Film Techniques
Structure
Editing
Genre
Mise-en-scene
Sound
Cinematography
Learning Intentions
• What is the POINT of films? Why make them?
• To entertain people
• To inform people
• To make money
• To tell a story/express the author’s vision
• Films are pieces of art – like a novel or a painting. They are considered to be ‘texts’
• Every tiny aspect of the film, each technique used, is chosen deliberately by the
filmmaker to create a certain effect
• By looking at all the techniques and thinking about WHY they were chosen, we can
understand more about the film’s meaning, point or purpose
1. “A picture is Film can show &
explain things
worth a thousand quickly, especially
words” speedy action
Why use film Audience sees it
2. Creator has more
(as opposed to
exactly the way
the director
control/power wants them to
see it
writing)?
Visual medium
works well for
3. Visual nature of modern
modern life audiences who
are used to visual
messages
Structure
Orientation – establish setting & characters
Complication – problem arises
Linear Structure Climax – key scene where problem is faced
Resolution – return to order
Non-linear Structure
• Start in the middle or even at the end (“in
medias res”)
• Use flashbacks or switch between multiple
different timelines
• Creates suspense or engagement – viewers
are curious to find out how we got to this
point
• Look out for structural breaks & think
about how they impact the film
Editing
Editing
Editing = the way shots are pieced
together
• Order – which happens first
• Transitions – how the film
switches between shots
• Length – how long we spend
on each shot
Types of Transitions
• Cut – Switch to new scene immediately. Suggests no
time has passed
• Cutaway – Switch to a new scene & then back to
first. Gives new information
• Cut-in – Switch to a zoomed-in portion of the same
scene. Draws attention to a new aspect of the scene
• Cross-cutting – Switching back and forth between
two scenes. Shows they’re linked
• Dissolve – Slow transition between scenes. Implies
time has passed or the new scene is a dream or
memory
Long &
Short Takes
Short takes – camera switches rapidly
between many quick shots
• Fast-paced action
• Create tension
• Mashup of many short takes is called a
montage
Long takes - camera keeps filming without
jumping to any other scene
• Allows time for conversations, character
development
• Can seem relaxed, unhurried, peaceful
• Can linger too long on painful scenes to
create feeling of discomfort
Short takes often used during the Long takes often used in orientation
Editing is linked climactic scenes of a film
• Make it seem more tense &
scenes of a film
• Seem more calm and relaxed
to structure dramatic
• Reach the conclusion more swiftly
• Help establish the setting and
characters
Genre
Genre
• Category or type of film, e.g. comedy, drama, action,
thriller, horror
• Genres have conventions – certain characters, themes,
or styles that are nearly always seen in films of that
type
• Sci-fi films often about the dangers of new
technology
• Westerns often about revenge, often have an ‘anti-
hero’
• Knowing a film’s genre can help you figure out the big
ideas: theme, overall message
Cinematography = Camera work
• Angle
Cinematograph • Movement
y • Shots
• Focus
• Long shot – gives information about the setting. Where are
3 Basic we? How does the character relate to this place?
• Mid shot – gives information about relationships between
Shots characters e.g. body language, how do they react to each
other?
• Close-up – gives information about one character – subtle
expressions are easier to see. Creates intimacy, helps
audience relate to them & share their emotions.
Mid shot Close-up
Long shot
Extreme Close-up
More Complex Shots
POV shot
• Extreme Close-up – intense, can create extreme
intimacy or discomfort. Sometimes make it feel
surreal, or can point out symbolism
• Point-of-view shot – help us empathise with the
character, you are in their shoes, can feel other
people’s reactions to them as if to you Aerial shot
• Aerial (bird’s eye) – shows the setting, creates
feeling of omniscience (all-seeing)
Mid/eye level angle Low angle High angle Canted Angle
• Eye level angle – natural, realistic, immersive. See things from normal characters’
point of view.
• Low angle – Makes subject seem scary or powerful, looming above
Camera Angles • High angle – Makes subject seem smaller, vulnerable/weak
• Canted angle (Dutch tilt) – creates disorder, imbalance. Feels unsettling, stressful,
something is wrong.
