Film Literacy Work Pack

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Creators of film…
1. DIRECTOR…. everything you see is a direct result of the director's
choices, ideas and vision for his film. Auteur Theory1 tells us that a director
is the author of the film: that the director’s fingerprints (or style) should
be clear in every film he/she makes. A film director controls a film's
artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while
guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision.
The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, costume,
lighting, camera angles, sound, production design, and the creative aspects
of filmmaking. Watch The Hurt Locker by Katherine Bigelow (2009) to see
the impact of the director on a dramatic turning point in a scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E2SrVlYue4

Quentin Tarantino

2 Oscars

Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, Pulp

Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Basterds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbwLLVIy8U

Wes Anderson

Fantastic Mr Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel,

Moonrise Kingdom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv6o1K8lpBE

Steven Spielberg

3 Oscars

E.T, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan.

Munich, War Horse

http://www.indietips.com/video-the-passions-and-t
echnique-of-steven-spielberg/

1
Read up on Auteur Theory here: https://indiefilmhustle.com/auteur-theroy/
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2. PRODUCER….a producer’s role is diverse. Producers plan and orchestrate
different aspects of filming and they have a hand in selecting the script, overseeing the
script writing, assisting in directing and editing, and locating finance for the production of
a film.

Jerry Bruckheimer
Pirates of the Caribbean, Top
Gun, Pearl Harbour,
Armageddon

Brad Pitt

12 Years a Slave, The Departed, World War z

Angelina Jolie
Unbroken, First They Killed My Father

3. Location Manager / Scout… is an important individual in the pre-production

and filming phase. Once the key decision makers (producer, script writer, cinematographer and
director) have decided the look and feel they want for their film, scouts look for a location to film.
These are specifically for scenes that cannot be shot within the studio. Location scouts also compile a
database of unusual or interesting locations in case of requests. It is also the location scout’s duty to
negotiate access to these territories and locations - especially if it is in a different country or if there
are special needs for the land (helicopter access, closing of roads, etc.)

FOR EXAMPLE, in Game of

Thrones, the location scouts
gained access to countries such
as Malta, Spain, Croatia, Ireland,
Iceland and Spain to get an
authentic portrayal of the diverse
Seven Kingdoms.

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4. Director of Photography
Directors of photography are interested in the aesthetic aspects of the film. They are involved in
creating the visual identity, or ‘look’, of the film. They work with the Director, camera crew and lighting
department to achieve this. Watch
http://burgerfiction.tumblr.com/post/156673746608/sunrise-a-song-of-two-humans-192728-charles
a clip on every Best Cinematography winner ever: 1926 – 2016

5. Production Designer
Production Designers are in charge of creating the world in which characters exist: namely, the
costumes, sets, and make-up. They oversee all the designers and artists needed.

6. Costume Designer
Costume designers communicate a
message about the character through
colour, fabric and texture. How a
character is dressed can reveal a lot
about their age, occupation, social
status and the era within which they
live.

7. Make-Up Artist
This person heads up the make-up
department, which includes wigs, modelling
and prosthetics (an important part of
special effects make-up).

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8. Special Effects Supervisor
This person manages a team which orchestrates aspects of film making such as bullet time,
Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), digital Compositioning, Dolly Zoom, In-camera effects,
Match moving, Matte and Matte-painting and Miniature Effects.

9. Stunt Coordinator
This person casts stunt-doubles and works with choreographers, and advises actors who are
willing to do their own stunt work, in order to plan action sequences.

10. Film Editor

Film editors collect, select, and assemble all the different shots of the film in a cohesive way.
They usually work closely with the director. Often, the film editors remove shots or whole
scenes that are not necessary. The film editor is an important role as he/she is a collaborator
who works with cinematographers and sound editors to bring sight and sound together
convincingly. He/she is an artist who captures a director’s vision and tells a compelling story.

Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwmy0awMZXY to get a feel of good editing during

an action sequence.

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SCENES AND SEQUENCES
1. A scene… is a unit of story that takes place at a specific location and time, for
example a fight scene or a conversation between two characters. If the location or the time
changes, you have a new scene. Look at the still below. This is the famous Wingardium
Leviosa scene from Harry Potter

2. A sequence… is a series of scenes, like chapters, that form a distinct narrative

unit, which is usually connected either by unity of location or unity of time. Look at the stills
below. These are scenes that make up a chapter in the movie – a sequence.

