VISUAL TECHNIQUES
This type of shot shows a character’s face up close to highlight emotion.
What is a close-up?
Background music added for the audience that the characters cannot hear.
What is score or soundtrack?
The process of selecting and arranging shots to shape meaning.
What is editing?
The main problem or struggle that drives a story forward.
What is conflict?
Using background audio to create sadness or excitement.
What is music?
A camera angle that looks down on a character, often making them seem weak or small.
What is a high angle?
Dialogue, footsteps, or a radio playing inside the scene that characters can hear.
What is diegetic sound?
The speed at which shots change in a scene.
What is pacing?
The turning point or most intense moment in a story.
What is the climax?
Cutting quickly between shots to increase intensity.
What is editing?
When the camera shows a conversation, showing both members of the discussion.
What is an over the shoulder shot?
Filmmakers use this absence of sound to create tension or focus attention.
What is silence?
Fast editing with short shots usually creates this type of energy.
What is tension or excitement?
The beginning part of a story where characters and setting are introduced.
What is exposition?
Moving the camera towards a character to show emotion.
What is a close-up?
A shot that emphasizes the setting and can make a character seem isolated.
What is a long shot? (or What is a wide shot?)
This type of sound often tells the audience how to feel before anything dramatic happens.
What is music?
Long, slow takes often create this type of mood.
What is calm or seriousness?
The series of events that build tension before the climax.
What is rising action?
Removing all sound during an important moment.
What is silence?
When the camera moves to follow a character walking or running, creating energy and immersion.
What is a tracking shot?
When sound suddenly cuts out before an important moment, it increases this feeling.
What is tension?
A sequence of fast cuts often used to show time passing or build excitement.
What is a montage?
The central message or idea about life that a story communicates.
What is theme?
Changing the angle so a character looks powerful or dominant.
What is a low-shot?