Name
Due Date
Your task is to find a suitable picture that represents the following film techniques and to explain why your chosen picture
suits the film technique. The first one has been done for you as an example.
 You will get 1 MARK per suitable picture and 1-3 MARKS per explanation.
For example, to find an extreme close up shot go to www.google.com then click on images. Type “close up shot” into the
search bar. Choose a suitable image, click on it to make it as large as it will go, right click and copy, then right click and
paste into your document. Resize the picture to a decent size. Add in your explanation.
Camera shots
1
Name
Definition
Extreme long
This shot contains a lot
shot
of the landscape or
background. You cannot
recognise any people in
the shot. It is often used
Picture Example
Explanation
This is an extreme long shot of a snowy
desert area. You can see people in the
landscape but the shot is so wide we cannot
recognise the gender of the people. The
director may have used this shot to make a
lonely, cold picture reflecting the setting.
at the beginning of a
film to introduce the
audience to the setting
of the film.
2
Long shot/
This shot still contains a
establishing
lot of the background
shot
but we can see human
figures and tell whether
they’re male or female.
These types of shots are
used to situate the
characters in the
background.
3
Full shot
This shot shows the full
length of a figure. If
there are two figures it is
called a full 2, three, a
full 3…
4
Medium/ Mid
This shot shows figures
shot
from the waist up. If
there are two figures it is
called a 2 shot, three, a
3 shot…
5
Close up
There is no background
in this shot, it focuses on
a persons head and
shoulders or a whole
shot.
6
Extreme Close This shot focuses on a
up
part of an object or
apart of the person’s
face (e.g. eyes) in great
detail.
7
Over the
This shot is used when
shoulder shot
characters are in
discussion. We see over
the shoulder of a person
talking to or looking at
someone.
8
Point of View
Here we see from the
shot
point of view of one of
the characters in the
film. We see things as
they would see them,
through their eyes.
Camera Angles
1
2
Name
Definition
Overhead
The camera is directly
shot/ aerial
above or overhead the
shot/ bird’s
subject or scene. The
eye view
camera is facing down.
High angle
The camera is above
shot
looking down on the
scene or object but not
directly overhead.
3
Eye-level shot
The camera is level with
the object or figure.
Picture Example
4
Low angle
The camera is below or
shot
looking up at the
object/figure.
5
Under shot
The camera is directly
beneath the
object/figure.
6
Oblique angle A shot which is
shot/ Dutch
photographed by a tilted
angle shot
camera. When the image
is projected on the
screen, the subject itself
seems to be tilted on its
side.
Other Important Film Techniques
1
Name
Definition
Contrast
When two opposites are
put together, e.g. dark
and light lighting, high
and low angles…
Picture Example
2
Editing
This is done at the end
of filming or shooting.
Shots are organised,
ordered and put
together to create the
film we see at the
movies. Editors have to
think about how long a
shot will remain on the
screen.
Editing is like film
punctuation.
3
Fade out,
Fade (filmmaking), a
fade in.
cinematographic
technique causing the
picture to darken (or
brighten in the case of
“The Lovely Bones”) and
disappear (fade out) or
the reverse (fade in).
4
Mise en
This is a French phrase
scene/
that means “put in the
scene.” It refers to
Props
anything before the
Costume
camera: props, costume,
…
film sets… Mise en scene
is all about how a scene
or shot is staged.
5
Colour
Like in static images or
art. Colours can often be
especially chosen in a
film to symbolise
something.
6
Lighting
Like colour, lighting can
be symbolic in film.
Bright, white light may
symbolise innocence or
happiness. Dark light
may symbolise fear or
danger…
7
Special
The illusions used in the
effects
film, television, theatre,
or entertainment
industries to create the
imagined events in a
story are traditionally
called special effects.
(often abbreviated as
SFX, SPFX, or simply FX).
Camera Movement
1
Name
Definition
Zoom
When the camera zooms
from a big or wide shot
to a smaller shot
Picture Example
OR vice versa
2
Pan
This is when the camera
stays still in one position
but is moved from left to
right and vice versa.
It is similar to someone
shaking “No” with their
head but with a camera.
3
Tilt
This is when the camera
tilts up or down
vertically
Tilting is used to show
us the length of
something, how tall or
short it is.
4
Tracking/dolly The camera is on wheels
shot
and follows what it is
shooting.
Verbal Film Techniques
1
Name
Definition
Dialogue
This is what the
characters in the film
say, the words they use.
Picture Example
2
Sound Effects
These are the noises,
that aren’t really music,
which a film has. For
example, in the film
“Once Were Warriors,” a
rough guitar sound or
the purere is used when
ever main character, Jake
Heke, gets angry or
violent.
3
Music
This can be on screen,
for example a character
singing or a band in the
movie playing.
It is often off screen and
is used to give a scene a
mood. For example, in
the famous shower
murder scene in the film
“Psycho,” quick, harsh
violin music is used to
highlight the quick
violence when a man
stabs a woman in the
shower.
4
Off-screen
Sometimes a film has a
narration/
character speaking over
Voice Over
the film. The character
speaks often to us, the
audience, telling us what
has happened or what is
going on.
This allows us, often, to
see things from that
character’s perspective.
5
Silence
This is the absence of
any sound at all.
Often a director will use
this so we focus on what
we are seeing or for
some other important
reason.
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