3. A take… refers to one run of the camera recording a single shot. (During the
production of a film, it is not unusual for there to be several takes of one shot, with the
preferred or best take being decided upon during the editing process. The director can film
the shot a number of times until satisfied with the result.) A long take refers to a shot with a
duration much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in
general. Significant camera movement and elaborate blocking are often elements in long
takes, but not necessarily so. Here is an example of one from Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas
(1990) The Long Take: Goodfellas

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4. A flashback … is a scene or sequence (sometimes it is the whole film), that is
inserted into a scene in "present" time and that deals with the events of the past. Flashbacks
have different functions: they can illustrate a character’s back story as it applies to the plot
(called character origin flashbacks). Flashbacks can occur before the film’s narrative to fill
in back story or to fill in another character on what happened while they were not around to
witness the events for themselves.

On the other hand, a flash forward is a scene or sequence of future time. Flash forwards
and flashbacks are often introduced by text on the screen, reading something like “24 hours
earlier”, or “3 days later”. Often flashbacks or flash forwards are implied by the rushing
pages of a calendar turning backwards, or the extreme close-up of a character’s eyes as he
stares wistfully into the distance (see the still from Saving Private Ryan) below.

5. A storyboard…
is a series of sketches and
captions (often looking
similar to a comic strip) that
shows how the shots will be
ordered and divided. It is a
way of pre-visualizing the
film. It can also show camera
movements. Storyboarding is
one of the early stages of
production. Look at the
storyboard for Spiderman

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THEME/SYMBOL/MOTIF
1. Theme … If plot is what’s on the surface of a film (the obvious storyline), easily
visible to the audience, then the theme is what’s under the surface. The theme is an abiding
interest of the director of the film. Themes are often issues that humans, universally, can
relate to. (For example, the plot or story might be about an Olympic swimmer, but the theme
may be courage or determination.) Often, themes in film are not obvious: they are subtle and
can differ according to viewers' interpretations. In the Indie film 500 Days of Summer, the
overriding theme is RELATIONSHIPS

2. Icon… is simply an image or an object taken at face value. For example, the green
light in The Great Gatsby is initially understood as being simply a green light at the end of
Daisy’s dock.

These signs on a toilet door are icons because

the images closely resemble the real thing!
Even though we have moved on from thinking
all women wear dresses and all men wear
pants, we take them at face value.

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 3. Index… However, as
soon as something represents
a part of the whole, it is an
index. To continue, the green
light in The Great Gatsby
becomes significant when Jay
Gatsby reaches out to it…as if
he is reaching out to Daisy.
The green light is part of
Daisy.

Signs like these on a toilet door are indexical

because the image shows a part of the whole or
has become closely associated with a particular
gender. Film makers use index a lot. We see feet
running and know that they stand in for the
people running. Often it is not just a part but a
part which has significance - eg the murderer’s
bloody hands.

4. Symbol… is when the green

light (and EVERYTHING) that it
represents is made obvious to us in the
film so that we cannot see the green light
without thinking:

GREEN LIGHT = JAY GATSBY’S

DREAM OF DAISY

As a symbol, the green light is no longer

a light at the end of a dock. It has
become something else - a
representation of a man’s dream.

These signs - female, male, gender-neutral -

are symbols which you may also find on a toilet
door. They do not look like the real thing and
need to be taught. Many symbols are culture
specific and in film, we often need clues and
some time to understand that an object has
symbolic meaning or has come to represent
something else.

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5. Motif… is a repeated idea, image, or pattern that is seen throughout a film, which
helps reveal the theme. They are the clues that reveal the hidden or subtle theme
underneath the film’s obvious plot and storyline. Motifs are collections of related metaphors
or symbols used to represent a related concept. For example, Lights or flames going on and
off to show life or death states throughout a film. (Although a symbol can sometimes be used
as a motif, a symbol usually occurs only a few times whereas a motif is repeated.)

One of the easiest motifs to identify is the colour of the costume that a character is wearing.
Although wearing black doesn’t always mean a character is evil, the Star Wars original
trilogy often employed the motif of good/evil through costume:

Darth Vader Princess Leia

wears wears white,
black, because she’s
because pure, noble and
he’s evil good.
and sinister.

