Key Terms

Action Adventure Films

Soundtrack MusicSynchronous and asynchronous soundDiegetic/non-diegetic soundSound effectsSound bridgeVoice over

Mise en scène Lighting (especially low-key lighting)Location/ setCostume and make-upColoursPropsCasting and performance styleBlocking (the placement/ composition of elements within the shot)Composition and framing

Editing Continuity editing:Shot/ reverse shotCross-cutting/ parallel editingFast-paced editing180 degree rule Non-continuity editing:MontageFlashback/ flash-forwardJump CutMatch Cut Visual effects and editing:Post-production effectsCGI (Computer Generated Imagery)Colour correction/ colour grading Transitions:Dissolve/ Cross-fadeWipeDip to black/ white Cut

Camerawork Angles:Low angleHigh angleCanted/ tilted angle Shot types:Establishing shotsAerial shots/ crane shotLong shotClose upELSECUOver the shoulder shotPoint-of-view shots Camera movement:Track/ tracking shotPan/ panning shotZoomHand-held cameraSteadicamCamera Focus:Shallow focusFocus pull

Learn these terms.

Diegetic sounds

• Diegetic are sounds that the main characters are meant to be able to hear. The opposite would be non-dietetic sounds such as music and narration.

CGI

Computer Generated Imagery are images and effects created on a computer.

Props

• A prop is an object used on stage or on screen used during performance. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything moveable or portable on a set, distinct from the actors, scenery, costumes and electrical equipment

Angles• Camera work plays a huge part in

Action/adventure movies as they can decide how you view the character personally. Low angle shots make the character dominate while low angle shots make the character look weak and feeble

Hand Held Camera

A style of recording which allows the audience to feel as though they are with the characters. Its consequences include ‘shakiness’ which again makes the scene /piece more realistic. Its simply done by the cameraman holding the camera rather than it being on a tripod type device.

Montage

A series of clips /photographs merged /grouped together, usually with music. Often used as a ‘flashback’ or to create a sense of foreshadowing.

Jump Cut

A jump cut, cuts through time often to give the audience perspective; most famously used in ‘2001 space odyssey’. It cuts from one time frame to another but often within the same scene, with the same characters.

Post production effects

Effects that are added after filming, such as CGI and/or scenery (if green screen used). This emphasises the ‘nothing is impossible’ like feeling films, especially action films desire.

Voiceover

A non-diegetic sound added over scenes, often used as a narrative voice to increase tempo of film by filming in gaps that weren’t needed to be filmed.

Hand-Held Camera

• A way of recording which allows the audience to feel as if they are in the scene with the characters, shaking of the camera is a result of this technique, this benefits the feeling of the viewer feeling like they are part of the scene.

Montage

• A collection of clips organised together into a scene to display a summary of the events taking place in the film, often paired with soundtrack to suggest the mood of the scenes.

Location

The setting of the film e.g country, city, outdoor or indoor, exotic or urban. Often in Action adventure films the location will begin rural and eventually become exotic.

Post Production Effects

• Effects which are added after the filming production has taken place e.g. sound effects/enhancement, explosive graphics etc.

Steadicam

• A type of camera technique where the camera is hand held but steady and avoids shaking or uneven movement.

Sound effects

Used to emphasise the dramatic moment in film for example gun shot’s and knife slices made extra loud and abnormally noticeable in fight scenes.

Track/Tracking shot

• A technique of camera work where the camera is placed on a stand and moved along a track, this appears very smooth in film and is often used when characters are seen walking along a pathway for example.

Focus Pull

• A technique where the camera moves from focusing on one object to another object to create dramatic effect such as the focus of one’s face to another behind the first character.

Dip to black/white

• At the end of the film usually or before a flashback when the screen slowly fades out the picture entirely to black or white.

STEADICAM

• A smooth handheld camera shot, that is easy for the audience to watch and it can be used in more emotional scenes.

MONTAGE

• A technique that places more that one clip together, this aid the viewer to understand information/events that have happened in the film over passing time.

FOCUS PULL

• This is a shot that makes the focus on one object in the scene move to another object/ person, this can aid the audience to see both objects clearly and understand the reasons for this part of the film, it also directs all attention to that object/ person.

SHALLOW FOCUS

• This is when the camera is filming just one single person or small area, it can be used to highlight a certain person or area within a film.

HAND – HELD CAMERA

• This is a camera shot that is a little more shaky that the steadicam and can be used in films to create suspense. For example a running scene may use a hand-held camera to make the audience feel more involved and included.

DISSOLVE/CROSS-FADE

• This is when one shot fades to the next, it can be used to create a dramatic effect or to emphasise a time laps.

CROSS CUTTING/PARALLEL EDITING

• This is a technique that cuts between two scenes that are taking place at the same time, this can be used as a quick source of information for the viewers as they can watch both and gain a clearer understanding.

180 degree ruleA rule that means that the camera cannot shoot from an opposite side of a 180 degree line passing though two points

ECU (Extreme Close Up)

An extreme close up is a shot that is usually centred on the nose and eyes on a character. To show detailed facial expressions.

ELS (Extreme Long Shot)An extreme long shot is usually used to show most of the scene area and the characters in in, used to show the characters as being small/weak.

