In cinematography, diegesis refers to the world of the film and what’s happening inside it.

Diegetic gaze is described as the way the audience interprets different elements of the film, e.g. how a specific shot enhances or alters the tone of a scene

Intra-diegetic gaze is used when the audience is placed within a character’s viewpoint, typically as a first person view, e.g. during scenes where a sniper rifle is in use – the camera typically follows the perspective of the scope.

Extra-diegetic gaze, often known as “4th wall breaking”, is used when a character addresses the audience by either looking into the camera, or talking to them through monologue, e.g. films such as Deadpool use this to stand out from other films in their genre, emphasising comedic elements of the film.