Wednesday, 11 February 2015

Editing Key Terms Dictionary

conventions

common things the viewers expect in a movie such as camera shots, stock scenes and characters.

continuity editing

a type of editing designed to go unnoticed.

establishing shot

intro overall space of the scene often taken from a distance.

sign

the smallest element of a media text that can create meaning.

semiotics

study of visual codes and signs.

signified

the final meaning of a sign.

signifier

what a sign links with in the real world.

narrative

the story that a text is telling.

CGI

computer generated images; altered or fabricated images.

parallel/cross cutting

film cuts between two different actions taking place in different locations.

jump cut

switching frames without smooth transitions/ bad continuity.

montage sequences

assembly of shots that contracts a passage of time or unfolding of events.

editing

the process by which individual shots are joined together to form sequences, scenes and eventually a film.

long take

a shot which lasts a long time between edits.

match on action

an action from one shot is used to carry over to the next shot.

point of view shot (p.o.v.)

a shot from character's viewpoint.

shot/reverse shot

a sequence of shots used to show conversation and reaction.

over-the-shoulder

frame includes one character's shoulder and what is seen beyond it.

180-degree rule

a rule that ensures an audience are not confused by the spacial arrangement of the scene.

long shots

show central characters as small figures compared to their vast surroundings.

medium long shots

shot that isolates figure from ankle or knee up.

mid shot

shot that presents character from waist up.

two shot

shot that has two characters in the same frame.

medium close-up

shot where characters are seen from mid-chest up.

close-up

shots that has figure of significance filling up the entire screen.

extreme close-up

extreem close-ups that show only a distinct part of a face or object.

wide-angle lens

lens with greater depth of field and short focal length that allows a cameraman to fit a lot of the scene in the frame.

telephoto lens

lens that brings a narrow slice of the field of vision in front of the camera into detailed view.

rack focus

practice of shifting from one plane of focus to another rapidly during a shot.

fill light

lighting to eliminate shadows, reduce contrast.

low key lighting

lighting wich uses a lot of shadow and high contrast effects.

high key lighting

lighting with a lot of light i.e. brightly lit.

back light

lighting placed behind main character, draws soft outline around character and separates them from the background.

cut

one shot is replaced by another.

fade

a shot is slowly replaced by a blank screen or visa versa.

wipe

a shot is replaced by another shot covering in over or being revealed underneath.

dissolve

a shot is slowly replaced by another by changing it's opacity. At the mid-point of the edit both shots can be seen.

denotation

the surface meaning of a sign.

connotation

the hidden meanings or associations of a sign.

polysemic

a sign with more than one meaning.

anchorage

how signs work together to make their meaning clear.

stereotype

an oversimplified representation of a social group.

countertype

a representation reacting against a stereotype.

representation

how a social group is presented by a media text or group of media texts.

archetype

a representation which is cross cultural and forms the basis of a variety of characters.

personal codes

group of signs that make up how someone looks.

performance codes

group of signs that make up how someone acts.

technical codes

group of signs that determine how a representation is made through the text.

visual codes

group of signs that you can see but are not part of the character - miss-en-scene for example.

asynchronous sound

sound that does not match the action seen.

synchronous sound

sound that matches the action seen.

score

non-diegetic music.

tilt

pointing only the front of the camera vertically up or down while the dolly and tripod remain stationary.

pan

the turning of the camera to the left or right, such as when mounted on a tripod.

track

the camera follows a subject.

diegetic sound

sound that comes from within the world of the film.

non-diegetic sound

sound that comes from outside of the world of the film.

complex representation

a representation which includes elements of a stereotype and a counter type.

protagonist

the character in a narrative that we follow and care about.

antagonist

the character in a narrative that operates against the protagonist.

hero (Propp)

a character that is on a quest.

princess (Propp)

what the hero is on a quest for.

villian (Propp)

works in opposition to the hero on their quest.

helper (Propp)

helps the hero on their quest.

donor (Propp)

gives the hero something to help them on their quest.

dispatcher (Propp)

sends the hero on their quest.

father (Propp)

rewards the hero at the end of their quest.

equilibrium (Todorov)

a state of balance at the start of a narrative.

inciting incident (Todorov)

an event that disrupts the equilibrium.

disequilibrium (Todorov)

a state of struggle to reagin balance.

diegesis

the imagined world of a film.

resolution (Todorov)

an event which restores balance or brings about a new balance.

new equilibrium (Todorov)

a state where things are in balance at the end of a narrative.

binary oppositions

two opposing ideas that create conflict within a narrative.

jib

when a camera physically moves up or down in space - as if on a crane for instance.

roll

when a camera turns around the central point of the lens.

zoom

arrangement of lenses are changed to make something appear closer but the camera does not move.