Film Techniques Vocabulary and Descriptions

Instructions:
1. Research to find the various techniques used in film making.
2. You should NOT copy/paste, but include information in your own words to show comprehension.
3. Visit several websites and documents to collect comprehensive information.

Category

Sound

Focus

Framing
(Shots)

Camera
Angles

Lighting

Technique and Description

What is the purpose of the technique? Why is it useful?

How does it enhance the viewers perception of a scene
or character?

1.
2.
3.
4.

Ambient Sounds Background noise relating to the environment

Diegetic Sounds Actual sounds visible on screen(implied to be present by action)
Non-diegetic Sounds Sounds that arent visible on screen or implied by action
Voice Overs A narrative voice to be played over the film

Meant to create a more realistic setting for the viewer

Create a sense of environment for the event
Represented as coming from outside the story space
Position the audience with a particular character

1.
2.

Soft Focus The scene is soft, somewhat blurred or diffused

Rack Focus Brings background or foreground into sudden focus

3.

Deep Focus All objects remain focus

Creates a lighter mood or uncertainty

Forces the viewer to focus attention on one thing
Gives viewers freedom to choose on what they would like
to center attention

1.

Long-Shot The object seems small or is seen from a distance. If a person is in the
shot, it is the entire body and a great deal of background visible.

2.

Medium Shot Character shown from waist up; medium-sized architectural details

3.

Close-Up Head and neck of character

4.

Extreme Close-Up The frame filled with just part of a character or very small
objects

5.

Extreme Long Shot Characters are small in frame; ALL parts of buildings appear

6.

Establishing Shot a long-shot establishing a scene or setting

1.

Birds Eye Angle A shot looking directly down upon the scene

2.

Eye-Level Angle An equal footing with the subject character

3.

Low Angle A shot looking up at the character

4.

High Angle A shot looking down upon the subject

Demonstrate to the audience a perspective of a particular

character
Allows the audience to feel comfortable with the character
Makes the character seem powerful while making the
audience feel vulnerable and small
Makes the character seem vulnerable and small

1.

Side Lighting lighting from the side that leaves the subject half in light and half
in the shadows.

It can indicate a split personality or a secret/something

hidden by a character.

Offers viewers a sense of time and place; also offers the

viewer a choice of where to focus.
Meant to capture small groups of people; also offers the
viewer a choice of who to focus
Meant to focus on one individual; allows the viewer to
examine one particular person
Offers viewers distinctive detail of a person or thing
Establishes physical context of action; shows landscape and
architectural exteriors
Establishes the scene and setting it takes place in

Camera
Movement
and
Transitions

High Contrast Lighting exaggerating the images contrasting colors like shadows
and highlights

3.
4.

Hard Shadows (low-key) Meant to allow the shadow of a character dominate the
shot of the scene
Bottom Lighting Lighting from below; half in light, half in shadows

5.

Back Lighting Lighting from the back

6.

Front Lighting Lighting from the front

1.
2.

Crane Shot The camera is placed on a crane and is moved upwards

Tracking Shot The camera is placed on tracks and moves to keep up with the
subject
Panning A panoramic view of a set or setting
Evangelion Shot Begins as an extreme close up and zooms out abruptly creating a
blurring effect
Tilt Moving the camera lens up or down while keeping its horizontal axis
constant
Handheld Shooting When the action is too unpredictable for a tripod, it is
recorded by hand

Used to indicate the end of a film or scene

7.

Zoom Changing the focal length of the lens to make the subject appear closer or
further away in the frame

Used to cut or create distance between the viewer and

character; allowing the audience to feel closer or
further away from the character

1.

Fade a scene fades to black (or any other color) for a very short time as is slowly
replaced with another image; may start the next scene or change subjects
Point of View A shot from the characters perspective
Cut A joining of two separate shots so that the first is instantaneously replaced by
the second; two pieces of film are spliced together

3.
4.
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6.

2.
3.

Editing

Create a more sharp image to the viewer or notice

something you wouldnt otherwise see in a softer
image
Creates a horror like image for the viewer and is used to
scare them
Make subjects appear sinister
Can create depth, produce a halo-like aura, or distort the
identity of the subject if the light is strong
Meant to soften the image

2.

4.

Dissolve Transition One image is gradually replaced by another

5.
6.

Wipe Transition A new image wipes off the previous image

Flashback A segment of a film that dramatizes what has happened in the past or
what will take place at some point in the film
Reverse Shot Switching back and forth between two characters
Crosscut Switching back and forth between two actions taking place at the same
time, but not necessarily in the same place
Eye-Line Match Cut from a person to an object and back to the person

7.
8.
9.

Used to explore rooms, buildings, or any environment

Establishes a scene
Meant to emphasize the speed and size of an object
Used to represent nodding or an eyes quick observation of
another person (head to toe)
Meant to capture the action in a film or scene

It indicates a passage of time or the end of a segment.

Allows viewer to involve themselves with the scene
Going from one scene to another, indicating change
Showing a connection of ideas, how one thing blends into
another
Move scene to scene vertically, horizontally, or diagonally
Give additional information of the character or in the story
Often used to show reaction in a conversation
Show how two characters react to the same stimuli
Focus on what the character is looking at