Technical Codes Flashcards
Establishing Shot
Usually the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place.
Master shot
It records the whole scene from a point where all the actors and actions are visible to the audience.
Close-up
a certain feature or part of the subject takes up most of the frame. useful to show details or to connote emotional states
mid-shot
between a close up and a long shot, it shows a bigger part of the subject in a way that let the audience imagine the whole figure
long shot
you can see the whole subject and most of times a big part of the environment around him
wide shot
the subject takes up the whole frame. it takes a lot of the environment around him, but he is still motivating the scene
two shot
a comfortable view of two people in a shot.
aerial shot
taken usually on a helicopter, it shows the environment from abovr
point of view shot
a view from the character’s perspective: you can’t see him but what he is seeing
over the shoulders shot
framed from behind a person who is looking at another character.
high angle
shooting from above
low angle
shooting from below
canted angle
the camera is not horizontal but oblique
pan
moving the camera to one side to another
tilt
moving the camera up and down
track
the camera follows the subject on a special vehicle
dolly
the camera is moving forward or backward respect to the subject
crane
the camera is brought to a higher angle to shoot the subject from above
steadicam
the camera moves independently because fixed to a special vehicle
hand-held
the operator is moving the camera in order to catch the whole action
zoom
the camera is not moving but it changes the focal length focusing on details
reverse zoom
the camera is not moved but it changes the focal length, letting the audience see a bigger part of environment
rule of third
the frame should be divided by 4 lines (2 vertical and 2 horizontal) that converge the attention of the audience. the most important subjects should be shot on this lines
depth of field
the measure that can be applied to the area in focus within the frame
deep focus
all the grounds are in focus
shallow focus
only one ground (usually the first one) is in focus
focus pull
switching shallow focus between foreground and background
