Cinematography Terminology

180 degree rule

This is an imaginary line on one side of the action that a camera must not cross. If the line is crossed, it is uncomfortable to watch and difficult to make sense of the scene.

Aerial Shot

An exterior camera shot filmed far overhead, as from a helicopter (most common), blimp, balloon, plane, or kite.

Ambient light

The natural light or surrounding light around a subject in a scene.

Arc shot

A shot that circles a subject in a scene.

Backlighting

The lighting for the shot comes from behind the subject, causing the figure the foreground to appear in semi-darkness or as silhouettes. With backlighting, the subject is separated from the background.

Back projection

This is where live action is filmed in front of a transparent screen onto which background action is projected. This has been replaced by Green Screen.

CGI

Computer-Generated Imagery Images refers to the use of 3D computer graphics and technology in film-making to create filmed images, special effects and the illusion of motion; often used to cut down on the cost of hiring extras.

Chiaroscuro

Comes from two Italian words for "clear/bright" and "dark"; refers to a contrasting use of light and shade in scenes. It best describes high-contrast lighting.

Close-up (CU)

This is a shot taken from a close distance in which the object is magnified and fills the entire frame to focus attention and emphasize its importance. An extreme close-up (ECU or XCU) is a shot of a part of a character to emphasize detail.

Crane shot

A camera shot that is raised above the ground 20 feet or more. The crane allows the camera to fluidly move in virtually any direction, vertical and horizontal, providing shifts in levels and angles. Crane shots usually provide some kind of overhead view of a scene

Cutaway shot

This is a brief shot that cuts into the continuously filmed action, before returning to the original shot; It is used for a number of reasons, including to provide additional information or to hint at an impending change. Reaction shots are usually cutaways;

Deep-focus shot

This is a shot with a broad depth of field, rendering sharp focus both close and distant planes (including the three levels of foreground, middle-ground, and extreme background objects) in the same shot.

Depth of field

Depth of field is made up of the foreground, middle-ground and background and refers to the range between the closest and farthest points in which the elements captured in the image appear in acceptable focus.

Diffusion

The softening of a light’s intensity achieved by using a diffuser or translucent sheet (lace or silk) in front of the light to cut down shadows. Diffusers include glass, filters, gauze, wire mesh, or smoke;

Track/Dolly (shot)

A moving shot created with a camera mounted on a wheeled platform or pushed on tracks and moved smoothly and noiselessly during filming while the camera is running.

Dutch tilt or canted angle

A shot made with the camera leaned to one side and filming at a diagonal angle.

Fish-eye
An extreme type of super wide-angle lens that exaggerates and distorts the image, giving it a sense of curvature

Focus

The degree of sharpness or distinctness of an image.

Follow (or following shot)

A shot with framing that shifts to follow and keep a moving figure or onscreen.

Foreground

Objects or action closest to the camera.

Framing
Refers to the way a shot is composed and how the subjects and objects are surrounded ('framed') edge of the film image. movements of the camera to adjust to the character's movements and keep them onscreen, centered, and in the frame.

Gel

A transparent, tinted coloured sheet of plastic used as a filter for a film light to create a coloured glow over a scene, usually to evoke a desired mood.

Handheld shot

A shot taken with a handheld camera or deliberately made to appear unstable, shaky or wobbly. This often used to suggest either documentary footage, 'realism,' news reporting, cinema verite, or amateur cinematography.

High-angle shot

A shot in which the subject or scene is filmed from above and the camera points down on the action, often to make the subject(s) small, weak and vulnerable.

Key light

The main light on a subject, often angled and off-center that selectively illuminates various prominent features of the image to produce deep, shadows. High-key lighting with everything evenly and brightly lit, with a minimum of shadows, while Low-key lighting has less illumination and more shadows and dark areas. This is often used in film noir. Three-point lighting uses a fill light - an auxiliary light to soften shadows and areas not covered by the key light, a back light behind to add depth to a subject and a bright key light

Locked-down shot

A camera shot where the camera remains immobile, while something happens off-screen - a technique to create suspense.

