Realism

Verisimilitude – the appearance of a movie being true or real.

Social Realism – the realistic depiction in art of contemporary life, in terms of social or political content.

Magic Realism – a literary or artistic genre in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy.

Hyperreality – the inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality

Visual Style

Iconography – a particular range or system of types of image used by an artist or artists to convey particular meanings.

Intertextual referencing – the relationship between texts, anytime one text is referenced in another text.

Visual motifs – visual motif refers specifically to the visible elements that reoccur in your film to help tell your story. This can include things like props, set design, symbols, events and costumes. Specific colours or colour combinations can also be used as motifs.

Sound Motif – A sound effect or combination of sound effects that are associated with a particular character, setting, situation or idea through the film

Colour Grading – the process of editing film or video footage to have a new look to help make a video feel more vibrant and stylistic.

Auteur Trademarks – an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded and personal that the director is likened to the “author” of the film, thus manifesting the director’s unique style or thematic focus.

Tone

Pathos – something that evokes an emotional response from the audience. Anything from sadness to happiness, anger and envy.

Bathos – is a sudden, often humorous drop in tone during an anti-climax.

Suspense – a state of uncertainty about a specific outcome and it is typically coupled with feelings of anxiousness and anticipation.

Comedy – films designed to elicit laughter from the audience,  crafted to amuse, entertain, and provoke enjoyment.

Dramatic effect – the ability to emphasize, embellish or enhance an emotion, feeling or happenstance depending on the situation.

Distancing Effect – the use of techniques designed to distance the audience from emotional involvement in the play through jolting reminders of the artificiality of the theatrical performance

Postmodern Humour – linking humour with serious meanings