specific information more easily than visuals. For example:
Headings and subheadings, subtitles, logos and emblems, labels, font and size, placement of writing, signs, credits.

Question 24

Symbolic codes

Answer 24

Symbolic codes refer to anything that has symbolic meaning in the film, which works to heighten the audience’s understanding of the characters, their motivations and the story itself. For example:
Use of colour, lighting, framing, particular objects, props, items of interest, costuming and clothing.