ISL 1 - Glossary Of Terms

Glossary of Terms

Camera Shots, Composition, Framing and Angles

Aerial shot - A camera shot filmed from an airplane, helicopter, blimp, balloon, kite or high building (higher than a crane).

Arc shot - A shot in which a moving camera circles round the subject being photographed.

Bridging shot - A shot that connects one scene to another by showing a change in time or location. A bridging shot can also be used to connect two shots from the same scene by using a close-up, distant pan or different camera angle thus relating the shots via content.

Close-up - A shot in which a smallish object (e.g. the human head) fits easily within the frame.

Crane shot - A shot in which the camera rises above the ground on a mobile support.

Establishing shot - A long shot, often the first in a sequence, this establishes the positions of elements relative to each other and identifies the setting.

Extreme close-up - A shot in which a small object (e.g. a part of the body) fits easily within the frame.

Frontality - The placing of the camera at a 90º angle to the action.

Long shot - A shot in which a large object (e.g. a complete human figure) fits easily within the frame.

Medium shot - A shot in which a medium-size object (e.g. the top half of a human figure) fits easily within the frame.

Overhead shot - A shot looking down vertically on the action from above.

Passing shot - A shot producing a projected image that travels quickly across the screen, either by moving the subject past a stationary camera or by panning the camera past a stationary subject.

Reaction shot - A close-up in which an actor or group is seen to respond to an event, often accomplished with a cut away from the primary action to someone viewing the occurrence.

Two shot - A shot in which two actors appear within the frame.

Composition - The complete arrangement of a scene by the director. The process includes camera angles, lighting, properties, characters, and the movement of the actors.

Framing - The size and position of objects relative to the edges of the screen; the arrangement of objects so that they fit within the actual boundaries of the film.

180º rule - The convention that the camera can be placed in any position as long as it remains on one side of the action.

Crossing the line - Breaking the 180º rule typical of continuity editing.