Class notes

Film Studies A level notes

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Whole course

Institution
AQA

Provides definitions and notes on all necessary film terms as well as key exam necessary information, sections on the history of film and analysis of several key films such as pulp fiction, la la land and many more. Organised and colourful this document will make film studies easy to revise and you...

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Uploaded on October 16, 2023
Number of pages 98
Written in 2021/2022
Type Class notes
Professor(s) Leahy
Contains All classes

film
film studies
history of film
revision
exam information
analysis
information
simple
easy to understand
easy to read
colour coded
film production
screenwriting
editing
lightin
produ
notes
colourful

Study Level
A/AS Level
Examinator
AQA
Subject
Film studies
Unit
Whole course

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-Film Studies-i
Key Terms

Micro features

-Cinematography: lighting, depth of field, audience positioning,
-Performance
-Sound

Shot Types…
-Two shot: Balanced, two people in frame.

-Tracking shot: follows subject (often hand held).

Establishing shot: Typically opens film, gives sense of environment

-POV shot: Taken from subjects point of view/through their eyes.

-Pan shot: Left to right/ Right to left.

-Cowboy shot: Hips/waist (usually used to show subject holding something).

-Eye level shot: Shot as though the viewer is part of the scene (simple, common shot).

-High angle shot: Looking down on subjects at an angle (makes them appear small/weak).

-Low angle shot: Camera is below the subject looking up at them at an angle (makes them appear intimidating,
proud, strong etc).
-Camera pan shot: Goes around subject.

-Knee level shot: Used in piece by piece introduction.

-Aerial shot: In the air.

-Static shot: Doesn’t move.

-Dolly shot: Moves around at the same/constant level, stable, dolly zoom=camera moves in, zoom,

only camera lens moves in.

-Crab shot:Moves horizontally.

-Midshot: Waist up, mainly face/half of the subject.

-Dutch tilt/Canted angle: Camera is tilted.

-Tilt: Camera stays in place but angles up.

-Birdseye view: Shot from above looking down (usually used to show where characters are going).

-Close up: Subject takes up the entire shot.

-Pedestal: Up and Down.

,-Over the shoulder: Far conversation.

-Whip pan: Rapid turn around/aversion.

Focus Types…
-Camera focus: Viewers point of attention.

-Deep focus: Everything in focus.

-Shallow focus: Directly next to subject-background blurred.

-Soft focus: Blurry ,soft, ethereal effect.
-Extreme close up: (usually used when following the subject).
-Medium close up: Closer than midshot.

Editing Types...
-Cut: Camera shot -> next camera shot.

-Cut on action: Used in lots of action films e.g. cuts when someone is punched etc.

-Cut away: Cuts away to a completely different scene.

-Cross cut: From one shot to another back to the first (e.g. in a conversation).

-Jump cut: Abrupt cut/change.

-Match cut: Matching composition of shot to next shot.

-Fade: Fade into black/white into the next shot (transition).

-Dissolve cut: Dissolves/fades between two shots.

-Smash cut: Very abrupt cut to something else contrasting -> make the audience

uncomfortable/disjointed, can show irony.

-Iris cut: Shot goes into an iris and fades out.

-Wipe: Wipe effect between two shots.

-Invisible cut: Looks like there has been no cut.

-L cut: More abrupt sound and it cuts to different shot on the sound and the sound continues on to

the next scene.

-J cut: Sound comes in before the cut to the next scene.

Lighting Types…
-High-key lighting: Less shadow/contrast between the darker and brighter areas

-Low-key lighting: More contrast between darker and brighter areas/majority of the scene in

shadow.

,-3 point lighting:Three-point lighting is a traditional method for illuminating a subject in a scene

with light sources from three distinct positions. (The three types of lights are key light, fill light, and backlight.)

-2 point lighting: The 2 light sources point towards each other and the subject is placed between the

two. It is a straight line from light source 1 to the subject to light source 2.

-Reflector:In photography and cinematography, a reflector is an improvised or specialised reflective

surface used to redirect light towards a given subject or scene.

-Key light: The main source of light.

-Back light: Illumination from behind, typically not noticeable, makes them lighter than background,

easier to track - character stands out.

-Fill light: Used to reduce contrast in a scene and keep detail.

-Noir side lighting: Contrast, shows duality (inner conflict, good and bad etc).

-Chiaroscuro lighting: Italian term for light and dark - refers to high contrast light/dark style

used in Renaissance painting and later in film.
-Diffused overhead lighting:
Practical lighting:
Hard lighting: Shadows have defined clear line - e.g. casablanca and blade runner

Ambient lighting: Sources of light that are already there e.g street lamps

Sound Types…
-Diegetic: Part of the scene.(e.g dialogue,sounds created in the scene as though characters can hear it themselves).

-Non diegetic: Not part of the scene (e.g soundtrack, added over top).

-Foley sound: Technique in which sound effects are recreated for the purpose of clarity or emphasis.

During filming the only element actually recorded is dialogue in most cases. It is created by artists

who use everyday objects to create similar sounds and match this to the visuals.

-Phonology: Sound related

Other…
Cold open: The practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title

sequence or opening credits are shown. (In television, this is often done on the theory that involving the audience in the
plot aSAP will reduce the likelihood of their switching from a show during the opening commercial. may also be used to recap events in
previous episodes or storylines that will be revisited during the current episode.)

, -Micro Features: Small elements put together to create meaning/a message. (e.g sound, music, dialogue,
sound effects, Mise en scene-setting the stage, costumes, setting, props, lighting, performance, stereotypes, cinematography- way the camera
tells a story, editing, angles, reactions).
-Macro Features: Larger,broader aspects. (e.g. Genres-types, narrative, events, storytelling).

-Intertextuality: The combination of different texts.

-Colour grading: Improving the appearance of/ enhancing an image for presentation in different.

.environments/on different devices (e.g blue=ocean,calm,cold etc. orange = connotations of warmth, joy etc. Blue and
orange are the most common colours used in colour grading).
-The American Dream:The belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they

were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible

for everyone. The American Dream is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work,

rather than by chance. (links to boyhood and la la land)

-Vemödalen: The fear that everything has already been done.No way to not reference something

else or be fully unique.(links to chazelle)

-Gaussian blur: Reduces image detail and gives a soft blurred effect typically used for making

women look more flawless and attractive (used in casablanca)

-Indie:The term indie is used with the meaning "Independent" to refer to movies, music and video

games created without financial backing from major companies. (INDIE was first applied to niche music bands

operating outside of the mainstream.)

Analepsis: Another term for flashback

Editing

Eyeline match: we see what character is looking at and then see it through their eyes/pov shot

-You edit everything together so it all flows together visually. Editing also gives room to add

effects and tailor scenes to fit the style of film and improve overall quality.

Rule of 6:

1) Emotion: Portraying the right emotion/making the audience feel the correct emotion (by how many
shots in the sequence, speed, emphasising, short cuts etc)

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