Mis en scene- Is a french term which is known for what is placed or appears in front of the camera. This can consist of; actors, location, set design, costume, make-up, movement, actors expressions, shot blocking, camera placement, depth of space etc. These are what guides the viewer’s eye to what the director wants them to focus on within the narrative. Although the director is the biggest influencer on determining the mis en scene within their story, it also is up to the help of; the cinematographer, production designer, production designer, prop master, gaffer. costume and make-up designer etc.
Shot reverse shot- Is a film technique to show a character talking to another character. The technique focuses on one actor, who is on screen, talking directly to another actor, who is usually off screen. The camera switches between each actor, depending on who is speaking. It uses the 180 degree rule to show the viewer clearly who the dialog is directed to. This technique is simple but clear and if used well can also be powerful.
Panning- Panning is rotating the camera horizontally, but can also be moved vertically. Horizontally is used the most to show the entire surroundings of the scene or to follow the movement of something going past the camera. For example, someone running or a car going down the road. When a cinematographer pans the camera, they don’t move the camera itself. For example they will use a tripod which gives it a smoother movement ( as many filmmakers would deter from distracting the viewer from the plot.)
Tracking- Is when the camera follows the movement to the object or person on the screen. The camera would be mounted onto a dolly, which would be on rails. This is to either make the viewer seem like they are following someone or it can be to follow the action the scene is presenting.
Zoom- Is when the cinematographer adjusts the focal length while shooting to show either the setting or actor to be getting closer or further away into the distance. One example of this used in a film is Jaws, which was released in 1975. It was used when the actor Roy Scheider spotted blood in the sea. Zoom was used to make the viewer feel dizzy as the actor releases the danger.
Psychoanalysis- Is a theory, which was created between the 2970’s to the 1980’s. It states that when you are child, things that occur, can later affect your future self. These are mostly traumatic experiences as they are the most memorable. This was later applied within the film as it was created as a plot. An example of a film that uses this theory is the flash. As in the start of the series the mother dies. This then makes the police think the father was the murderer. This then causes the son to become a scientist as well as a hero, in order to catch the real killer. By the mother dying it caused a ripple effect of events to happen later on throughout the series.
Suture- Refers to the techniques used in film to make us forget that what we are seeing is filmed through a camera lens. We, as the audience, identify with the gaze of the main characters – conventional film is usually shot from a character’s point-of-view.
The gaze- This is how a viewer interprets what they see on the screen. This can be altered or emphasised by how the director or cinematographer focuses on certain aspects that they want the viewer to see. One example of this is male gaze. This is shown in the film High School Musical 3, where Sharpey walks down the school hallway. The camera focuses on her body, all the way from her legs to her head.
Representation- Is how the media/film conveys different types of people or communities. It can give a different perspective on how the viewer sees people religions or cultures
Montage- Is a fast paced sequence of videos or pictures. It is shown in film as it gives lots of information within a short time span.
Cross Cutting- Is used to show action that is happening at the same time but in different locations. It’s used a lot in action films, as it can also be used to build suspense.
Flashback- Is a shot that shows an event that happened in the past. It used a lot to show a character reflecting on their memories, that will either give them an emotive responsive or the memory gives them better insight to know what to do for the rest of the story.
Jump cut- Is used to show that time has moved forward. It shows the viewer that the actors have gone through time, by either the actors positioning or location etc. It allows the viewer to understand what is happening without having to wait and watch the time go by
Voice over-
Abstract Film- These films have no story, narrative or acting. No attempt is made to reference reality or concrete subjects. They are intended to generate emotions in the viewer by using light, motion, rhythm and composition.
Anti-Narrative- This is a narrative that does not obey the usual conventions of a narrative such as a coherent plot and resolution.
Auteur Theory- This theory proposes that a film will reflect the director’s artistic vision. Therefore, movies directed by any filmmaker will have recognisable, recurring themes and visual cues so the viewer will be able to identify the director. Eg) Hitchcock or Tarantino
Auteurism- This is the belief that a movie should mostly reveal the director’s feelings and beliefs as if he has written it himself.
Auteurs distinctive– An auteur is a filmmaker whose individual, distinctive style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal and unique stamp.
Avant Garde- Experimental, radical, or unconventional with respect to art, culture, or society.
Cinema Pure- Films that reject narrative, dialogue, acting and plot but rely heavily on their sound and imagery for storytelling.
Deconstruction- Breaking down something into smaller parts to understand how is was created.
Genre- A style or category of film, art, music, or literature.
Iconography- Identifies, describes and interprets the content of images.
Identity- Who or what a person or thing is.
Ideology- A set of beliefs, principles, ideas and ideals.
Kino Eye- A film technique that was developed in Soviet Russia by a film director called Dziga Vertov. Rather than imitate how the human eye sees things, Kino-Eye experiments with unusual camera angles and techniques such as backwards sequences. The aim is to show the as a machine might see it – more accurately than the subjective eye of a human.
Metteurs-en-scene- When a director shows technical competence in film directing, but does not add personal creative style to the film.
Narrative theme- The idea or concept that lies beneath the plot, a deeper message that the audience can take away from the film.
Non-Narrative Film- A story that doesn’t have a storyline. The story or events can also be unstructured.
Society- A large group of people who live together in an organised way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done.
Surrealist Film- These films have a modernist approach which uses shocking, irrational, or absurd imagery and Freudian symbolism to represent reality.
