Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > English
NOTES ON SOME IMPORTANT TERMS FOR FILM STUDIES
Gopa B. Caesar:
Camera Movement
The camera can remain motionless or may be moved, rotated, or zoomed. Camera movement involves physical movement of the camera from one location to another. Camera rotation keeps the location of the camera the same but shifts the direction in which the camera is pointed. Zooming involves the adjustment of the camera’s focal length so that more or less visual information is included in the film image.
Pan: Side-to-side rotation of the camera, often used to follow the movement of figures and keep them within the frame.
Tilt: Top-down rotation of the camera, often used to view an object that extends above or below the frame.
Tracking: Movement of the camera in any direction, often used to follow the movement of figures and retain their positions and proportions within the frame.
Crane: Movement of the camera above ground level, often involving a vertical rise or drop, used to reveal elements at different heights. Variations of this shot position the camera on an airplane or helicopter.
Gopa B. Caesar:
Camera Movement (CONT.)
Shaking: Use of a handheld camera to express a psychological state or to generate a documentary-like aesthetic, as opposed to usual placement of a camera on a tripod to prevent shaking.
Zooming: Adjustment of the camera’s focal length. A filmmaker who wants to emphasize a portion of the image can zoom in, which increases that portion’s relative size within the frame and signals to the viewer that whatever it contains is of significance. A filmmaker wants to expose the environment around a figure or action can zoom out, revealing the larger context.
Rack focus: Adjustment of focus within a shot in order to change the portion of the image that is in sharp focus. Rack focus guides the spectator’s attention from one area of the screen to another or from one object to another. It is possible because in most shots (that do not use deep focus), only certain portions of the image are in sharp focus.
Gopa B. Caesar:
Lighting
Most interior scenes are naturally too dark to generate a clear, discernible film image, requiring the use of artificial lighting. The intensity, position, and direction of lights in relation to the action have significant effect on the look and mood of a shot.
Lighting intensity: Intense lighting, or hard lighting, creates stark shadows and lines of contrast; soft lighting creates a diffuse illumination.
Natural vs. artificial lighting: Realist directors often avoid the use of artificial lights and choose instead to rely on natural light that more closely approximates reality.
Lighting setups: The principal light illuminating the scene is called the key light. A fill light is often used to cover the shadows created by the key light. Typically, a three-point lighting setup is used in order to light a scene evenly.
Gopa B. Caesar:
Lighting(CONT.)
Lighting effects: A high-key lighting scheme minimizes the contrast between darker and brighter parts of the image. A low-key lighting scheme creates a chiaroscuro effect, with dark shadows and stark contrasts.
Lighting direction creates an array of effects by manipulating the size and directions of shadows.
Frontal lighting eliminates shadows.
Side lighting accentuates features (of the face, for instance).
Backlighting creates silhouettes.
Top lighting creates a benevolent “halo†effect.
Underlighting makes a figure look sinister or even horrific.
Gopa B. Caesar:
Mise-en-Scène
Mise-en-scène is the arrangement of objects and movements within the frame—the rectangular border of the film image. Although analysis of mise-en-scène involves close inspection of the film image, keep in mind that film images are always open to a variety of different interpretations. The meanings and effects of film images are a function of the broader contexts within which they operate: those of narrative, representation, genre, history, and culture.
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