CHARACTERISATION… is the process where the film reveals the nature or

personality of the characters within it. This can be done implicitly or explicitly.

A. Explicit characterisation: is when

the narrator or character themselves
states outright what they like/think/feel.

B. Implicit characterisation: is when the

audience has to decode and infer character
traits based on: how the characters behave,
what they get involved in, how they look,
what their costume says about them, how
they treat others, how other characters feel
when they are with that character, etc.

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SETTING: Setting is determined by two things: WHERE (the place) and WHEN (the
time and circumstances) the action takes place. Setting contributes a lot to the film: part of
the movie-going experience is being able to immerse yourself in the world that is created by
the director, in terms of space and time. Settings can be characters, too. Have a look at the
setting of Hunger Games, Avatar, and The Lord of the Rings, below

SETS… Sets are the environments built for the actors to

perform in. A set can be a room, an elevator, a spaceship, or even a forest. An enormous
amount of detail goes into set construction and decoration, because the environments have
to be detailed enough to be believable. The production designer or art director is the person
tasked with building up the world where the characters exist and making sure that there is
visual consistency and historical accuracy throughout the film. See the familiar F.R.I.E.N.D.S
set below:

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PROPS… also known as theatrical property, are objects that actors use when on screen.
They can be anything portable that may be moved around the set. Props can be used by the
characters for characterisation, or to move the plot forward. Consumable food is also
considered a prop! A lot of props are just ordinary objects, but sometimes they are specially
made.

This is “Wilson”, Tom Hank’s ‘friend’

on Castaway

This is a poster of Raquel Welsh

that was used in the film
Shawshank Redemption. Much like
the volleyball from Castaway, a lot
of the film’s action revolves around
the poster.

The ‘ring’ from Lord of the Rings, around which t

films are centred, had multiple versions. Two sol
gold rings were cast in addition to a version with
lights inside it. At the end of filming, Director Pete
Jackson gave one gold ring each to Elijah Wood
(who played Frodo) and Andy Serkis (who voiced
Gollum). They both thought that they had the onl
one! The WETA Workshop in New Zealand creat
over 45,000 props and set pieces for the three
movies, including weapons, armour, prosthetics,
miniatures.

MISE-EN-SCÈNE… pronounced meez-ahn-sen, is a term used to describe the

setting of a scene in a play or a film. In other words, mise-en-scène is a catch-all for
everything that contributes to the visual presentation and overall “look” of a production. It
refers to the setting and the actors and their placement in the frame; it includes costumes
and make-up, props, and all the other natural and artificial details that characterise the
spaces filmed. The term is borrowed from a French theatrical expression, meaning roughly
“put into the scene”. In other words, mise-en-scène describes the stuff in the frame and the
way it is shown and arranged. When analysing mise-en-scène, consider everything you can
see (eg setting, lighting, costume, props and staging).
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COSTUME… is a critical part of creating authenticity, characterisation and establishing
a world within film. Costumes, like the characters they embody, must evolve within the
context of the story and the arc of the character within it.

In Fight Club, costume designer Michael Kaplan wanted to contrast the split (personality!) of
Tyler Durden by making Brad Pitt’s character (left) flashy, slick and colourful, whereas
Edward Norton’s (right) was serious, conservative and business-like.

In The Matrix, costume designer Kym Barrett worked with minimal instructions; the brief for
Carrie-Ann Moss’s costume was simply “like an oil slick” (cheap PVC provided the requisite
shiny, mercury-like quality). Keanu Reeves never wears a black leather coat – it was in fact a
wool blend (for a thrifty $3 a yard).Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus wore tough (faux)
alligator skin, while his trademark sunglasses added to his inscrutable quality. Finally, the
sinister black-suited agents were designed to remind us of “sixties Kennedy Secret Service
guys”. Scary stuff.

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 Costume is able to depict wealth and status:

Costume is able to show poverty and suffering:

Costume is able to show strength and power

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MAKE-UP AND PROSTHETICS…

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VISUAL TRACK… In order to do critical filmic analysis, we must know
and understand the terminology used in cinematography. Whenever you analyse a film, you
must be able to recognise the different technical aspects: such as angle, framing, focus,
proxemic distance, mise-en-scene, etc.

