Basic filmic language
Basic Filmic Language
The Shot
- A shot is an uninterrupted run of the camera.
- It includes the intention of the director and can be long or short.
- Shots set up the mood, narrative and aesthetic of a scene.
Framing, Camera Angles and Movements
- Framing includes what is left in and out of a shot, determining how the audience perceives the scene.
- Camera angles can affect the audience's understanding of characters and action, such as a low-angle showing a character's power, and a high-angle showing vulnerability or smallness.
- Camera movements like pans, tilts, and tracks can introduce information slowly or change perspective swiftly.
Lighting and Colour
- Lighting is used to highlight subjects, create contrast and mood, and depict time of day or season.
- Colour grading alters the appearance and mood, affecting the audience's emotional response.
Mise-en-Scène
- Mise-en-scène encompasses everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement - costumes, sets, lighting, etc.
- The choices in mise-en-scène can reveal characters, their feelings, and the environment in which they live.
Sound
- Diegetic sound is any sound that the character or characters on the screen can hear.
- Non-diegetic sound encompasses any sound the audience can hear, but the characters in the film cannot.
- Sound is used for dramatic effect like building tension, creating atmosphere, and portraying character’s internal thoughts.
Editing
- Editing is the process of assembling shots into a sequence.
- Techniques include match cut, jump cut, cross-cutting, and the use of transitions.
- Editing affects the pace of the narrative and the audience's focus.
Narrative
- Narrative in film is the structure and manner in which the story is told.
- It can be linear (chronological), non-linear (out of order), or circular (ends where it starts).
- Films often use narrative codes that cue the audience on how to interpret the unfolding plot.
Genre
- Genre refers to the categorization of a film based on its style, setting, mood, and format.
- Examples include horror, comedy, sci-fi, drama, documentary etc.
- Audiences have specific expectations for different genres and filmmakers use this to predict and manipulate audience reaction.