Film techniques

Question 1

Cinematography

Answer 1

Term used to describe combination of film making techniques

Question 2

Camera shot

Answer 2

The amount of space that is seen in one shot or frame

Question 3

Extreme long shot

Answer 3

Contains a large amount of landscape, often used at the beginning of the scene to establish general location (establishing shot)

Question 4

Long shot

Answer 4

Contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of setting (may show the viewers the building where the action will take place)

Question 5

Full shot

Answer 5

Contains a complete view of characters (can take in costumes, understand relationship of characters etc)

Question 6

Mid shot

Answer 6

Contains a character/characters from the waist up (can see faces more clearly + interactions with other characters)

Question 7

Close up

Answer 7

Contains just one characters face

Question 8

Extreme close-up

Answer 8

Contains one part of a character’s face or other object (common in horror films, creates an intense mood)

Question 9

Camera angles

Answer 9

Used to position the viewer so that they can understand the relationships between the characters

Question 10

Bird’s eye angle

Answer 10

Looks directly down upon a scene (often used in establishing angle + extreme shot)

Question 11

High angle

Answer 11

Looks down upon a subject (vulnerability, small, used to demonstrate a perspective of a character)

Question 12

Eye-level angle

Answer 12

Puts the audience on an equal footing with the character/s (most common angle)

Question 13

Low angle

Answer 13

Angle that looks up at a character (makes a character look more powerful)

Question 14

Crane shot

Answer 14

Used by composers to signify the end of a film or scene (camera put on a crane that can move upwards)

Question 15

Tracking shot + dolly shot

Answer 15

Tracking shot moves on a track and a dolly shot is mounted on a trolley (used to explore rooms, gives a detailed tour of a situation + used to follow a character)

Question 16

Panning

Answer 16

Gives a panoramic view of a set or setting

Question 17

Sharp focus

Answer 17

When everything in the camera is very clearly displayed without any blurring of objects or people

Question 18

Soft focus

Answer 18

Deliberate slight blurring or lack of definition in a photograph or film

Question 19

Deep focus

Answer 19

Technique using a large depth of field (foreground, middle ground and background are all in focus)

Question 20

Key light

Answer 20

Using main light on set

Question 21

High key lighting

Answer 21

Suggests a light source such as an overhead chandelier

Question 22

Low key lighting

Answer 22

Where the shadow is emphasised

Question 23

Fill light

Answer 23

Eliminates a shadow and softens the key light

Question 24

Back lighting

Answer 24

This produces a silhouette where main source of light behind the subject

Question 25

Mise en scene

Answer 25

All objects and characters in a particular frame (composition of the frame)

Question 26

Diegetic sound

Answer 26

Any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world e.g bird calls

Question 27

Non-diegetic sound

Answer 27

Anything added in during the editing process

Question 28

Leitmotif

Answer 28

When a character has their own theme song which appears more than once

Question 29

Intertitles

Answer 29

Inserting cards into the film with written information (set the scene, explain something about the situation, or are things that one character may say aloud)

Question 30

Iconography

Answer 30

Typical trademarks we expect when we watch a particular type of film

Question 31

Characterisation

Answer 31

How characters are conveyed

Question 32

Cut

Answer 32

An abrupt, but usually trivial film transition from one sequence to another

Question 33

Fade

Answer 33

When a shot gradually fades to (or from) a single colour, usually black or white

Question 34

Dissolve

Answer 34

Focal point of one scene gradually replaced with focal point of another

Question 35

Wipe

Answer 35

A type of film transition where one shot replaces another by travelling from one side of the frame to another or with a special shape

Question 36

Special effects

Answer 36

illusions created by camera angles, illustration and/or computer generation