1. Framing… is how a subject is positioned within a shot. The subject (a character,

or object) can be framed by the boundary or perimeter of the film image, or by using other
objects or people in the frame (such as a door frame, a mirror, and a shadow - See
examples below). Camera angles such as low-angle and high-angle shots contribute to the
framing. Usually, framing is important for establishing who or what is important in the shot.

Reframing refers to short panning or tilting movements of the camera to adjust to the
character's movements and keep them on screen and in the frame.
Visit
ttps://cinematography-howto.wonderhowto.com/how-to/frame-and-compose-shot-for-film-24
4063/ to learn more.

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2. Composition and Line…
Once the director has decided who and what should be included in the shot (framing), he or
she has to decide how to place those things or people in the shot. This is called
composition. It often has to do with what kind of lines the director wants to create by placing
the characters in a certain way. Different lines can create different moods, and they can also
help direct the audience, i.e., tell them where to look. Here are some composition techniques
that directors can choose to use in films:

Composition -Three Rules for Good Picture Composition

1. Rule of Thirds
This rule states that the “points of
interest” in the shot must be in
specific places so that the viewer can
see them “comfortably”. To follow this
rule, you divide the frame into 9
sections with 4 lines. The places
where the lines intersect are the
perfect spots in which to place things
that you want the audience to focus
on immediately.

2. Rule of Contrast
This rule states that the subject or focus of the shot
should contrast with the background. It can be low or
high contrast - our example is high contrast - and the
contrast can be with texture rather than colour.

3. Rule of Leading Lines

This rule maintains that lines within the
composition should lead the eye to the intended
subject. The most obvious examples are roads or
tracks leading us into the shot. These leading lines
create depth and take us on a journey.

However, sometimes the hands or props of a

character are used to lead us to his or her face. In
the picture of Johnny Depp here, you can see how
the ropes of the ship, the butt of the gun and his
finger all lead to his face. (Of course, the Rule of
Thirds, Contrast AND Leading lines apply in this
two-shot. In addition, Depp’s face is brightly lit and
his face is framed by his hat and dark hair.)
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Dominant Lines … influence the mood and atmosphere of the shot.
1. Horizontal lines
Horizontal lines suggest a feeling of rest or
relaxation. Objects parallel to the earth are at
rest in relation to gravity. Therefore compositions
in which horizontal lines dominate tend to be
quiet and restful in feeling.

Sometimes dominant horizontal lines can be used

to create symmetry and a STATIC composition. In
this shot from Hero (2002), the stairs and rows
create many vertical and horizontal lines but the
dominant lines are horizontal. It is a good example
of static composition. The composition highlights
the perfection, rigidity and order of the palace.

2. Vertical lines
Vertical lines communicate a feeling of
loftiness and spirituality. Erect lines seem to
extend upwards beyond human reach,
toward the sky. Extended perpendicular
lines suggest power or growth.

2. Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines suggest a feeling of movement or direction and
also of change. Since objects in a diagonal position are
unstable in relation to gravity, being neither vertical nor
horizontal, they are either about to fall or are already in motion.
Diagonal lines are also used to indicate depth, an illusion of
perspective that pulls the viewer into the picture. They create
points of interest as they intersect with other lines.
A diagonal line starting at the bottom left and moving to the top
right of an image can be quite useful and natural. A similar line
moving from right to left tends to shock us.

In contrast to the static composition that may be created by

horizontal lines, diagonal lines create a DYNAMIC composition
as diagonals are unusual and unsettling. This can create a
sense of excitement and action.

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In this shot from The Final Flight of the Osiris (2003), one of the short films from the
Animatrix, the bird’s eye camera angle transforms the natural lines of the environment into
dynamic diagonals, creating instability, uncertainty and tension for this fight scene.

3. Colour …
We need to look at the symbolism of colour…What does the director imply with his use of
colour about the time, environment, mindset that the character is in?

