Elements

of cinema
cinema

better known as cinematography, is a technique and an art that

consists of capturing, montage and projection of frames in a
rapid and successive way.

uses photographic technology to create the sensation of

movement. The audio recordings that usually accompany these
images help to build an informative audiovisual experience.
 elements of cinema
Film type
divided into three categories:

realism - all about creating

an illusion of reality, and it
usually refers to writing,
speech or theater.

classicAL - is creating
fictional film but still
reminds of reality

formalism - shows scenes thAT

can be imagined
film's style
refers to the techniques a director uses to create a movie, and it
can include themes, sound, dialogue, cinematography and
lighting.

types of film styles

Film noir - One of the most popular styles in cinema is film noir.
It's usually associated with fictional crime stories and emphasizes
cynical attitudes and motivations.

Documentary - The purpose of documentary filmmaking is to

chronicle an authentic depiction of reality with the intent to
instruct, educate or maintain a historical record.

camera techniques
handled
observational
German expressionism
German expressionist films typically explore a subjective experience of the
world by attempting to visualize anxiety through distorted and unusual
imagery.

italian neorealism

-italian neorealist films became popular after the Second World War
because their stories focus on mostly poor and working-class people.

Spaghetti western

The spaghetti western film type derives from the Western genre and
features high-action sequences, anti-hero protagonists and commentary
on social issues.
film genre
- is a definitive category based on its narrative elements.
Filmmakers can structure their stories to the framework of a
genre by including familiar patterns, themes, motifs and
conventions.

types of film genres

Action - Action films traditionally contain dangerous

situations and high-stake risks, and many require the use
of physical stunts, fight choreography or disaster
sequences.
Adventure - Adventure films typically involve a
journey, and some may include a pursuit.

comedy - Comedies are films intended to make the

audience laugh through their use of exaggeration of
language, action or characters who add humour to
a situation.

Drama - Films in the drama genre often include realistic

settings and defining conflict between one or more
characters and themselves, others or forces of nature.
Horror - The purpose of horror films is to cause an
audience to feel frightened or have a sense of dread.

Romance - Films in the romance genre typically

involve intimate relationships and a journey of the
love between the main characters.

Science fiction - science fiction movies are often a

blend of science and imagination. You're likely to see
films in this genre that portray advanced technology
and scientific developments, and they normally contain
special or visual effects.
Fantasy - Fantasies are films directors set in imaginary
worlds that have little or no representation of
reality.

Historical - historical fiction movies typically limit

their accuracy to the depiction of their setting, like
period pieces, and they often present main characters
in the context of great historical events.

Crime - Films in the crime genre can portray either side of

the criminal justice system.
 shot
The duration of the camera's movements from beginning to end is
known as a shot in production. A shot is the continuous section of
film or sequence that appears in a movie between two edits or cuts.

EXTREME LONG SHOT

A view from an even greater distance known as an extreme long

shot depicts people as if they were tiny dots in the landscape.
 LONG SHOT

Understanding this camera position is crucial to your success as a

filmmaker because long shots place your audience in the heart of the
scenes they are about to see.
 MID-SHOT OR MEDIUM SHOT

is a film shot that follows a figure from the waist (or occasionally the
knees) up to the top of their head.
 CLOSE-UP

iA camera shot that fills most, if not all, of the frame with an actor's face
or an important feature, detail, or object is called a close-up shot.
 EXTREME CLOSE-UP

The subject is tightly framed in close-up shots, which add a particular

detail to the screen. The close-up camera shot is sometimes altered, as in
the medium close-up shot.
 THE CAMERA ANGLE
the precise position at which a video or film camera is assembled for a
shot is known as the camera angle. Multiple camera angles could be used
to instantly capture a scene. As a result, you will have a one-of-a-kind
experience and possibly feel something.

