Reading a film if much like reading a novel or play in terms of narrative elements; however, the language of film creates the unique semantic and syntactic features that compose the narrative. In addition to dialogue, character, and narrative structure you should also consider the basic film elements below. These fall into the following six categories:
In film editing, a shot is the continuous footage or sequence between two edits or cuts.
ESTABLISHING / LONG /
WIDE SHOT
This is a shot that shows the subject within their surrounding environment. A wide shot tells the audience who is in the scene, where the scene is set, and when the scene takes place. Often establishes the setting or atmosphere.
CLOSE UP (inc. extreme & medium)
A type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. It is used to draw the audience closer and to involve them in what is happening. Also used to observe reactions and emotions.
MEDIUM SHOT
A camera angle shot from a medium distance. It is Used to show more detail – often of interaction between characters.
FOCUS
The focus of a shot is its central point of attraction or attention. Focus is manipulated to highlight certain parts of a shot, guiding the viewer’s attention and creating different effects.
POINT OF VIEW
A point of view shot enables a viewer to see a scene through the eyes of a particular character. It provides a single, personal, perspective of the action.
Arc Shot
Also known as the 360-degree motion shot, this shot orbits the subject laterally.
The camera angle describes the relationship between the location at which the movie camera or video camera is placed and the subject of a shot.
HIGH ANGLE
A cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle and the point of focus often gets "swallowed up". Often makes the subject look vulnerable, isolated or powerless.
LOW ANGLE
This is a shot from a camera angle positioned low on the vertical axis, anywhere below the eye line, looking up. Psychologically, the effect of the low-angle shot is that it makes the subject look strong and powerful.
STRAIGHT ON or EYE LEVEL
When the level of your camera is placed at the same height as the eyes of the characters in your frame. An eye level camera angle does not require the viewer to see the eyes of the actor, nor does the actor need to look directly into the camera for a shot to be considered eye level. The shot is normal in relation to the subject.
AERIAL SHOT
An aerial shot is taken from an vantage point above what is framed in the shot. It gives a clear view of the action and is often used to emphasise a spectacle.
Dutch Angle
An angle shot where there is a tilt on the camera's x-axis (roll axis). It creates an impression that forces viewers to see things from an unusual perspective.
This term refers to the way in which the camera follows the action. It shapes the viewer's perspective of space and time and controls the delivery of narrative information.
PAN
The camera moves horizontally across/around the scene.
CRANE
The camera moves above the action.
HANDHELD
The camera is used without a tripod. this produces an immediacy and a feeling of excitement.
TILT
In a tilt shot, the camera moves up or down.
ZOOM
Zooming can either be performed towards longer focal lengths, giving a "zoom in" effect: The filmed object will then increase in apparent size, and fewer objects become visible on film. Or it is performed towards shorter focal lengths, giving a "zoom out" effect: The filmed object will shrink in apparent size, and more objects come into view. Zoom is used to involve the audience and focus on the expression of a character.
TRACKING SHOTS
In a track shot the camera moves along a track beside, in front of or behind the subject of the shot e.g. alongside athletes in a race.
DOLLY vs ZOOM
A camera dolly is a wheeled cart that enables smooth horizontal camera movements. As with tracking shots, moving the camera in relation to the subject of a shot will create effects. By combining movement with the use of zoom, further effects can be created.
DOLLY ZOOM
A camera moves forward or backward on a dolly while the lens simultaneously zooms in or out. This creates a "vertigo" effect, usually signifying a profound moment for the character.
CAMERA MOVEMENT & EMOTION
The position of the camera in relation to the subject of a shot greatly influences mood. Adding movement to directly manipulate that relationship is very effective as a means to control and manipulate the viewer’s emotional response to a work.
Editing refers to the process of manipulating the component pieces of the work in order to prepare the final version. this process involves the deleting, arranging, and splicing of all the individual sections of film / video & sound from each shot and synchronizing everything with the soundtrack.
SPEED OR PACE OF EDITS
The length of the shots and the way in which shots change guides the viewer’s emotional response to the scene. Editing will control the pace and flow of action within a sequence and will create & enhance moods e.g. fast cuts for action or to create suspense.
JUMP CUTS OR CUT-AWAY SHOTS
A jump cut or cut-away shot is when a single shot is broken with a cut that makes the subject appear to jump instantly forward in time. They are seen as a violation to typical continuity editing, which seeks to give a seamless appearance of time and space to the story. Camera moves to a significant object or close-up.
SIMPLE STRAIGHT CUTS
A cut is where one shot is instantly replaced with another usually from a different camera angle. A simple straight cut is the continuation of one shot to another in the same place and at the same time. Used to create smooth continuity of events and ‘normality’.
FADE TO BLACK OR DISSOLVE
One image slowly seeps in to indicate the end of an event – gives time for audience to think about what has happened.
MONTAGE
A series of short, interrelated shots used to convey the passage of time, plot progression, or information.
Lighting refers to the way in which the amount, size, color, and harshness of light in a scene in a shot is controlled or manipulated in order to achieve specific dramatic and emotional effects.
LOW-KEY
Low-key lighting has greater contrast between the dark and light areas of the image with a majority of the scene in shadow (creating contrast).
HIGH-KEY
High-key lighting reduces the lighting ratio in the scene, meaning there's less contrast between the darker tones and the brighter areas (More natural lighting).
USE OF COLOUR / TINTS
This is the process of adding colour to black-and-white film, usually by means of soaking the film in dye and staining the film emulsion. The effect is that all of the light shining through is filtered, so that what would be white light becomes light of some colour. Colour effects enhance mood or setting.
This refers to any music, dialogue, effects, ambient noise, and/or ground noise within the work as well as its soundtrack.
INCIDENTAL MUSIC
The use of music to highlight the mood/emotion/tension.
DIEGETIC SOUND
Sound which is recorded with the image or added later to give the impression it is part of the natural sound of the scene.
NON - DIEGETIC SOUND
Sound whose source is not visible on the screen or implied to be present in the action of the film. For example: incidental music, voice of the narrator.