Terminology

Sophie Barber

Sound:
Sound motif- A sound effect or combination of sound effects that are associated
with a particular character, setting, situation or idea through the film. The sound
motifs condition the audience emotionally for the intervention, arrival, or actions
of a particular character.
Sound Bridge- Sound bridges are one of the most common transitions in the
continuity editing style, one that stresses the connection between both scenes
since their mood (suggested by the music) is still the same.
Foley- Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film,
video, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality. These
reproduced sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps
to squeaky doors and breaking glass.
Diegetic- Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied
to be present by the action of the film: voices of characters. Sounds made by
objects in the story.
Non-diegetic - Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been
implied to be present in the action: narrator's commentary. Sound effects which
are added for the dramatic effect.

Camera:
Establishing shot- An establishing shot is usually the first shot of a new scene,
designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is usually a
very wide shot or extreme wide shot.
Extreme long shot- An extreme long shot is a view from an even greater
distance, in which people appear as small dots in the landscape if at all.
Extreme close up- The shot is so tight that only a detail of the subject, such as
someone's eyes, can be seen.
Canted angle- Canted shots are composed with a camera tilted laterally, so that
the horizon is not level and vertical lines run diagonally across the frame. The
resulting compositions can create spatial imbalance or disorientation which can
convey a sense of dramatic tension, psychological instability, confusion,
madness, or drug-induced psychosis.
Point of view- A point of view shot (also known as POV shot or a subjective
camera) is a short film scene that shows what a character (the subject) is looking
at (represented through the camera).
Shot/Reverse shot- Shot reverse shot (or shot/countershot) is a film technique
where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen),
and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character.
Low angle- In cinematography, a low-angle shot, is a shot from a camera angle
positioned low on the vertical axis, anywhere below the eye line, looking up.
Psychologically, the effect of the low-angle shot is that it makes the subject look
strong and powerful.

Terminology

Sophie Barber

High angle- A high-angle shot is a cinematic technique where the camera looks
down on the subject from a high angle and the point of focus often gets
"swallowed up." High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or
powerless when applied with the correct mood, setting, and effects.
Panning- Rotating a camera on its vertical or horizontal axis in order to keep a
moving person or object in view or allow the film to record a panorama: to pan
from one end of the playing field to the other during the opening of the football
game.
Tilting- Tilting is a cinematographic technique in which the camera is stationary
and rotates in a vertical plane (or tilting plane).
Crane shot- In filmmaking and video production, a crane shot is a shot taken by a
camera on a crane or jib. The most obvious uses are to view the actors from
above or to move up and away from them, a common way of ending a movie.
Rule of thirds- The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as
divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two
equally spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should
be placed along these lines or their intersections.[2] Proponents of the technique
claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and
interest in the composition than simply centring the subject
Tracking- A tracking shot is when a camera follows a person or an object
physically moving with the subject- This can be done using tracks, handheld,
ropes, Steady-cam etc.
Two shot- A two shot is a type of shot employed in the film industry in which the
frame encompasses a view of two people (the subjects). The subjects do not
have to be next to each other, and there are many common two-shots which
have one subject in the foreground and the other subject in the background. It is
very useful if the film is about two people.
Mid shot- The mid shot shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still
showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole
subject. In fact, this is an approximation of how you would see a person "in the
flesh" if you were having a casual conversation. You wouldn't be paying any
attention to their lower body, so that part of the picture is unnecessary.
Filters- Camera filters are transparent or translucent optical elements that alter
the properties of light entering the camera lens for the purpose of improving the
image being recorded. Filters can affect contrast, sharpness, highlight flare,
colour, and light intensity, either individually, or in various combinations. They
can also create a variety of "special effects."
Depth of frame- The area in front of the camera that appears sharp in the frame
is called depth of field. Depth of Field is defined as the range of acceptable focus
on a shot or photograph.
Positioning- How the camera is angled, whether it is above or below the subject.

Editing:

Terminology

Sophie Barber

Jump cut- A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the
same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of
edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time.
Transition- A film transition is a technique used in the post-production process of
film editing and video editing by which scenes or shots are combined. Most
commonly this is through a normal cut to the next shot.
Match cut- a cut in film editing between either two different objects, two different
spaces, or two different compositions in which objects in the two shots
graphically match, often helping to establish a strong continuity of action and
linking the two shots metaphorically.
Ellipsis- The shortening of the plot duration of a film achieved by deliberately
omitting intervals or sections of the narrative story or action; an ellipsis is
marked by an editing transition (a fade, dissolve, wipe, jump cut, or change of
scene) to omit a period or gap of time from the film's narrative.
CGI- Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of the field of
computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special
effects. CGI is used in films, television programs and commercials, and in printed
media.
Time lapse- Time-lapse photography is a technique whereby the frequency at
which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much lower than that used to
view the sequence. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving
faster and thus lapsing.
Eye-line match - An eye line match is a film editing technique commonly
associated with continuity editing. Eye line refers to the path of the looking eye
and is similar to the shot reverse shot.
Motivated cut- Motivated cut is put to connect two scenes: the subject wanting or
searching the object of interest and the object of interest.
Montage- The technique of selecting, editing, and piecing together separate
sections of film to form a continuous whole.
Slow motion- The action of showing film or playing back video more slowly than it
was made or recorded, so that the action appears much slower than in real life.
Titles &sub-titles - Titles introduce the name of the film or TV program and the
actors in it. Sometimes subtitles are there to introduce the time or place.
Editing for perspective-

Mise-en-Scene:
Low key lighting- Low key light accentuates the contours of an object by throwing
areas into shade while a fill light or reflector may illuminate the shadow areas to
control contrast.

Terminology

Sophie Barber

High key lighting- A style of lighting for film, television, or photography that aims
to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. High-key lighting is usually quite
homogeneous and free from dark shadows.
Setting- The place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or
where an event takes place.
Body language- The conscious and unconscious movements and postures by
which attitudes and feelings are communicated.
Costume- A set of clothes worn by an actor or performer for a particular role.
Props- A prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a
set, distinct from the actors, scenery, costumes and electrical equipment.
Blocking- The arrangement of actors in the frame.
Location- A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television
series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie
studio backlot.
Performance- An act of performing a dramatic role, song, or piece of music.
Prosthetics- An artificial feature or piece of flexible material applied to a person's
face or body to change their appearance temporarily.
Screen time- The time allotted to or occupied by a particular subject, actor, etc.,
on film or television.