CEMS Terminology

Camera:

• Establishing shot - camera shows the entire place or scene
• Close-up - camera focuses on an object or person close up
• Two-shot - two characters are shown in a single shot
• Aerial shot - a shot from an extreme high angle from above, birds eye view
• Point-of-view shot - the audience shares a character's perspective and what they are seeing
• Over the shoulder - camera look over a characters shoulder, used to show conversation
• High angle - camera is high up looking down, convey weakness or little significance
• Low angle - camera is low down looking up, conveys importance or high significance
• Canted angle - crooked anle: camera is not level
• Pan - camera moves horizontally across a setting from a fixed position
• Tilt - camera moves vertically up or down a person or object
• Track - camera moves alongside a character or object
• Crane - camera is fixated on a crane
• Steadicam - camera is supported on a piece of equipment
• Hand-held - camera held in hand, conveys a more personal approach
• Zoom - zoom in on something
• Reverse zoom - zoom out to get bigger picture or include everything within scene

Editing: 

• Cut - a sudden change of shot from one viewpoint or location to another. Cutting can be used in order to:  change the scene, compress time, vary the point of view, build up an image or idea.
• Matched cut - Conveying a familiar relationship between the shots to make the change seem smooth and professional. Matched cuts are used for: continuity of direction, complete action, a similar centre of attention in the frame, a one step change of shot size (e.g. small to long), a change of angle.
• Jump cut - an abrupt switch from one scene to another which may be used deliberately to make a dramatic point. Sometimes boldly used to begin or end action. Alternatively, it may be the result of poor pictorial continuity, perhaps from deleting a section. 
• Motivated cut - cut made just at the point where what has occurred makes the viewer immediately want to see something which is not currently visible (portraying change in time). A typical feature is the shot/reverse shot technique.
• Cutting rate - frequent cuts may be used as deliberate interruptions to shock, surprise or emphasize.
• Cutting rhythm - a cutting rhythm ma be progressively shortened to increase tension. Cutting rhythm may create an exciting, lyrical or staccato effect in the viewer.  
• Cross cut - a cut from one line of action to another. Also applied as an adjective to sequences which use such cuts. 
• Reaction shot - any shot, usually cutaway, in which a participant reacts to action which has just occurred.
• Insert shot - a bridging close-up shot inserted into larger context, offering an essential detail of the scene.
• Buffer shot - a bridging shot to separate two shots which would have reversed the continuity of direction. 
• Fade - the picture gradually appears from (fades in) or disappears to (fades out) a blank screen. a slow fade in is a quiet introduction to a scene; a slow fade out is a peaceful ending.
• Wipe - an optical effect marking a transition between two shots. 
• Inset - a special visual effect whereby a reduced shot is superimposed on the main shot.
• Split screen - the division of the screen into parts which can show the viewer several images at the same time. 

Sound:

• Direct sound (diegetic) - live sound. This may have a sense of freshness, spontaneity and authentic atmosphere. Creates a realistic sense to the scene.
• Studio sound (non-diegetic) - sound recorded in the studio to improve sound quality, eliminating unwanted background noise. 
• Selective sound - the removal of some sounds and the retention of others to signify specific sounds making them more recognisable, or for dramatic effect. 
• Sound bridge - adding to continuity through sound, by running sound from one shot across a cut to another shot to make the action see uninterrupted. 
• Dubbed dialogue - post recording the voice track in the studio, the actors matching their words to the on screen lip movements. 
• Parallel sound - sound caused by some even on screen and which matches the action.
• Sound effects (SFX) - any sound from any source other than synchronised dialogue, narration or music.
• Silence - the juxtaposition of an image and silence can frustrate expectations, provoke odd, self concious response. Helps to build tension and suspense with a scene. 
• Music - introduce (theme tune) or establish a scene or film. Music usually mirrors actions, atmosphere or emotion of the current scene. 

Mise en scene: 

• Setting - gives a sense of place and time. Establishes context of scene or film as well as the mood and atmosphere. 
• Costume and make-up - costume and make-up indicate the period, social class, culture factors, character traits, occupation, status, wealth of a scene, film or character. 
• Figure, expression and movement - includes body language, appearance, facial expression, sound elements. Portrays how characters are feeling or their attitudes. Also conveys if characters have any disabilities or distinctive manorisms. 

Lighting and Focus:

• Brightness - conveys emotion and atmosphere within a scene. High key lighting means an overall brighter picture, which can convey calmness, non-threatening and positive moods. . Low key lighting means an overall darker picture which can show mystery or ambiguity. 
• Quality of light - the quality of light is its perceived hardness or softness. a hard quality has dark shadows with sharp edges, while a soft quality has lighter, diffused shadows. 
• Focus - is the overall sharpness of the image; ranging from very soft to very sharp. 
• Depth of field - is the amount of acceptable focus behind and in front of the subject.
• Perspective - is the breadth and depths of the image, which can manipulated with the choice of lens. the foreground and background can either appear closer together (compressed) or further away (decompressed).
• Colour - is manipulated through lighting, art direction, and laboratory procedure. Shooting in colour adds a new set of aesthetic variables. Cool colours are associated with aloofness and strife whereas warm colours are associated with romance.