MICRO ELEMENTS OF FILM STUDIES

ANGLES SHOT SIZE MOVEMENT

camera work
•Extreme long shot (XLS) Subject is far away •pa n Camera moves left or right-shaking
•HI G H The camera is above the subject
•LONG SHOT (LS) Whole subject can be seen •t i lt Camera moves up and down-nodding
•L O W The camera is below the subject •MEDIUM LONG SHOT (MLS) Top of head to thighs •p e d Camera looks forward, sliding up or down
•Medium/Mid shot (MS) Top of head to waist •d o l ly Camera moves forward, fixed position
•C A NTED The subject appears tilted
•t r a c k
•Medium close-up (MCU) Top of head to chest Smooth sideways shot. Aka, ‘crab’
•EY E L EV EL Camera is level with subject’s eyes
•Close-up (CU) Top of head & shoulders
•z o o m
•c r a n e Camera lens moves forward or back
•B I R D’S EY E Camera is high in the air •Big close-up (BCU) Whole head •s t e a d i c a m Not placed on tripod, held ‘in hands’
•W O R M’S EY E Camera is low on the ground •Extreme close-up (ECU) A part of the head •p o v From perspective of a person

MISE-EN-SCENE
SET TI NGS & PROPS
e di t i ng
•JUMP CUT Sudden cut from one shot to another
performance
Where the scene is, when the scene is and the objects •FADE-OUT A fade from one scene to another SHY TRANSFORMATIVE BRASH
used to show this. FLIRTATIOUS REALISTIC RASH
CO STUME, HA IR & M A KE-UP •DISSOLVE Gradual fade as the image dissolves
ADVENTUROUS SILLY IRRESPONSIBLE
Clothes worn & style of hair. •CUT AWAY Film cuts to something else off screen.
FACIAL EXPRESSION & BODY LANGUAGE IMMATURE CHILDISH CHEMISTRY
How people move their body and faces •WIPE Image wipes to reveal a new image. WILD AGGRESSIVE IMPOSING
LIGHTING & COLOUR Is a cut that shows two views of
•MATCH-ON ACTION the same action. CAREFREE CAMP CHILD-LIKE
The brightness, colour, position and size of light. The
overall colour, tone or temperature of a scene. •GRAPHIC MATCH One object is matched by one of a COURAGEOUS METHOD ACTING
similar shape on the next shot.

EFFECTS T YPES SOUNDTRAC K

sound
DEAFENING BANG HOWL DIEGETIC Sound the characters can
hear
BOMBASTIC CRAWLING SPRITELY
HARSH BUZZ ECHOING DRAMATIC PIERCiNG IMPOSING
LOUD CRACKLING GROWL Sound the characters MOVING SHRILL PACEY
NON DIEGTEIC cannot hear
SUBTLE SCREECH WHIMPER SWEEPING PLAYFUL REGAL
Sound that is in contrast
BRASH SNAPPING RUMBLE CONTRAPUNTAL to the images EVOCATIVE DELICATE LANGUID
MUFFLED THUD ROAR PULSING CHILLED GLOOMY
PARALLEL Sound that is similar to
MELODIOUS RUSTLE VOCIFEROUS the images FAST SOARING SCARY
 sh o t si ze s ca m er a a n gl es
• What is the main object we are focusing on? Is it a person? • Where is the camera placed?
• How far away from the camera is the object or person? • Where is the camera in relation to the main object or person?
• Why do you think the camera is where it is? • Is the camera looking ‘straight on’ to the person or object?
How does the camera draw attention to this person or object?

cam e r a
• • Or is the camera looking at an ‘angle’?
• Would the film feel different if the camera was closer/further away? • What is the angle trying to communicate?
• Is one character always shown at the same distance? • Does the angle make a person appear taller or shorter?
• Why is one shot size used consistently, i.e; long shots for locations? • How does the angle chosen help to suggest something?
• Does the shot size work to show people in the same way? • Why do you think the angle has been chosen?
• Why might the shot size change, even if the object doesn't? • How would it look if the angle was different in some way?

What i s ci nem at o graphy ?

Cinematography is a term that applies to both mise-en-scene and to
camera ‘work’. It is concerned with the shot size, the camera angle,
the movement of the camera and also other elements such as focus,
colour, light and shade, ratio, camera stock and lens/camera type.

wo r k
Most of this you will not be expected to know/analyse, but it’s
important to know that cinematography can include aspects of
camera work and mise-en-scene.

