The Language of Film
The Shot
 The shot is the building block all _________________.
 It is a ____________, uninterrupted piece of film; the _________ that
is seen on screen until it is replaced by another image through some
type of editing __________________.
Framing
 One of the first decisions a ______________ must make is how the
objects or people will be positioned within the shot, or how much of
the ______________, the movie screen, will be occupied.
 When you look at a frame, one of the first things to consider is
________________.
 How much do you see of the characters?
o Is it a ___________________?
o Is it a full or long shot?
o Is it _________________ shot?
The Long Shot
 In a long shot, the object on the screen appears ___________ or
appears to be seen from a distance; if a person is shown, you will
generally see his or her _______________________.
 Long shots are used to ___________________________________ so
the viewer will know where the film is taking place; giving the viewer a
______________________________________________.
 They are also used to show __________________ or ______________
between characters, or to show how a character
_____________________ with his or her
________________________.
The Close-Up
 The _____________ or ____________ takes up ____% or more of the
frame in a close-up.
 Can be used to direct the viewer to a _________________ detail, to
emphasize facial __________________ or a character’s reaction, or to
indicate ______________________.
 Forces the viewer to look at only what the _________________
intends for the viewer to see.
 Is intimate and revealing, though somewhat intrusive and
_______________________.
The Medium Shot
 In a medium shot, you see ________________ from about the waist
up.
 This type of ______________ is probably the
_________________________ and most ___________________ of
the types, as it is in real life.
 Medium shots may not ________________ much in the way of
cinematic effect because they are considered ________________
shots; however, they are _____________________ and comfortable,
most like the way we view people through our personal space
________________.
ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN OBSERVING A FRAME IS
THE _____________________ OR CAMERA POSITION.
 WAS THE FRAME SHOT FROM HIGH ABOVE LOOKING ABOVE
(_________________________________________________)?
 WAS IT SHOT AT EYE LEVEL (STRAIGHT ON)?
 WAS IT SHOT FROM A ____________________ (THE CAMERA IS
BELOW ITS SUBJECT)?
Angle
Angle refers to where the camera is ____________________________ to
the subject in the shot.
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 Low Angle: can create a sense of _________________ because the
camera is looking ____ at the subject.
 ___________________: can make the subjects look small, weak, or
powerless
(____________________________________________________).
 Eye Level: considered a __________________ angle, it is more natural.
A _________________ can follow a series of high angle shots to
indicate a growing ______________________ within the
________________________.
Camera Movement
Pan shots: the camera pivots along a _________________ axis, usually
from _____________________________, in a long shot, often used to
establish the setting.
Tilt shots: the camera pivots along a ___________________ axis, up and
down, to _____________________ distance, height, size, and/or
strength.
Zoom shots: the _____________ length of the lens changes, making the
object appear closer or ___________________ away. It is a way to direct
the _____________________________ to a detail that the director
doesn’t want us to miss.
Tracking or Dolly shots: the only one of the ____________ types of
camera movement in which the ______________ actually moves along
with the action of the scene. The camera may be on a track,
__________________, in a ______________________ or actually carried
by the ______________________ (like the Blair Witch Project). It allows
the viewer to go with the action, _______________________________,
or follow along behind it.
Editing
 Cut: a cut is the ___________________ way to move between
______________. It looks like an ________________________
change between the shots.
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 Fade: is when the ____________ seen on the screen slowly fades to
black or white or some other color. A fade sometimes shows that
___________________________________________.
 _______________: is when an image on screen slowly fades away
while the next image is ________________________. Dissolves are
used to ________________________ or move between images in a
smooth, rhythmic fashion.
 Parallel editing: also called ___________________________, which
is used to cut between ______________ that are happening
simultaneously but not in the same location (damsel, train, hero,
bad guy, etc.).
 Point-of-view editing: this is when an _______________ tries to
show what the character is thinking
(______________________________________________________
__________________________).
Sound
• Sound is equally as important as the ______________ imagery in it’s
ability to create an __________ on a viewer.
• Diegetic Sound: any sound that could logically be heard by a character
within the _______________________________. Typical diegetic
sounds include such things as background ___________, traffic,
_______________ between characters, etc.
• Non-diegetic sound: any sound that is intended only for the
_____________________ and is not a part of the
_____________________________ of the film.
• Internal Diegetic sound: what if a character is talking to himself? Or
what if a character is remembering _____________ that he heard? If
only one character can hear these things,
_______________________________________________, since it is
____________ that the character himself can hear the sounds.
Lighting
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• The _____________ source of light on a film set is called the “key
light.” the other lights on set ____________________, soften, shade,
or intensify the key light as _______________ by the director.
• Low key lighting: uses shadows, __________________, and patches of
bright key light to create moods of suspicion, ______________, and
danger.
• High-key lighting: this type of ____________ is distinguished by its
brightness, openness, and lack of shadows or contrasts
_______________________________________. Romantic comedies,
musicals, and costumed dramas are often filmed with high-key
lighting.
• Neutral lighting: the lighting is even and balanced; most television
programs are shot with this _______________________________.
• Bottom/side lighting: when you have the light source shining from
_______________________ or from the side of the face of a
character, or from the bottom or side of an object, it illuminates only
parts of the face or object, so that the ______________________
distort the figure and makes it look a little unusual or scary. It has the
effect of making characters look evil, ____________________,
___________________, morally ambiguous, or
________________________.
• Front lighting: full-frontal lighting which is used to create an air of
innocence or openness. It often creates a kind of
_______________________ around the character’s hair; it was
considered absolutely essential for most _________________
actresses. A character who is __________________ with nothing to
___________ will often be shot this way—the hero or heroin in
particular.
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