Film terms Look and learn Examples and definitions followed by a quiz.

Film terms

Look and learn

Examples and definitions followed by a quiz

Long shot with framing

Long shot and Framing

• Long shot – this includes the whole figure and may include some background detail

• Framing – a figure is surrounded by some shape within the picture from the background

Establishing shot

Establishing shot

• This is a wide shot that shows landscape detail and establishes where the story is set.

Two shot- medium/mid shot

Two shot- medium/mid shot

• Two shot shows two people in the frame – often used to indicate closeness between people

• Mid shot is a shot showing people from the middle of their bodies only.

Overhead shot

Overhead shot

• This is taken from above straight down on the action –

• used to give an unusual viewpoint,

• or may emphasise the helplessness of the people in shot,

• or the immense size of the landscape

Establishing shot

Establishing shot

• Here used to create the majesty of the scene – a sense of awe and amazement.

Foregrounding in OH shot

Foregrounding in OH shot

• Foregrounding is when something is placed closer to the camera than the rest of the picture – focuses attention on the object as important.

Close up

Close up

• Head or head and shoulders – often used to focus on a key character and his/her emotions and reactions.

• Can also be used to raise tensions or create sudden sense of shock

Close up

Silhouette

Silhouette

• Figures seen in black outline against the light. Can be romantic or frightening.

Clear and soft focus

Clear and soft focus

• The soft focus means out of focus – can be used to create

• depth of field – means way the picture creates a sense of 3D in flat picture

• Soft focus can be romantic, indicate move to memory/dream or show losing consciousness

• Clear/sharp focus means very definite picture

Low angle shot

Low angle shot

• The angle refers to the position of the camera. The camera is low looking up at an object.

• This makes the object looked at appear dominating/frightening or dangerous

High angle shot

High angle shot

• The camera is above the object looking down for a high angled shot.

• This creates a sense of the subject looked at being in some danger or being vulnerable

Extreme close up

Extreme close up

• The camera zooms in on a small object or very specific part of the body/ larger object being filmed.

• This focuses attention and may be used to point to a key object or may be used to create fear and tension.

Downshot

Downshot

• Camera looks vertically down at the landscape – a dramatic shot

Action shot

Action shot

• A shot that shows fast movement or events happening.

Low angle shot

Undershot

High angle shot

Low angle shot

Low angle

TEST YOURSELF

• Look at the following slides and identify the film technique(s) used and try to explain the reason this type of shot was used (i.e. the ‘effect’ of the camera angle, or position, and the shot composition)

1

These are just still shots – camera movements are also important

• Write these terms down-

• Panning

• Tracking

• Tilting

• Zoom in

• Zoom out

Definitions Write the definitions opposite the term you think they apply to-

• Camera moves in closer to an item• Camera moves alongside a moving object

at the same speed• Camera pulls back from an object to a

wider shot• Camera moves from right to left across a

scene• Camera moves upwards from base to top

of object

Establishing shot

Establishing shot

Establishing shot

Low angle /extreme close up

High angle

Low angle establishing shot

Mid shot- two shot

Establishing shot

Action shot

Close up

Answers• Panning -Camera moves from right to left

across a scene• Tracking- Camera moves alongside a

moving object at the same speed• Tilting- Camera moves upwards from base

to top of object• Zoom in- Camera moves in closer to an

item• Zoom out- Camera pulls back from an

object to a wider shot