Film Studies 101 Flashcards

Revise essential film form vocabulary

1
Q

What are the five elements of film form?

A

Mise-en-scene, performance, cinematography, editing & sound

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2
Q

What does the term ‘mise-en-scene’ mean?

A

To place in the scene (to stage)

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3
Q

What are the key components of mise-en-scene?

A

Setting, costume, props, colour & light

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4
Q

What kind of lighting & colour does mise-en-scene contain?

A

Diegetic

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5
Q

What does diegetic mean?

A

From the Greek ‘ diegesis’, meaning narrative, it is the ‘story world’ of the film.

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6
Q

What is diegetic light?

A

Diegetic light belongs in the story world e.g. a torch, car headlight.

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7
Q

Can the source of diegetic light always be seen?

A

No, it can also be logically implied e.g. moonlight

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8
Q

What are the components of high key lighting?

A

Key light, fill light and back light.

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9
Q

High key lighting is also known as ______ _____ _______

A

Three point lighting

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10
Q

How do you create low key lighting from a standard 3-point lighting scheme?

A

Remove the fill light

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11
Q

What is the Italian term which uses low-key lighting and heavy shadows to achieve contrast between the subject and a dark background

A

Chiaroscuro
https://www.epidemicsound.com/blog/chiaroscuro-lighting/

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12
Q

How is a silhouette created?

A

Through backlighting only - no key or fill light

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13
Q

What are the key elements of performance?

A

Casting (physical appearance), body language, gesture, facial expression, eye contact, proximity & orientation, movement and aspects of speech such as tone, accent, volume etc.

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14
Q

What are the three main acting traditions used in film?

A

Classical (studio), Method (Stanislavski) & Brechtian. We could also consider acting styles within genres (e.g. slapstick comedy, musicals etc.)

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15
Q

What is the literal meaning of the word cinematography ?

A

‘Writing in movement’, as opposed to photography, which means writing in light.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/kinema

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16
Q

Identify the six elements of cinematography

A

Lens inc. focus
Film stock (e.g. B&w, colour, digital, film) Camera distance (shot size)
Camera height/angle
Composition
Camera movement

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17
Q

_______ ________ is where everything is in focus from the foreground to the background.

A

Deep focus

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18
Q

What is usually the purpose of shallow focus?

A

To draw attention to the subject. It can also suggest isolation and other effects.

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19
Q

What can a Close Up (CU) do that a long shot cannot?

A

Show something (often a face) in detail.

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20
Q

What can a Medium Shot (MS) provide that a CU or a LS cannot?

A

A degree of detail and context (background)

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21
Q

What does HH mean?

A

Hand-held

22
Q

Name two camera movements which involve static placement of the camera

A

Pan and tilt

23
Q

What is a Zolly shot?

A

A combination of zoom and dolly which gives an optical effect in which the background appears to move whilst the subject remains static.

24
Q

Who famously invented the Zolly shot?

A

Alfred Hitchcock (with 2nd unit cameraman Irmin Roberts) in Vertigo

25
Q

What is the purpose of a two-shot?

A

To establish the spatial relationship between two characters.

26
Q

A two-shot is conventionally followed by _____ ____________

A

Shot-reverse shot

27
Q

What is the term for a shot in which the camera is not parallel to the horizon?

A

Canted (or Dutch)

28
Q

Name the shot which the camera tripod stays in the same position and the camera head moves from side to side or sometimes a whole 360 degrees.

A

Pan (or Panorama)

29
Q

A very fast pan is called a ____ ___

A

Whip pan

30
Q

Name a shot which appears to move but actually only involves a change in the lens

A

Zoom - often confused with a tracking shot!

31
Q

What does desaturated mean?

A

When colour is partially or entirely removed

32
Q

What is the difference between monochrome and black & white?

A

Monochrome can refer to the dominance of one particular colour

33
Q

What is ‘day-for-night’ filming?

A

A film shot during the day, but made to look like night time through the use of filters and/or post-production tints.

34
Q

What is the conventional colour for night?

A

Blue

35
Q

Name the two major editing styles

A

Montage and Continuity

36
Q

Which editing style belongs in Hollywood?

A

Continuity

37
Q

Explain the Kuleshov Effect

A

The juxtaposition of one shot with another, which creates a third meaning.

38
Q

Identify three techniques used in contuinity editing

A

Three from:
Establishing shots
180 rule
Shot/reverse shot
Cutaways
Eyeline match
Parallel cutting

39
Q

What is the purpose of an establishing shot?

A

It helps the audience locate the diegetic space; i.e. it sets the scene for action.

40
Q

Name three commonly used transitions

A

Cut
Fade
Dissolve

41
Q

What other features of editing can help to create meaning?

A

Shot duration
Editing tempo
Rhythm

42
Q

Is continuity considered realist or expressionist?

A

Realist - the impression of real time

43
Q

What is normally done to time in film?

A

It is compressed

44
Q

Name two ways in which time is expanded in film

A
  1. Repetition of action, sometimes from different perspectives
  2. Use of slow motion
45
Q

What are the two commonest ways to repeat action?

A
  1. Flashback (analepsis)
  2. Flashforward (prolepsis)
46
Q

What are the three ways in which time is manipulated?

A

Through changes in temporal order, frequency and/or duration

47
Q

Give one example of diegetic sound

A

E.g. dog bark, dialogue, music from a source, such as a radio.

48
Q

Is VO diegetic or non-diegetic?

A

Non- diegetic

49
Q

A _____ is written specially for the film and suggests genre, narrative and mood

A

Score

50
Q

_________________ sound is often non-diegetic but instead of emphasising and complementing the image on screen (i.e. parallel) it works in opposition to it. Strangely, this can actually enhance the intended response.

A

Contrapuntal

51
Q

_____________ sound is where a natural sound is exaggerated to encourage a stronger response from an audience.

A

Pleonastic