Transcript long shot a framing in which the scale of the object shown is small; a standing human figure would appear nearly the height.

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.
low-key lighting
lighting tht creates strong contrast
between light and dark areas of the shot,
with deep shadows and little fill light
matte shot
a type of process shot in which different
areas of the image (usually actors and
setting) are photographed separately and
combined in laboratory work.
medium close-up
a framing in which the scale of the object shown is
fairly large; a human figure seen from the chest up
fill most of the screen.
medium long shot
a framing at a distance which makes an object
about 4 or 5 feet high appear to fill most of the
screen vertically. See plan americain, the
special term for a medium long shot depicting
human figures.
medium shot
a framing in which the sclae of the object is of
moderate size; a human figure seen from the waist
up would fill most of the screen.
mise-en-scene
all the elements placed in front of the camera to be
photographed, that is, part of the cinematic process that take
place on the set, as opposed to montage, which takes place
afterward. It includes the settings and props, lighting,
costumes and make-up, and figure behavior.
Mise-en-scene tends to be very important to
realists, montage to expressionists.
mise-en-shot the design of an entire shot, in
time as well as space.
mobile frame
the effect on the screen of moving
camera, a zoom lens, or special effects
shifting the frame in relation to the scene
being photographed.
monochromatic color design
color design which emphasizes a narrow set
of shades of a single color.
multiple exposure
a number of images printed over each other.
multiple image
a number of images printed beside each other within
the same frame, often showing different camera angles
of same action, or separate actions. Also called split
screen
180-degree system
the continuity approach to editing which
dictates that the camera should stay on one
side of the action to ensure consistent spatial
relations between objects to the right and left
of the frame. The 180-degree line is also
called axis of action.
offscreen space
the six areas blocked from being visible on the
screen but still part of the space of the scene:
to four sides of the frame, behind the set, and
the behind the camera.
overlap
a cue for suggesting depth in the film image by placing closer
objects partly in front of more distant ones.
pan
movement of camera from left to right or vice versa on a
stationary tripod. On the screen, it produces a mobile framing
which scans the space horizontally. Not to be confused with
tracking shot
pixillation
a form of single-frame animation in
which three-dimentional objects, often
people, are made to move in staccato
bursts through the use of stop-action
cinematography thereby breaking the
illlusion of the continuous movement.
plan american
a framing in which the scale of the object shown is
moderately small; the human figure seen from the
shins to the head would fill the most of screen; so
named by the French critics who found this the most
frequent framing in American movies. This is also
referred to as a medium long shot, especially when
human figures are not shown.
plan-sequence
French term for a scene handled in a single
shot, usually a long take; often referring to
complex shot including complicated camera
movements and actions. Also called
sequence shot.
point-of-view(POV) shot
a shot taken with the camera placed
approximately where the character's eyes
would be, representing what the character
sees; usually cut in before or after a shot of
the character looking.
process shot
any shot involving re-photography to combine
two or more images into one, or to create a
special effects; also called composite shot.
pull-back shot
a tracking shot or zoom that moves back from
the subject to reveal the context of the scene
rack focus
shifts the area of sharp focus from one plane
to another during a shot thereby directing the
attention of the viewer forcibly from one
subject to another.
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 same, the
speed of action appears normal while a disparity
will create slow or fast motion. The standard rate in
sound cinema is 24 frames per second for both
shooting and projection (for silent film, it used to be
between 16 and 18 frames per second
reaction shot
a shot that cuts away from the main scene or
speaker in order to show a character's
reaction
reestablishing shot
a return to a view of an entire space after
a series of closer shots following the
establishing shot.
reframing
short panning or tilting movements to
adjust for the figures' movements,
keeping them onscreen or centered.
roll
the rotation of camera around the the
axis that runs from the lens to the
subject. This is not common because its
effect usually disorients the viwer.
rotoscope
a machine that projects live-action
motion picture film frames one by one
onto a drawing pad so that an animator
can trace the figures in each frame. The
aim is to achieve more realistic
movement in an animated cartoon.
rushes
screen direction
the right-left relationship in a scene, set up in
an establishing shot and determined by the
position of characters and objects in the
frame, by the directions of movement, and
by the character's eyelines. Continuity
editiong will attempt to keep screen
direction consistent between shots. See axis
of action, eyeline match, 180-degree system.
shallow focus
a restricted depth of field, whic keeps
only those planes close to the camera in
sharp focus; the opposite of deep focus.
shallow space
staging the action in relatively few
planes of depth; the opposite of deep
space.
size diminution
a cue for suggesting represented depth in
the image by showing objects that are
further away as smaller than foreground
objects.
soft lighting
lighting that avoids harsh bright and dark
areas, creating a gradual transition from
highlights to shadows.
space
space
At minimum, any film displays a twodimensional graphic space, the flat
composition of the image. In films which
depict recognizable objects, a threedimensional space is represented as well,
which may be directly depicted as onscreen
space, or suggested as offscreen space. In
narrative film, one can also distinguish
between story space, the locale of the totality
of the action (whether shown or not) and plot
space, the locales visibly and audibly
represented in the scenes.
telephoto lens
a lens of long focal length that affects a
scene's perspective by enlarging distant
places and making them seem closer to
the foreground planes. In 35mm filming,
a lens of 75mm length or more. Normal
lens for 35mm filming would be a lens
of 35mm to 50mm.
three-point lighting
a common arrangement using three
directions of light on a scene: from
behind the subject(backlighting), from
one bright source(key light), and from a
less bright source balancing the key light
(fill light).
tilt
a camera movement by swiveling
upward or downward on a stationary
support. It produces a mobile framing
that scans the space vertically.
top lighting
lighting coming from above a person or
object, usually in order to outline the
upper areas of the figure or to separate it
more clearly from the background.
tracking shot
a mobile framing that travels through
space forward, backward, or laterally. It
could move on tracks or dolly, or handheld. Also called "traveling shot."
underlighting
lighting from a point below the figures in
the scene.
whip pan
an extremely fast movement of camera
from side to side, which causes the
image to blur into a set of indistinct
horizontal lines briefly. Often
imperceptible cut joins two whip pans to
creat a trick transition between scenes.
wide-angle lens
a lens of short focal length that affects
the scene's perspective by distorting
straight lines near the edges of the frame
and by exaggerating the distance
between foreground and background
planes. In 35mm filming, a wide-angle
lens is 30mm or less. Produces the
opposite effect of telephoto lens
zoom lens
a lens with a focal length that can be
changed during a shot. A shift toward the
telephoto range enlarges the images and
flattens its planes together, giving an
impression of moving into the scene's
space, while a shift toward wide-angle
range does the opposite.