Notes

media langauage

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Different MEDIA FORMS have different MEDIA LANGUAGES as an introduction it is worth looking overall at what constitutes the LANGUAGE OF MOVING IMAGE – in other words, key terminology – which also suggests that there is a GRAMMAR or CONVENTION or set of rules

SPACE – SIZE – SCALE – ANGLE

Angle = High angle / Low angle / bulls-eye / birds eye / canted angle
Space = Tracking / Panning / Craning / Tilting / Hand held / Steadicam
Size/ Scale = Establishing Shot / Long Shot / Medium Shot / Close-up / Big Close-Up / Extreme Close Up

The Edit

without any footage, there is nothing to edit.

Moving image products are constructed around the concept of putting things together (stitching pieces together to create narrative). This idea of sewing / stitching the audience into the text was developed by theoreticians of the “Screen theory”.

THE CAMERA

The most important tool in a camera is the focus and depth of field (ie how much is in focus). The focus is used to direct and prioritise elements in a shot and therefore prioritise certain information.

It may switch our focus (known technically as a pull focus / rack focus / follow focus) between one element and another.

Parallel Editing

The use of sequential editing (editing one clip to another) allows for a number of key concepts to be produced:

  • parallel editing: two events editing together
  • flashback / flash-forward – allowing time to shift

Montage

Editing is the process of putting one element / idea next to another. It was first conceptually theorised as the Kuleshov effect, in that adding one element / idea to another actually produces a third idea / element, which if constructed well can produce in the audience an idea that isn’t actually present.

 Invisible Editing / Continuity Editing

Continuity editing can be seen as the opposite of montage editing as the main aim is to create a sense of realism or ‘believability’ known as verisimilitude and has it’s own structure of rules where shots are edited together at particular times or on particular shots.

  • match on action
  • eye-line match
  • graphic match
  • sound bridge
  • 30′ rule
  • 180′ rule

hot progression

Conventional shot progression – to create VERISIMILITUDE (ie realism, believability) usually involves the following shots (although not always in the same order).

  • establishing shot / ES, moving to
  • wide shot / WS,
  • to medium shot / MS,
  • to close up / CU,
  • to big close up / BCU;
  • and then back out again

Shot / Reverse Shot

The Shot / Reverse Shot a really good starting point for students to both think about and produce moving image products. The basic sequence runs from a wide angle master shot that is at a 90′ angle to (usually) two characters. This sets up the visual space and allows the film-maker to to then shoot separate close-ups, that if connected through an eye-line match are able to give the impression that they are opposite each other talking. The shots are usually over the shoulder.

Key Words

  • enigma
  • dramatic irony
  • foreshadowing
  • repetition / reiteration
  • back story
  • exposition of theme / character / setting / plot
  • development of theme / character / setting / plot
  • pay off or resolution of theme / character / plot
  • denouement
  • dramatic arc
  • climax / resolution
  • interior monologue
  • cause and effect
  • resolution
  • non sequitur
  • ellipsis
  • cliff-hanger

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