SHOT
1.
Shot: Those images that are recorded continuously from the time the camera starts to the time it stops. That is, an unedited strip of film.
2.
Frame: The dividing line between the edges of the screen image and the enclosing darkness of the theater. Can also refer to a single photograph from the filmstrip.
3.
Extreme Long Shot: A panoramic view of an exterior location, photographed from a great distance, often as far as a quarter-mile away.
4.
Long Shot: A shot that includes an area within the image that roughly corresponds to the audience’s view of the area within the proscenium arch in the live theater.
5.
Full Shot: A type of long shot that includes the human body in full, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom.
6.
Medium Shot: A framing in which the scale of the object shown is of moderate size; a human figure seen from the waist up would fill most of the screen.
7.
Close-up: A framing in which the scale of the object shown is relatively large; usually a person’s head seen from the neck up.
8.
Extreme Close-up: A minutely detailed view of an object or person. An extreme close-up of an actor generally includes only his or her eyes or mouth.
9.
Establishing Shot: A shot, usually involving distant framing, which sets the scene.
10.
Shot/Reverse Shot (also called an Over-the –Shoulder Shot): Two or more shots edited together that alternate characters, typically in a conversation.
11.
Point-of-View Shot: Any shot that is taken from the vantage point of a character in the film, showing whatever the character sees.
12.
Flashback: An alteration of story order in which the plot moves back to show events that have already taken place.
CAMERA ANGLE
1.
Angle: The camera’s angle of view relative to the subject being photographed.
2.
Bird’s Eye View Shot: A shot in which the camera photographs a scene from directly overhead.
3.
High Angle Shot: A shot in which the subject is filmed from above.
4.
Eye-Level Shot: The placement of the camera approximately five or six feet from the ground, corresponding to the height of an observer on the scene.
5.
Low Angle Shot: A shot in which the subject is filmed from below.
6.
Oblique Angle Shot: A shot photographed by a tilting camera. When the image is projected on the screen, the subject itself seems to be tilted on a diagonal.
7.
Handheld Shot: A shot taken with a moving camera that is often deliberately shaky to suggest documentary footage in an uncontrolled setting.
Terms courtesy of Mr. Ryan, Film Studies teacher, MHS

MOVEMENT
What Movement Means:
1.
Vertical movement suggests freedom, aspiration, joy, power and authority – our eyes have a natural tendency to move upward over a composition.
2.
Downward movement suggests the opposite: Grief, death, insignificance, depression, and weakness.
3.
Movement from left to right seems natural; movement from right to left seems tense or uncomfortable.
4.
Movement toward the camera seems confident. In a hero or an attractive character, this feels inviting. In a villain or unattractive character, this seems hostile or threatening.
5.
Movement away from the camera decreases the tension. Characters seem remote, suspicious, or fearful. Most movies end with a withdrawal of some kind, either from a character or scene.
6.
There are two types of movement. Epic movements focus generally on longer shots of scenes.
Psychological movements focus on close shots of characters.
How Movement is Manipulated:
1.
The combination of lateral movement and distance from the camera help audiences make judgments about characters. How the director chooses to film a character moving through the frame determines how we feel about that character.
2.
Quick takes showing lateral movement suggest efficiency. This effect is employed regularly in action films.
3.
Takes in which a character moves toward or away from the camera has the opposite effect: It slows the action down and creates anticipation. These actions are often cut – if a character walks down the hall, for example, we rarely see the entire journey.
4.
Diagonal movement combines the two for a more dynamic effect.
5.
Most directors set up multiple cameras from multiple angles, thus compressing time and space.
6.
Distance and angle determine much of the shot’s meaning. High angle shots from a distance slow the action down. Low angle shots from closer in speed the action up.
7.
Movement is dependent upon subject. For example, a close up of a man crying can show more movement than an extreme long shot of a woman parachuting over a burning town.
8.
Focusing on the all the combinations above is how directors avoid shots, and therefore scenes, becoming hackneyed.
SOUND
1.
Synchronous Sound: The agreement or correspondence between image and sound, which are recorded simultaneously, or seem so in the finished print. Synchronous sounds seem to derive from an obvious source in the visuals.
2.
Nonsynchronous Sound: Sound and image that are not recorded simultaneously, or sound that is detached from its source in the film image. Music is usually nonsynchronous in a movie, providing background atmosphere.
3.
Voice-Over: A nonsynchronous spoken commentary in a movie, often used to convey a character's thoughts or memories.