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Eduqas A-Level Film Studies > The Key Elements of Film Form: Cinematography > Flashcards

The Key Elements of Film Form: Cinematography Flashcards

1
Q

Filmmakers use a range of elements in constructing narrative meaning and generating response. What are the five Key Elements of Film Form?

A

MSPEC - Mise en scene - Sound - Performance - Editing - Cinematography

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2
Q

What are the 2 (in the spec) + 3 (from the book) Principal Elements of Cinematography?

A
  • Camera shots (including point of view shots, focus including depth of field, expressive and canted angle shots, handheld camera in contrast to Steadicam technology) - Composition (including balanced and unbalanced shots) - Camera movement - Lighting - Colour
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3
Q

List 4 Creative Uses of Cinematography.

A
  • Camera work (including subjective camera, shifts in focus and depth of field, mixed camera styles, filters) - Monochrome cinematography - Principles of 3 point lighting (including key, fill and backlighting) - Chiaroscuro lighting (and other expressive lighting effects)
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4
Q

List 7 ways that Cinematography Conveys Messages and Values.

A
  • How shot selection –> narrative development - How lighting –> character and atmosphere - How cinematography –> psychological insight into character - How cinematography –> generates multiple connotations and suggests a range of interpretations - Why different spectators –> different interpretations of the same camera shots and lighting - How cinematography –> used to align spectators and relates to interpretation of narrative - How cinematography –> contributes ideologies of film
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5
Q

What are the 4 common things to think about when analysing how the Key Elements of Film Form (cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound, editing, performance) convey Messages and Values?

A
  • How [Camera shot / M-e-s / Editing / Sound / Performance] –> contributes to narrative development - How [Camera shot / M-e-s / Editing / Sound / Performance] –> generates multiple connotations and suggests a range of interpretations - Why different spectators –> different interpretations of the same [Camera shot / M-e-s / Editing / Sound / Performance] - How [Camera shot / M-e-s / Editing / Sound / Performance] –> used to align spectators and relates to interpretation of narrative - How [Camera shot / M-e-s / Editing / Sound / Performance] –> contributes to ideologies of film
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6
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form What is aesthetic?

A

The style adopted by an artist or a film movement

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7
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form What is production?

A

The period of actual shooting

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8
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form What are auteurs?

A

Certain directors like Albert Hitchcock have a strong aesthetic and recurring visual styles and motifs can be seen in their films.

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9
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form What is pre-production?

A

The period prior to filming, where key decisions are made, including securing funding, selecting actors and creative personnel, choosing locations, building sets, designing costumes and determining the film’s aesthetic and planning the production schedule.

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10
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography What is a cinematographer?

A

Responsible for the look of the film; in charge of the camera technique and translates the director’s vision onto the screen advising the director on camera angles, lighting and special effects

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11
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography What is film stock?

A

The type of film used to shoot the film on

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12
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography What is aspect ratio?

A

The shape of the image; this affects the composition of the shots

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13
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography What is frames per second?

A

The frame rate or the speed that individual frames are projected to give the allusion of movement

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14
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography What is the definition of a ‘shot’ from the perspective of a cinematographer?

A

The movement the camera starts rolling (action) to the end (cut)

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15
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography What is the definition of a ‘shot’ from the perspective of an editor?

A

The continuous scene or sequences between two cuts or edits

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16
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography What is the definition of a ‘shot’ with regard to process?

A

The process of shooting e.g “we shot 4 minutes of screen time today’

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17
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography What is the definition of a ‘shot’ in terms of measurement?

A

There are different types of shot, which refer to the distance between the camera and the subject

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18
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot What are the 8 types of shot?

A
  1. Extreme long shot (ELS) or Establishing shot 2. Long shot (LS) 3. Medium-long shot (MLS) 4. Medium shot (MS) or Midshot 5. Two-shot 6. Medium close-up (MCU) 7. Close-up (CU) 8. Extreme close-up (ECU)
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19
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot Describe Foreground (FG) and Background (BG) shot

A

-

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20
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot What is depth of field?

A

The distance between the nearest and furthest objects in a scene that are in sharp focus in a shot

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21
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot Discuss depth of field in terms of shallow focus and deep focus.

