The Shot Flashcards
Cinematography
a general term for all the manipulations of the film strip by the camera in the shooting phase and by the laboratory in the developing phase
Contrast
in cinematography, the difference between the brightest and darkest areas within the frame
Exposure
the adjustment of the camera mechanism in order to control how much light strikes each frame of film passing through the aperture
Filters
a piece of glass or gelatin placed in front of the camera or printer lens to alter the quality or quantity of light striking the film in the aperture
Rate
in shooting, the number of frames exposed per second
in projection, the number of frames thrown on the screen per second
if the two are the same, the speed of action will appear normal, whereas a disparity will create slow or fast motion
the standard rate in sound cinema is 24 frames per second for both shooting and projection
Ramping
changing the speed of photographed motion within a single shot, as when the action in a fight scene suddenly goes from regular speed to slow motion and back
this effect can be achieved during shooting or postproduction
Lens
a shaped piece of transparent material (usually glass) with either or both sides curved to gather and focus light rays
most camera and projector lenses place a series of lenses within a metal tube to form a compound lens
Focal Length
the distance from the center of the lens to the point at which the light rays meet in sharp focus
the focal length determines the perspective relations of the space represented on the flat screen
Zoom Lens
a lens with a focal length that can be changed during a shot
a shift toward the telephoto-lens range enlarges the image and flattens its planes together, giving the impression of magnifying the scene’s space
a shift toward the wide-angle range does the opposite
Focus
the degree to which light rays coming from the same part of an object through different parts of the lens reconverge at the same point of the film frame, creating sharp outlines and distinct textures
Depth of Field
the measurements of the closest and farthest planes in front of the camera lens between which everything will be in sharp focus
a depth of field from 5 to 16 feet, for example, would mean everything closer than 5 feet and farther than 16 feet would be out of focus
Deep Focus
a use of the camera lens and lighting that keeps objects in both close and distant planes in sharp focus
Racking Focus
shifting the area of sharp focus from one plane to another during a shot
the effect on screen is called rack-focus
Special Effects
a general term for various photographic manipulations that create fictitious spatial relations in the shot, such as superimposition, matte work, and rear projection
Superimposition
the exposure of more than one image on the same film strip or in the same shot
Rear Projection
a technique for combining a foreground action filmed earlier
the foreground is filmed in a studio, against a screen
the background imagery is projected from behind the screen
the opposite of front projection
Matte Work
a type of progress shot in which different areas of the image (usually actors and setting) are photographed separately and combined in laboratory work
Framing
the use of the edges of the film frame to select and to compose what will be visible onscreen
Aspect ratio
the relationship of the frame’s width to its height
the standard Academy ratio is currently 1.85:1
Academy Ratio
the standardized shape of a film frame established by the Academy of Motion Picture Acts and Sciences
in the original ratio, the frame was 1 1/3 times as wide as it was high (1.33:1)
later, the width was normalized at 1.85 times the height (1.85:1)
Masking
in exhibition, stretches of black fabric that frame the theater screen
masking can be adjusted according to the aspect ratio of the film to be projected
Anamorphic Lens
a lens making widescreen films using regular Academy ratio frame size
the camera lens takes in a wide field of view and squeezes it onto the frame, and a similar projector lens un-squeezes the image onto a wide theatre screen
Mask
an opaque screen placed in the camera or printer that blocks part of the frame off and changes the shape of the photographed image, leaving part of the frame a solid color
as seen on the screen, most masks are black, although they can be white or colored
Iris
a round, moving mask that can close down to end a scene (iris-out) emphasize a detail, or that can open to begin a scene (iris-in) or to reveal more space around a detail
Canted Framing
a view in which the frame is not level
either the right or left side is lower than the other, causing objects in the scene to appear slanted out of an upright position
Extreme Long Shot
a framing in which the scale of the object shown is very small
a building, landscape, or crowd of people will fill the screen
Long Shot
a framing in which the scale of the object shown is small
a standing human figure would appear nearly the height of the screen
Medium Long Shot
a framing at a distance that makes an object about 4 or 5 feet high appear to fill most of the screen vertically
also known as plan américain, the special term for a medium long shot depicting human figures
Medium Shot
a framing in which the scale of the object is shown is of moderate size
a human figure seen from the waist up would fill most of the screen
Medium Close-Up
a framing in which the scale of the object shown is fairly large
a human figure seen from the chest up would fill most of the screen
Close-Up
a framing which the scale of the object shown is relatively large
most commonly, a person’s head seen from the neck up, or an object of a comparable size that fills most of the screen
Extreme Close-Up
a framing in which the scale of the object shown is very large
most commonly, a small object or a part of the body
Long Take
a shot that continues for an unusually lengthy time before the transition to the next shot
What are the main features of the shot?
