The filmic technique worksheet and filmic element worksheet: teacher’s version
Worksheets are in two versions. This one has all the boxes filled in for teacher reference. The second, Rap sheet 1 has some examples only.
Teacher’s versions
SOME FILMIC TECHNIQUES
FILM
DESCRIPTION
USUAL EFFECT OF
EXAMPLE FROM NOAH &
WHAT MESSAGE OR FEELING DOES THE
TECHNIQUE
TECHNIQUE
SASKIA
EXAMPLE CONVEY TO THE AUDIENCE?
SHOTS
long shot
looking into the
gives a sense of setting and
Noah & Clive in the foreground
shows that Melanie is different from Noah & Clive,
distance, often with
people in the setting
outside school, with Melanie Collins
that she’s desirable and probably unattainable. The
something in the
looking at them, then walking towards
slow motion shot of her walking adds to the effect
foreground
them (episode 4)
of emotional distance between the characters
close up
an object fills the
provides detail; facial close
when Renee opens the door and says:
used to show Renee’s character – she’s working on
frame / screen
ups highlight emotions
‘I’m exfoliating!’(episode 1)
her appearance as that’s important to her / humorous
effect due to red blotchy face
extreme close up
an object fills the
to provide great detail
Bevan’s cartoon image when Saskia & the creator (Max Hammer) intends it to create shock
frame completely,
Renee try to break into Noah’s web
and fear in the intruder. It’s as if the dog is leaping
and may extend
site (episode 1)
off the screen to intimidate the viewer
beyond the frame
point of view
when the camera is
emphasises the character and when we first meet Noah and he walks strongly depicts how Noah sees his family, and how
the character, so we
shows people and events
from his room to the kitchen (episode
they see him. His home life is mundane and
see things from that
from his/her perspective
2)
ordinary
character’s point of
view
cutaway or jump
a sudden cut between this has a jarring effect. Here Debbie gives Saskia lots of strange
used for humour. Debbie’s reasons are presented in
cut
shots
it’s used for humorous effect reasons to explain why Saskia thinks
a fast and disjointed delivery, with sound and light
she is in love (episode 3)
effects. Saskia calls the list of reasons ‘highlights of
a talk I had with my mother’, and the jump cuts
emphasise the humour of what Debbie is saying
CAMERA
ANGLES
low
camera shoots the
subject seems large &
Noah & Clive at school. The camera is the angle is used to show Clive’s preoccupation
scene from below
powerful
at ground level and girls’ legs
with girls. It emphasises his shallow understanding
crisscross the frame with the boys in
of girls – they are just passing shapes
the background (episode 4)
high
camera shoots the
subject seems small,
Saskia’s interview in the shopping
Saskia is a small figure, and this suggests she is not
scene from above
powerless & insignificant
centre (episode 1)
controlling the event, she is there unwillingly
CAMERA
MOVEMENTS
panning
camera moves left or creates interest and drama
in the aerial shot of Noah’s suburb, the we have seen Saskia’s street in episode 1, and this
right
camera pans over to his street (episode shot allows us to compare settings
4)
zooming
FILM ELEMENT
SETTING
LIGHTING
bright / high key
lighting. (Dim,
shadowy light is low
key lighting)
use of colour
SOUNDTRACK
music
sound effects
SPECIAL
EFFECTS (SFX)
ANIMATION
SOFT FOCUS
the camera moves in
or out of a shot,
usually rapidly
quick zooms have a dramatic
effect. Zooming in can
highlight an action or an
event; zooming out can
highlight the smallness of
people in a big landscape
DESCRIPTION
Debbie gives Saskia reasons to explain
why she thinks she is in love. When
Debbie pauses and says ‘hormones’
the camera quickly zooms in on Saskia
(episode 3)
SOME FILMIC ELEMENTS
EXAMPLE FROM NOAH & SASKIA
with the artificial sound effect, this shot is used for
humour. It exaggerates the effect of Debbie’s use of
the word ‘hormones’
where the action takes
place; the location of the
scenes
Saskia walking home, shows us her house. The
camera pans across the locality setting of wealthy
homes and stops at her house (episode 1)
WHAT MESSAGE OR FEELING DOES THE EXAMPLE
CONVEY TO THE AUDIENCE?
We instantly know Saskia is not well off. The contrast of images
and the way she talks about her house is humorous, and that tells
us about Saskia’s personality
strong, clear, light; this
lighting can be daylight
or artificial
the artificial lighting in the chicken shop (episode
1)
emphasises the nature of the setting: fast food, a clean, tidy shop
lacking personality & atmosphere
can be strong or pale or
natural. The use of colour
filters changes the image
the dark red background and colour wash when
Noah talks to the Indy avatar (episode 2)
this artificially strong red gives a sense of drama. We understand
from the scene that Noah is imagining Indy in his comic strip
setting
can be background
(incidental) or used in the
script
can be part of the story (
e.g. characters walking on
gravel) or artificial
sounds
an artificial way to create
an image or illusion
in the script - Saskia practising the guitar with
Bennie (episode 3)
this shows Saskia’s character - she’s creative and talented, and
also too shy to play to an audience
when Saskia imagines the Max Hammer avatar
saying ‘I love you’, an SFX crowd sucks in its
breath (episode 3)
emphasises the importance of this event to Saskia
Saskia walking with the Max Hammar avatar and
guitars are flying behind and around them (episode
3)
the soccer game (episode 2)
all the SFX in this scene combine to create an image about what is
happening in Saskia’s head. It’s a dramatic and visually attractive
way to get that across to the audience quickly
the game is designed to look like a Playstation game, but with
Noah’s family & friends playing. It humorously shows us how he
negatively views his life
this is film shorthand for showing us that the images are not real,
they are dreamlike
giving inanimate objects
the appearance of life on
screen
the filmed image is not
sharp; often used to
romanticise or hide
something
when Saskia imagines what is in Renee’s head.
The images are soft and blurred around the edges
(episode 1)