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4. Lighting …
● Shows the audience where to focus.
● Provides insight into the characters.
● Defines the genre: Many movie genres use distinctive lighting, such as film noir, which
contrasts light with dark.
Resource for lighting – 112 slides – takes about 50 minutes to work through it carefully
http://www.slideshare.net/andywallis/film-lighting-intro

Three-point lighting … is the most common technique used in film or

professional photography.

a. Key Light
The key light is also known as the main film light of a scene or subject. This means it is
normally the strongest type of light in each scene. It usually highlights the main subject, but it
can be used from the side or behind the subject to create a darker mood.

b. Fill Light
As the name implies, the fill light is used to “fill in” and remove the dark, shadowy areas that
the key light creates. It is noticeably less intense and placed in the opposite direction of the
key light, to add more dimension and depth to the scene.
Because the aim of fill lighting is to eliminate shadows, it is positioned a little further away or
it is diffused with a reflector (placed around 3/4 opposite to the key light) to create softer light
that spreads out evenly.

c. Back light
Backlighting is used to create a three-dimensional scene, which is why it is also the last to
be added in a three-point lighting setup. This faces the subject — a little higher from behind
so as to separate the subject from the background.
As with fill lighting, it is often used with a diffuser or bouncer so the backlight becomes less
intense and covers a wider area.

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Lighting … affects atmosphere

a. High-Key lighting
High-key lighting reduces the overall lighting
ratio of a scene. The scene is bright. It creates
a sense of optimism, happiness or
hopefulness. As in these scenes from
Maleficent and Alice in Wonderland.

b. Low-Key lighting
Low-key lighting is a style of lighting for film and
photography that has an emphasis on
shadows. The style is achieved by using hard
source (usually just a key light with no fill or
back light) lighting within the scene. Unlike
high-key lighting, low-key lighting increases the
contrast of the subject and the environment. It
does this by using shadows and dark tones.
Low-key lighting creates a sense of mystery. It
is a necessary element in creating a
chiaroscuro effect. (Chiaroscuro
lighting illuminates the subject from the side -
like our cat. This makes the character appear
devious or secretive.)

c. Soft lighting and hard lighting

Soft lighting removes shadows and gives the
illusion of subtle light from outdoor sources.
Soft light is characterised by the way it wraps
light evenly around subjects and its ability to
diffuse shadows, resulting in soft edges and
little contrast. It is used to communicate beauty,
innocence, glamour, or happiness.
Hard lighting is created by setting up a single
point of light that casts very distinct shadows
and provides a high-contrast look to the shot,
with sharp gradations between light and
shadow. A camera flash is an example of a light that creates hard light. The sun on a
cloudless day is a natural example of a light that creates hard light. Hard lighting draws
attention to the subject and makes the subject stand out against the background.

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5. Focus …
Focus refers to the part of the shot that is in focus (clear or sharp), as opposed to the part of
the shot that is out of focus (blurry or unclear). Camera lenses can focus on things close by
or on things far away, and everything in-between.

A) Rack focus
Rack focus in filmmaking and television production
is the practice of changing the focus of the lens
during a shot. The term can refer to small or large
changes of focus – from in focus to out of focus.
The point of rack focus is subtly to draw
attention to different aspects of the shot.

In the first example here, the foreground is out of

focus and the background is in focus. In the second
shot, the foreground is in focus and the background
is out of focus.

Note that as opposed to defining rack focus as the

change of focus, some guides refer to any shot with
a blurred foreground as rack focus.

B) Deep focus
Deep focus is when the director deliberately
makes the foreground, middle ground and
background clear and in focus so that the viewer
is free to see everything. There is freedom to look
anywhere and so it can enhance the busyness or
chaos of a scene.

C) Shallow Focus
In shallow focus the foreground of the image
is in focus while the rest is out of focus.
Shallow focus is typically used to emphasize
one part of the image over another. When the
focus shifts between shallow focus on
different planes, this is called rack focus.

Directors sometimes use focus to create a

depth of field which is more realistic for the
viewer. In this scene from Taxi Driver, Martin
Scorsese does this by blurring the foreground
(the hands and steering wheel) using clear
focus on the middle ground (the driver) and
blurring the background. Film is two
dimensional. By using focus to make the viewer
aware of a foreground, a middle ground and a
background, Scorsese makes us see it as
three-dimensional. Zoom in and see!

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6. CAMERA SHOTS
A shot is a series of frames that run for an uninterrupted period of time. Film shots are an
essential aspect of a movie where angles, transitions and cuts are used to further express
the director’s vision in a creative way.

