1. Film Studies
Glossary Of Film Terms
Camera Techniques
Terms Definition
Boom (1) a camera movement up or down through space
(2) a long 'arm' carrying a microphone to be balanced over the actors so that
sound can be picked up
(3) a high movable platform that can support an entire camera unit
Close-up A shot of one face or object taken at close range and that fills the screen
completely.
Establishing shot A shot that comes at the beginning of a sequence and that shows the audience
the general location of the scene that follows, often providing essential
information and orienting the viewer.
Extreme close-up A shot of a small object of part of a face that fills the screen.
Eye level A shot that approximates human vision and in which the line between the
camera and the subject filmed is parallel to the ground.
High angle A shot in which the camera looks down on what is being filmed.
Level camera A angle in which the camera lens is even with the subject.
angle
Long shot A shot taken from enough distance to show a landscape, a building or a large
crowd.
Low angle A shot in which the camera looks up at what is being filmed.
Medium shot A shot between a long shot and a close-up that might show two people in full
figure or several people from waist up.
Opening shot A shot used at the beginning of a film
Pan A shot in which the camera rotates horizontally to the left( pan left) or right
(right pan). Also used as a verb.
Tilt A shot in which the camera points up ( tilt up) or down (tilt down) from a fixed
base.
Tracking Shot A shot taken with a moving camera, usually forward or backward, and
sometimes on an actual track.
Zoom The use of the camera lens to move closer to(zoom in) or farther from (zoom
out) the subject being filmed.
2. Editing Techniques – Lighting, Sounds and Sequence
Cut (1) an abrupt transition from one shot to another, the first being immediatly
replaced by a second.
(2) to edit a film, or (during filming) to stop a camera running a scene
Dissolve A gradual change of scene, in which the end of one scene is superimposed over
the beginning of a new one
Edit To assemble a complete film from its various shots and soundtracks
Fade Out/ Fade A film editing technique in which one scene gradually goes dark and a new one
In gradually emerges from the darkness
Flashback A sequence of a film that goes back in time to show what happened earlier in
the story
Intercut The act of cutting from one shot to the next to show characters as they engage
in dialogue
Sound effects Imitative sounds ( eg. Of thunder or an explosion) that are produced artifically
for a film.
Soundtrack (1) all the recorded sound of a film, including dialogue, sound effects and
music;
(2) the music that accompanies a film
Special Effects A general term that covers many tricks of filmmaking that cannot be acheived
by direct photography
Subtitle A printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign-language film shown at the
bottom of a screen(eg. A French film with English subtitles).
Title Sequence The written material displayed on the screen at the beginning of a film for the
audience to read, and giving the names of the people involved in the production
of the film( eg. The main actors, director, producer, etc.) Sometimes called
opening credits or titles.
Voice-over The voice of a narrator, generally not seen, heard on a soundtrack of a film.
Wipe A device used for quick changes of a scene: a line appear at an edge or corner
of the screen and 'wipes' across, bringing a new picture with it.
Miscellaneous
Genre A type or class of film, eg. Horror film, comedy, musical, western, etc.
Plot The main story-line of a film
Screenplay/ A written description of the dialogue and action of a film, often with basic
Script camera directions.
Storyboard A series of drawings showing the scenes, shot by shot, and transitions for a
film. The storyboard gives the director a clear idea of how the final film will
look.
