Techniques
You need to be able to identify the conventions and basic cinematic (film) techniques and be able to say HOW the director uses them to develop the story and position the audience to accept a certain perspective on an issue.
Cinematic techniques include six major components:
· Camera shots: sizes, angles, movement, cutaways
· Lighting
· Soundtrack: music, voiceover, diegetic and non-digetic sounds
· Iconography: props, costumes, makeup
· Sets and locations
· Editing: graphics, titles and sense of story or the narrative
Camera Shots (five basic): Complete the following with a definition
ElS – extreme long shot
LS − long shot
MS – mid shot
CU − close up
ECU – extreme close up
Camera movement (eight basic): Complete the following with a definition
Pan shot
Tilt shot
Tracking shot
Handheld
Steadicam
Aerial shot
Crane shot
Zoom
Camera angles (four basic): Complete the following with a definition
Eye level
High angle
Low angle
Angled shot
Mise en scène (five basic components)
Editing (eight basic): Complete the following with a definition
Editing is the selection of images and sound to tell a story. Editing can affect the film’s structure, allow scenes to be repeated, offer different perspectives, and create tension, suspense and surprise. Editing is extremely important in documentaries as an editor has to find a way to link all of the above conventions/features smoothly so that the documentary doesn’t look disjointed. Editors sometimes use sequence charts during planning.
Cut
Cross-cutting
Dissolve
Jump cut
Subtitles
Montage
Freeze frame
VFX
Audio (six basic):
Soundtrack: includes music, voiceover (VO), dialogue, ambient sound and silences.
· Diegetic sound: sound originating from the world within the film eg dialogue, sounds from the action, ambient sound. Some diegetic sound may be modified and added during editing eg the sound of a car crash.
· Ambient sound: (wild track or atmosphere) background sound recorded on location when there is no dialogue or action.
· Music: helps create mood in a film. It can complement the action or alert audiences to an impending action. Musical motifs can be used for characters eg the music for the shark in Jaws.
· Non-diegetic sound: sound that has its source outside the film eg voiceover or music.
· Voiceovers: narration or commentary added in postproduction used to anchor meanings and guide the audience.
Cinematography (six basic):
§ Composition: the arrangement of elements within a shot.
§ Framing: refers to the edges (limits) of a shot and determines what is included and what is excluded from view.
§ Shot size: is determined by framing
§ Camera shot: a continuous piece of action filmed in one take.
§ Cutaway: a shot not directly linked to the action but which has some connection. Can also be used to show some important detail eg a road sign.
§ Shot duration or length of take: Longer shots can create a slow, gentle pace and may emphasis the importance of a character/sequence of action. Shorter shots can create a faster pace and are often used in action scene.
Cinematic techniques include six major components:
· Camera shots: sizes, angles, movement, cutaways
· Lighting
· Soundtrack: music, voiceover, diegetic and non-digetic sounds
· Iconography: props, costumes, makeup
· Sets and locations
· Editing: graphics, titles and sense of story or the narrative
Camera Shots (five basic): Complete the following with a definition
ElS – extreme long shot
LS − long shot
MS – mid shot
CU − close up
ECU – extreme close up
Camera movement (eight basic): Complete the following with a definition
Pan shot
Tilt shot
Tracking shot
Handheld
Steadicam
Aerial shot
Crane shot
Zoom
Camera angles (four basic): Complete the following with a definition
Eye level
High angle
Low angle
Angled shot
Mise en scène (five basic components)
- Lighting: helps create mood, exposes detail and provides visual information
- Iconography: includes props, costumes and make-up
- Sets: are exterior places, beyond the studios where filming takes place – usually for exterior shots
- Locations: are exterior places, beyond the studio, where filming takes place
- Both sets and locations: are used to create mood, reflect the time period, social class and the lifestyle
Editing (eight basic): Complete the following with a definition
Editing is the selection of images and sound to tell a story. Editing can affect the film’s structure, allow scenes to be repeated, offer different perspectives, and create tension, suspense and surprise. Editing is extremely important in documentaries as an editor has to find a way to link all of the above conventions/features smoothly so that the documentary doesn’t look disjointed. Editors sometimes use sequence charts during planning.
Cut
Cross-cutting
Dissolve
Jump cut
Subtitles
Montage
Freeze frame
VFX
Audio (six basic):
Soundtrack: includes music, voiceover (VO), dialogue, ambient sound and silences.
· Diegetic sound: sound originating from the world within the film eg dialogue, sounds from the action, ambient sound. Some diegetic sound may be modified and added during editing eg the sound of a car crash.
· Ambient sound: (wild track or atmosphere) background sound recorded on location when there is no dialogue or action.
· Music: helps create mood in a film. It can complement the action or alert audiences to an impending action. Musical motifs can be used for characters eg the music for the shark in Jaws.
· Non-diegetic sound: sound that has its source outside the film eg voiceover or music.
· Voiceovers: narration or commentary added in postproduction used to anchor meanings and guide the audience.
Cinematography (six basic):
§ Composition: the arrangement of elements within a shot.
§ Framing: refers to the edges (limits) of a shot and determines what is included and what is excluded from view.
§ Shot size: is determined by framing
§ Camera shot: a continuous piece of action filmed in one take.
§ Cutaway: a shot not directly linked to the action but which has some connection. Can also be used to show some important detail eg a road sign.
§ Shot duration or length of take: Longer shots can create a slow, gentle pace and may emphasis the importance of a character/sequence of action. Shorter shots can create a faster pace and are often used in action scene.