EYE-LEVEL SHOT

The shot taken at eye level is exactly as it sounds: the cinematographer

positions the camera point straightforwardly at the eye level of the person.
Most of the time, the subject is taken from the knees to the head without much
background.
 low-ANGLE SHOT

A type of camera perspective that is taken from below the subject is called a
low-angle shot. Subjects can be made to feel helpless and vulnerable using this
method, often for dramatic effect.
 HIGH-ANGLE SHOT

A cinematic technique known as a "high-angle shot" involves the camera

looking down on the subject from a high angle and frequently "swallowing
up" the point of focus. When used in the right way, with the right mood, setting,
and effects, high-angle shots can give the impression that the subject is weak
or powerless.
 HIP LEVEL SHOT

The hip level shot is made when the camera is put almost midsection high. It is
typically utilized in western films to accentuate the moment of pulling out
the gun during a duel scene. Additionally, it comes in handy when characters
are not on the same level.
 KNEE LEVEL SHOTS

At this point, the height of your camera is about the same as the knees of your
subject. If used with a low angle, they can emphasize a character's superiority.
Although it is not quite as extreme as a shot from ground level, it conveys the
same emotion.
 GROUND LEVEL SHOT

Is when your subject is at ground level with your camera's height. This angle
of the camera is frequently used to show a character walking without
showing their face. However, it can make the viewer more involved and use the
actor's performance to create an idea.
 SHOULDER LEVEL SHOT

A shoulder level shot is a camera point that is basically as high as your

subject's shoulders. While eye-level shots are more common, shoulder-level
shots can make your actor appear shorter than they actually are.
 DUTCH ANGLE

A type of camera shot known as Dutch tilt, canted angle, or oblique angle
involves putting the camera at an angle relative to its roll axis so that the
shot.
 Lighting
Lighting a scene requires trial and error. Take time to
experiment with three-point lighting, soft light, hard
light, low-key light, and high-key light to find the right
balance of light and shadows for your shot.

12 basic types of lighting used in filmmaking:

Key lighting - the main—and strongest—light source in a scene or

on the actor.

Fill lighting - adds dimension and softens harsh shadows created

by the key light.

Backlighting - is placed behind the actor to help define their

features and distinguish them from the background.
Side lighting - lights the actor from the side and focuses on the
contours of their face for a high-contrast dramatic effect.

Practical lighting - is a light source that is visible within the

scene like lamps, light fixtures, candles, and television sets. They’re
not usually strong enough to light a subject, but they add to the
cinematic ambiance of the scene.

Hard lighting - is a lighting aesthetic with harsh shadows that

draws attention to a specific actor or part of a scene.

Soft lighting - is a lighting aesthetic with little to no harsh

shadows that’s bright yet balanced.

High-key lighting - is a lighting aesthetic with no shadows and

intense brightness, bordering on overexposure. You’ll commonly
see high-key lighting in a television sitcom, a music video, or a
commercial.
Low-key lighting - is a lighting aesthetic with a lot of shadows to
create a sense of mystery or suspense.

Natural lighting - uses and modifies the available light at the

location of the shoot.

Motivated lighting - is a controlled lighting technique meant

to imitate natural light sources in the scene like the sun or the
moon.

Bounce lighting - is a technique where light is bounced from a

strong source toward the actor with a reflector, which soften
and spread the light.
 Color
In Filmmaking, color is used to set the tone of a scene before any
of the actors have even uttered a word.
 Color
In Filmmaking, color is used to set the tone of a scene before any
of the actors have even uttered a word.

Red - is used to denote passion, danger or power.

Pink signifies innocence, femininity, and beauty.

Yellow is associated with joy, naivety, and insanity.

Blue symbolizes isolation, passivity, and calmness.

ORANGE is humor, energy, balance, warmth,

enthusiasm, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant
 Color
GREEN – healing, soothing, perseverance, tenacity, self-
awareness, proud, unchanging nature, environment, healthy,
good luck, renewal, youth, vigor, spring, generosity, fertility,
jealousy, inexperience, envy

PURPLE/VIOLET – erotic, royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony,

mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty,
arrogance, mourning, power, sensitive, intimacy

BROWN – materialistic, sensation, earth, home, outdoors,

reliability, comfort, endurance, stability, simplicity

BLACK – No, power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance,

wealth, mystery, fear, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, style, evil,
sadness, remorse, anger
 Color

WHITE – Yes, protection, love, reverence, purity, simplicity,

cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, birth,
winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death
(Eastern cultures), cold, clinical, sterile

SILVER – riches, glamorous, distinguished, earthy, natural, sleek,

elegant, high-tech

GOLD – precious, riches, extravagance. warm, wealth, prosperity,

grandeur
 Sound or Audio
There are two main kinds of sound; diegetic and non-diegetic
sounds, which are what build up the sound design for film. The key
difference between both kinds of sounds are broken down to our
further discussion:

Diegetic-
Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose sound is
implied to be present by the action in the film; also characterized
by offscreen or on-screen.

