Film TerminologyFilm Terminology

The buzz words that make The buzz words that make movie buffs true movie buffs.movie buffs true movie buffs.

Scene vs. ShotScene vs. Shot

Shot:Shot:what is recorded by a what is recorded by a

single, single, uninterrupted uninterrupted operation of the operation of the cameracamera

when a camera starts when a camera starts to where it stops to where it stops

Scene:Scene:section of film of section of film of

continuous action continuous action taking place in taking place in continuous time continuous time and spaceand space

usually contains usually contains multiple shotsmultiple shots

Cut:Cut: 1. action of stopping the film (1. action of stopping the film (““Cut!Cut!””) )

2. a strip of film 2. a strip of film

3. joining separate shots together.3. joining separate shots together. 4. a version of a movie (4. a version of a movie (““directordirector’’s cus cu

tt ””))

Take:Take: a version of a shota version of a shot

Frame:Frame: (3 definitions)

1. a single picture from a strip of film 2. borders of the projected film on a

screen 3. to position the camera in such a way

that the subject is kept within the borders of the image

Collin Farrel in Phone Booth (2002)

Widescreen/Letterbox:Widescreen/Letterbox:a VHS or DVD version that is shown with

the same dimensions and ratios as the original (or close to it) theater version

http://www.widescreen.org/widescreen.shtml

Return of the King (2004)

The Mummy (1999)

Cutthroat Island (1995)

Intertitles/ title Intertitles/ title cards:cards:

printed material that appears periodically on the screen, most often used in silent films to give exposition, dialogue, thoughts, descriptions not shown.

D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915)

Mise-en-scèneMise-en-scène::

French for French for ““stagingstaging””; the composition ; the composition and arrangement of a shotand arrangement of a shot

The Graduate (1967) The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Searchers (1956)

Rain Man (1988)

Montage:Montage:

type of editing in which brief shots are used to present a condensation of time and events

http://www.movie-montage.com/trainingMontages.php

Voice-over:Voice-over: off-camera narration or

commentary.narrating I —a storyteller, usually a part of

the movievoice of God –a disembodied, objective voice

with no part in the storyvoice from the machine —not the voice of

God, but a random voice that tries to wrap up the ending

repetitive voice over –voice from a character reverberating in another character’s head, usually previous dialogue

and more!

Types of Types of Shots…Shots…

Close Up (CU):Close Up (CU):

shot of the headshot of the head

Close Shot (CS):Close Shot (CS):

shot of the head shot of the head and shouldersand shoulders

Braveheart (1995)

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Long Shot (LS)Long Shot (LS)

Aka: the Aka: the Full Shot Full Shot (FS)(FS): :

a shot of the entire a shot of the entire person and much of person and much of the backgroundthe background

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Medium Shot (MS): Medium Shot (MS):

a shot between a a shot between a close shot and a close shot and a long shotlong shot

Bourne Identity (2002)

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

Extreme Close Extreme Close Up (ECU):Up (ECU):

close up of a close up of a specific body specific body part: eye, part: eye, mouth, etc mouth, etc

Extreme Long Extreme Long Shot (ELS):Shot (ELS):

broad, broad, panoramic viewpanoramic view

Fellowship of the Rings (2001)

War of the Worlds (2005)

Establishing Shot (ES):Establishing Shot (ES):

a shot which defines and area or a shot which defines and area or settingsetting

The Searchers (1956)

Shot-reverse-Shot-reverse-

shotshot::alternating shots of characters in a alternating shots of characters in a

conversation so that the first person conversation so that the first person is seen, then the otheris seen, then the other

Notice how the camera is over this fellow’s shoulder.

What is the next shot in the film?

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Objective Shot: Objective Shot:

Represents what Represents what the camera seesthe camera sees

Subjective Shot:Subjective Shot:

Represents what a Represents what a character seescharacter sees

Memento (2000)

Imagine a character is walking down a dark passageway. What would it look like from a subjective shot?

How did Dark Passage (1947) use subjective shots?

Random picture of a tunnel in Scotland

Pan:Pan:

camera placed on a stationary base and camera placed on a stationary base and pivots horizontally. A pivots horizontally. A swish panswish pan is one is one that moves quickly to create blur. that moves quickly to create blur.

Tilt:Tilt:

when a camera moves vertically up and when a camera moves vertically up and downdown

Tracking Shot:Tracking Shot:

a camera mounted often on a track or on a a camera mounted often on a track or on a vehicle; the camera moves with the vehicle; the camera moves with the action. action.

Fade: Fade:

Fade-outFade-out (FO) when the light (FO) when the light decreases to (usually) blackness. decreases to (usually) blackness.

Fade-inFade-in (FI) when darkness gradually (FI) when darkness gradually becomes lighter. becomes lighter.

It doesnIt doesn’’t have to be blackness. Can t have to be blackness. Can be bright, like be bright, like Return of the KingReturn of the King’’s s three fadesthree fades

The Truman Show (1998)

Dissolve:Dissolve:

outgoing and incoming images outgoing and incoming images merge—one disappears to be merge—one disappears to be replaced by another. replaced by another.

Form dissolveForm dissolve is when similar frames is when similar frames fade (bodies in the same location)fade (bodies in the same location)

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Iris Shot: Iris Shot:

a masking shot in which everything is a masking shot in which everything is blacked out except for one portion, blacked out except for one portion, usually in the shape of a circle, but usually in the shape of a circle, but often times a key hole, binoculars, etc. often times a key hole, binoculars, etc.

Wipe:Wipe:

One shot is pushed off the One shot is pushed off the frame by another shot frame by another shot replacing it. replacing it.