Technical Aspects of Film Making...

Camera Angles & Motion

Technique
1. Zoom In/Zoom Out

Effect
In - focus on a single item, emphasis,
often used to focus on facial
expressions
Out - shows big picture to give
viewer an idea about the context

2. Panning (camera moves

horizontally across the landscape,
then back)

- gives viewer a better understanding

of setting, a slow pan can create
suspense, feels like viewer is seeing
what the character is seeing (like
turning head)

3. Panoramic Shot (stationary shot

of a huge amount of landscape)

- understanding setting, can make

the viewer feel inferior (so small
compared to the huge shot of the
landscape)

4. Low Camera Angle (camera is

lower than the character in action)

- makes subject look huge &

important in comparison to the
viewer

5. High Camera Angle (camera is

higher than the character in action)

- makes the subject seem smaller &

less important than the viewer

6. Fast Motion (movement is fast,

jerky - focuses on many different
subjects)

- makes viewer feel confused, excited,

involved & many images are viewed
in a short space of time

Lighting
Technique

Effect

1. Bright

- happiness, upbeat, openness,

honesty

2. Dark

- mystery, suspense, fear, dishonesty

3. Top-Angled (light source is above

subject)

- subject may seem to have a Jesuslike importance

4. Bottom-Angled (light source is

below subject)

- subject seems sinister, mysterious

5. Back Lighting (light source is

behind subject)

- subject is a silhouette - mysterious

& unknown (informants on tv)

Editing & Structure

Technique

Explanation & Effect

1. Reaction Shot

- quick switch to the face of someone

to get their reaction (surprise, shock)

2. Juxtapositioning

- edit film so that 2 different shots

are put together for increased impact

3. Montage

- sequence of shots put together,

often in a stylized way, to suggest a
theme, rather than a continuous
event

4. Jump-cut

- an edit that disrupts the continuity

of a scene or shot - take out a middle
scene for instance - can create
tension or nervousness

Sound:

Special Effects:

- use of musical & special sound effects

to create atmosphere (happy, sad,
romance, scary, etc.)

- computer animation
- include real-life footage
- voice over narration
- scenes that cant really be filmed