Types of Diegetic Sound:

1. Character dialogue - the most obvious example of a diegetic

sound.
2. Object sounds - give a film more realism. For example, the
sound of the crushing of the character's footsteps in the snow
or the sounds of the traffic when the character is shown to be
walking on a busy street.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi80FWVjiS0

3. The music originating from within in the film - helps the

audience in becoming engrossed within a scene.

Play:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur9JHXirUBs

“The source of diegetic sound doesn't necessarily need to be

seen on screen, as long as the audience understands that it
is coming from something within the film.” - MasterClass
Non-diegetic-
The sound whose source is not visually noticeable on the
screen nor has been applied by the action occurring in the film;
basically, any sound that does not come from inside the story
itself.

“Non-diegetic sound, also called commentary or nonliteral

sound, is any sound that does not originate from within the
film’s world. The film’s characters are not able to hear non-
diegetic sound. All non-diegetic sound is added by sound
editors in post-production.” - MasterClass
 Types of Non-Diegetic Sound:

1. Film’s score - used to set the film’s tone. This sound is used to
plan and evoke audience emotions, add to the drama, express
doubtfulness, or present an element of surprise.

Play:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwMh_P9zfdU

Play:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rn-vMbFglI
 2. Sound effects - added for dramatic effect.

Foley artist, David Ian, provides the sound effects for Willamette Radio
Workshop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0pOLukIB4s
 3. Narration or voice-over - used by the director to assist
in the explanation or reinforcement of the plot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNPU0cPPsmA

Flipped is a 2010 American romantic comedy-drama film co-

written and directed by Rob Reiner, and based on Wendelin
Van Draanen's 2001 novel of the same name.

The infamous shower scene in Psycho has non-diegetic sound

to create tension.

Let’s watch it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WtDmbr9xyY
 Editing
Film editing

The "invisible art"

- one of the aspects of a film that usually tend to go

unnoticed (in Hollywood films).
Some say that when the editor does their job well, the
audience is not supposed to notice.

This does not mean that the editor’s job is unimportant. In

fact, the complete opposite is the case. Editor’s are responsible
for maintaining the illusion of a film and story by hiding the
mechanisms at work.

the main tool they have to do this is continuity editing.

Continuity EDITING:

An editing system used to maintain consistency of both time

and space in the film. THIS helps ground audiences in the
reality of the film while establishing a clear and structured
narrative.

also referred to as three-dimensional continuity, And is the

predominant editing style among commercial Hollywood
films.

uses a variety of classic film editing techniques to blend

multiple camera shots — some taken at different times or even
different locations — into a seamless, consistent narrativE.
This is a very basic filmmaking (and film editing) technique
that seems pretty obvious when you think about it, but it’s
actually difficult to pull off without lots of practice.

eye-line matching

https://youtu.be/SYnpqCx8O_Y
2 dISCONTINUITY EDITING OR JUMP CUT

The opposite of continuity editing is a stylistic decision that

breaks the flow of a sequence or scene on purpose.

It is a non-linear editing technique: the film editor jumps

forward in time within the same shot, eliminating anywhere
from seconds to even minutes of the action to alter the pace
or willfully take the audience out of the moment.

After the jump, viewers will have to orient themselves and

might speculate about what has happened in the time that was
left out. The jump cut might also suggest that nothing
happened in between and the editing skipped parts of no
action.
https://youtu.be/wH4cNrUB4ss
Montage

This editing technique combines shots into a sequence that is

almost its own story.

A montage often condenses time to show the development of

a character or plot element, a quick progression of events,
or provide a backstory.

A creative film editor can assemble a montage to carry an

additional layer of meaning, for example through
juxtaposition: cross cutting different shots of seemingly
unconnected scenes can relate them to one another.
https://youtu.be/ZSt9tm3RoUU
In conclusion, we can say that there is no movie without film
editing.

The job of a film editor is unique in the way that it has

evolved from the technical cutting together of film into an
editing process that requires just as much creativity as skill.

