Movie Techniques
Mise en scene – the arrangement of the scenery and props on the stage of a film.
Lighting – Lights of various strengths and angles. Used to set a mood, emotion or genre.
Symbolism – The use of a material object to represent an abstract idea.
Camera Shots – A camera shot is the amount of space that is seen in one shot or video frame. Camera shots are used to portray different aspects of a film’s setting, characters and themes in a specific way to get a certain message across to the viewer.
Sound – Words, sound effects, and music. Sounds can be used to get a certain mood across or inform us about the setting, plot and/or characters.
Dialogue – Chit chat used to reveal information about the plot or a character.
Narration – Narration is used as it allows us to get insight on a characters thoughts. It also allows stories and other info to be quickly passed to the audience.
Music – Music establishes setting; creates atmosphere; puts attention onto certain elements; reinforces narrative ideas; gives meaning to a character’s actions or translates their thoughts; and it creates emotion.
Montage – Montage is where shots are squished together for information compressed into a short amount of time and space.
Flashbacks – Flashbacks are where characters go back to an important event. Used to display a crucial scene.