Camera Shots
This shot shows a character from approximately the waist up.
Mid Shot
Which camera angle is commonly used to make a character appear powerful, intimidating or dominant?
A character hears a phone ringing somewhere inside an abandoned house. Is the ringing diegetic or non-diegetic?
Diegetic
A film cuts between a detective searching a building and a suspect travelling towards that same building. Which editing technique is being used?
Cross cutting.
A character smiles and says “I'm fine,” while shaking and refusing to make eye contact. Which film technique gives the audience a reason not to believe their words?
Body language.
This shot focuses on a character's face and helps the audience understand their emotions.
Close Up
A frightened character is filmed from above as they stand alone in a large room. Identify the angle and explain why the director may have chosen it.
High angle; it makes the character appear smaller, weaker or vulnerable.
A creepy soundtrack begins playing, but the characters cannot hear it. Identify the type of sound and its likely purpose.
Non-diegetic; it creates atmosphere/tension for the audience.
A character sees an old photograph and the film suddenly shows an event from their childhood. Identify the editing technique and explain its purpose.
Flashback; it gives the audience information about an earlier event.
A filmmaker places a small bloody object in the foreground of a shot while two characters talk in the background. Which technique is being used to deliberately draw our attention to the potential clue?
Framing and composition.
This wide shot shows the landscape or location and helps establish where the action takes place.
Establishing Shot
Two characters are arguing. Character A is filmed from a low angle while Character B is filmed from a high angle. What does this suggest about their relationship?
Character A appears more powerful/dominant while Character B appears vulnerable or less powerful.
A character hears footsteps behind them. The audience hears them too, but the person making the footsteps is never shown. How could this use of sound create mystery?
The diegetic sound reveals that someone/something may be nearby while withholding their identity, making the audience curious or suspicious.
A mystery film reveals several short moments from a suspect's past. Why might a director use flashbacks rather than simply having the character explain what happened?
The audience gets to see/experience the past rather than simply being told about it, which can reveal clues or information more dramatically.
When a character first appears, they wear an expensive suit, watch and jewellery. Without any dialogue, what could the costuming communicate to the audience?
heir status/wealth, and potentially aspects of their personality or identity.
A director wants the audience to compare or show the relationship of suspects by showing them together in the same shot. Which would be most appropriate?
Two shot
A detective discovers that an important clue has disappeared. The camera suddenly changes from eye-level to a Dutch angle. What does this change communicate to the audience?
It signals that something is wrong or unsettling and creates disorientation/unease.
A filmmaker could show a killer approaching OR allow us to hear their footsteps approaching from off-screen. Why might the second option create greater suspense?
The audience knows danger is approaching but cannot see exactly where it is or who is responsible, creating uncertainty and anticipation.
A detective races to stop a crime while the film repeatedly cuts to the criminal preparing to commit it. Explain how cross cutting creates suspense.
It shows both events happening at the same time, making the audience wonder whether the detective will arrive before the criminal acts.
In a mystery film, almost everything in a room is grey and dull except for one bright red object. Why might the filmmaker make this choice?
Colour and composition make the object stand out, signalling that it may be important and directing the audience's attention towards a possible clue.
A mystery begins with a huge, isolated house surrounded by empty countryside. Which shot would best introduce this location, and what could it achieve?
An establishing shot; it establishes the setting and could emphasise the house's isolation/create mystery.
A director wants a suspicious character to appear completely ordinary and trustworthy when they are first introduced. Which angle might actually be more effective than a low or high angle, and why?
Eye-level; it places the audience on equal footing with the character and avoids immediately making them appear threatening or vulnerable.
A cheerful song plays over a scene where a character searches a house for a missing person. Explain how the contrast between the sound and action could affect the audience.
The unexpected contrast could make the scene feel disturbing, unsettling or suspicious because the sound does not match what the audience expects from the situation.
A film deliberately doesn't show an important event. Later, a flashback reveals what actually happened and changes our understanding of a character. Why is this particularly effective in a mystery?
Information is withheld until the flashback reveals it, allowing the audience to form assumptions first and then forcing them to reconsider what they thought they knew.
A suspect is positioned alone at the edge of the frame, dressed differently from everyone else and avoiding eye contact. Identify TWO techniques and explain how they work together to make the audience suspicious.
Any two of framing/composition, costuming and body language. Together, the choices visually separate the character from others and/or make their behaviour appear suspicious, encouraging the audience to question them.