Film editing has become more and more important with the
evolution of filmmaking itself, and the range of editing
techniques has grown thanks to digital technology and
filmmakers establishing new editing styles.
 Mise-en-Scene
Mise en scène is the art of designing and organizing the
setting and actors in the scenes for a drama or film. It
combines elements such as lighting, composition, art
direction, costuming, makeup, and texture.

Key elements of Mise en scène

Composition
-Framing of a shot is one of the fundamentals of mise en
scène, which can be determined during a film’s storyboarding
phase. The role of a storyboard artist is to work with a film’s
director and at times with the writer and visually illustrate,
draw, or graphically design storyboards of each scene in a
screenplay.
Production Design
Some stories cannot just rely on costumes, lighting, and
props alone. Visual merits are also essential to produce a
believable story that will connect with viewers.

Lighting
will elevate an intended Mise En Scène.

Costuming
Costumes have to be theatrical and elaborate as they
add value and mood to the Mise En Scène. Costume choices
strengthen the quality and tone of the film.

Hair and Makeup

bring the characters to life according to the styles of
a particular era.
Film Texture
Films can have various final looks depending on the
selected video camera or type of film stock and the usage of
post-production effects and filters before the final
screening.

Movie Genres
are categories that define films based on narrative or
stylistic elements. The genre of a film can help determine the
characters, setting, plot structure, and tone. Action films,
examples: fight scenes and slow-motion camera shots.
Action Genre
-Movies in the action genre are fast-paced and include a
lot of action like fight scenes, chase scenes, and slow-motion
shots. They can feature superheroes, martial arts, or exciting
stunts.
Adventure Genre
-The adventure genre is so similar to the action genre
that the billing for adventure films is sometimes
action/adventure movies. Films in the adventure genre
usually contain the same basic genre elements as an action
movie, with the setting as the critical difference.
Comedy Genre
- Comedy films are funny and entertaining. The films
in this genre center around a comedic premise—usually
putting someone in a challenging, amusing, or humorous
situation they’re not prepared to handle.

Drama Genre
-The drama genre features stories with high stakes and
many conflicts. They’re plot-driven and demand that every
character and scene move the story forward. ex: Citizen
Kane (1941), The Godfather (1972), and The Social Network (2010)

fantasy Genre
-Films in the fantasy genre feature magical and
supernatural elements that do not exist in the real world.
ex: The Harry Potter film series, based on the novels by J.K. Rowling, follows
a young boy at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is a
prime.
Horror Genre
-Horror films feature elements that leave people with an
overwhelming sense of fear and dread. Horror movies often
include serial killers or monsters as persistent, evil antagonists
to play on viewers’ fears or nightmares. ex: The Exorcist (1973) and
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Musical Genre
-Musical films weave songs or musical numbers into the
narrative to progress the story or further develop the
characters. Musicals are often tied to romance films but are not
limited to that genre. ex: The Wizard of Oz (1939) and West Side
Story (1961)

Mystery Genre
-Mystery films are all about the puzzle and often feature a
detective or amateur sleuth trying to solve it.
ex: Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo (2011), and Knives Out (2019)
Romance Genre
-Romance films are love stories. They center around
two protagonists exploring some of the elements of love like
relationships, sacrifice, marriage, obsession, or destruction.

Science Fiction Genre

-The sci-fi genre builds worlds and alternate realities
filled with imagined elements that don’t exist in the real
world. ex: Star Wars (1977), The Matrix (1999), and Inception (2010).

Sports Genre
-Movies in the sports genre will center around a team,
individual player, or fan, with the sport itself to motivate the
plot and keep the story advancing.
ex: The Bad News Bears (1976), A League of Their Own (1992), and
Bend It Like Beckham (2003).
Thriller Genre
-Thrillers expertly blend mystery, tension, and
anticipation into one exciting story.
ex: The Shining (1980) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Western Genre
-Westerns tell the tale of a cowboy or gunslinger
pursuing an outlaw in the Wild West. The main character
often seeks revenge and will face the criminal in a duel or
shootout at the end.
ex: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and Django
Unchained (2012)
references:

https://crgsoft.com/cinema-what-is-it-history-genres-
elements-and-characteristics/
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https://www.cinemagics.com/post/the-8-technical-
elements-involved-in-film-production
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-identify-
film-genres