T HE G RAMMAR OF F ILM H OW F ILMMAKERS TELL A STORY ON SCREEN A M S. W ICHTERMAN P RODUCTION

In literature so much of how we experience a text depends on our imagination. We are given words on a page and it is up to us to fill in the rest. Authors rely on plot, characterization and imagery to paint a picture in our minds. In film however, things are somewhat different…

Film is an audiovisual medium. We see what the filmmaker wants us to see. Filmmakers use certain common conventions often referred to as the 'grammar' of film to tell their stories. In this lesson we will learn about three of these common conventions: Shots Angles Editing

Shot: a length of film taken by a single camera without breaks.

An Extreme Long Shot is generally taken from a great distance away from human subjects. Often these are landscape shots. We generally see these kinds of shots in epic movies that focus attention on setting, such as Westerns. When people are included in extreme long shots, they often look like specs on a screen.

A Long Shot gives a view of all the characters within the shot. It is a shot that helps the audience become comfortable with the surroudings.

A Medium Shot shows a little over half of the human body up and is generally used to show interaction between characters, including dialogue.

Medium Shots are also used to show movement, for instance when two characters are having a conversation while walking down a corridor.

A Close-Up contains just one character's face. This enables viewers to understand the actor's emotions and also allows them to feel empathy for the character. This is also known as a personal shot.

An Extreme Close-Up is a variation on the close-up. It is often used to highlight a symbolically important object or a particular body part such as an eye, a hand, or a mouth.

Angle: The direction and height from which the camera takes the scene.

As we know from watching movies, the angle at which a character is shot in a film can dramatically affect how we perceive that character. Film directors often choose to shoot characters using different angles in order to make a comment on the importance of that person in the film. There are five basic camera angles used to shoot scenes in a film…

For the Bird’s-Eye View, the camera is placed above the subject, looking down toward the subject and the ground. This kind of shot can seem disorienting because it is rarely the way audiences see the world. Because of this, directors often use the bird’s-eye view when they want to make some kind of dramatic comment on a character or scene.

The High Angle, looking downwards, tends to draw attention to the importance of the environment or setting for a scene. High angle shots also tend to make characters look small and are often used by directors to symbolically suggest insignificance.

The Low Angle, looking upwards, has the opposite effect of a high angle shot. It tends to focus attention on the size and significance of a character or object. Often directors will use this kind of shot to symbolically announce the power and authority of one of their characters without literally telling the audience this information

The Eye-Level shot is the most common angle seen in movies. Scenes are shot at the same level as an observer would see the scene. These are not terribly dramatic shots but are used to photograph scenes that explain story development.

The Oblique Angle is shot by literally tilting the camera frame. It can be used to suggest a sense of “crookedness” and anxiety, or, in the case of some television news shows and music videos, a sense of playfulness.

Editing: The work of selecting and joining together shots to create a finished film.

Continuity Editing: Editing that creates action that flows smoothly across shots and scenes without jarring visual inconsistencies. Establishes a sense of story for the viewer.

Eyeline Matching: The matching of eyelines between two or more characters. For example, if one character looks to the right in shot A, the other character will look to the left in shot B. This establishes a relationship of proximity and continuity.

Errors of Continuity: Disruptions in the flow of a scene, such as a failure to match action or the placement of props across shots.

Cut: visual transition created in editing in which one shot is instantaneously replaced on screen by another. There are many different types of cuts in film.

Matched Cut: A cut joining two shots whose compositional elements match, helping to establish strong continuity of action.

Jump Cut: a cut that creates a lack of continuity by leaving out parts of the action.

Shot Reverse Shot Cutting: Usually used for conversation scenes, this technique alternates between over-the- shoulder shots showing each character speaking.

Cross Cut: Cutting back and forth quickly between two or more lines of action, indicating they are happening simultaneously.

Questions?