Visual Literacy Terms

Question 1

Static art

Answer 1

Still images in pictures, drawings, paintings, ads, etc

Question 2

Film study

Answer 2

Study of a moving image which is filmed

Question 3

Shot

Answer 3

Continuous unedited piece of film of any length

Question 4

Scene

Answer 4

A series of shots edited together

Question 5

Sequence

Answer 5

A series of scenes edited together

Question 6

Parallel action

Answer 6

Narrative strategy that crosscuts between two or more separate actions to create the illusion that they are occurring simultaneously

Question 7

Objective camera

Answer 7

Scene is shot from the viewpoint of a spectator watching from outside the scene

Question 8

Subjective camera

Answer 8

Scene is shot from the viewpoint of a character directly involved in the action

Question 9

Off screen OS

Answer 9

Words heard with the actor outside of the cameras view

Question 10

Voice over VO

Answer 10

Words spoken off screen and heard over the visual shots

Question 11

Blocking shot or scene

Answer 11

The process of figuring out where the camera goes the lighting arrangements, as well as the actors positions and movements for each shot 

Question 12

Set

Answer 12

Refers to the actual construction in which the actors are filmed

Question 13

Prop

Answer 13

Any object on a set though clearly the objects that characters will touch, become more important 

Question 14

Costumes

Answer 14

What the characters are wearing

Question 15

Hook

Answer 15

The opening sequence is in a film, catching the audiences attention, and drawing them into the plot

Question 16

Caption

Answer 16

The printed the lines of a text appearing at the bottom of the screen, to describe the setting, or to translate foreign words

Question 17

Mise-en-scene

Answer 17

It refers to everything in the frame on a static or moving image, which would include the following
Lighting objects and props for setting music heard she the staging movement of actors

Question 18

Extreme long shot ELS

Answer 18

Shows landscapes, or the view of a town or city
May emphasize vulnerability of a subject 

Question 19

Long shot LS

Answer 19

Overall view from a distance of a characters environment, often used as an establishing shot to set the scene. The subjects whole body is shown along with the entire area of action.

Question 20

Full shot FS

Answer 20

A variation of the long shot showing the fall subject from head to toe

Question 21

Medium (mid) shot

Answer 21

Shows the subject from the midsection or mid thigh up
To emphasize the relationship between two or more characters 

Question 22

Close shot CS

Answer 22

Subject is shown typically from the waist up 

Question 23

Close UP shot CU

Answer 23

Focusses on the subjects face, shows either head or shoulders
For emphasis 

Question 24

Extreme close up shot ECU

Answer 24

Variation of the close-up and singles out a proportion of the face or isolates a detail might focus on a persons, eyes or lips, for example m to call attention to key elements after for symbolic significance, may intensify an expression


Question 25

Hand held shot

Answer 25

Tripod and Dolly, I deliberately abandoned camera is held by hand
To create a sense of anxiety and confusion, to add realism to the scene 

Question 26

Reaction shot

Answer 26

A medium shot which shows a subjects reaction to an event 

Question 27

Reverse shot

Answer 27

Two shots commonly linked to show people talking and listening to each other 

Question 28

Over the shoulder shot

Answer 28

Gives us a characters point of you, but that includes part of the character shoulder, or the side of the head shot 

Question 29

Birds Eye view

Answer 29

Camera seems to be placed on top of subject, looking down towards the subject and the ground 

Question 30

High angle

Answer 30

Camera shoots down at the subject
Increases vulnerability, shows powerlessness or inferiority and shows small size 

Question 31

Low angle

Answer 31

Camera shoots up at the subject, shows power superiority used to inspire awe

Question 32

Straight/ flat

Answer 32

Camera is that I love her
Shows, equality, sincerity and honesty

Question 33

Oblique/ Dutch angle

Answer 33

Tilting the camera frame off its normal, vertical access and making the subjects look askew
Create a sense of confusion and disorientation
Suggests a subjective viewpoint ( high on drugs)

Question 34

Wide angle

Answer 34

Offers a greater panorama without having to pound, or move the camera 

Question 35

Fish eye lens angle

Answer 35

Looking down into mirrored glass ball, it creates an exaggerated linear disorientation (.05x camera)

Question 36

Superimposed

Answer 36

To overlay one shot over another shot. Two or more images can be seen at the same time overlapping.

Question 37

Wipe

Answer 37

One shot wipes across the screen to replace another


Question 38

Iris-in iris-out

Answer 38

The shot goes from a full frame to focussing on a small circle around the centre 

Question 39

Eyeliner match

Answer 39

I cut between two shots that creates the illusion of the character in the first shot, looking at an object or person in the second shot 

Question 40

Defocus

Answer 40

To deliberately take a shot out of focus 

Question 41

Shallow

Answer 41

Focus is clear, and only one playing the rest of the images blurred
Narrows depth of field 

Question 42

Soft focus

Answer 42

A slightly blurred shot
Makes the subject seem more attractive, romantic, or dream like 

Question 43

Rack focus

Answer 43

An on screen focus change from an object in the foreground to an object in the background, or vice versa in a single shot to direct shift and steer the attention from the viewer forcibly from one subject to another, also known as selective, focus, sing, or Pull focus


Question 44

Static

Answer 44

Subject stays in the same position