A whole object fills the screen. A
close up can show a character's
feelings or emphasise a detail such as
a weapon or a clue or a telephone.
Medium shot
Shows the upper part of one or more
people's bodies and/or some of the
place they're in. A mid shot can show
body language and expressions.
Long shot
A long shot shows place or setting.
Extreme close up
Shows a very specific part of an
object or person. Like the trigger on
the gun or the eyes of a person.
Camera angles
Eye level
A neutral angle,
as if the camera
was filming from
a normal veiw.
High angle
The camera looks down
on the subject from
above. This can make
objects or people look
weak or vulnerable.
Low angle
The camera looks up at the
subject from below (somthimes
called a worms-eye view). This
can make objects or people
look dominant and important.
Angle
Describes the
position from
which the
camera shoots.
Soundtrack
Music
Sound effects
Voice and/or dialouge
Natural sound
Voice-over
Silence
Diegetic and Non diegetic
Diegetic sound is natural sound that
hasn't been added in while editing
Non-diegetic sound has been
added in while editing like
voice-overs and sound effects
Terminology
Still/Frame
What you see when you
pause a DVD film.
Shots
A continuous peice of film
made up of many frames.
Shots
A section of a story (that takes place in
one location, and/or one continuous
time sequence.
Sequence
A number of scenes that make up
one part of a film, eg the beginning.
Cut/Edit
A change from one
shot to the next.
Film director
The person who directs
the making of a film.
Film editor
A person who assembles
shots to create a coherent
film. Film editors pull
together story, dialogue,
music, soound effects, visual
effects, and have a very
important role in the
success of the final film.
Main character
A person who plays an
imprtant part in the film's
action and events
Angle
Describes the
position from
which the
camera shoots.
Camera movemnt
Tracking shot
The camera moves
smoothly on a track to
follow the action
Crane shot
The camera and camera operator are
carried by a crane in any direction to
give a smooth swooping shot, usually
from above. Also called a boom shot
Aerial shot
Filmed from a plane or
helicopter to show a wide
view of a landscape.
Panning shot
The camera is fixed but turns
from one side to the other to
show place or follow action.
Zoom shot
A zoom lens moves the
shot closer to, or further
away from, the object in a
smooth action