close-up

an image that shows the subject from the neck up or frames an object at a close distance.

composition

the arrangement and relationship of the visual elements within a frame; more precisely, the

organization, distribution, balance and general relationship of stationary objects and figures, as well as of

light, shade, line, and color, within the frame.

continuity editing

film editing that provides for a sense of uninterrupted and continuous narrative action

within each scene, maintaining the illusion of diegetic reality for the spectator.

cross cutting

cutting between two separate scenes that occur at the same time or at

different times.

cut

the juxtaposition or splicing of two shots.

deep focus

an image with a great depth of field, where foreground, mid-ground, and background objects

are all in focus.

the task of selecting or joining camera takes OR the set of techniques that governs the relations

among shots.

establishing shot

a shot, usually at the beginning of a scene, that situates where and sometimes when the

action that is to follow takes place before it is broken up through editing.

graphic match

two successive shots joined so as to create a strong similarity in compositional

elements.

high-key lighting

a scene that is brightly and evenly lit. In contrast, low-key lighting involves the use of

shadow areas and chiaroscuro

an image in which the distance between the camera and the subject is great.

camera pivots side to side, scanning horizontally

point-of-view shot

a shot simulating the viewpoint of a character or group of characters. Also

called a “subjective shot” or “subjective camera” or “subjective point of view.”

scene

a dramatic unit composed of a single shot or several shots.  usually takes place in a

continuous time period, in the same setting, and involves the same characters.

a continuously exposed and unedited image of any length.

superimposition

two or more shots that appear simultaneously on the screen, in an overlapping fashion.

camera pivots up or down, scanning vertically

voice-over

non-synchronous commentary from an off-screen source. The voice may be that of a

disembodied narrator (in either a narrative film or a documentary) or of a character, either in the form of

an interior monologue or addressing the spectator directly

allegory

a type of story, film or play in which the objects, characters and plot represent a larger idea than

that contained in the narrative itself.

climax

the narrative’s turning point, marking the transition between rising action and falling action

content

the subject of an artwork or the “what” of cinematic expression.

diegesis/diegetic

the “world of the fiction,” or the world of the fictional film, including both what is

shown (visible in the film) and what is not shown or implied as part of the narrative world.

everything that a movie presents on its surface

the images, action and dialogue necessary to give the audience the background of the

characters and nature of their situation, laying the foundation for the rest of the narrative.

familiar image

any image that a director periodically repeats in a movie (with or without variations)

flat character

a character that is one-dimensional and easily remembered because his or her motivations

and actions are predictable.

the means by which a subject is expressed or the “how” of cinematic expression.

a type of film that audiences and filmmakers recognize by familiar narrative, stylistic, and

iconographic conventions and characterizations.

an association, connection, or inference that a viewer makes on the basis of the given

(explicit) story and form of a film.

the referencing of other films or texts and their associated narrative and aesthetic elements

mise en scène

a French term taken from its usage in theater to mean “staging,” or “placement of the

scene.” In film, the term signifies the elements and overall “feel” within a shot and/or frame.

narrative film

also known as fiction film. A movie that tells a story—with characters, places and

events—that is conceived in the mind of the film’s creator

a voice that helps tell the story.

omniscient point of view

the most basic and common point of view in films. Omniscient means that the

camera has complete or unlimited perception of what the cinematographer chooses for it to see and hear;

this point of view shows what the camera sees.