Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Film Techniques and Their Uses

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Factors That Affect How We Perceive a Film: Content: what is being shown Design: how the content is presented Colour & Light: emphasis, colour symbolism and associations Line & Focus: clear, fuzzy, thick, thin, defined, etc. Composition: how the image is presented within the frame

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Factors That Affect How We Perceive a Film: Angle: looking up, down, sideways, or straight ahead Movement: image or camera movement Size of Frame: distance between the camera and the image Transitions: progression of the film from scene to scene

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Camera Angles

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Low Angle (Looking Up): The camera and the viewer look from below the object being viewed. The psychological impact of this angle is that the camera mimics the eye, and the viewer is less powerful than the thing being viewed.

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 High Angle (Looking Down): The camera and the viewer look down from above the object being viewed The impact is that the object being viewed is less powerful than the viewer

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Use of High and Low Angles: For exampleexample

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Side Angle (Looking Sideways): This shot is looking at something from the side The effect of this shot implies another person’s perspective The object or person is being watched, but is not necessarily aware of this

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Eye Level (Looking Straight Ahead): This shot has the viewer looking directly toward the subject at the same height as the subject The psychological effect is that this shot is honest and sincere The implication is that the viewer sees the image or person “eye to eye” For example

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Looking from a Canted Perspective: This shot is when one side is lower than the other, and gives the effect that the viewer’s head is tilted so that one ear is higher than the other The effect of this shot is disequilibria or confusion For example

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Frame Size

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Wide Shot (a.k.a. Long Shot): The action is seen as if the viewer is standing far away It shows a lot of information that includes people’s bodies from head to toe, plus the scenery that surrounds him or her Movements are large and expressive, if they are detected Images this far away have a psychologically distancing affect – you get the “big picture”, but little connection

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Wide Shot Wide Shot (a.k.a. Long Shot):

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Medium Shot: The action shows people from around the waist or chest up Two or three people can fit into this shot Movements are more natural, with the viewer a body’s length from the action Images of this size are as close as watching your teacher lecture at the front of the class You can connect, and see context, but you are still free to focus on various parts of the image

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Medium ShotMedium Shot:

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Medium Close-Up: The action shows a character’s face and shoulders only There is usually only room for one person in the shot This shot is like having a close and personal conversation The effect of this shot is intimacy – someone is just talking to you and you should listen to what they are saying as it’s important

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Medium Close-Up:

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Extreme Close-Up: We are so close that you can see only part of a person’s face, like the eyes This shot uses very subtle movements, and every expression has meaning The psychological effect is intensity It is too close for context, and you can’t help but be drawn into what the character might be thinking

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Extreme Close-Up:

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Movement

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Movement Within the Frame: People or objects move within a stationary frame Movement can be seen as if a viewer is looking out a window Action happens within the frame, but the viewer and camera remain stationary The head also stays in the same place, but the eyes will still be drawn to what is moving in the frame

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Movement Within the FrameMovement Within the Frame: The psychological effect is that the movement is important and always draws our focus

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Pans and Tilts: The camera stays in one spot, and moves from left to right, right to left, up to down, or down to up on a pivot It is as if you stand in one spot and move your head left and right, or up and down By keeping your feet where they are, you are watching, but not participating in what is happening

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Panning Left and Right: The viewer can follow action or see a larger area than can fit into frame Movement implies there is a reason to change your view Where you are led to look is more important than what you are leaving behind, and the new view reveals something about how you see the whole picture

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Tilting Up and Down: The viewer is provided more information than fits into the frame When you look down upon an image, it implies the image has little power If you are looking up at an image, it has the psychological effect of making the image seem powerful Movements that go up or down reveal information about power structures

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Tracking, Dollying & Craning: The camera moves from one spot to another Rather than stand in one place, the viewer moves left to right, right to left, back and forth, or forward and back Perspective can also lift into the air or be brought down from a high place Movement gives the sense that the viewer is participating in the action rather than watching it It brings the viewer deeper into the experience

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Tracking Side to Side: In tracking, the camera rolls on tracks from left to right or right to left It “tracks” or follows a moving subject across a landscape, or shows a moving perspective It is like running with someone or watching the view from a car

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Tracking Side to Side: This shot is dynamic, and moves with the action Tracking is more intimate than panning, and it is more likely that the viewer will sympathize with the person or object being tracked

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Dollying Forward and Back: In dollying, the camera moves on tracks from far to near or near to far away, or follows action forward or back It is like walking to or from someone This shot is dynamic Dollying is different from zooming in or out

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Dollying Forward and Back: It implies the viewer’s increasing or decreasing isolation from the person or object being filmed By moving toward a person, the viewer “comes closer” to the person’s thoughts and beliefs Moving away has the opposite effect

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Craning Up and DownCraning Up and Down: Craning is as if you are on an elevator and you are watching something while you move up and away from it or down toward it This shot is dynamic Craning up or down is more dramatic than tilting

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Craning Up and Down: It can go very high, making the subject appear smaller in the frame to distance the viewer It can also move down to pinpoint what is most important to focus on and to pull the viewer into the story

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Transitions

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Montage: A sequence of images edited into progressive shots to create a mood or to show that a lot of time is passing

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Cutaway: A shot inserted in a scene to show an action in another location It is usually brief

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Jump Cut: A transition that is very abrupt This is usually done to create confusion or move the film along quickly

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Dissolve: A transition where one shot fades away while another begins

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Fade In/OutFade In/Out: The gradual appearance or disappearance of an image on the screen, from or into darkness

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Reaction Shot: A shot that cuts away from the main scene or speaker to show a character’s reaction to something

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Use of Sound

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Real Sound: Sounds that can be heard by the characters, even if they are recorded later Examples include weather, traffic, crowds, etc.

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Added Sound: Sounds that cannot be heard by the characters that are included for the benefit of the audience only Examples include the sound of “quick wind” when a character runs or records scratching for awkward moments

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Voice OverVoice Over: Audio recordings of characters thoughts that provide the viewer with a glimpse of the internal processes of the character

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Narration: A seen or unseen voice that provides explanation and additional information to the story As in writing, narration can be first or third person point of view that can be either omniscient or limited in perspective Narration can be presented as a voice-over, monologue, or dialogue

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Sound Effects: Manufactured sounds used to link visual images to audio components Used to create atmosphere and realism Sound effects can be as simple as footsteps and raindrops to complicated explosions and battle scenes

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Real Music: Music that appears to be a natural part of events – stereo on in an apartment, music in a club, etc.

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Added Music: This can be popular music or composed music Music is added to enhance emotion, develop character, or reinforce theme

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Silence: Can heighten the awareness of the picture or change atmosphere in a film

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 Film Techniques & Literary Connections

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 What to Look For: Are there any recurring symbols? Are there any recurring motifs? What do the colours suggest in different scenes? How does the setting connect with the characters? What traits are revealed about characters? What do the costumes suggest?

Mr. Mehrotra ENG 2D0 What to Look For: What themes are evident in different scenes? What factors contribute to the theme? Is there contrast of any kind in specific scenes? Where is there irony used in the film? How does the director use dramatic irony to create tension? Do you recognize any allusions?