Research - Level 3 Technical Codes

So, I have decided to research into technical codes, because it helps me grasp a better understanding of technical skill. By researching into different shot angles I am also developing my understanding of cinematography.

Technical Codes

CAMERA TERMINOLOGY

Birds Eye View shot – a shot taken directly from above something, looking down on it (as though the camera was a bird flying over the scene).

Canted Angle – A shot which is tilted to one side.  This is often used to create a feeling of disorientation, anxiety or chaos.

Close up (and variations) : close ups, including extreme, big and medium close ups, are used to draw the viewer closer and to involve them in what is happening; they also used to observe reactions and emotions, such is happiness, elation or tension.  These shots are often used to help the audience feel sympathy for that character or side with them.  Alternatively, a series of close ups / extreme close-ups often make the audience feel quite claustrophobic and uncomfortable.

Crane Shot (or Aerial): a type of shot in which a camera is positioned on a specially designed crane, which can be raised and lowered and will.  A crane shot is a very high-angle shot but the versatility of the equipment allows a director to start a shot from a high-angle and then swoop down toward the subject at ground level. 


Deep Focus: a camera technique that allows objects both near and far from the camera to be in focus at the same time. 



Establishing shot: the shot (usually wide or long), often used at the start of a programme or film, a new section of a programme or at the start of a new scene to establish the relationship between the set/location and the characters and to show the whole view

Hand-Held shot:  A shot filmed with the camera not on a tripod but instead held by the camera man, often whilst walking.  This makes the shots seem quite shaky.  This can make the audience feel the scene is more realistic, or can make us feel like we are part of the action.

Head-On Shot: for a type of shot in which the action comes directly toward the camera.  Head-On shots are often used in war or action movies to enhance the sense of involvement and excitement of the audience, for example, charging cavalry may be directed at the camera.

High angle: A shot where the camera is positioned higher than the person’s eyeline, looking down at them.  This is often used to make a character in the shot seem weaker, younger or more vulnerable.

Long Shot: Loose Frame – Describes a shot where there is a lot of room around an object or person.  Usually used to show them as being alone or isolated or unimportant.




















Here is a video I found about camera angles, it was really informative. feel free to give it a watch.

Low-Angle Shot:
A shot where the camera is placed lower than the eyeline of the person in the shot, looking up at them.  It can make the character shown seem big and powerful and it can make us or the character we are seeing through, seem small and weak.

Medium Shot: A shot showing around half of a person to their waist.  Normally used to show their emotions and some of their body language and setting in order to aid our understanding

Over The Shoulder Shot:  A shot which is filmed just over the shoulder of one character, normally looking at another character.  This is used to make us feel like we are part of the scene and show us some of the character’s perspective. 

 Pan: camera action involving gently moving the camera left or right across the subject matter horizontally

 Point-of-View Shot (POV or Subjective Filming): a camera shot taken from the position of the subject, used to enhance a sense of realism and audience involvement in the action.

 Pull Focus – Describes a shot where one thing was in focus, and then the lens is changed so that something else stops being blurry and becomes in focus.  Often used to draw the audience’s attention to something.

Shallow Focus – Describes a shot where an object near the front is in focus, and everything else behind is out of focus (blurry).  Often used to make one thing seem more important.


Soft focus: in images, the use of a special lens or filter to create a hazy light around the subject.  Soft focus shots are associated with the romantic or sentimental treatment of subject matter.





Subjective Filming (or POV): a type of shot in which the camera is positioned as if looking at the world through the character’s eyes.

Tight Frame:  Describes a shot that is composed with the person or object given very little space around them.  Often used to make them seem important, or trapped.


Tilt: a camera movement that involves moving the camera vertically up and down from a fixed


 position.  Often used to show something off to the audience like a character’s body.

Tracking Shot: a camera shot in which the camera moves along rails to follow the subject.  When the rails are replaced by a moving platform on wheels, the shot is called a dolly shot.  As you won’t know how this shot was filmed you can call it either a Tracking OR a Dolly shot.  A tracking shot normally helps us feel like we sympathise with the character, or focuses our attention on them as important.

Trombone Shot – A shot that allows the subject to stay roughly the same size whilst their surroundings appear to move and get bigger or smaller.  Often used to show them realising something, or being massively effected by something.  Most famous in the scene in Jaws where Chief Brody realises the shark is attacking people in the sea.

Two Shot:  A shot that frames two people on screen at the same time.  It is used to show the audience the relationship between two characters.