Match CutA match cut is usually used to show a jump through time or place. The two scenes are usually very similar to make it seem smooth during the cut.

Voice-OverA voice over is usually used during a trailer, or when a character is thinking, it is used to show the characters thoughts.The voice over usually muffles the sound from the clip and is played loudly and said clearly.

Sound EffectsSound effects are usually made separate from the film and added over the top of a scene. The character is meant to be able to hear it (diegetic sound) but they actually don’t.

Synchronous and Asynchronous

Synchronous sound is where the sound and clips match in some way, like cuts in time to the beat. This builds up tension and is used commonly in chase scenes.Asynchronous sound is exactly the opposite. This tends to build tension, but is more closely related too panic and chaos which is similar to the chaotic sound.

Diegetic and Non-Diegetic sound

Non-Diegetic sound is where the sound is made in post-production or would not have been made while filming.

Angles

Camera work plays a huge part in action/adventure movies as they can decide how you view the character personally. Low angle shots make the character dominant. High angle shots make the character look weak and feeble.

Over the shoulder shot.

Over the shoulder shots prioritise the protagonist and is used a lot within conversation. This makes you feel apart of the group within the movie and merges you within the story.

Parallel editing

When the shot swaps between two different stories happening at once.

Diegetic/ Non-diegetic sound

• Diegetic sound – The sound in the scenes that the characters themselves can hear (E.g. explosions.)

• Non-diegetic sound – The sound that is added in editing that the characters themselves can’t hear. (E.g. Soundtrack music)

Cross cutting/ parallel editing

Cutting between 2 scenes that are taking place at the same time.

Establishing shot

a long- or extreme-long shot at the beginning of a scene indicating where the scene takes place, or who is involved in the scene.

Focus pull

A shot where the focus shifts. (e.g. to one person or object to the other.)

Diagetic/non-diagetic sound• Diegetic sound • Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is

implied to be present by the action of the film: • voices of characters • sounds made by objects in the story • music represented as coming from instruments in the story space

( = source music) • Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source

within the film's world • Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on

whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame.

• Another term for diegetic sound is actual sound

Non diegetic sound• Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been

implied to be present in the action: • narrator's commentary • sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect • mood music • Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source

outside story space. • The distinction between diegetic or non-diegetic sound depends on

our understanding of the conventions of film viewing and listening. We know of that certain sounds are represented as coming from the story world, while others are represented as coming from outside the space of the story events. A play with diegetic and non-diegetic conventions can be used to create ambiguity (horror), or to surprise the audience (comedy).

• Another term for non-diegetic sound is commentary sound.

Low-angle shot

• A low angle shot is essentially a shot tat is taken from a low angle to make the object or person seem enlarged and powerful even though they might not be it’s a shot that is good at representing dominance within characters.

High angle shot

• High-angle shot refers to when the camera is placed above eye level, looking down at the subject.

• Makes a character looks less dominant and weaker than that of a character who is represented in a low angle shot.

Diegetic / Non-diegetic

Sounds that the characters can / cannot hear (added in afterwards)

Sound Effects

Additional noises often played over the top of already existent ones in order to

place emphasis upon their purpose

Fast paced editing

Usually found in the form of a compilation, almost like a sped up montage, of short clips which are presented quickly to an audience

Jump cut

Extremely rare feature, incorporated into films to show a change in time (the

characters and the setting may remain the same, or similar, but the rest of the shot

shall document a passing of time)

Post production effects

Anything added into, or rather on to, a clip digitally after the scene has

been recorded

Wipe

One shot ‘slides’ over the next, thus continuing the last situation, possibly

showing a change in time

Diegetic/non diegetic

• Diegetic: sounds which can be heard by the characters e.g radio, gunshots

• Non diegetic: sounds which cant be heard by the characters

Low angle shot

• A shot taken from a low angle looking up to the character.

• This makes the character look bigger and stronger

180 Degree RuleThe 180 degree rule is a basic guideline used during filming and continuity editing where

characters (usually two) will only be shot from on side so that the camera will only move 180

degrees around the characters. If the 180 degree rule is disregarded in a clip, a sense of confusion and chaos is created as

the characters don’t appear to stay in the same place.

NON-diegetic soundsNon-diegetic sounds are sounds that are not

naturally in the clip, for example a voice over of music. These are sounds that the

characters would not be able to hear.

Over the shoulder shotAn over the shoulder shot is a shot of two or

more characters talking, and one of the characters is in the shot, but the camera is

behind the other characters, and their shoulder is usually in the shot.

MISE EN SCENEMise en-scene is the visual and theme of

a scene or film.It includes aspects of a film such as

props, costume, lighting, camerawork and editing.

Mise en scene is an important part of the setting the tone of a film

for example, this shot’s Mise en-scene is “Freedom”

Establishing shot: is a shot that shows the hole location to show the audience the location that the scene is set in

Definitions• Jump cut - A cut to roughly the same shot but with a jump in time• Match cut – A cut between two shots that roughly match but are

almost completely different• 180 degree rule – the rule that all scenes must be filmed on a 180

degree basis• Dip to black – A scene that fades out to black• Montage – A collection of clips typically to music• ELS – Extreme long shot• ECU – Extreme close up• Shot reverse shot - A shot that constantly flicks between two

people or things, typically in conversations.