Shot Sizes and Angles
What is a high-angle shot and what general effect does it have on how the audience sees a character?
High-angle: camera looks down, makes subject appear smaller, weaker, or vulnerable.
How do you create a depth of space in cinematic terms?
A sense of depth is created by composing the image to have:
foreground
mid-ground
background.
a scene has only shades of one color, name that color scheme
monochromatic
Explain the difference between high-key lighting and low-key lighting and give one emotional effect each can create
High-key: bright, low contrast — often creates upbeat or comedic mood; Low-key: strong contrast, deep shadows — creates suspense, mystery, or tension
What is a dominant (dominant element) in a film frame?
The area that attracts the viewer’s attention because of some compositional technique.
Define a close-up and explain one purpose it serves in storytelling.
Close-up: frames face or object tightly; used to show emotion/detail and create intimacy
How do you make the viewer to focus on one area?
Shallow composition
A scene has predominantly yellows and purples, what color scheme is it?
complementary
What is a defining feature of hard lighting
Sharp, definable shadows
A 'gun' is an example of what kind of dominant?
Object of intrinsic interest
What is an establishing shot and why do filmmakers use it at the beginning of a scene?
Establishing shot: wide/long shot that shows location and spatial relationships, orients audience
define deep and shallow depth of field
Shallow depth of field is the kind in which part of the frame is out of focus. Thus, the areas of sharpness are limited.
Deep depth of field, on the other hand, is the kind in which the entire frame, from the foreground to the background, is in focus.
a scene has a mix of blues and greens, name that color scheme
analagous
Hard lighting is often associated with what other lighting element?
High contrast
What is it called when 2 subjects are fighting for dominance?
a power struggle
Compare a medium shot and a wide shot in terms of how much information each gives about character and environment.
Medium shot shows upper body and gestures; wide shot shows full body and environment — medium emphasizes character interaction, wide shot emphasizes place, context
What are 2 ways to create a sense of depth?
Move characters through different depths of space (closer or farther from the camera)
or;
Move the camera through the space
What can be the impact of introducing a discordant color into a scene?
Drawing attention, creating a sense of unease
Define high contrast lighting
High Contrast Lighting is lighting with a wide range of brightness (from very dark to very light)
What is the visual element(s) arranged to counterbalance the dominant.
subordinate figure or element
a director films a character from slightly below eye level during a quiet, tense moment and then cuts to a high-angle shot during the character’s moment of defeat. Analyze how angle choices guide viewer sympathy and interpretation across the scene.
Low angle before defeat can elevate sympathy/perceived strength; switching to high angle at defeat makes them seem diminished and increases audience sense of loss.
What is the difference between shallow focus and shallow composition?
Focus is the quality (the “sharpness”) of an object as it looks in the image.
Depth of Field refers to the extent to which the space represented is in focus.
How can warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) influence the mood of a scene compared to cool colors (blues, greens)?
Warm colors often feel energetic, intimate, or threatening; cool colors can feel calm, distant, or cold.
Name 2 potential sources of hard light
the sun, focused light, or candlelight
Give two examples of elements that can be dominants in a shot (one visual and one compositional)
Visual example: bright object; compositional example: leading lines pointing to a subject.