Directing Flashcards by David Heiser

smallest unit of film language

shot

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everything visible in the frame of the shot; the subject, actions, objects, setting, lighting, and graphic qualities

mis-en-scene

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expressive unit made up of editing together multiple shots to define a unified action or event, or passage of time and place

sequence

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a continuous run of images unbroken by an edit

shot

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a dramatic unit in which action ostensibly happens in continuous time and within a single location

scene

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a series of scenes that create a larger dramatic unit

dramatic sequence

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organizing images to create a coherent sense of space, time, and movement in a way that is recognized and understood by nearly everyone

continuity style

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each individual still image captured on film or video

physical frame

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two-dimensional space defined by its horizontal and vertical dimensions

compositional frame

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screen left, screen right, top, and bottom

four edges of frame

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what the audience doesn’t see

off screen

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the relationship between the width and height of the frame

aspect ratio

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all of the essential information in the shot is neatly contained within the parameters of the frame

closed frame

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the composition leads the audience to be aware of the area beyond the edges of the visible shot

open frame

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a composition rule that divides the screen into thirds along the horizontal and vertical axes and then placing significant objects, focal points, and elements of interest along these lines

rule of thirds

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extra vertical space to one side or the other; walking space

looking room

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a shot that shows a large view of the location, setting, or landscape; emphasis is on surroundings or relationship to surroundings

extreme long shot/wide shot (ELS)

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a shot that contains the whole human figure; good for larger physical movements and activity

long shot

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frames subject from the knees up; cowboy shot because of cowboy’s gun belt

medium long shot

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frames subject from waist up; good for smaller physical actions and facial expressions while keeping some connection with surroundings

medium shot

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shot from the rest or shoulders up; emphasis is facial expression, but some connection to physical attitude of body is kept

medium close-up

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places primary emphasis on the face or other part of the body; emphasizes features, movements, and expressions

close-up

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stylistically potent shot that isolates a very small detail or feature of the subject

extreme close-up

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shot with two subjects

two shot

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shot with three subject

three shot

shot with more than three people

group shot

shot where lens of camera is positioned at eye level of subjects

eye-level shot

shot where lens of camera is above eye level

high-angle shot

shot where lens of camera is below eye level

low angle

a shot in which the subject looks directly at the camera

direct address

shots in which the camera looks directly at the face of a subject but the subject's sightline is just off the edge of the frame

frontal shots

relationship with frontal shot and three-quarter frontal shot

intimate perspective; can elicit strong engagement

relationship with profile shot

neutral point of view

relationship with shot from behind

creates a sense of distance, remoteness, and mystery

relationship with three-quarter back shot

encourages audience to identify with a character by aligning their visual point of view with that of the subject

dutch angle; tilting camera laterally so that the horizon of your composition is oblique

canted angle

relationship with canted angle

creates a feeling ranging from slight imbalance. to extreme spacial disorientation; can infuse tension, imbalance, or disorientation into a scene

scans space horizontally by pivoting camera left or right

pan

shifts camera perspective vertically with the lens facing up or down

tilt

pivoting the camera horizontally or vertically from a stationary spot while camera is running

stationary camera move

moving the entire camera in space horizontally, closer or farther, or vertically

dynamic camera move

when you move the camera in order to follow or track with a subject

tracking shot

moving shots in which the camera moves closer or farther away from the subject

dolly shot

a shot in which the camera is raised very high in the air above a human subject's head

crane shot

a system that assures us that individual shots, when cut together, will give us the illusion of smooth and continuous time, movement, and space, regardless of the order those shots were taken in

continuity

sounds that exist naturally in a given location

ambient sound

means that we must shoot all of the shots in a continuity sequence from only one side of the action so that shots will cut together seamlessly

180 degree princ

the direction to which a character is looking

sight line

the direction a character travels in a frame

screen direction

axis of action/ director's line

180 degree line

placing camera on opposite side of 180 degree line

jumping the line

changing the size of a shot by at least 20mm or moving camera by at least 30 degrees so that shots cut together seamlessly

