• Mis-en-scene – The term “mis-en-scene” is an expression used to describe what is believed to be the most important design aspects of a film production. Below is some of what is believed to be the key attributes that come under this word: 

Set Design – It is the setting of a scene and the props included within said scene that can contribute to the audience’s reaction to what happens throughout the scene. For example, in a war zone scene, to captivate the audience and make them believe that the characters are in the heat of battle, you could have destroyed structures, scorched earth and trees, and when it comes to props, the corpses of fallen soldiers, abandoned artillery etc. 

Lighting – The quality, intensity, or simply the direction of lighting can also influence the audience to an understanding of characters, themes, moods, or just a better understanding of the film’s atmosphere, time of day and so on. For example, if you have harsh shadows on a character’s face and little back lighting, it gives off an intense feeling to the audience. 

Composition – This is the organisation of actors, objects, and space within a frame. When it comes to composition, it is important to remember balancing symmetry, which means having an equal distribution of lighting, colour and objects within a shot. Sometimes directors could choose to unbalance the composition if they want to emphasise attention on a scene. 

Costume, Make-up and Hair – These three attributes can all establish a time period, reveal certain character traits, or signal a change in character. 

 

• Shot reverse shot – Shot reverse shot is a filming technique that is mostly used when two characters are interacting with one another. It is usually when the camera focuses on one character and then it cuts to a second character sitting opposite the first, and then back to our first character, creating an interaction between the two. 

 

• Pan/Track/Zoom – Each of these are different types of shots that are included in most types of film (movies, TV shows, music videos, etc.). Below is a brief description of each shot: 

Pan – A pan shot is when the camera is slowly turned from a fixed position to follow a key subject in a frame. 

 

Track – A tracking shot is any shot when a camera moves backward, forward, or alongside the subject that is being recorded. 

 

Zoom – The term zoom shot is when the camera is moving in to focus on a subject or can be used elsewhere such as moving out when establishing a scene. 

 

• Psychoanalysis – Psychoanalytic theory came about in two waves. The first wave began in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, this wave focused more on a formal critique of cinema’s dissemination of ideology. The centric figures of the first wave were Christian Metz, Jean-Louis Baudry, and Laura Mulvey. The second wave of psychoanalytic film theory has a significantly different emphasis. Starting in the late 1980s and early 1990s, this version of psychoanalytic film theory continues to remain active even today, the focus has been shifted from cinema’s ideological work to the relationship between cinema and trauma that disrupts the functioning of ideology. 

 

• Suture – Suture is a filming technique that is used to make the audience forget about the camera that is really doing the looking for us. This technique can also be described as the 180° rule, where the camera stays on one side of two subjects in order to make an interaction easier to follow for the viewer. 

 

• The Gaze – The term gaze is referring to how an audience member engages with what is being presented to them on the screen. Two terms have been developed and have been named “the male gaze” and “the female gaze”. 

 

• Audience – This is one of the most important factors in a movie, who the film is for? The target audience are the ones who will be watching your film, so constructing your film around them is crucial. Ratings are provided to give the audience more closure on who is suitable to watch the film (U, PG, 12, 15, 18 are the most commonly known). 

 

• Representation – The simple way to describe representation is how a film, a television show, or even a book is used to portray certain types of people or communities. This is a factor that has increased in usage in film for the past few years as requests for more diversity in film have up risen. 

 

• Montage – According to Eisenstein, a montage is combining shots that are depictive, single in meaning, neutral in content, into intellectual context and series. To put it more simply, two images that combine to make a third undepictable thing. Below are descriptions for different types of montage: 

Metric – A metric montage is when the length of shots is all relative to each other. Regardless of their content, shortening the shots gives the viewer less time to absorb the information within each shot, thus creating a more intense scene. 

Rhythmic – Rhythmic montage (also referred to as continuity editing), is one of the easiest to spot montages within a film.  A rhythmic montage is utilised when an event is happening on screen, but the camera moves around to different perspectives in order to make the audience feel immersed in the experience, from scenes like car chases to characters talking amongst themselves. 

Tonal – A tonal montage uses a more emotional meaning of the shots. Not just manipulating the duration of the shots or the rhythmic attributes, the montage wants to create more of a reaction from the audience more complex than metric or rhythmic. For example, when audiences see a sleeping puppy, they feel calm or relaxed. 

Overtonal – Overtonal montage is a more poetic way of expressing a series of shots. The montage mixes metric, rhythmic and tonal, as well as pace, ideas, and emotions to induce the desired effect from an audience. It can be used to give off a larger message about a film and justify certain scenes for their existence. 

Intellectual – The intellectual montage mainly relies on imagery within shots. It can influence an audience visually to come to a rational understanding of the scenario. Generally, the conflict between the two shots will create new ideas for the audience to explore. 

 

Modernist Film – Modernism was a period in the long history of cinema that indicates the era of the welfare states (1950 – 1980) when artistic films became more of an institution, which means it was developed not only in ways for its presentation but ways for production and distribtuion in large quantities.

Avant – garde – A mode of filmaking that is considered to be experimental and a mode that explores a more non-narrative side of cinema.

Kino Eye – In the early 1920s, a man named Dziga Vertov developed a movement in cinema known as Kino Eye. The idea behind Kino Eye was that the “eye” of a camera (which Vetov referred to as a machine) saw life more accurately than a human eye.

Non – narrative – Non – narrative film is a form of film that does not relate to any event whether it be real or imaginary. It is usually seen as a form of art or experimental film.

Cinema Pur – Cinema Pur was an avant garde film movement created in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s. The term was first secured by Henri Chomette to define a cinema that had a wider focus on pure elements of film. Elements such as form, motion, visual composition, and rhythm.

Surrealist Film – Surrealism within film revelutionised the art of cinema proposing new techniques and freeing film from conventioanl story telling and delving more into the subconscious part of the auidences mind. Surrealist films oftne leave the audience with shocking images that make an impression on the auidence and leave them shook by what they just witnessed.

Abstract Film – Abstract films are non-narrative pieces that contain no acting nor references to reality. They mainly rely on unique qualities of motion, rhythm, light, and composition to create an emotional experience.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Mis-en-scene information – Published/Edited 06/02/2020

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise-en-sc%C3%A8ne

Psychoanalysis information – Published 28/10/2011

https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199791286/obo-9780199791286-0052.xml

Suture information -Published 11/02/2006

http://othercinema.com/otherzine/archives/index.php?issueid=15&article_id=33

The Gaze information – Published 12/06/2018

https://medium.com/truly-social/yes-theres-such-a-thing-as-a-female-gaze-but-it-s-not-what-you-think-d27be6fc2fed

Montage information – Published 26/07/2017

Cinema Pur information – Published Unknown

https://expcinema.org/site/en/wiki/article/cin%C3%A9ma-pur

Surrealist Film information – Published Unknown

https://www.theartstory.org/movement/surrealist-film/