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Tina Hartnell

Camera work

Aerial Shot – A camera shot taken from an overhead position. Often used as an establishing shot.Extreme Close Up – A shot where a part of a face or body of a character fills the whole frame/dominates the frame. Also can be a shot of an object where only a small part of it dominates the frame.Medium Shot – the framing of a subject from waist up.Two Shot – A shot of two characters, possible engaging in conversation. Usually to signify/establish some sort of relationshipPoint-Of-View Shot (POV) – Shows a view from the subject’s perspective. This shot is usually edited so that the viewer is aware who’s point of view it is.Over the Shoulder Shot – looking from behind a character’s shoulder, at a subject. The character facing the subject usually occupies 1/3 of the frame but it depends on what meaning the director wants to create (for example, if the subject is an inferior character, the character facing them may take up more of the frame to emphasize this)Overhead Shot – a type of camera shot in which the camera is positioned above the character, action or object being filmed.Reaction Shot – a shot that shows the reaction of a character either to another character or an event within the sequence.

Editing

Montage editing – the sequence contains many different images quickly edited. Does not provide a sense of the narrative moving on but can be full of meaning. Continuity editing – the most common type of editing, as it retains realistic chronological order and generates a feeling that time is moving forward.Elliptical editing – When a cut does not go straight to the next instant of drama but leaves a gap which could be any length of time.

Sound

SOUND and CHARACTER - non-diegetic sound tracks can be used to effectively generate a sense of character, whether they are good or evil, a victim or hero. Can use character themes that indicate their presence on screen, or if not but the theme is being played might be that another character is thinking of them or that they have considerable influence over what's happening.Diegetic sound can also be used to indicate a nervous state of mind by the crashing of the washing up etc.Non-diegetic sound can create a situation of peril in which a character find themselves by long held low cords.

Sound

SOUND and GENRE - sound can be a key indicator to an audience of the genre of a programme or film that they are watching. Both diegetic and non-diegetic sound can be used in this way. For example a significant amount of gunshots, explosions, screeching car tyres, an shattering glass might be indicating an action programme rather than romantic comedy, whereas screams, knife slashes, howling winds, screeching doors might lead to think it is a horror.Non-diegetic music can also be used to indicate genre like Gregorian chants are being associated with horror after The Omen film

SOUND and SETTING -  both diegetic and non-diegetic sound can be used in indicate setting. Whether a setting is safe or not, past or present, or what country it is in can all be indicated through sound and add to the information that the audience uses to create meaning.  Howling winds, creaking doors and branches hitting windows might well indicate a sense of unease and threat leading you to think of horror.Non-diegetic sounds can also evoke settings such as countries, seas, cities etc.

SOUND and NARRATIVE - sound can be used  to generate narrative meaning  in a number of ways. Voice over, example of non-diegetic sound, allows the audience to receive information about the narrative, either one character or a complete outsider. When  a character the thoughts or perspective are just those of one person, and my be biased. But they also might be an accurate picture. The viewer has to work this out of themselves.Another sound technique used is the sound bridge - which is when the sound from one scene carries over an edit , or introduced before the edit.  For example,  a boy sits in a park, watching his dog play in the autumn leaves, and the sound heard is that of a doorbell ringing. The front door is visible in the next scene. It can link scenes and suggest connections.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scéne is a French term which translates as 'put into scene'. It can be used to read still as well as moving images. It covers the elements of setting, decor, lighting, body/language/movement, props costume and make-up. A range of different meaning can be created using mise-en-scéne. Information regarding genre, character, mood , time atmosphere and narrative points can all be relayed through elements of mise-en-scéne.

Costume can also be used to indicate changes in character situations. characters state of mind. For example the 'rags to ballgown' narrative movement in Cindrella is at the basis of many films indicating a change in circumstances or status. The costume change is primarily for the female character who them attracts male attention. Make-up can also recreate historical time. SCience fiction and fantasy often adopt costume and make-up in order to signal a futuristic or other worldliness context.PROPS - are the objects within a scene that contribute to narrative information. Props can also indicate genre, and an audience for that film genre would expect to see them. Western might have guns bows arrows, stetsons and sheriffs badges for example. Knives and masks might also indicate that the audience is watching a  slasher movie.

Mise-en-scene

SETTING - this can be a geographical backdrop  as well as emotional one or psycholgical one. The place in which the programme or scene is set can be indicative of a historical time or of a region. An recognisable urban setting may be used to indicate a fast frenetic cityscape which would have an influence on the people that lived or visited there. A rural or urban setting will lead to significant difference in meaning. Urban deprivation may be shown through rubbish on streets, graffiti, homeless people, boarded up house etc. Settings can also be used to indicate the psychological state of a character. Rain soaked, squalid, or very busy setting might be used to indicate a characters panic, confusion or desperation.

DECOR - how a room is decorated and all the objects that furnish the room is another way meaning can be evoked. The decor of a room can relay information regarding character, genre and atmosphere to the viewer.  A persons room can reveal details about what sort of personality they are, or what type of character they are. A room which the walls are covered in torn-out sections of newspapers tends to indicate horror. Futuristic furniture might indicate sci-fi genre.  Decor can also help create the atmosphere of a scene. For example darkly lit and decorated rooms, and maybe an absence of furniture can evoke a threatful and ominous atmosphere. 

LIGHTING - this plays an important role in the generation of mood and atmosphere. Characters, objects and settings can all be lit for effect. Foe example lighting a person from up high will have a flattening effect, whilst lighting them from below will have a scary, dangerous  or threatening effect and lighting from behind will create a silhouette creating mystery and suspense in a scene. Shadowy dark lighting will create threat, feeling of unease and suspense.

Mise-en-scene

BODY LANGUAGE/MOVEMENT and BLOCKING - body language can be an indicator of how a character is feeling at any given point, can indicate their response to another character. Can reveal them to be relaxed, tense, aggressive, panic stricken and help the audience create meaning from it .Blocking is when one character is shot with either an object or another character partly obscuring the audiences view of the chararacter they are trying to focus on. It might be that this is meant to show them as trapped, vulnerable confused or dangerous COSTUME and MAKE-UP - can evoke historical time relate information about the character or help create fantasy. Costume drama is a genre on its own right and costumes have to appear to be historically accurate to sustain audiences willingness to belief that it came from a time gone by.Period. What era does the costume fall into? Is it accurate reconstruction? If not, why? Class. What apparent income level of the person wearing the costume?Sex. Does a woman’s costume emphasize her femininity or is it neutral or masculine? Does a man’s costume emphasize his virility or is it fussy or effeminate?Age. Is the costume appropriate to the character’s age or is it deliberately too youthful, dowdy, or old- fashioned?Silhouette. Is the costume formfitting or loose and baggy?Fabric. Is the material coarse, sturdy, and plain or sheer and delicate?Accessories. Does the costume include jewelry, hats, canes, and other accessories? What kind of shoes?Color. What are the symbolic implications of the colors? Are they “hot” or “cool”? Subdued or bright? Solids or patterns?Body exposure. How much of the body is revealed or concealed? The more body revealed the more erotic the costume.Function. Is the costume meant for leisure or work? Is it meant to impress by its beauty and splendor, or is it merely utilitarian?