Film Techniques & Cinematography
What is the term for the arrangement of everything in the frame, including lighting, props, and actors?
What is mise-en-scène?
The Truman Show critiques this aspect of modern life.
What is media surveillance or reality TV culture?
What is the term for giving characters space in the direction they are looking on screen?
What is lead room?
In The Truman Show, Truman is an example of this archetype.
What is the hero?
This genre often features singing, dancing, and spontaneous musical numbers.
What is a musical?
This type of camera angle looks down on the subject to make them appear small or vulnerable.
What is a high-angle shot?
In Feeling Through, what theme is explored through the interaction between the two main characters?
What is compassion or human connection?
This technique creates tension in Rear Window by contrasting stillness with sudden motion.
What is dynamic composition?
In many fantasy stories like Narnia, the wise figure is an example of this archetype.
What is the guide or mentor?
This genre explores futuristic or imaginary worlds, often with aliens, technology, or time travel.
What is science fiction?
Which element of cinematography determines how much of the image is in focus, from foreground to background?
What is depth of field?
The Chronicles of Narnia is an allegory for this larger narrative or belief system.
What is Christianity?
What visual clue first makes Jeff suspicious of his neighbor Thorwald?
What is the absence of the wife or unusual nighttime activity?
This character in Feeling Through acts as a catalyst for change in the protagonist.
Who is Artie?
In this genre, conflict is usually physical, fast-paced, and filled with stunts and explosions.
What is action?
This technique involves cutting between scenes quickly to create tension or show simultaneous action.
What is a crosscut or parallel editing?
Films often reflect this, defined as the shared beliefs and values of a given era.
What is society or cultural norms?
Define the difference between a scene and a sequence in film.
What is a scene is one continuous action in time/place; a sequence is a group of scenes that form a larger narrative unit?
A recurring symbol or idea in a film, such as light vs. dark, is called this.
What is a motif?
Known for its crime, moral ambiguity, and low-key lighting, this gritty genre was especially popular in the 1940s.
What is film noir?
This principle suggests that placing a subject off-center makes for a more dynamic composition.
What is the rule of thirds?
This term describes when a film indirectly addresses broader political messages through symbols and critiques.
What is allegory?
Hitchcock often frames Jeff’s view from his apartment to highlight this theme.
What is voyeurism or surveillance?
This term refers to the journey a hero takes, including trials, transformation, and return.
What is the hero’s journey?
This genre includes hand-to-hand combat and stylized choreography, often emphasizing honor and tradition.
What is martial arts?