Appendix A: Film Terms and Techniques
The following definitions are taken from Tim Corrigan's book entitled A Short Guide to Writing About Film that I think will assist my students in thinking, writing, and talking about film. I would give these out on a handout, and we could refer to it as we discuss the films we will be watching.
Angle - The position of the camera or point of view in relation to the subject being shown. Seen from above, the subject would be shot from a "high angle"; from below, it would be depicted from a "low angle."
Close-up - An image in which the distance between the subject and the point of view is very short, as in a 'close-up of a person's face.
Composition - The arrangement and relationship of the visual elements within a frame.
Cutting - Changing from one image to another.
Frame - The borders of the image within which the subject is composed.
Long shot - An image in which the distance between the camera and the subject is great.
Medium shot - A shot that shows an individual from the waist up.
Mise-en-sce?ne - "a French term roughly translated as 'what is put into the scene' (put before the camera), refers to all those properties of a cinematic image that exist independently of camera position, camera movement, and editing. . . Mise-en-sce?ne includes lighting, costumes, sets, the quality of acting, and other shapes and characters in the scene" (46).
Point of view - The position from which an action or subject is seen, often determining its significance.
Shot/reverse shot - An editing pattern that cuts between individuals according to the logic of their conversation.
Voice-over - The voice of someone not seen in the narrative image who describes or comments on that image.
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