Film Study Terms Flashcards
Extreme close up
An extreme close-up is a very tight shot on a specific detail, to emphasize it.
Close up
An extreme close-up is a detailed shot showing just the head or a small, significant object, used to isolate a character and focus the audience’s attention on them.
Medium close up
the figure is framed from the chest up
Medium shot
The figure is framed from the waist up
Medium long shot
a balance between figure and background; the figure is usually framed from about the knees up
Long shot
A long shot captures a subject from a distance, showing the full body and some of the surrounding environment.
Extreme long shot
An extreme long shot shows a vast area from a great distance, emphasizing the setting over the subject.
High angle
Looks down on the subject
The angle of destiny
a decidedly high angle shot that suggests an moment of great contemplation of decision–often held for an extended period of time
omniscience, a moment of great contemplation of decision often held for an extended period of time
Low angle
the camera “looks” up at the subject
-often used to give the figure a dominate and powerful presence; the audience is made to feel
submissive
Flat angle
-the camera is at eye level and on the same plane as the subject
The Canted Camera Shot (also known as Dutch Angle)
-the central frame seems unbalanced in relation to the space and action
-often used to suggest a subjective viewpoint, such as that of a person who is drunk, or to suggest a
symbolic unbalance, such as a world that lacks harmony and balance
Reaction Shot
This shot is usually employed to show the effect that someone’s words or actions
have on another individual, or to show how a character reacts generally to a particular scene. A
reaction shot may be a close-up to catch a look of surprise or fear, or a medium shot to show a
person’s body language.
Point of View Shot (POV)
Any shot that is taken from the
perspective of a character in a film
Shot/Reverse Shot
Two shots, commonly linked, each aimed nearly 180 degrees opposite the
other, usually used to show two people talking and listening to each other
The Hand-Held Shot:
The camera is carried, approximating the actual jerky movement of
human progression, by the camera operator; the shot may be, in some ways, more intimate and
realistic, suggesting the subjective perspective of the individual.
The push in
The camera, either slowly or swiftly, tracks up to the subject’s face; it is usually used to build tension leading to a sudden epiphany
The spiral shot
The camera “circles” around an individual or a group of people (usually
gathered around a table)–it may be a quick spiraling motion to suggest disorientation or panic, or a
slow circular motion to suggest languidity or encourage close listening
Cut
An instantaneous change from one shot to another.
Dissolve
A visual effect created by the gradual disappearance of one shot while another
shot gradually appears and comes into clear focus; for a brief time the images blend in
Superim position
(exposure of more than one image on the same film strip), which may be
used to symbolic effect. Dissolves are used to suggest a change of setting or a longer lapse of time than in a cut, so it is often used to begin or end flashbacks.
Fade out/in
Ending a scene by underexposing to black or overexposing to white;
beginning a scene in the same manner, moving from black or white to clear focus. The fade
out/in is usually used to indicate the passage of time or a change of location in narrative.
Freeze frame
As a way of ending a scene, the film appears to stop and the image is
“frozen” or held for a few seconds. Used for dramatic effect, usually to suggest a lack of closure
Jump cut
An abrupt transition between shots, usually made to disorient the audience
because there is a sudden or illogical transition; the usual “laws” of space and time are violated.
Swish Pan (a.k.a. Flash Pan or Zip Pan or Whip Pan
A horizontal camera movement
where the speed of the camera is so fast that only blurred images are recorded; often used to connect events in different places that are actually connected.
Wipe
A transition between shots in which a line passes across the screen, eliminating the first shot as it goes and replacing it with the next one; the images do not blend, as in a
dissolve.
Iris in iris out
The new image appears as an expanding circle in the middle of the old
image or the old image becomes a contracting circle that disappears into the new image.
Diegetic sound
sound that has a source in the world of the story, such as dialogue spoken by
characters, sounds made by objects, or music coming from a source grounded in the narrative
Nondiegetic sound
sound coming from a source outside the world of the story, usually part of the
score or soundtrack
Onscreen sound
the source of the sound is in the story—diegetic—and visible onscreen within a shot
Offscreen sound
the sounds some from within the story—diegetic—but are in a space outside the limits of the frame. For example, we hear gunshots, but do not see the action of firing onscreen
Voice-over
usually the voice of a non-visible narrator laid over the scene to comment on the story. The voice-over narrator may also be a character within the film, but when he narrates as a voice-over, he positions himself in a space superior in knowledge to the space occupied by the other characters in the story. Often the voice-over narrator is a more mature version of a character in the film, looking back on the events of the story
Internal Sound
sound that comes from “inside” the mind of a character; it is subjective (nondiegetic and internal diegetic sounds are often called sound overs because they do not come from the “real”
space of the scene)
Synchronous sound
sound that is synchronized with the image, at the same time as we see the source producing the sound
Asynchronous sound
sound that is out of synchronization with the visual track
Ex: character as they walk alone down a dark hallway, and you can hear their footsteps as dogs bark — but you can’t see any dogs
Simultaneous sound
sound that takes place at the same time as the image in terms of story events
Non-simultaneous sound
the sound we hear occurs earlier or later in the story than the events we see
in the image, usually referred to as a sonic flashback. For example, we may see a character onscreen in the present, but hear another character’s voice-over from an earlier scene
Parallel sound
sound that complements the image, for instance romantic music during a love scene
Counterpoint sound
sound which is incongruous with the image, for instance a happy song played
over a graphic act of violence; the sound creates an ironic commentary
Sound bridge
a bridge between scenes or sequences created through the use of similar or identical sounds in both