A

Deep focus has the foreground, middle ground and background all in remaining in sharp focus Shallow focus is where one thing is in plane focus and the background out of focus

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22
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Camera angles and perspectives List the 8 types of camera angles and perspectives.

A
  1. Aerial shot 2. Overhead shot 3. Eye-level shot 4. Over-the-shoulder shot 5.High-angle shot 6. Low-angle shot 7. Objective 8. Subjective
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23
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Camera movements List the 6 types of camera movements.

A
  1. Fixed axis 2. Shifting axis 3. Zoom 4. Crane shot 5. Hand-held 6. Steadicam
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24
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting Film spectators are usually attracted to the most brightly illuminated area of the screen. Filmmakers play on this when lighting a shot. What are the 2 key elements to consider when studying how a scene is lit and what further information you can draw from the lighting?

A
  • Source: (3 point lighting) - Key light - Fill light - Back light - Direction: - Front lighting - Side lighting - Back lighting - Under lighting - Top lighting
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25
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Element 1: Source Cinematographers can either use _______ available light or deliberately placed _________ light.

A
  • Natural - Artifical
26
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Element 1: Source What are the 3 types of light in the three-point lighting combination?

A
  • Key light - Fill light - Back light
27
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Element 1: Source What is chiaroscuro lighting?

A
  • It refers to the bold use of dark and light.
28
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Element 1: Source What 4 things can the extremes of both dark and light lighting support or develop?

A
  • Narrative themes of good versus evil - characters’ situations e.g a sense of peril (if well lit) and wrong-doing (if in the shade) - A physical allusion to characters’ psychological state of mind - Themes of duplicity, claustrophobia and fatalism
29
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Element 2: Direction What are the 5 different directions that light can be directed from source to object?

A
  • Front lighting - Side lighting - Back lighting - Under lighting - Top lighting
30
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Other elements What 2 other aspects of lighting do cinematographers need to consider besides the Source and the Direction of light?

A
  • Intensity - Quality
31
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Element 3 In addition to the Source, Direction, Intensity of and Quality of lighting, what element of light is also important to Cinematography (but primarily a consideration of mise-en-scene?

A
  • Colour
32
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Element 3: Colour What is post-production and what type of work is done during that phase of filmmaking?

A
  • It’s the work that is required to complete the film, after shooting, including the edit, sound mix, music composition, colour grading and CGI special effects
33
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Element 3: Colour What is grading and when is it done?

A
  • Colour grading is the process of improving the appearance of an image and it can visually emphasise the mood of the scene
34
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Lighting: Element 3: Colour: Black and White What are some important considerations when filming in black and white?

A
  • It is not the hue of the colour that makes an impact but the brightness
35
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Composition What is composition? What creates the composition of a shot?

A
  • Composition is the arrangement of all the visual elements of mise-en-scene in the frame. The choice of camera angle and lighting, combined with the placement of people and objects within the setting, creates the composition of a shot
36
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Composition What are 4 key features of composition?

A
  • the rule of thirds - Balance and symmetry - Lines Form
37
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Composition: Rule of Thirds Discuss the rule of thirds.

A
  • The rule of thirds is a central premise of composition. If you divide the frame into thirds your main character or object should fall at the intersection of two of these lines. This will draw your eye to the main object but leave space for further information to be communicated
38
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Composition: Balance and Symmetry Describe and discuss the 2 types of balance and symmetry composition.

A
  • Formal or symmetrical balanced composition is used to depict a quiet, restful, static scene. Having the images displayed evenly within the frame will convey a sense of calm and order - Informal or asymmetrical unbalanced composition is used to challenge or attract attention. You can make a character appear more dominant by positioning them higher or lower in a frame
39
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Composition: Lines What are compositional lines and what purpose do they serve?

A
  • Compositional lines are the contours of objects, people, props, buildings, trees, vehicles, furniture and so on, and are expressed in straight, curved, vertical, horizontal or diagonal lines
40
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Composition: Lines What are the 5 key types of composition lines?

A
  1. Vertical lines 2. Horizontal lines 3. Diagonal lines 4. Organic lines 5. Implied lines
41
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Composition: Form What are the 2 types of forms? Give a definition of each.

A
  • Physical forms such as people or objects. - Filmmakers can also create the illusion of form in the viewer’s eye by grouping people or objects together to create abstract forms.
42
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Composition: Form: Abstract Forms Give an example of an Abstract Form and what it symbolises.