Whip Pan: a very fast pan between two or more characters or points of interest.  It gives the impression that the camera has been ‘surprised’ by activity and is used in the place of a more conventional shot/reverse shot.  It can help to speed up the pace 

Wide shot: A shot where the whole subject is shown within the frame.  Also known as a Long Shot.  This can be used as an establishing shot of a set or location or to show a large crowd of people.  They can also emphasize the isolation of a single figure. 

Zoom/Reverse Zoom: the adjustment of the camera lens which makes the scene / character appear to get bigger or smaller in the frame.  A zoom is normally used to focus our attention on something as important. 

180 degree Rule – Where, during a scene featuring two people or more, we can imagine a make believe line joining those two people together.  Adhering to the 180 degree rule would mean you would always ensure your camera was on one side of that line and the camera would never be crossed to the other side.  Sticking to the 180 degree rule allows the viewer to feel comfortable, helps us understand the positioning of the characters and makes it feel like real life.  

Breaking the 180 degree rule (Crossing the Line) – Where, during a conversation or a scene between two people, the camera does NOT stick to one side of the line (see above) and crosses over at some point.  This disorientates the viewer as we are unable to work out the position of the characters within the room.  It makes the scene seem odd or strange and may reflect the feeling of the characters.  


Editing Terminology

Action match: A shot that cuts that features some sort of action that cuts to another shot where the action is continued smoothly so it helps make the cut invisible to the audience. For example we might see someone shoot a gun, and the editor would perform an action match so we then see the bullet hit someone else and they fit together seamlessly so we see both people’s perspectives.  Is often used to make the scene feel more real.

Colourising – The process of changing the colour of an image or video shot.  For example, making the shot seem warmer, making it sepia etc..

Cropping – removing unwanted areas of a photo or video clip to focus the viewer on something important

Cross cutting – Where an editor cuts between two separate scenes happening in two separate locations at the same time.  This serves to illustrate a contrast or a link between them.  For example, cross cutting between adults having a quiet drink in a pub, and a wild teenage party will contrast the two age groups.  Another example is in the Godfather where the editor cut back and forth between the christening of a child in a catholic church, and the violent killing of several men.  The cross cutting in this sequence emphasises the violence as we see it juxtaposed against childlike innocence and religion.

Cut – The move from one shot to another which can tell us lots of things.  For example, it can draw our attention to things.  If a woman is day dreaming at her desk and the editor cuts to a scene of a man, we might assume that she may be dreaming about him.

Cutaway: a brief shot that is not totally necessary but is cut into a scene showing a related action, object or person, not necessarily part of the main scene, before cutting back to the original shot.  For example a couple may be having an argument which is the main scene but the editor may choose to include a cutaway shot of their child crying before cutting back to the couple arguing.  This emphasises the child’s emotions and helps the audience to understand that we are to disapprove of these people’s argument.

Dissolve -  A dissolve is when the first shot is on screen and the 2nd shot starts appearing on top of it more and more until all you can see is the 2nd shot.  Often used to link two scenes or two people together.  Sometimes used to show time moving on etc.. If the 1st shot never disappears and stays on screen with the 2nd shot this is called super-imposition.

Ellipsis: the removal or shortening of scenes in a narrative to speed up the action.  For example an editor might use ellipsis in a sequence about a young man taking a drink by cutting straight to him lying in the street, drunk.  The editor has missed out the story in the middle to speed up the action and show us how quick this man’s night has passed.

Eyeline Match: a type of editing that maintains the eyeline or level when cutting from a character to what’s the character sees.  The effect of the edit is to create a sense that what the camera sees is what the character sees.  It puts us in the position of the characters and helps us feel empathy for them. 

Fade: a type of moving image editing where the image gradually fades and disappears, leaving a white or black screen.  A fade to black often suggests that time has passed or a situation has ended.  A fade to white often suggests a dream sequence.

Graphic match – A cut from one shot to another that look visually the same (possibly linked by a similar shape, a similar colour etc.  They are there to show us a clear link between two scenes.  Often this is making a comment on the issue.  For example, a young girl playing with a red doll then is cut together using a graphic match with a woman holding a baby dressed in red.  This might suggest that the young girl has grown up into the woman.  Or it might emphasise the gender stereotype of women looking after babies. 


Jump Cuts – a cut that moves to a very similar part of the same scene but missing a VERY small piece of action out (eg a character is on the top step of the stairs and then it cuts to him being down a few steps without us having seen him do that bit of walking).  They are often used to disorientate the viewer, or show how disorientated a character is.  For example, if a party of young people was being shown and included lots of jump cuts, it would represent the young people as disorientated, implying they were drunk and wild.

