Intro to Film Studies
The Shot - answer the atom of the film
extreme long shot - answer Landscape; figures tiny; often used as establishing shot
Long shot - answer approximates theater audience-to-stage proximity; contains full
figure and room (similar to full shot)
Medium shot - answer knees or waist up or over the shoulder, often second or third shot
Medium close-up - answer Head and shoulders, common in television
close-up - answer one thing, either human face or other object
extreme close-up - answer detail of object, ex: face, mouth
angle - answer camera placement with regard to subject
eye-level - answerthe norm; no dramatic action
high angle - answerreduces the importance of the subject; diminishes movement
low angle - answerheightens the importance and power of the subject; exaggerates
movement
Bird's eye - answeroverhead; abstracts figures
oblique angle - answerslanted; creates tension; suggests altered psychological state.
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH TILT
pan - answerhorizontal movement (from fixed position); keeps moving subject in frame;
scans landscape; reaction shot
Tilt - answervertical movement (from fixed position)
crane - answercamera mounted on moving axis (actual crane of smaller "jib" arm);
usually for shifting between low or high angle in a single shot or to follow movement
dolly - answercamera mounted to horizontally moving platform; for following movement
(tracking), heightening drama (dolly in) or revealing (dolly back)
, handheld - answermove obtrusive than mechanical movement; intentional looseness
(documentary style) - used sparingly in classical films- often defining technique of the
realistic film
Aerial - answercamera mounted on an aircraft (extreme long or establishing shot that
moves); poweful
zoom - answerchanges scale (long shot > close up) without moving camera; usually
more obtrusive than dolly (often associated with low-budget films or documentaries)
lighting - answerdetermines the "look" of the film
high key lighting - answerbright, even illumination (comedies, musicals)
low key lighting - answerparts of frame only partially illuminated, important areas
dramatically lit (mysteries, thriller)
high contrast lighting - answerbright brights, darkness, less fill (dramas)
natural lighting - answerutilizing available light sources (Dogme 95)
color - answersymbolic use
cool colors - answersuggest tranquility
warm colors - answersuggest violence and stimulation
saturated colors - answersuggest excitement and happiness
muted colors - answersuggest serious drama
normal lenses - answerno distortion; mimics eye view
wide lenses - answerlines and edges warp; distorts features when used close up
long lenses - answerflattens image; shallow depth of field
Red Riding 1974 - answershot on super 16mm
realism - answerfunction over form. reproduction without distortion. Attempt to preserve
the illusion of reality. At its most extreme; documentary like
film as information
The Shot - answer the atom of the film
extreme long shot - answer Landscape; figures tiny; often used as establishing shot
Long shot - answer approximates theater audience-to-stage proximity; contains full
figure and room (similar to full shot)
Medium shot - answer knees or waist up or over the shoulder, often second or third shot
Medium close-up - answer Head and shoulders, common in television
close-up - answer one thing, either human face or other object
extreme close-up - answer detail of object, ex: face, mouth
angle - answer camera placement with regard to subject
eye-level - answerthe norm; no dramatic action
high angle - answerreduces the importance of the subject; diminishes movement
low angle - answerheightens the importance and power of the subject; exaggerates
movement
Bird's eye - answeroverhead; abstracts figures
oblique angle - answerslanted; creates tension; suggests altered psychological state.
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH TILT
pan - answerhorizontal movement (from fixed position); keeps moving subject in frame;
scans landscape; reaction shot
Tilt - answervertical movement (from fixed position)
crane - answercamera mounted on moving axis (actual crane of smaller "jib" arm);
usually for shifting between low or high angle in a single shot or to follow movement
dolly - answercamera mounted to horizontally moving platform; for following movement
(tracking), heightening drama (dolly in) or revealing (dolly back)
, handheld - answermove obtrusive than mechanical movement; intentional looseness
(documentary style) - used sparingly in classical films- often defining technique of the
realistic film
Aerial - answercamera mounted on an aircraft (extreme long or establishing shot that
moves); poweful
zoom - answerchanges scale (long shot > close up) without moving camera; usually
more obtrusive than dolly (often associated with low-budget films or documentaries)
lighting - answerdetermines the "look" of the film
high key lighting - answerbright, even illumination (comedies, musicals)
low key lighting - answerparts of frame only partially illuminated, important areas
dramatically lit (mysteries, thriller)
high contrast lighting - answerbright brights, darkness, less fill (dramas)
natural lighting - answerutilizing available light sources (Dogme 95)
color - answersymbolic use
cool colors - answersuggest tranquility
warm colors - answersuggest violence and stimulation
saturated colors - answersuggest excitement and happiness
muted colors - answersuggest serious drama
normal lenses - answerno distortion; mimics eye view
wide lenses - answerlines and edges warp; distorts features when used close up
long lenses - answerflattens image; shallow depth of field
Red Riding 1974 - answershot on super 16mm
realism - answerfunction over form. reproduction without distortion. Attempt to preserve
the illusion of reality. At its most extreme; documentary like
film as information
