GRADE 7: Film Terminology

1. GRADE 7: Film Terminology Notes

2. Types of Scenes

3. Mise en Scene • “To place on stage” – everything you see in front of the camera • Ex. Props, camera angles, lighting, etc.

4. Open Space • Open space on screen that symbolizes isolation (no need to be filled)

5. Types of Shots

6. Freeze Frame • Hold the scene for a few seconds • “moments that last forever”

7. Re-Framing • The composition of the frame changes as the camera alters its position in relation to the object being filmed. • Ex. A romantic close-up of two lovers whispering may suddenly change its meaning if the camera pulls back to reveal a long shot of spectators. • What was once romantic becomes comedic

8. Camera Angles

9. High Angle • The camera looks down at what is being photographed

10. Low Angle • Shot from below. • Makes characters seem large, powerful, and dominant.

11. Camera Movement

12. Pan • The camera moves horizontally on a fixed base

13. Tilt • The camera points up or down from a fixed base

14. Tracking (Dolly) • The camera moves through space on a wheeled truck (or dolly), but stays in the same place.

15. Zoom • A shift in the focal length of the camera lens to give the impression that the camera is getting closer to or farther from an object.

16. Camera Transitions

17. Cut • The most common type of transition in which one scene ends and a new one immediately begins.

18. Dissolve • A gradual transition in which the end of one scene is superimposed over the beginning of a new one.

19. Match Dissolve • A shape maintains position between 2 scenes, usually meant to show a connection between them.

20. Wipe • An optical effect in which one shot appears to “wipe” the preceding one from the screen