Cinematic Techniques Explained

Let's look at each of the six techniques individually

Camera movement refers to key decisions directors make around how the camera moves in relation to what's being filmed.

Pan


When a cowboy enters a saloon, he might look from left to right, assessing potential dangers that might be waiting. In this case, a director would choose to pan across the saloon and show you everything the cowboy sees (see Figure 1).

A pan places the audience in the action, allowing them to experience the surroundings with the character. We know this cowboy's in trouble!


Figure 1




Figure 2

Push-in


Think of highly suspenseful movies, ones full of mystery. When a character finally knows "whodunit" or when a mystery is solved, a director may push the camera towards the character, resulting in a push-in shot (see Figure 2). In this case, the director may use a push-in to indicate a character's moment of realization or to convey her shock or surprise.
Watch this short video to learn about different uses of the push-in.




Transitions describe a change from one shot to another that is guided by the director during the editing process that helps convey the story.






Cut


A cut is the quickest transition, moving instantly from one shot to another. Remember, shots edited together form scenes. A series of short shots edited together creates a feeling of excitement.


Dissolve


With a dissolve, there is a moment when images from the first and second shots appear on the screen at the same time. One image dissolves away as the other image takes over.

Directors may use a dissolve to transition from one shot to the next.

Dissolves often indicate the passage of time or show a process. For example, a dissolve may be used between shots to demonstrate a child growing up or to show the stages of a home being built.


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Remember, a shot is a segment of action that is filmed all in one take, without disruption. Directors make careful decisions about the shots they use to tell their stories in a visual way.

When you think about types of shots, think about the camera's location:
  • the camera's distance from the subject, and
  • the camera's position in relation to the subject


Figure 1

Close-up Shot

Close-ups are used to give the viewer intimate details about the subject. The audience's attention is focused entirely on the subject as it fills most of the screen (see Figure 1).

Watch this video clip to see how Steven Spielberg uses close-up shots to reveal both simple and complex ideas.


Extreme Long Shot


Consider the effect of this extreme long shot (see Figure 2). In an extreme long shot, the camera is far away from the subject. With this shot, the director focuses our attention on the environment (the mountains) surrounding the subject (the climber).  In this extreme long shot, the director is likely trying to convey a sense of the climber's determination and the magnitude of his or her journey.

Figure 2


Figure 3



Low-Angle Shot


In a low-angle shot (see Figure 3), the camera is below the subject, making the subject (the buildings) appear powerful and dominating. In this example, the camera is placed below the buildings (the subject of the shot), looking up. The viewer feels small in comparison.


Framing refers to the organization of a shot that calls attention to certain focal points or themes.


Mise-en-scene


Mise-en-scene literally means "placing on stage." Mise-en-scene is a term used to describe the director's choices in the framing of a shot, including the location of the actors and their costuming, physical props decor, and lighting. In the example in Figure 1, there is a contrast between the stark white walls and his cluttered desk. The clutter suggests he feels overwhelmed with the work he must do.


Figure 1



Figure 2



Internal Framing


Directors are using internal framing when they surround a character with physical boundaries that exist in the shot (eg. a door frame or a window pane). Consider te effect of the internal framing used in Figure 2.

The internal framing in both of the images in this tab suggests a character that is confined or limited in some way.

Sound refers to everything you hear in film, whether it exists naturally from the environment  in the shots or whether it added after the entire film has been shot.



Diegetic sound


Diegetic sound arises naturally from the action of the film. For example, you may hear characters speak to each other (dialogue) or a door slam. When we hear diegetic sound, we share the characters' experience. We hear what they hear.



Non-diegetic sound


Non-diegetic sound arises from outside the action of the film (eg. a film's music soundtrack or a narrated voice-over). Non-diegetic sound is added in post-production, after the shots have been filmed. When a character or narrator provides a voice-over, it can create tension because we know something the other characters in the scene do not. A cleverly-chosen song, playing at a key moment in the film, can create humour or contribute to the mood.





Soundtrack


Directors make make conscious decisions about the music soundtracks for their films. The music of a film, whether it can be heard by the characters or only by the audience, can contribute to the mood, plot and character development in the film.

The video clip "How Music Can Change a Scene" shows different soundtracks playing during the same scene.  Notice how the soundtrack impacts your impression of the scene.


Lighting is a cinematic technique commonly used in visual texts for a variety of effects (eg. to create emphasis or contrast). Lighting contributes to the meaning of the film by contributing to the mood, creating suspense, and emphasizing key moments in the development of the characters.

Low-key Lighting


Figure 1


Low-key lighting creates shadows in the shot. In these shots, there is a contrast between light and dark spaces in the scene (see Figure 1). Low-key lighting can create a sense of mystery and suspense.

Side lighting


Figure 2

Side lighting lights half of the subject, leaving the other half in shadow (see Figure 2). Side lighting is used when the director wants to emphasize that a character may not be who he seems or is perhaps feeling torn between two difficult choices he must make.



If you are keen to learn more, here is a  link to the full Elements of Film tutorial - with 45 cinematic techniques explained in short videos.

And if you are looking for a few more examples, here is some Extra Help for Film Techniques.



When you have carefully worked through all of the tabs and think you have learned about the six cinematic techniques, proceed to the quiz on the next page.  This is an 'open-book' quiz, so you may use the pages of the lesson to help you.  This is the 'assignment' for this lesson.

The results of this quiz will appear in your GradeBook. as Quiz 7-2.