Visual Litercy Flashcards
Extreme long shot
Shows landscape or the view of the whole world, a town, or a city
-establishing shot
-emphasize the vulnerability of a subject
-establish the awe-inspiring mood
Long shot
Overall view from a distance of a character’s environment, often used as an establishing shot to set the scene. The whole body will be shown of the subject along with the entire area of action
-establish setting; introduce main characters
-to indicate emotional separation
Full shot
A variation of the long shot, showing the full subject with the feet at the bottom of the frame and head at the top
Medium shot
Shows the subject from the mid-shin or mid-thigh up
-emphasize the relationship between two or more characters
-separate characters from the background (often used in dialogue scenes)
Close shot
Subject is typically shown from the waist up
Close up
Focuses on the subject’s face (details, expressions, and reactions). It shows either head or head and shoulders. It may also focus on a small object
-for emphasis
Extreme close up
Variation of the close-up which singles out a portion of the face or isolates a detail (might focus on a person’s eyes or lips for example). It may magnify the image to the point of distortion.
-call attention to key elements for symbolic significance
-intensify an emotion (e.g. a look of terror in eyes)
-to create a horrific impression
Birds Eye view
Camera is placed virtually on top of the subject looking down towards the subject and the ground
High angle
Camera shoots down at the subject
-used to increase vulnerability
-shows powerlessness (inferiority)
-decreases size
Angle of Destiny
High angle from a diagonal in the “ceiling” (or where a ceiling would be)
-suggests omniscience (all knowing)
-suggests a moment of great contemplation
Low angle
Camera shoots up a the subject
-used to increase size
-shows power (status/superiority)
-used to inspire awe
Straight/Flat angle
Camera is at eye level
-communicates a sense of equality, sincerity, and honesty between the character and audience
Oblique/Canted angle
Shot by tilting the camera frame off of its normal vertical axis and making the subject look off kilter
-creates a sense of disorientation
-emphasizes a strange mood
-suggests a subjective viewpoint (from the perspective of a person who is high on drugs or alcohol)
-could suggest a symbolic unbalance (a world lacks harmony and balance)
Wide angle
Offers a greater panorama without having to pan or move the camera
Fisheye lens
It is like looking into a mirrored glass ball; it creates an exaggerated linear distortion
Depth of field
The distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears in focus
Defocus
To deliberately take a shot out of focus (often to make a transition from one scene to another)
Shallow focus
Focus is clear in only one plane; the rest of the image is blurred
Deep focus
All areas from the foreground to the background re in focus.
-when everything is focus, a photographic image has a wide depth of field
Soft focus
A slight blurred shot
-to make to subject seem more attractive, romantic, nostalgic, or dreamlike.
High key lighting
Most shot in the film are brightly lit (few shadows)