20mm/30 degree rule

cutting together two shots of the same subject when the frames are very similar

jump cut

dividing a single movement between two shots in order to bridge the edit; makes shots come together in a seamless way

match action edit/ cutting on action

six basic principles of continuity

1. continuity of mis-en-scene (shared shot content) 2. continuity of sound 3. continuity of performance 4. continuity of spacial orientation (axis of action) 5. 20mm/30 degree rule 6. cutting on action (match action edits)

master shot

clearly shows both subjects in the scene and defines the spatial relationship of the two to each other and the space around them

reverse shots (singles)

a reverse shot that is from a n angle that includes a portion of the other person's shoulder or head

over-the-shoulder shot (OTS) / dirty single

alternating between to reverse shot angles

shot/reverse shot technique

a reverse shot of a character reacting to a moment

reaction shot

accurately following a person's sightline from shot to shot, especially in an interaction

eyeline much

interruption of a continuous filmed action by inserting a shot of a detail within your scene other than the characters' faces

cutaway shot

shooting a scene from various angles

coverage

shows your subject turning their gaze toward a person or object

looking shot

shows what a character is looking at

POV shot

removing extraneous time and territory in the edit

elliptical editing

allows the actions and relationships of an entire scene to develop within a single shot in real time

long take

annotated script that shows you what shots are used to cover a scene and how they connect together as an edited scene

shooting script

drawings of shots, arranged on paper in the order they appear in a sequence

storyboards

a list of all the shots that make up the film in the order in which they will be shot

shot list

copy of the screenplay that contains a record of what parts of the script have been successfully shot and from what angle

lined script

drawings of each scene from a bird's-eye perspective

overheads

the movement of your characters in space

blocking

essential story elements

1. central character 2. dramatic situation (premise) 3. actions and stakes 4. resolution and what it all means

determines the degree of magnification or de-magnification of the scene being shot

focal length

how much of the scene the lens takes in horizontally and vertically

angle view

medium lenses; approximates the same perspective and image size that the human eye would see if one were to stand in the same spot as the camera not including peripheral

normal (lens and definition)

normal lens focal length for 16mm film format

25 mm

normal lens focal length for 35mm film format

50 mm

normal lens focal length for 2/3in CCD

20 mm

normal lens focal length for 1/2in CCD

15 mm

normal lens focal length for 1/3 CCD

11 mm

normal lens focal length for 1/4in CCD

8 mm

relationship between area of imaging device and focal length for normal lens

larger the area of the imaging divide, the longer the focal length for a normal lens

lenses that reduce the size of the image and broaden the angle of view compared to the human eye

short lenses;

wide-angle lens focal length for 16mm film (slight)

15 mm

wide-angle lens focal length for 16mm film (normal wide)

10 mm

wide-angle lens focal length for 16mm film (very wide)

8 mm

lens with an angle of view greater than 180 degrees; fisheye lens

extreme wide-angle lens

long lenses; lenses that enlarge the size of the image and narrow the angle of view

telephoto

telephoto lens focal length for 16mm film (slight)

75 mm lense

telephoto lens focal length for 16mm film (normal telephoto)

120 mm

telephoto lens focal length for 16mm film (very telephoto

250 mm

lenses that have one fixed focal length

prime lenses

variable focal length lenses; have a continuous range of focal lengths in one lens housing

zoom lenses

when a point of light reflecting off the subject is registered as a point of light on the focal plane

focus

makes your subject stand out from the environment and gain prominence in the frame

shallow depth of field

increases the amount of information we see along the z-axis and therefore you gain environmental detail that can inflect the mood of the scene and the narrative content

deep depth of field

a stabilizing system for a camera that incorporates a complex system of counterweights and springs to minimize gravitational forces and absorb any shock

stedicam

standardized routine for every sync sound take on a double-system film production

calling the shot

1. A.D. (or director) : is anyone not ready? 2. if no one responds, A.D. (or director) : roll sound 3. sound recorder starts recorder and after 5 second pre-roll says: speed 4. A.D. (or director): roll camera 5. camera op starts camera and calls: rolling 6. A.C. (or slate person) claps slate after saying scene and take numbers 7. after a pause, director says: action 8. scene happens 9. director calls cut 10. camera and sound recorder are turned off 11. camera report and sound logs are updated as slate is reloaded

a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length than the master shot

insert

a style of filmmaking characterized by realistic, typically documentary motion pictures that avoid artificiality and artistic effect and are generally made with simple equipment

cinema Bertie

has apparent breaks in natural time continuity as it is implied in the film's story

elliptical style shooting

cuts that leave an impression of continuity and do not distract from the story

invisible cuts

has little to no psychological effect on the viewer; camera is in a neutral position; there is no dramatic power

eye level shot

makes characters look dominant, aggressive, or ominous

low-angle shot effect

makes characters look weak, submissive, or frightened

high angle shot effect

author's draft; first complete version of the narrative in proper screenplay format

first draft

another draft of a screenplay where things have been fixed and changed to make the story better

revised draft

speculative screenplay; a non-commissioned and unsolicited screenplay that a writer hopes will get picked up

spec script