FILM & LITERATURE Film Terminology & Cinematic Effects

FRAMING Shot = single uninterrupted piece of film LONG SHOT CLOSE UP OR CLOSE SHOT MEDIUM SHOT

LONG SHOT Object on-screen appears small or appears to seen from some distance Can establish the scene, by showing, say, the Manhattan skyline Can serve to show distance or separation between characters Can show character is integrated with or alienated from the surroundings Lack of detail; unclear, indistinct objects

CLOSE UP Subject takes up nearly 80% of the screen; thus, appears very large Directs viewer’s attention to, for instance, a crucial clue, a facial expression or gesture, etc. Viewer can only see what director intends What is missing/excluded from sight?

MEDIUM SHOT Between a long shot and close up Most common and most naturalistic shot; “NEUTRAL Shows more context and setting than close up Brings viewer closer to subject than long shot

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD FRAMING Establish scene with a long shot Move into medium shot Only then use the close up

FOCUS SOFT FOCUS RACK FOCUS DEEP FOCUS

SOFT FOCUS When director intentionally puts object slightly OUT OF FOCUS Looks softer but also unclear Think of Glamour Shots Often used in romantic or nostalgic films but could also be used to highlight a character with mysterious or unclear motives

RACK FOCUS When focus is SHIFTED from one object to another in one shot Example: character in focus in background, nervous and pacing. Phone rings and character goes out of focus and phone in foreground comes into focus = important call!

DEEP FOCUS All objects in shot are IN FOCUS— both foreground and background “The public may choose, with its eyes, what it wants to see in a shot” ----Orson Welles Gives greater sense of reality

ANGLES LOW ANGLE HIGH ANGLE EYE LEVEL DUTCH ANGLE

LOW ANGLE Camera shoots subject from BELOW Makes subject look LARGER than normal Effect: subject looks STRONG, POWERFUL, THREATENING

HIGH ANGLE Camera is ABOVE the subject Usually makes the subject look SMALLER than normal Effect: subject seems WEAK, POWERLESS, TRAPPED

EYE LEVEL 90-95% of shots Most NATURAL or NEUTRAL Camera EVEN with characters’ eyes

DUTCH ANGLE Shot tilted sideways on the horizontal line Also called “canted” angle Used to add TENSION to a static frame Creates a SINISTER or DISTORTED view of character

CAMERA MOVEMENT PAN TILT ZOOM TRACKING or DOLLY SHOTS

PAN Stationary camera moves left or right Often used to introduce a setting Often moves left to right as Westerners read Can come from character’s point of view

TILT Stationary camera moves up or down Communicates distance, size, and strength Can show power, objectification Often male gaze on female body: starts at feet and moves up

ZOOM Camera is stationary but lens moves, making the object appear to grow larger or smaller A way to direct audience’s attention to detail

TRACKING/DOLLY SHOT The camera itself is moving with the action It’s on a track, on wheels, or hand- held Audience becomes part of the action

LIGHTING LOW-KEY LIGHTING HIGH-KEY LIGHTING NEUTRAL LIGHTING BOTTOM/SIDE LIGHTING FRONT LIGHTING

LOW-KEY LIGHTING Scene is flooded with shadows and darkness Patches of bright light Creates moods of mystery, suspense, danger Good for horror films, film noir, detective films

HIGH-KEY LIGHTING Scene is flooded with light Bright, open, lack of shadows, little contrast between light and dark Good for romantic comedies, musical, costume dramas

NEUTRAL LIGHTING Even lighting throughout Neither bright nor dark Similar to a “Medium Shot”--- probably doesn’t mean much

BOTTOM/SIDE LIGHTING Direct lighting from below or side Often dangerous, evil looking May convey split personality or moral ambiguity Think: flashlight-under-the-chin look

FRONT/REAR LIGHTING Direct lighting on face or back of subject May suggest innocence: a halo effect Good for hero/heroine; honest, open characters

SOUND DIEGETIC SOUND NONDIEGETIC SOUND INTERNAL DIEGETIC SOUND

DIEGETIC SOUND Any sound that could logically be heard by character within the film environment Background noise, traffic, dialogue, etc. Audience & characters hear the same thing

NONDIEGETIC SOUND Sound NOT logically heard by characters NOT part of film environment Music—unless characters hear it too, voice over narration

INTERNAL DIEGETIC SOUND Sound heard by only one character

EDITING THE CUT THE FADE THE DISSOLVE THE CROSSCUT THE FLASHBACK & THE FLASH- FORWARD THE EYE-LINE MATCH Talking to himself, hearing a remembered sound

THE CUT Most common way to move from one shot to another Literally, one piece of film is cut and affixed to another Tiny, split-second of black Like a blink of the eye

THE FADE Image on screen slowly fades away and is replaced by black or white screen Might denote end of scene Might show time passage Very slow transition Not very realistic effect

THE DISSOLVE Image on screen slowly dissolves but this time, it’s replaced by another image Can be used to make a connection between characters/objects Another slow transition

THE CROSSCUT Also called parallel editing Cut to action happening simultaneously Peaceful town + missile screaming across sky = town in danger! Can create suspense as well as links between characters, themes, plots

FLASHBACK/FORWARD Flashback: movement into action that has happened previously Signified by a change in music, voice-over narration, or a dissolve Flash-forward: does the same but moves us forward in time

THE EYE-LINE MATCH Also known as point of view shot Shot of person looking Then a cut to what she’s looking at Cut back for a reaction Can reveal character’s thoughts, put view into character’s POV

DURATION/RHYTHM Consider duration: Shorter takes create excitement, suspense, rapid pace Longer takes more calm, less distracting, more natural Hitchcock’s Rope: 8 cuts in 80 minutes!

MISE-EN-SCÈNE French term having to do with the theater Describes what’s onstage: sets, costumes, lighting, acting

PUTTING IT TOGETHER Identify the technique/term THEN describe its EFFECTS “I saw a low-angle shot that demonstrates ________________.”