Long-shot (LS)

A camera view of an object or character from a considerable distance so that it appears relatively small in the frame.

Low-angle shot

A shot where the subject is filmed directly from below and the camera tilts up at the action or character, to make the subject appear larger than life, more formidable, taller and more menacing.

Medium shot

A conventional camera shot filmed from a medium distance, usually referring to a human figure from the waist (or knees) up.

Off or off camera

Action or dialogue beyond the boundaries of the camera's field of vision or depicted frame.

Point-of-view (POV) shot

A shot in which the character’s position is taken by the camera, allowing the audience to briefly see exactly what that character would in the scene.

Overexposed

Refers to a film shot that has more light than normal, causing a blinding, washed-out, whitish, glaring effect; deliberately used for flashbacked or dream scenes.

Over-the-shoulder (OTS) shot

Usually a medium camera angle in a conversation scene, mostly with alternating shot/reverse-shot editing.

Pan (or panning shot)

The movement, rotation or turning of the camera, right or left, around a fixed axis while filming. A variation is the whip pan where the camera is purposely panned in either direction at a very fast pace, creating the impression of a fast-moving horizontal blurring of images across the screen; often confused with a dolly or tracking shot.

Pull focus

The focus changes from an object in the foreground to an object in the background or vice versa, to direct, shift, and steer the attention of the viewer forcibly from one subject to another.

Reverse angle shot

A basic camera angle composed of a shot from the opposite side of a subject to provide a different perspective in a conversation. The alternating pattern between two characters' points of view is known as shot/reverse shot.

Rotation

The camera is moved in a complete (or half) circle to produce a spinning, disorienting effect to the viewer.

Soft-focus

A filter or gauze placed over the camera lens to blur the image and produces a hazy image often used to enhance romantic or dreamy scenes.

Special effects (or F/X, SFX, SPFX, or EFX

A wide-ranging term used by the film industry meaning to create fantastic visual and audio illusions that cannot be accomplished by normal means. It includes optical and digital effects, CGI, in-camera effects, the use of miniatures/models, mattes, rear-camera projections, stop-motion animation, greenscreens, full-scale mockups, pyrotechnics (squibs, miniature explosions, i.e. a gunshot)), stunt men, animatronics (electronic puppets), rain/snow/wind machines, etc.

Static shot

An unmoving camera shot that is stationary due to the use of a tripod.

Steadicam (shot)

A stabilizing system introduced in the late 70s, developed by inventor Garrett Brown, with a special, mechanical harness that allows the camera operator to take relatively smooth and steady shots.

Stop-motion (animation)

An animation technique where objects are shot one frame at a time and moved slightly between each frame, giving the illusion of lifelike motion. Stop-motion was one of the earliest special-effects techniques for science-fiction films, now replaced by CGI and animatronics.

Three-shot

A medium shot that contains three people.

Tilt shot

A tilt up or tilt down (or reveal) along a vertical axis.

Time lapse

Often done for nature filming (the blooming of a flower, the movement of clouds), allowing the viewer to witness the event compressed from real time (hours or days) into a few seconds; (one frame shot every 30 seconds over 24 hours of real time would equal two minutes of film time.

Tracking shot 

A smooth shot in which the camera moves alongside the subject, usually mounted on a dolly, in a side-to-side motion.

Two-shot

A medium or close-up camera shot of two people framed from the chest up, often used to provide a contrast between the two character.

Underexposed

Refers to a film shot that has less light than normal, causing an indistinct, dimly it, unclear image.

Wide-angle shot (WS)

A shot that exaggerates the distance, depth or disparity between foreground and background planes, thereby creating greater depth-of-field and keeping all objects in focus and in perspective.

Zoom shot

An optical technique where the cinematographer changes the distance between the camera and the object being filmed, from a wide-angle shot to a telephoto shot in one continuous movement. Zoom in or zoom out.

Reference: www.filmsite.org