After today’s class, I thought it might not be a bad a idea to list and define some “key” terms in film studies; I thought it would be easier if we had a list of a few important things in one place so when ideas like cut, mise-en-scene and camera angles come up, we’d have some of those already defined. Most of these terms come from Understanding Films which is a highly useful film studies book if anyone is interested in a little background reading.
Shot — an unedited strip of film, continuous from the time the camera starts to when it stops filming
Frame — the dividing line between edges of screen image and the enclosing darkness of the theater. Also a single photo from a filmstrip
Mise-en-Scene — the arrangement of objects in space, the art of the long and extreme long shot.
Dominate Contrast — the area of an image that immediately attracts our attention because of conspicuous and compelling contrast (note: this is often easier to see when the image is turned upside down. Try it, its cool!)
Bird’s Eye — camera angle where the camera is directly overhead, giving the audience and “bird’s eye view”
High Angle — camera placed on a crane to give the audience a greater overview. This angle seems to slow movement down and reduce subject importance.
Eye-Level camera placed approximately 5 to 6 feet from the ground, the eye-level of an average-height person. This presents all characters on an “even plane” and allows the audience to make their minds up about the characters on their own.
Low Angle — camera placed on the floor, or some other low point, and angled upwards. Seems to speed up motion, give a sense of confusion and minimize the environment while heightening subject importance.
Oblique Angle — a lateral camera tilt which suggests tension, transition and impending movement.
So those are my “important” terms, which may or may not play out in this class, but they’re certainly interesting things to notice in any film! Also, another interesting fact I came across recently is that they human eye can only see and process 8 elements at a time, which would explain why we often have to watch a film more than once to see find every meaningful thing the director has packed in there.