framing
onscreen and offscreen space
camera position (angle, level, height, distance)
camera movement
lens
tonality of film stock
speed of motion
process shots
What is framing?
creates a border that delimits what the viewer sees
provides a vantage point upon the material in the image
What are the aspects of framing?
size and shape of frame
defines onscreen and offscreen space
framing positions
frame movement in relation to mise-en-scene
What is aspect ratio in framing?
the ratio of frame width to frame height
has historically varied, with widescreen formats introduced in response to television
What is onscreen and offscreen space?
onscreen: what is bounded within the frame
offscreen: what is implied to be spatially outside of the bounded frame
often cued by glances offscreen, and offscreen sounds
What are angle and level in camera position?
the angle of the frame that positions viewer to the mise-en-scene
three main variations: straight-on, high-angle, low-angle
level: whether the frame is horizontal or not - canted angle (often called Dutch angle)
What is height in camera position?
the placement of the frame at a certain height in relation to the mise-en-scene
usually for straight on shots camera is placed at eye-level
What is distance in camera position?
the distance of the camera from the mise-en-scene
selection determined on appropriateness o revealing salient narrative details
often divided into seven categories
What is an extreme long shot?
emphasis upon landscape and cityscapes
human figures barely discernible
What is a long shot?
emphasis upon backgrounds but characters are recognizable
What is a medium long shot?
characters are framed from the knees up
What is a medium shot?
characters are framed from the waist up
greater emphasis on gesture and expressions of characters
What is a medium close-up shot?
characters are framed from the chest up
greater emphasis on facial expressions of characters
What is a close-up shot?
exclusive focus upon head, hands, feet of characters; sometimes small objects
exclusive emphasis on facial performance and character subjectivity
What is an extreme close-up shot?
isolates portions of face or details of an object
isolated element becomes micro-landscape
What is focal length?
the distance from the center of the lens to the point where light rays converge to a point of focus
What are the four main types of lens?
short focal length lens (wide angle): tends to distort straight lines
ultra wide-angle lens (fisheye): turns space into a convex sphere
middle focal length lens (normal): reduces distortion
long focal length lens (telephoto): tends to flatten space, reduced depth cues
What is depth of field?
the range of distances before the lens within which objects appear in sharp focus
used to direct attention to specific planes of action within a shot
What is deep focus?
the technique where all elements of an image - foreground, middle ground, and background - are all in sharp focus
What is tonality?
refers to the combination of colors of a particular tone
tonality principally determined by film stock and post-production processes
film stocks exhibit different degrees of contrast: difference between darkest and lightest areas of frame
What is speed of motion?
the speed of movement seen on screen as a result of manipulation of the frame rate of camera (or frame rate created in post-production)
24 frames per second average for film, 60 frames per second average for HD video
the fewer frames per second, the greater speed on screen
the greater frames per second, the slower the speed on screen
speed ramping: post-production effect of changing frame rate within a shot
What are process shots?
the photographic manipulation of the image, usually created in post-production
What is superimposition?
the double exposure of more than one image
What is rear screen projection?
the back projection of setting with the filming of actors in the foreground
What are matte shots or compositing?
the combination of more than one image to create a single image