Long take: each time a shot is recorded it is called a take.  A long take is one that is allowed to remain on screen for a long duration before it is cut.  Long takes are often used to slow the pace of the scene down, making it calmer and more peaceful .  Alternatively if a REALLY long take is used, it can make the audience feel uncomfortable as we are forced to watch a scene with nothing to break it up. 

Montage – a montage is a series of shots edited together to show time passing and something happening in that time.  It is a popular way of speeding up the narrative and showing us a lot of narrative in a short period of time.  Famous examples are in Rocky where we see a montage of shots of Rocky training and getting better and better before his fight

Non Continuity Editing – Where the editor shows the story in a strange order.  For example we might see the end of the scene, and then cut back to the beginning of the narrative to explain how it all happened.  This stops the clip feeling like “real life” for the viewer.

Short take: a short take is one that is allowed to remain on screen for a short time before the editor cuts to something else.  Short takes are often used to speed the pace of the action up, making it more dramatic and exciting.

Shot / Reverse Shot – cutting between two people having a conversation (rather than including them both in one static mid shot) can help to contrast them and make them seem different.  It highlights their differences and also allows us to see the reactions of characters.

Slow motion: used in the editing process to slow down the action for emotional or comic effect.  Often makes something seem more romantic or special or dramatic.

Split Screen: an editing technique which involves the cinema screen being split into two or more parts to allow the showing of events that are taking place at the same time.

Superimposition: the appearance of writing/symbols or images on top of an image so that both are visible at once, increasing the amount of information the viewer has in one shot and sometimes to suggest the two scenes are happing at the same time.

Visual effects – any special effects such as lightning, explosions, colour changes, magical effects, CGI etc, .. Often it depends on what the character’s reactions to these special effects are.  For example, a man who has no reaction to a massive fiery explosion will seem brave and masculine.  Graphics on screen (eg numbers and facts as seen in CSI, may represent someone as intelligent or competent in their work.  Showing someone in colour when the rest of the image is in black and white emphasises them and draws the audience’s attention to them as important.


Wipe: a moving image editing technique that involves one image wiping another off the screen.  This suggests that whatever scene / character pushes the other one off the screen, is more important or powerful. Sometimes if suggests the two scenes are happening at relatively the same time. It often makes the scene seem light hearted or comical.  Wipes can go left or right, up or down and even be in shapes like stars!

Sound Terminology

Accent – the way a person pronounces their words.  Their accent can often tell you where someone is from, how educated they are, what class they fall in to.  The accent you hear might give you a clue as to who the target audience is. 

 Ambient sound  -  The natural sounds of the location eg water noises near a river, cows mooing in a farm, cars beeping their horns in the street etc.  They tell us what kind of place we are in and if we see how characters react to these sounds it tells us a lot. Noisy cars, horns, people, traffic represent a region as being busy and urban and not very homely. 

Asynchronous sound –Where the sound is either out of sync with the visuals.  Sound that is just out of sync would make the viewer feel disorientated and would make the characters and scene seem strange. 

Contrapuntal sound –This is where sound or music has a different mood / atmosphere to what we are seeing on screen.  For example in the film the Shining, during beautiful scenes of winding roads and countryside on a sunny day, we hear quite scary ominous music to foreshadow the scary events that are to come.  For a second example, in the Godfather film, we see scary scenes of a man murdering people in cold blood, but hear the friendly, calm sounds of a priest christening a baby.  This contrast emphasises the loss of innocent life. 

Dialogue – the words the characters say.  What do the characters actually say? Do they reveal their beliefs, or their attitudes / values? How do they say it?  If someone’s voice sounds nervous and wobbly it tells us a lot about their character.  If they speak softly it implies they are weak or emotional.  If they have a deep booming voice it makes them seem more masculine.  Don’t forget accents as they tell us where someone is from and emphasise their differences from others.  Pay attention to slang, swearing, sophisticated and simple language etc.  

Diegetic Sound: sound that you could hear if YOU were one of the characters inside the scene.  This include words the characters say, background noises like traffic, weather and crowd noise and even music IF it is heard by the characters eg at a club, on a television etc  Diegetic sound can set the mood of the piece, tell us how a character is feeling, and help the viewer to see a scene as realistic etc. 

Non Diegetic Sound – Other sound that the characters in the scene could not hear.  For example, a musical soundtrack, a voice over etc.  Non diegetic music sets the scene and time period as well as atmosphere.  A voice over allows the audience to hear someone’s thoughts and empathise with them.  Different instruments have different effects.  Violins can be both romantic and frightening, saxophones sound sultry and sexy, drums can seem military-like and woodwind instruments seem sad. 

