Language of FilmLanguage of Film

Cinematography and mise en Cinematography and mise en scenescene

CinematographyCinematography is about where the is about where the camera situates camera situates itself, how it itself, how it moves, how it moves, how it captures and captures and manipulates the manipulates the light, and what light, and what perspectives it perspectives it adoptsadopts

Mise en sceneMise en scene involves what involves what objects, people, objects, people, colors, and other colors, and other figures are figures are included in the included in the frame and how frame and how the frame is the frame is arranged.arranged.

What are you describing?What are you describing?

FrameFrame Denotes Denotes the the boundaries boundaries around the around the image, and image, and also the also the “canvas” of “canvas” of the image.the image.

What is a “shot”What is a “shot”

A A SHOTSHOT is an is an image that image that extends between extends between any two edits.any two edits.

It’s like a It’s like a sentence that sentence that begins and ends begins and ends with punctuation with punctuation marks.marks.

Check out how Check out how this shot has no this shot has no edits. It’s a edits. It’s a single “shot.”single “shot.”

GOODFELLA’S LONG SHOT

Where is the Camera?Where is the Camera?

Terms for camera Terms for camera distance take the distance take the human form as a human form as a

frame of frame of reference. reference.

Extreme Long ShotExtreme Long Shot dwarfs any human dwarfs any human form in relation to form in relation to its surroundings.its surroundings.

long shotlong shot

Good for setting locale, establishing location of objects, showing an area, showing big action. Extreme long shots go even further back.

Full ShotFull Shot

A A Full ShotFull Shot : : Frames the whole human body with Frames the whole human body with little extra margin at the top and bottom of the little extra margin at the top and bottom of the frameframe

medium shotmedium shot

Frames people from the torso up. Usually focuses you on the people.

close upclose up

Good for conveying details, emotion, reactions, expressions

Close ups magnify; good for interior monologue. Emphasize significance of object. Has intimacy, but stays within the bounds of realistic vision.

Extreme Close UpExtreme Close Up

An Extreme Close Up isolates a single feature of the body or detail of an object. Has intense intimacy. Exceeds the limits of normal human vision.

Camera AnglesCamera Angles

How is the camera being positioned How is the camera being positioned by the director? For what effect?by the director? For what effect?

High angleHigh angle

Looks down on the subject. This camera angle tends to make the subject seem smaller, weak and insignificant.

low anglelow angle

The camera looks upward at the subject. Gives the subject power, authority, or a THREAT.

normal anglenormal angle

Shots taken from the eye level of the subject. This angle communicates equality between the character and the audience and conveys a sense of honesty.

Point of View Shot (POV Shot)Point of View Shot (POV Shot)

A Point of View shot can be framed from any angle or distance. The shot must imply that the frame originates from the perspective of a character. Sometimes a POV shot shows a person’s face rather than what they see.

Overhead ShotOverhead Shot

An An overhead shotoverhead shot is an exaggerated is an exaggerated high angle shot that looks down from high angle shot that looks down from a perpendicular view, often with a perpendicular view, often with estranging results.estranging results.

Canted or “Dutch Tilt” shotCanted or “Dutch Tilt” shot

When the camera frames the mise en scene When the camera frames the mise en scene from a tilted angle so that the world is thrown from a tilted angle so that the world is thrown off its normal axis. Tends to be disorienting, off its normal axis. Tends to be disorienting, produce confusion and anxiety.produce confusion and anxiety.

How much does the camera How much does the camera let you see?let you see?

This This shallow focusshallow focus or or limited depth-limited depth-of-fieldof-field shot clarifies the foreground, shot clarifies the foreground, but not the background.but not the background.

Background Focus ShotBackground Focus Shot

The The background focus shotbackground focus shot limits depth of limits depth of field in the forward portion of the shot. field in the forward portion of the shot.

Deep FocusDeep Focus

The The Deep FocusDeep Focus shot happens when shot happens when foreground and background are shown foreground and background are shown with equal clarity. This is also a tilted with equal clarity. This is also a tilted shot.shot.

Another Deep Focus ShotAnother Deep Focus Shot

Note the clarity and depth of field.Note the clarity and depth of field.

