Film analysis

our attention is immediately drawn to what is neat in the frame

Focusing

- enables director to distinguish neat and blurred elements

Depth of field

- the distance covered by neat elements → the bigger the depth of field, the
farther we can see

Sharp focus

- is done when a single item remains sharp while the rest of the picture is
blurred

Deep focus

- thewhole picture remains sharp, both in the foreground and background

- e.g.: Orson Welles: Citizen Kane (1941)
Roman Polanski: Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

the foreground is as neat as the background. The couple, who is central to the
narrative, remains in the background. Their small size is reinforced by the use of
overframing: the wall and ceiling of the hall is adding a frame within the frame,
as thought it was stifling the couple. Besides, the bars in the background adds a
feeling of inprisonment. As it will be confirmed later in the film, the couple will
be victim of spirits who haunt the scary building. In this we can notice the
opposition between the frail couple and the impressing and overwhelming
architecture that sorrounds them.

Composition

- the amount of compositions are infinite

- we can see it anyway if it is well-balanced or not
- the tools of the composition:
 light
 shadows
 presence → objects and people
 dispositions → objects and people
 + empty space + may have a certain part beyond of its
conventional use
↓
e.g. Citizen Kane (1941)
Shot scale (=shot size/ shot type)

- framings of a film image are described in a conventional way

Extreme long shot → used as an establishing shot

- objects or people appear in a very small way and are filmed within a
landscape or a setting
- the aim is to inform the spectator about context in which the scene takes
place
- the landscape or the cityscape dominates the scene
-

- the subject shown entirely along with the background

Full shot

- the importance is entirely given to the subject

Medium shot (= three quarter shot/ American shot)

- the subject is filmed from the knees to the top of the head

Medium shot/ mid shot

- we film the subject from the waist tot he top of the head

Medium close-up (= Medium close shot)

- from the chest tot he top of the head

Close up

- the object takes up most of the screen

Extreme close-up

-when the director wants to give importancet to a specific part of the body or the
object

Camera angles (angle of framing/ angle of view)

Straight on angle

- eye level
- normal camera height

High-angle shot

- looks down upon the subject

Extreme high-angle shot

- the camera angle is perpedicular tot the ground and is looking down
Low-angle shot

- is looking upwards towards the subject

Extreme low-angle shot (worms’ eye shot)

- corresponds tot he perpendicular angle, looking up

Canted framing

- the frame is more or less parallel to the ground

- offer a somewhat lop-sided image
- suggests some kind of disorder
- it is common to say that
 high-angle → power, domination
 low angle → weakness, vulnerability
- but directors can play with them
Camera movements

- movements of people, frames, colours, shapes etc.

- the difference between photography and cinema is that cinema has a
mobile dimension
- the movement on the screen is illusionary → fast succession of images
(24 or 25 frames per second)

Pan

- this is the panoramic shot

- changing the frame can be achieved by phisycally moving the camera
- the pan rotates the camera to the left or right
- enables the spectator to „turn one’s head”
- usually used to show what was hidden

Tilting movement (tilt)

- the camera rotates from bottom to top or vice-versa

- to view huge buildings and to give the impression of a huge person
Tracking shot/ dolly shot

- we move the camera with the stand, without moving the the axis of the
camera
- it can consist of:
 forward tracking
 backward tracking
 circular tracking
 sideways tracking
- e.g. long tracking shots → Elephant (2003) by Gus Van Sant
→ Shining (1980) by Stanley Kubrick
 very smooth appaerence of tracking shots → follow people
walking, or to discover a place
Crane shots

- the camera moves above ground level

- e.g. Halloween (1978) by John Carpenter

Steadiacam

- body-mounted camera unit device which inludes a stabilizer

- the stabilizer gives a movement as smooth as the dolly, but allows the
cameraman to move freely

Handheld camera

- giving a realistic feeling to the shot

- its movements follows exactly the movement of the cameraman without
stabilizing
- director Lars von Trier likes using it

Zoom lens

- just by turning the lens itself, the cameraman can change the framing
scale

Reframe

- mobile frames can be used to reframe and adjust tot he movement of

characters

Following shot

- actually follows the character (e.g. through the streets)

Subjective point of view

- the camera is the very eye of the character

Vocubalory

Remake

- is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production i the same
medium

Adaptation

- A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to

a feature film

Screenplay

- is a written work by screenwriters for a film, television show, or video

game (as opposed to a stage play)
- is a form of narration in which the movements, actions, expressions and
dialogue of the characters are described in a certain format
Shooting sript

- shooting script is the version of a screenplay used during the production

of a motion picture

Master shot

- is a film recording of an entire dramatized scene, start to finish, from a

camera angle that keeps all the players in view

Inserts

- is a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal

length from the master shot
- cover action already covered in the master shot, but emphasize a different
aspect of that action due to the different framing

Script-girl

- Assistant to the director

- responsible for maintaining documents and ensuring the continuity of
production.

Cinematography

- is a part of the filmmaking process

- capturing of motion pictures through the skillful use of visual aids, e.g.,
lighting, and sophisticated camera equipment

Director of photography

- responsible for coordinating the camera crew, making sure equipment is

all working, and testing out special lenses and filters

Scenario

- a document written by one or more screenwriters which sets out in detail

the events and situations of an audiovisual work