c am e r a m o ve m e n t ca mer a mov ement shot ang le shot size

• Does the camera stay still or does it move at all? • Pan • High • Extreme long shot (XLS)
• When the camera moves, what direction does it move? • Tilt • Low • Long shot (LS)
• How can we describe the movement of the camera? • Dolly • Canted • Medium long shot (MLS)
• Does the movement have a specific term or name? • Zoom • Eye-level • Medium shot (MS)
• What is this movement showing us that it didn’t show before? • Crane • Bird’s Eye • Medium close-up (MCU)
• Is the movement from the whole camera or the lens zooming? • Ped • Worm’s Eye • Close-up (CU)
• Does the movement help to emphasise someone or something? • Track • Big close-up (BCU)
• What is the connection between what we see at the start of the • Crab • Extreme close-up (ECU)
camera movement, to what we see at the end of the movement? • Steadicam
 sh o t si ze s ca m er a a n gl es
the vast majority of the shot types in this scene are medium shots
which helps the audience to focus on the characters body language, there is no distinct use of camera angles in this scene as
including their gestures, body posture, body movement, the
proximity of the character etc. some close up shots of the characters they're mostly eye level shots for the scenes. The way in
cam e r a
help show a clear comparison between the narrator's confused and which the camera angle doesn't distinguish a difference
distraught expression compared to Tyler's happy and almost between the characters feelings of inferiority or superiority
unsettling smiley expression. there are also some over the shoulder with use of high and low angles hinting again to the
shots we can see from behind Edward Norton's characters shoulder
but we never see any over the shoulder shots from behind Brad audience they're the same person.
Pitt's character hinting at the big plot twist at the end of the movie
and it is a clever way of subtly telling the audience Tyler Durden
isn't really there without us realising.
des cri pt i o n o f s cene
in this scene, we see Tyler Durden and The Narrator outside a bar and
Tyler has just asked The Narrator to hit him which causes him confusion as
to why he would even ask that and eventually after debating the idea, he
hits Tyler in the ear.
wo r k c am e r a m o ve m e n t
there are only two types of camera movement in this scene,
one being a simple pan left and then right to follow Tyler after
he got hit towards the end of the scene. the other one being a
ped when Tyler gets up after placing the bottles on the ground

m o st i m p o r ta nt sh o t s o r m o ve m e nt s
the most important shot types in this scene that stood out to me
were the over the shoulder shots and the use of mostly medium
shots because the scene focuses primarily on body language.
 mise-
setting & props costume, hair and make-up:
• Where is this scene taking place? • How are people dressed?
• What do we learn about the situation? • Does anyone stand out with their costume? In what way?
• Was an establishing shot used to set the scene? • What does the clothing of everyone suggest about the
• How does the setting communicate ideas about the film? situation or scene?
• Is the setting a generic convention? • Is hair used to signify anything about any characters?
• What props can we see? • Do people have make up on? Who? Why?
• Do the props help to establish a time or place? • Is make-up used as a visual effect to create a specific
• Are there any significant props? appearance for a character?

en-
production design: facial expression and body language: stock & aspect ratio
• How would you describe the • Are the actors using their faces in an interesting way? Are • How does the film stock
overall look of the film? they pulling a certain face?! What does this tell us? appear; clean and clear, dirty
• Does the mise-en-scene • How are people standing? Are they posing in a certain way or mottled?
create a time period or help of using their body to communicate their feelings at all? • Has film stock been used or
to establish a genre? • What can we learn about people based just on their faces has the film been digitally
• Is character or personality and how they’re reacting to others around them? Is it graded to create grain? Why?
reflected in the production suggesting anything about their feelings, emotions or • What aspect ration is the film?
design? How is this achieved? character as a person? Why was that chosen?

scene
lighting and colour : positioning of objects and people:
• Is this scene bright/dark? What colours stand out? Is anything • Where are the people standing? Is anyone in a place that really
particularly bright? Where is the light coming from? stands out? Where?
• Are there any parts of the scene that are darker than others? • Who is the most important person in this scene? How can we
• Why is this lighting like this? What does it tell us about the tell this?
time of day or the situation as a whole? • What do we learn about this situation or scene based on what
• What does the colour or light tell us about the people or we can see in terms of where people and objects are?
scene? • What does the composition of the scene direct us to look at?
• Has the overall colour been graded in post-production? Why? • Are any props placed in a significant place? For what reason?
 mise-
setting & props costume, hair and make-up:
Edward Norton's character is wearing a suit but it's scruffy looking
The setting of the scene is just outside of the entrance of the because he isn't wearing a tie, his shirt isn't done up properly.
bar they were just in. The only props in the scene are the This tells the audience he's perhaps tired and worn out after
two beer bottles that Tyler is holding and also the briefcase having been to the bar with Tyler. His hair is also quite scruffy and
that the narrator is holding. The use of the beer bottles and not really done up to looks presentable. Tyler's seen wearing a
the location being outside of the bar hints to the audience button up Hawaiian shirt and on top of that a red leather jacket.
that the characters are probably quite drunk. They The fact he's wearing the colour red has connotations of
violence which makes sense in the scene as he starts a fight with
the narrator. Tyler's hair is gelled up to look almost spikier which
also has connotations of violence.
en-
production design: facial expression and body language: stock & aspect ratio
The majority of this scene Tyler's facial expression throughout this scene is weirdly
is quite dark and not lit very happy which is strange to viewers as he's asking the
well because it's night time narrator to hit him. He also starts jumping up and down
and the fact that the scene as if psyching himself up for it to get ready meaning he
takes place outside of a bar wants this to happen. The narrator's expression however
creates a negative and is quite confused and uncomfortable, his body language
unsettling atmosphere for is quite stiff too telling the audience he's against the idea
the audience. of punching him.
scene
lighting and colour : positioning of objects and people:
the lighting in this scene is constantly dark so it would be low throughout the majority of the scene the two characters
key lighting. the only lights we can see in the scene are those remain separate from each other by about a metre until the
outside the bar. the darkness of this scene creates a cold and end when the narrator actually makes contact by hitting him.
almost unsettling aesthetic for the viewers. the colour black during the scene, Tyler moves away to place the beer bottles
dominates the colours in this scene just to tell the audience out of the way and to free his hands hinting that he wants to
it's dark out and it's night time. start fight. same with the narrator as he places his brief case
on the floor before hitting Tyler.