Camera MovementCamera MovementPanorama (pan) shotPanorama (pan) shot: :

Turning a camera left or right. The camera remains Turning a camera left or right. The camera remains “fixed” in space, but turns laterally. It can be used to “fixed” in space, but turns laterally. It can be used to show a large expanse of scenery which won’t fit into one show a large expanse of scenery which won’t fit into one shot.shot.

Zoom Shot: The camera remains fixed, but zooms in or out using a lens. The camera does not physically travel.

Travelling Camera ShotsTravelling Camera Shots

Tracking shotTracking shot: : the camera is moved along a track to follow a the camera is moved along a track to follow a subject. subject. Creates action, frenzy, speed.Creates action, frenzy, speed.Hand-held camera shotsHand-held camera shots: : can be bumpy or jerky, but they have a can be bumpy or jerky, but they have a feeling offeeling of reality. The can be used subjectively to showreality. The can be used subjectively to show what a character is seeing through her eyes.what a character is seeing through her eyes.

Travelling Camera ShotsTravelling Camera Shots

Aerial Shot: Flies over the action, usually mounting the camera in a helicopter.

The Shining Aerial Shot

More Travelling Camera More Travelling Camera ShotsShots

Crane ShotCrane Shot moves up and down vertically, often moves up and down vertically, often whilewhile

tilting. Camera is literally mounted on a crane.tilting. Camera is literally mounted on a crane.

Palette, texture and contrastPalette, texture and contrast

High ContrastHigh Contrast lighting picks up details in lighting picks up details in dark and bright portion of frame. Picks dark and bright portion of frame. Picks up colors, earth tones, etc.up colors, earth tones, etc.

Low Contrast LightingLow Contrast Lighting

Grainy, underexposed lighting yields Grainy, underexposed lighting yields a dim image reinforcing grim, a dim image reinforcing grim, brooding, dark outlookbrooding, dark outlook

Editing and MontageEditing and Montage

A Shot is an uninterrupted visual unit of film between two edits. A Shot is like a sentence of written text.

A Scene is a series of shots that are tightly joined by a narrative or aesthetic logic, much like a paragraph of text.

SequenceSequence

A series of Scenes that combine to form a larger movement or chapter within the narrative or aesthetic logic of the film.

How to Transition ShotsHow to Transition Shots The The CutCut is the most common editing device in film and involves a is the most common editing device in film and involves a

clean, instantaneous break between two images, with no overlap clean, instantaneous break between two images, with no overlap and no gap between them.and no gap between them.

This image from the film Solaris shows Chris Kelvin (George Clooney) in direct proximity to the rain

How to TRANSITION ShotsHow to TRANSITION Shots

A Match Cut joins two images that are compositionally similar, or obey similar movement.

Flash CutFlash Cut

A flash-cut interjects a single image so quickly within an otherwise continuous action that we barely register the new image before we cut back to the initial one.

Fade Out/InFade Out/In

A Fade Out/In gradually erases an image until all that remains is a solid field of color, usually black. Duration is a consideration for the director. Sometimes the blackness is representational.

DissolveDissolve

A Dissolve differs from a fade in that as one image fades out, the next fades in. The screen is never “empty,” and the joined images are superimposed, either briefly or for longer periods. In this dissolve, we are asked to consider the relationship between the scrambled video testimony of a now-dead astronaut and the image of the wispy, luminous planet Solaris that he was studying when he died.

WipeWipe

In a wipe, one image intrudes upon another, discernible along a clear line, or forming a clear shape. The most common versions are a horizontal wipe (where a new images rolls in from the right or left edge of the frame) or a vertical wipe (where one image rises from the bottom of aframe or descends from the top). Wipes are exaggerated and self-conscious transitions. Here, in Requiem for a Dream, a moment of horrendous violence is amplified by a harsh vertical wipe:

IrisIris

A Wipe in which an image suddenly A Wipe in which an image suddenly contracts into a small circle, or blossoms contracts into a small circle, or blossoms out from such a small circle. Old fashionedout from such a small circle. Old fashioned

Shot/Reverse shot editingShot/Reverse shot editing

Shots of one speaker alternate repeatedly with shots of the other.

Cross CuttingCross Cutting

differs from shot/reverse shot editing by linking people, objects, or actions that transpire in disparate spaces or times. In this case, Jack and Karen’s dinner conversation cross-cuts with their intimaterendezvous from later that evening: