Film Language

Over the past weeks we went through the film language.

1.    MISE-EN-SCENE

2.    SOUND

3.    CAMERAWORK

4.    EDITING

1. The Mise-en-scene refers to everything within the scene. A useful way to remember this is CLAMPS. This stands for:

·        Costumes

·        Lighting

·        Acting

·        Make-up

·        Props

·        Setting

2. We distinguish between:

·        Diegetic: Sound that exists within the world of the film. To enhance realism and maintain audience involvement. Sound effects can be diegetic and are supposed to be prt of the diegesis.

·        Non-diegetic: External music for the audience. Exists outside the world of the film, e.g. film soundtracks.

·        Diegesis: The film world

·        Ambient: Background sound (birds, breathing,..)

·        Synchronous: Caused by some event on the screen so that sound matches the action (creeky!!!!!!!! Door)

·        Asynchronous: Separate from the visuals, such as a voiceover or dialogue from another scene.

3. CAMERAWORK:

·        Angle

·        Movement

·        Position

·        Composition

·        Depth of field

Basic Camera Shots:

Establishing shot or extreme wide shot: Sets up or “establishes” the setting of a scene. It is typically at the beginning of a movie or scene.

Close up shot: Tightly frames a person or object to show detail or emotions.

Medium shot: Generally shows more body language and less specific details.

Long shot: Shows the entire figure or object often in relation to it surroundings. Typically filmed “far” from the object.

Tracking shot: Follows the action at a constant distance. It keeps the subject on screen.

Bird's eye shot or crane shot: Shot from a high position looking down.

Dolly shot: The camera is placed on a dolly and moves at a constant rate. It does not necessarily follows the action.

Handheld shot: Filmed from the cameraman’s own hands.

High angle shot: The camera is located above the subject and films down on it. Sometimes used to show which character is more powerful.

Low angle shot: Film is looking up.

Reverse angle: Two shots that have the same relationship are joined together.

Point of view shot: The camera shows the scene from a character’s perspective. You see trough the character’s eyes.

Over shoulder shot:

Two shot: A shot of two people.

Movement:

Pan: Horizontal movement of the camera from a static point.

Tilt: Subtle movement up/down/side.

Crane: Camera mounted on a crane so that it can move dramatically up or down and from side to side.

Handheld: Helps to create realism.

Position:

The distance between camera and subject.

Composition:

It’s the framing of a shot to convey important information.

The rule of thirds:Eye line should always be at the top horizontal line.

Depth of field: When a frame shows everything sharp or in focus, this is called “deep focus”.

4.Edting:

Editing is the framework upon which the whole of film languages is built.

Editing comprises of three key factors:

·        Shot choice

·        Order of shots

·        Pace

Within this editing controls time (fast/slow), it controls what we see and when we see it. It enables the audience to make sense of events so the plot fits together correctly and events take place at the right time. It also controls what information is shown and directs us (the audience) in how we are meant to think or feel.

Continuity editing:

Continuity editing is a mixture of techniques such as the 180° rule, the establishing shot and the shot reverse shot.

180° rule: Once a shot is established, we should stay on that same 180° side.

If we break the 180° rule, it will make the audience believe that the subjects are facing the same way and not at each other. If you want to move the camera over 180°, you have the use the tracking shot.

Jump cut: It’s an awkward cut that enables a slight jump in the action.

Eye-line match: Equals for example a character looking at something and in the next shot we see what they are looking at.

Match on action: To avoid confusion about special to the viewer.

E.g.: We see someone open the door, then we see them coming trough.

Shot-reverse shot: When the camera cuts from one subject to another.

Montage: A series of shots that are edited into a sequence to condense narrative.

Kuleshov effect: The way film editing evokes emotions from a viewer.