Basic Camera Movement
Dollying – camera moves along ground
• Follows characters as they move, keep pace with action
• Fast dollying creates frantic pace, slow can create sense of peace, gently
drifting through scenery
Tilting – movement upwards or downwards.
• Often starts at normal angle & tilts up or down
• Can show scale or add info about the setting
Panning – movement from side to side
• Introduces new information
• Can create humour or suspense, revealing information slowly
More Complex Camera
Movements
Compound motion (dolly zoom)
• Compound Motion – creates unusual
effects e.g. dolly/zoom together creates
head-spinning distorted visual warp
• Shaky cam – creates realism,
authenticity – seems like real footage of
Shaky cam
a real event
• Arc shot (circling) – different effects
depending on context. Sometimes can
seem dreamy & romantic, detailed, or
dizzying.
Arc shot
Focus
Focus
• Shallow focus – only one thing is in Shallow focus
focus, forces you to look at that. Blurs
out unimportant details, can create
romantic or dreamy feel
• Rack focus or pull focus – can direct
your attention e.g. to a specific detail,
or follow a character’s mental process Rack focus
• Deep focus – everything is in sharp
focus. Conveys clarity, objectivity,
realism. Not limited to one viewpoint.
You are impartial, not being told what
to focus on
Deep focus
Mise-en-Scene
Mise-en-Scene
• Mise-en-scene = means “setting the stage”
• Refers to set design & all visual elements
• Involves a combination of things and how they
create the overall look
• Props & costumes
• Set (room or place where scene happens)
• Lighting
• Use of space (proxemics)
Props &
Costumes
Show time & place
• Gives clues where & when it’s set, e.g. typewriter =
historical. Robot = future
Believable
• Even in a fantasy setting, props & costumes make you
feel like it’s a real place
• Suspension of disbelief
Symbolism
• Some objects are associated with ideas or feelings in
people’s minds, e.g. snakes = evil, clue that Slytherin
are baddies
• Director can use repeated shots of a certain prop
throughout a film to symbolise something within the
film
Lighting
3-point light setup:
• Key lights – Front lights, main illumination
• Fill lights – Soft, side-on lights, brighten
shadows
• Back lights – point down from up high,
behind the scene, help figures stand out
from background
Lighting = mood
Adjusting how much each light shines changes the film’s
mood.
• High Key lighting – all 3 lights are on full, creates bright
relaxing mood. We can see everything, no lurking
shadows.
• Low key lighting – high contrast, bright lights and dark
shadows. Often used in thrillers & crime films. Can
symbolise contrast in a character – light & shadow. Can
be used to highlight/draw attention.
• Backlighting – low overall light, stronger backlight,
weak key & fill lights. Shadowy silhouettes, create
mystery, fear. Can’t see faces.
Proxemics – use of space
• How characters & props are arranged in the shot.
Position onscreen in relation to each other.
• Reflects dynamics between characters, how they
feel about each other. Body language.
• Close or far apart?
• Does one loom over the other?
• Clashing head-on?
• Shows how characters feel about or relate to the
setting
• Small and insignificant compared to it, or
hugging the ground in relief
Proxemics
• Deep Space – large spacious set –
shows how far apart the characters are
emotionally, or shows character feels
lost/alone in their environment
• Shallow space – close, intimate,
crowded together. Shows how friendly
the characters are or how connected a
character feels to their environment
• Depends on context – shallow space
could also be used to create a feeling of
claustrophobia or anxiety, deep space
could also be used to create a feeling of
peace and reflection
Sound
Diegetic
• Can be heard by characters in the film. Car driving, radio
playing, insects buzzing etc
• Creates realism, makes us feel like we’re there
Non-diegetic
• Layered on top. Can’t be heard by characters in the film. Only
the audience can hear it. Voice-over narration & movie
soundtrack
• Music builds emotion & creates mood
• Voice-over can help explain what’s happening OR subvert (say
the opposite of what’s on the screen)
