Shot An
unedited strip of film, recording continuous images from the time a camera
starts until the time the camera stops.
The shot is the basic structural unit of a finished motion picture.
Take Any
variation of a specific shot made during the filming of a movie. The final shot is usually selected from
a number of takesÑmost of which do not appear in the finished movie.
Sequence A
number of shots put together to show a single event or to show some thematic
connection.
Frame A
single photograph on a strip of film.
Shots defined by camera placement
Long or A
shot made from sufficient distance to show a landscape, a building, a
Extreme large interior, etc.
Long
Medium A
relatively close shotÑshowing, for example, most of a human figure within one
of its frames.
Close-up or A detailed view of a person or object. In
standard narrative film, the close-
Extreme up of a person consists of a view of the actorÕs head.
Close-up
Low-angle A
shot in which the subject is photographed from below.
High-angle A
shot in which the subject is photographed from above.
BirdÕs eye A
shot photographed from directly overhead
Eye-level a
relatively neutral shot
Oblique-angle involving a lateral tilt, implies a point of view or disorientation
Shots defined by camera
movement or lens operation
Pan The
camera moves from side to side on a fixed horizontal axis.
Swish (or A rapid pan that sometimes even blurs images
Flash) Pan
Tracking linear movement of the camera along side a moving
subject or along
an
extended background
Shot
Tilt The
camera aims up or down from its fixed position.
Dolly A
smooth rolling movement into or out of the field of vision, created by a small
wheeled dolly or hand truck
Boom The
camera, attached to a telescoping pole, is moved through space vertically or
horizontally (or both). This is
sometimes called a crane shot.
Zoom A
shot in which the change of focal length in a cameraÕs lens gives the
impression of approaching or moving away from the subject.
Rack Focus The
focus is shifted so that one part of the image becomes blurred while another
part becomes sharp.
Deep Focus Photography
that uses special lenses permitting all objects within a frame to remain in
focus.
Shots defined by subject matter
Establishing Usually,
a long shot at the beginning of a sequence to establish the context
Shot for
all subsequent shots.
One-shot A
shot with one person in it.
Two-shot A
shot featuring two persons.
Editing The
joining of one shot (hence one strip of film) with another.
Cut The
break in the film where one shot ends and the next one begins.
Continuity The kind of logic
implied between edited shots, their principle of coherence. Editing generally aims to minimize the
potential disruption of a cut. Cutting
to continuity emphasizes smooth
transitions between shots in which time and space are unobtrusively condensed.
Jump Cut An abrupt
transition between shots, violating standard continuity cutting.
Long take A lengthy
shot unbroken by editing. (Also called a lengthy take.)
Fade A
laboratory process causing film images to darken (fade out) or brighten (fade in). A fade
out/fade in is frequently used to mark moments of transition in film narrative.
Dissolve One
image gradually fades, lingering on the screen while another replaces it; the
two images are superimposed midway
through a dissolve.
High Key Style
of lighting emphasizing bright, even illumination, with few conspicuous
shadows.
Low Key Style
of lighting emphasizing diffused shadows and atmospheric pools of light.
Synchronous Correspondence between image and sound, which
are recorded
Sound simultaneously,
or seem to have been simultaneous in the finished print. Synchronous sounds seem to derive from
an obvious source in the visuals.
Voice-over A nonsynchronous
spoken commentary in a movie.
Aspect Ratio The ratio between the horizontal and
vertical dimensions of the screened image. Most feature films were shot in Academy ratio (1.33:1) prior
to the 1950s. Standard ratios are
now 1.66:1 (European) and 1.85: 1 (American), though some formats range much
higher.
Frame The
dividing line between the edges of the screen image and the enclosing darkness
of the theater. (Compare this
design usage to an earlier definition under ÒBasic Terms.Ó)
Closed Form Visual style that inclines toward
self-conscious designs and carefully harmonized compositions. The frame is exploited to suggest a
self-sufficient universe that encloses all the necessary visual information, usually
in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
Open Form Style emphasizing informal
composition and apparently haphazard designs. The frame is exploited to suggest a temporary masking, a
window that arbitrarily cuts off part of the action. It usually results in an image
that seems more realistic than one in closed form.
Mise en scene the
composition of a scene, including
-tight
or loose framing (amount of space in frame)
-areas
of dominant and subsidiary contrast (drawing the viewerÕs
attention)
-set
up: full front, 1/4 turn, profile, 3/4 turn, back to camera
á
Full-length movie titles
should be italicized or underscored: Macbeth.
á
The first reference to a
filmÕs title should represent the title in its entirety and should be followed
by the filmÕs release date in parentheses: The Taming of the Shrew (1967).
For subsequent mention you may elect to abbreviate long titles into a
less cumbersome reference, and you need not repeat the date: Shrew.
á
In your initial
reference to a film you may wish to acknowledge the director. This can be done either by including
the directorÕs name in the parenthetical information or by mentioning the director in the surrounding text: Macbeth
(dir. Polanski, 1971) or Roman PolanskiÕs Macbeth (1971).
á
Following are the MLA
methods of bibliographical citation for references to film in scholarly
papers. The first entry would
refer to the theatrical version of a film (for example, if you were referring
to a movie seen in a theater or studied in its theatrical release at an archive
such as the George Eastman House.
The second and third entries cite films seen on a VHS videocassette or
DVD re-release (as in the films we view in class this semester).
Macbeth. Dir. Roman Polanski. Perf. Jon Finch. Francesca
Annis. Columbia Pictures, 1971.
Macbeth. Dir. Roman Polanski. Perf. Jon Finch. Francesca
Annis. 1971. DVD. Columbia Tristar Horn, 2002.
Macbeth. Dir. Roman Polanski. Perf. Jon Finch. Francesca Annis. 1971.
VHS. Columbia Tristar, 1992.