Pitch – Low pitch described a sound / music that is deep and low (eg Thunder) and often sounds menacing or threatening.  High pitch describes a sound that is higher and lighter (eg a phone ringing) and is often more light-hearted. 

Rhythm – Describes the beat of the music, whether it is fast or slow.  Sound or music with a fast rhythm is often used to increase a sense of urgency or threat.  Sound or music with a slow rhythm is often used to depict calmness and peace.  Sound or music with an irregular rhythm is used to confuse the audience and make them feel uncomfortable. 

Score:  Describes any non-diegetic music in a scene.  Think about the beat and instruments used.  For example a high energy dance track with loud crashing tones will emphasise someone’s youth.. a girly soft piano music might help us to see a woman as stereotypically delicate and feminine.  

Sound motif – Hard to spot in a short clip.  But this is a sound which normally represents or accompanies a certain character.  For example the Da DA of the shark in the film Jaws.  We associate that music with them. Some institutions have sound motifs associated with them eg in adverts for Intel Pentium computer products there is a recognisable sound motif for the company in every one. 

Tone Of Voice – Describes the way a person’s voice sounds.  For example, firm, dismissive, patronising, nervous, apologetic, and aggressive.  Their tone will tell you a lot about their feelings. 

Voice over:   A piece of speech played over a scene, showing us the inner feelings of a character or explaining the story via a narrator.  It allows the audience to see inside the head of a character, helping us to empathise with them.


MISE-EN-SCENE TERMINOLOGY

Body Language – the way a character’s body looks and the way they hold their body eg confident, slumping down, cowering from someone etc  It tells us what type of person they are and how they feel about others or the product / company they are advertising. 

Chiaroscuro Lighting – a scene lit with VERY low key lighting, often extreme lighting, lots of shadows, some very bright parts.  See the effects of low key lighting.  Also used to make a location or character seem very dramatic and unusual


Colour  – Colours in a scene often represent things.  Red can represent anger, passion, danger, love.  Blue can seem calm and peaceful, sometimes sad.  You must pick the most appropriate meaning for the scene.

Colour Palette – The small range of colours used in a media product. 

Costumes – clothes a character is wearing.  You could comment on the style, shape, choice of item, colour, etc.  They can tell us lots about a character, what type of person they are, how they are feeling etc.  For example a floaty dress might represent someone as being traditionally girly.  A policeman’s uniform might represent someone as having authority and power.  Baggy, shapeless clothes might suggest someone is shy, where as tight clothing might suggest they are confident and flirtatious.

De-saturated – When a shot has had the colour drained out of it so it is either totally colourless (black and white) or very nearly colourless

Facial Features and Expression – the way a character’s face looks and shows emotion.  For example a shocked expression, sadness, a look of love.  You can also comment on the way they look such as a interesting features such as bad teeth, small, squinty eyes etc  It tells us what type of person they are and how they feel about others.

Hair & Make Up – the appearance of the hair of a character and the cosmetics a character might be wearing such as lipstick, a skin head etc.  They tell us things about the character.  For example a woman wearing very little make up might be seen as being very naive and innocent.

High Key Lighting – A bright and well lit scene with very few shadows


Lighting (general) – can be used to highlight important characters or focus the audience’s attention on a specific element 

Location – A place where the scene is set.  A location can tell us lots about the people in it.  For example a dirty, bloodstained basement could signify that a character was a villain or up to no good.  A messy bedroom might signify that the character who owned it was disorganised.  Don’t forget to look out for how a character reacts to their location as well (eg if they are comfortable there or not)  

Low key Lighting – a dimly lit scene with lots of shadows.  Often used to make a location or character seem shady, untrustworthy, dangerous, unsafe.  

Props – Items a character possesses or picks up eg a gun or a bunch of flowers etc.. They can tell us lots about what type o a distance shot where the camera is a long way from the subjects being filmed.  A long shot can be effective as an establishing shot that sets the scene for the action and roles in the viewer.

Saturated – When a shot has had the colour enhanced to make it even more colourful than it was in real life.

How does this information help me?

This post helped me get to know more about different camera angles, sound effects and lighting techniques. This will help me when I'm filming my project because I now know how certain shots create certain effects, and how different sounds can control the audiences emotions. If you show a character in a certain lighting, the audience automatically begin to assume things about that character (Dark = Bad). This will help me to control the narrative. As a whole, I found this information really useful and it will will help improve the quality of my productions.




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