A. ESTABLISHING SHOT / EXTREME LONG

SHOT

This usually the first shot of a new scene,

designed to show the audience where the
action is taking place. It gives context. It is
usually a very wide shot or extreme
wide shot.

B. LONG SHOT

A long shot typically shows the entire object

or human figure and is usually intended to
place it in some relation to its surroundings.
(This pic is a long shot with a wide angle)

C. MEDIUM SHOT and MEDIUM LONG SHOT

A medium tight shot is from head to waist. A medium shot is to the hips. Medium long shots
go down to the knees. All of these Medium shots allow us to see the emotion on the actor’s
face, what he/she is doing and to a lesser extent, the surroundings.

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 D. MEDIUM CLOSE-UP

This type of shot frames a subject's head and cuts off around
mid-chest. The focus is on the subject: their expression and
emotions. It reveals only a little of the surroundings.

E. CLOSE-UP

Close-ups display the most detail but only of the subject’s

neck and face. They do not include the broader scene.
They are used to reveal characters’ feelings and emotions.
A choker close-up cuts off the face above the eyebrows and
goes down to just above the chin. It shows more features
than an extreme close-up.

F. EXTREME CLOSE-UP

An extreme close up is of one or two features, for example the subject’s eyes, or hands.
Extreme close-ups are unnatural and therefore theatrical and dramatic.

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G. TWO-SHOT/ THREE SHOT

A two-shot is when two characters are placed next to each other in a shot. Normally this can
show comradery or a close relationship.

CHARACTER PROXEMICS
The space between characters is very important as it tells us about the relationship between
them. Pay attention to the staging and the proximal relationships between objects and
people.

H. POINT-OF-VIEW SHOT

This type of shot is filmed from the perspective of the character, almost as if the viewer is
looking through their ‘eyes’. It is just like the perspective used in Call of Duty.

I. OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOT

This shot is taken over one character’s

shoulder. The viewer can feel
uncomfortable, as if intruding on a private
moment.

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7. CAMERA ANGLES… affect the way the viewer
perceives the subject or focus of the frame.
Camera angle refers to the position of the camera in relation to the position of the subject.
The camera can be “looking” from below or above, or straight on.
You should be able to identify the camera angles used and show an understanding of how
you are positioned or made to feel.

A. Bird’s eye view

This refers to the shot being taken directly from above. In most films, it is an unnatural angle
and is used to show context or as a Point of View shot (POV shot).

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B. High Angle
A high angle is a cinematic technique where the camera looks down on a subject making
them seem weak, powerless or insignificant.

Some high angle shots are aerial and can be taken from an aeroplane, helicopter, or drone.

C. Eye Level Angle

An eye level angle is the most natural to us as the camera looks straight at the subject. If
the subject is close to the camera – as in the choker close-up of the girl’s face here – eye
level angle can be intimate because we feel she is looking directly at us, but in most
instances we perceive it as neutral and natural.

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D. Low Angle
A low-angle shot is a shot in which the camera angle is positioned below the eye line of the
subject, pointing upward. An extreme low-angle shot is positioned below the subject’s feet,
offering a sharper contrast in the shot. A low angle is a cinematic technique where the
camera looks up at a subject who seems strong and powerful.

Sometimes a low angle shot can convey vulnerability as in this shot from 300

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E. Worm’s view
A worm’s view angle is obviously used for dramatic effect or to give a Point of View shot.
The camera is angled up from below the subject or focus of the frame. The angle can make
the subject seem powerful or majestic but if it is a POV shot, it may also make the viewer
think of the character perceiving the image as vulnerable or very small.

F. Oblique Angle/Dutch Tilt

The Dutch Tilt is disconcerting for the viewer and is therefore used for dramatic effect or to
show movement such as in an earthquake or bomb situation. Can also be used as a PoV
shot for a character who is ill or dizzy! To achieve the tilt, the camera is set at an angle on its
roll axis so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an angle to the side of the frame,
or so that the horizon line of the shot is not parallel with the bottom of the camera frame.