A
  • A triangle pointing upwards suggests strength, stability and solidarity like a mountain. this allows the eye to go from point to point in an upwards movement with ease, reinforcing positive attributes
43
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot

Complete the cloze:

Cinematography (the ________ and ________ __ _____) encompasses a range of _________ and ________ that come together to give the film its ______ ___ and convey ________ and _____.

A
  • Framing and design of shots
  • processes and techniques
  • visual look
  • messages and values
44
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot

At what stage of filmmaking does the cinematographer mainly make lots of decisions in order to create the director’s vision and reality?

A
  • Pre-prodcution
45
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot

What are the 5 key areas of cinematography?

A
  • Shot types and camera angles
  • Camera movement
  • Lighting
  • Colour
  • Composition
46
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot

In addition to the 5 key areas of cinematography, what are 3 other aspects to be considered?

A
  • Film stock
  • Aspect ratio
  • Frames per second (fps)
47
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot

What are options for film stock? What is the primary method today?

A
  • 16mm, 35mm, 70mm, 3D, IMAX
  • Shooting digitally is the primary method
48
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot

What are options for aspect ratios? Which are used for what type of films?

A
  • 2:35:1, 1:85:1 are standard ratios
  • 2:35:1 used for action/blockbosters
  • 1:85:1 for character-led films
49
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot

What is the standard frame rate?

A
  • 2:35:1
50
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot

Which 4 of the 8 types of shot are most frequently used?

A
  • Extreme long shot
  • Long shot
  • Medium-long shot
  • Medium shot
51
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: ELS

What is an ELS shot usually a view of? How is it often used?

A
  • View of an exterior location
  • Often used as an establishing sho
52
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: ELS

Complete the cloze:

A ELS is often full of _____ and ___ but with little precise _____, although usually just enough to provide clues to the film’s _____ and ______.

A
  • Shape and hue
  • Detail
  • Genre and setting
53
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: LS

What 2 things does a long shot usually feature? Why is it useful?

A
  1. The main character or characters
  2. A fair amount of background
  • It shows us who the central characters in the scene are and where it is set
54
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: MLS

What does an MLS focus on and give an example of when it might be used?

A
  • Focuses on the main part of the characters
  • To show figures walking, talking, dancing, etc
55
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: MS

What does a MS feature? How must the characters be positioned if there are two of them and what does this therefore imply about the relationship between the characters and the relationship between the characters and the viewer?

A
  • Shows a character’s upper body, arms and head
  • The character’s will have to be close together which implies a certain intimacy between characters and between the characters and the viewers.
56
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: Assessing a shot

When you are assessing a shot, what two questions can you ask to help with your analysis?

A
  • To look at the amount of the subject you can see in it, can you only see their eyes, their full body or are they just a distant figure?
  • What do you learn about the characters and the setting from these different shot types
57
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: Two-shot

True or False:

By definition, in a two-shot, characters must be side-by-side.

A
  • False
58
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: Two-shot

In a two-shot shot, what are 2 indicators of the characters’ relationship?

A
  • Their proximity and the framing of the shot are indicators of the characters’ relationship
59
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: Two-shot

In a two-shot shot, where can the characters be placed and what can be adjusted? What effect does the adjustment have?

A
  • They can be placed in the foreground or the background
  • The depth of field can be adjusted to highlight and draw focus of one element of the image over another
60
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: CU

What is often considered to be the most important shot in the development of cinematography? What affect does this have on the viewer?

A
  • A close up
  • The power is taken away from the viewer and the director is drawing attention to where they want you to focus
61
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: CU

Define a CU shot of an actor and of a shot that doesn’t involve actors.

A
  • The whole of the actor’s face fills the full frame while showing their emotions, delivering key lines or simply showing their best side
  • Shots that don’t involve actors, give the viewer the opportunity to have a good look at one particular detail, which could be part of the unravelling of the narrative or to help create mood
62
Q

Core Study Areas: Film Form: Cinematography: Types of shot: ECU

What is the aim of an ECU?

A
  • It allows the viewer into the character’s intimate space to reveal detail or emotions that would go unnoticed

Eduqas A-Level Film Studies (11 decks)

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