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STUDYING A FILM AS TEXT

A film is a narrative- just like a novel. It is more than just presenting a script. The director carefully adds production
techniques to the narrative to create what we finally see on the screen.

We can use the acronym CAMELS to help us analyse the film techniques used.

CAMERA

⮚ Shot type- close ups, long shots, mid shots, wide shots, extreme long shots and extreme close ups ⮚ Camera
movements- track, tilt, pan, still, hand-held effect

⮚ Angle- point of view shots, high, low, side

ACTORS

⮚ Gestures

⮚ Expressions

⮚ Tone of Voice

⮚ Age/Size/ Race/ Gender

⮚ Actions- what are they doing?

MISE-EN-SCENE & VISUAL COMPOSITION (SETTING)

⮚ Inside or outside?

⮚ Features of the landscape/ room

⮚ Dominant colours

⮚ Costumes

⮚ Time- day/night? Period in history? (How do we know?)

⮚ Props in the scene

EDITING

⮚ Length of shots

⮚ Transitions- cuts, fades, dissolves, wipe

⮚ Sound matching vision (eg. when the sound for the next scene cuts in before the current scene is finished)

LIGHTING

⮚ Colour

⮚ Brightness

⮚ Shadow

⮚ Natural or Artificial

SOUND
⮚ How does the sound help our understanding of the movie?

⮚ How does the sound affect our emotions and how we perceive the scene?

⮚ Music/ musical score

⮚ Dialogue

⮚ Silence

⮚ Voice-overs

⮚ Background noises or sound effects

CAMERA TECHNIQUES
Camera shots and camera angles are two key visual techniques that can affect mood, meaning and pace.
Camera Shot/Angle Description Draw a picture to show understanding

Tracking or dolly shot A shot in which the camera moves


along, following the action.

Long shot Shows figures and subjects at full


height with detailed background
above, below and beside them.

Full shot The figure or subject is shown fully but


with very little background visible. This
shot is often used to show the
relationship between the characters in
the shot.

Medium shot Frames the figure from the knees or


waist up. This shot is useful for
dialogue between characters and to
show their body language.

Close-up Shows detailed facial expressions or


details of the subject with almost no
background visible in the frame. This
shot may help reveal thoughts and
feelings of the characters.

Extreme close-up Shows a specific detail of a figure or


subject in a single camera frame. This
shot may show suspense, tension or
create a mood.

Ariel or bird’s eye The camera is directly above looking


down on the figure or subject of the
frame.
High angle This shot is taken from above the figure
of subject, but not directly above. This
can create a sense of threat, weakness
or lack of control.

Low angle This shot is taken from below the figure


or subject. It can convey dominance,
power or control.

Eye level This front-on shot gives a sense that the


viewer is directly opposite the figure or
subject, on the same level. This shot has
a “real-life” effect.

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