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CAMERA MOVEMENT… is a very important part to note in film analysis.
Directors can move the camera slowly to create suspense or imitate a dream-like trance, or
quickly to make things seem more exciting or anxious. There are some definitions here or
you can watch a video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiyBo-qLDeM

Track
In cinematography, a tracking shot is any shot in which the camera
physically moves sideways, forward, or backward through the scene.
Tracking shots usually last longer than other shots, follow one or more
moving subjects, and immerse the audience in a particular setting. The
term ‘tracking shot’ traditionally referred to a shot achieved with a
camera dolly mounted on a dolly track, but modern filmmakers shoot
tracking shots using stabilized gimbal mounts, Steadicam mounts,
motorized vehicles, and even drones. The camera is placed on a dolly
and moves either towards, away from, or alongside the subject.

Two common types of tracking shots are dollying and trucking.

Dolly shot … A dolly shot is when the camera is moved

forward or backward along a track. This camera movement
is sometimes called a Push In or Pull out instead of Dolly.
(The viewer feels as if he is stepping closer or walking
backwards from the subject. Often confused with a zoom.)

Trucking shot … A truck shot is when the camera is moved left

or right on a track/dolly. (Often confused with a pan.) For fight
scenes or dance scenes the track will often be constructed in a
semi-circle or a complete circle so that the camera will be moved
in an arc or a circle around the action. This is sometimes done
with a camera on wheels as opposed to a track.

Zoom (not actually a camera movement)

This is when the focal lengths of the shot changes while you are looking at it. Cameras
can zoom in (say, from a long shot into a close up), or zoom out (from a close up to a wider
shot). To see the difference between a dolly shot and a zoom Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QeMMF7J2OU&list=RDCMUCkeBOIrsgk0EyJwg-hHs7
MA
Slam/Crunch Zoom
The focal length changes very quickly. A theatrical, unrealistic movement that is common in
music videos. (Director Baz Lurhmann uses it in Romeo+Juliet.)

Pan
When the fixed camera is pivoted from side to side - from left to
right or right to left. The camera stays still on a tripod and is turned on
a horizontal axis. Do not confuse this with a trucking shot where the
camera itself moves!
Swish / Flick / Zip / Whip Pan
When the camera pans, but it does it so quickly that everything
in-between the first focus point and the second focus point is a blur.

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Tilt
The camera is pivoted up or down on a vertical axis. Obviously, the
camera angle changes.

Pedestal
Fixed camera moves up or down a vertical pole/track. The camera
angle can remain the same, but most pedestal equipment also allows for
a tilt.

Reverse shot (also not actually a camera movement)

Used primarily in filming conversations, the reverse shot is filmed using two static cameras
and is then edited so that the frames jump from one character’s Point of View to the other
character’s Point of View.

SOUND TRACK …
The sound that you hear within a film has been added through the editing process – even if it
sounds natural. Directors use sound and music to create realism, suspense, nostalgia,
sentimentality, drama, humour. There are some basic terms you need to know:

DIEGETIC SOUND/SYNCHRONOUS: This is the ‘natural’ sound that has a direct link to the
action in the film like the sound of footsteps or a glass being put down or thunder. Although
some of these sounds are recorded while the acting is happening, a lot of them are added in
later by a “Foley artist”. If you are interested in how Foley artists create those realistic
sounds watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO3N_PRIgX0

NON-DIEGETIC SOUND/ NON-SYNCHRONOUS: This is sound that is added and that the
characters cannot ‘hear’. An example of this would be music to create atmosphere, or
voice-over narration.

VOICE-OVER: This falls under non-diegetic sound because the actors cannot hear it. It is
the narrator’s voice, for the audience only.

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LEITMOTIF (pronounced light-mo-teef) is the intentional use of music as a means of
communicating character, tone, or theme. A leitmotif is a series of overtures, usually musical,
that are used recurrently to enforce tone or to recall a theme. These musical motifs can
also be used as cues for certain characters or behaviours. Like visual motifs, they can be
used with symbols. Leitmotifs are now most recognizable in soundtracks for film and
television and are widely synonymous with the works of John Williams.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-leitmotif-definition/

EDITING
You need to be able to identify basic editing techniques and comment on the director’s
intention.
Watch 13 Creative Film and Video Editing Techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu3vhFlXV0w

Sound editing:
SFX Secrets Sound editing vs mixing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weckXBc--Pg
SFX Secrets The J cut and the L cut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyH-a964kAs&t=141s

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