Film Language
COSTUME – The clothes that characters wear. Costume in narrative cinema is used to
signify character, or advertise particular fashions, or to make clear distinctions between
characters.
BIOPIC – A biographical film normally about the life of a famous person
CINEMATOGRAPHER, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – The artist responsible for the
lighting of a shot and the quality of photography in a film.
DIEGESIS – The narrative or plot of the film. The narrative elements that are shown or
inferred from the narrative content of a film. The diegesis includes objects, events,
spaces and the characters that inhabit them, including things, actions, and attitudes not
explicitly presented in the film but inferred by the audience. The audience constructs a
diegetic world from the material presented in a narrative film.
DOLLY SHOT, TRACKING SHOT, TUCKING SHOT – A shot taken from a moving vehicle. In
the past, tracks were laid on the set to permit a smoother movement of the camera
.EDITING – The joining together of clips of film into a single filmstrip. The cut is a
simple edit, but there are many other possible ways to transition from one shot to
another.
FLASHBACK / FLASH-FORWARD – A jump backwards or forwards in diegetic time. With
the use of flashback / flashforward the order of events in the plot no longer matches
the order of events in the story.
FOCUS – Focus refers to the degree to which light rays coming from any particular part
of an object pass through the lens and reconverge at the same point on a frame of the
film negative, creating sharp outlines and distinct textures that match the original
object. "Out of focus" means the images are blurred and lack acceptable linear
definition
• soft focus > slightly blurry shot. Creates a relaxed / romantic atmosphere
• sharp focus > a clear bright shot. Creates a realistic mood
, GENRES – Types of film recognised by audiences and/or producers. These types are
distinguished by narrative or stylistic conventions. (e.g) action, drama, thriller, historic
MISE-EN-SCENE – (composition of the shot /scene) All the things that are "put into the
scene": the setting, the décor, the lighting, the costumes, the performance etc.
SCENE – A scene is a segment of a narrative film that usually takes place in a single
time and place, often with the same characters
SCRIPT, SCREENPLAY, SCENARIO – A written description of a film's dialogue and action,
sometimes with basic camera directions.
SEQUENCE – A scene, or a series of connected scenes, that present a succession of
related events that constitute and advance a distinct component of the story narrative,
plot and/or character development
SHOT – A single stream of images, uninterrupted by editing; a unit of film in which the
camera does not stop filming.
COSTUME – The clothes that characters wear. Costume in narrative cinema is used to
signify character, or advertise particular fashions, or to make clear distinctions between
characters.
BIOPIC – A biographical film normally about the life of a famous person
CINEMATOGRAPHER, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – The artist responsible for the
lighting of a shot and the quality of photography in a film.
DIEGESIS – The narrative or plot of the film. The narrative elements that are shown or
inferred from the narrative content of a film. The diegesis includes objects, events,
spaces and the characters that inhabit them, including things, actions, and attitudes not
explicitly presented in the film but inferred by the audience. The audience constructs a
diegetic world from the material presented in a narrative film.
DOLLY SHOT, TRACKING SHOT, TUCKING SHOT – A shot taken from a moving vehicle. In
the past, tracks were laid on the set to permit a smoother movement of the camera
.EDITING – The joining together of clips of film into a single filmstrip. The cut is a
simple edit, but there are many other possible ways to transition from one shot to
another.
FLASHBACK / FLASH-FORWARD – A jump backwards or forwards in diegetic time. With
the use of flashback / flashforward the order of events in the plot no longer matches
the order of events in the story.
FOCUS – Focus refers to the degree to which light rays coming from any particular part
of an object pass through the lens and reconverge at the same point on a frame of the
film negative, creating sharp outlines and distinct textures that match the original
object. "Out of focus" means the images are blurred and lack acceptable linear
definition
• soft focus > slightly blurry shot. Creates a relaxed / romantic atmosphere
• sharp focus > a clear bright shot. Creates a realistic mood
, GENRES – Types of film recognised by audiences and/or producers. These types are
distinguished by narrative or stylistic conventions. (e.g) action, drama, thriller, historic
MISE-EN-SCENE – (composition of the shot /scene) All the things that are "put into the
scene": the setting, the décor, the lighting, the costumes, the performance etc.
SCENE – A scene is a segment of a narrative film that usually takes place in a single
time and place, often with the same characters
SCRIPT, SCREENPLAY, SCENARIO – A written description of a film's dialogue and action,
sometimes with basic camera directions.
SEQUENCE – A scene, or a series of connected scenes, that present a succession of
related events that constitute and advance a distinct component of the story narrative,
plot and/or character development
SHOT – A single stream of images, uninterrupted by editing; a unit of film in which the
camera does not stop filming.
