2. MICRO ELEMENTS OF FILM: PART 1
WHAT ARE THE MICRO ELEMENTS?
CINEMATOGRAPHY
MISE-EN-SCENE
SOUNDS
EDITING
PERFORMANCE
What is Cinematography?
In the early days of cinema a single camera was attached to a tripod to record events on the set. This was
known as the fixed camera. The effect was rather like going to the theatre to watch a stage play; the
production would be seen from one position and always in long shot, so that all the set, characters and
action were visible to everyone in the audience at all times.
As ideas and techniques progressed filmmakers began to experiment with moving the camera to different
positions and a range of shots came in to use. Gradually, certain convenetions were established, such as
the use of close-up shots to convey emotion, or to focus the audience’s attention on a certain action or
subject.
Cinematography includes everything connected with the camera. You will need to be able to discuss:
The shot type used
The camera position
The movement of the camera
The other important aspect of cinematography you should discuss is framing. When a filmmaker frames a
shot, he/she is making a decision about not only what should be included in a particular shot but also what
percentage of the shot is taken up with each element.
You will need to study all of these elements carefully when analysing the cinematography of a piece, whilst
also commenting on how meaning is created through the choices made.
While photography is the recording of a static image, cinematography is the recording of moving image. In
order to obtain the desired images, the cinematographer must attend to two areas:
Control of LIGHTING
Operation of the CAMERA
The images consist of reflected light and the camera records light.
Indeed, in Britain a cinematographer (the person responsible for
2
3. lighting and camera work) is sometimes known as the lighting-camera person or as the director of
photography.
CINEMATOGRAPHY - FRAMING
A key ingredient of cinematography is FRAMING. When we frame something we are making a conscious
decision about what to include within that frame and what to exclude. Deciding where to place the camera
and what to include/exclude in the shot produces what Bordwell and Thomas call ‘a certain vantage point’
(Bordwell & Thomas, Film Art: An Introduction)
Framing is an incredibly powerful in creating meaning, as the camera does not merely record that which is
in front of it but can be placed skilfully to create the required impression of identification. This means
considering distance angle, height and level of the camera.
Shot size is determined by the framing. There are several different choices of shot and each will be used
specifically by a filmmaker to generate a particular meaning or communicate an idea to the audience.
Cinematography – Shot types
There is a convention in video, film and television industries which assign names and
guidelines to common types of shots, framing and composition. The list below briefly
describes the most common shot types
EWS The view is so far
(Extreme from the subject
Wide Shot) that he/she is not
even visible.
This is often used
as an establishing
shot
VWS The subject is
(Very Wide visible(barely) but
Shot) the emphasis is
still in placing
them in their
environment
3
4. WS (Wide The subject takes
Shot) up the full frame,
or at least as much
as possible. The
same as a Long
Shot
MS (Mid Shows some part
Shot) of the subject in
more detail whilst
still giving an
impression of the
whole subject
MCU Half way between
(Medium a MS and CU
Close UP)
CU (Close A certain feature
Up) or part of the
subject takes up
the whole frame
ECU The ECU gets
(Extreme right in and show
Close Up) extreme detail. It
is also used to
draw audience
attention to a very
specific spot
4
5. CA (Cut A shot or
Away) something other
than the current
action
Cut In Shows some part of
the subject in detail
Two Shot A comfortable shot of
two people, framed
similarly to a mid shot
Other shot types include:
P.O.V. shot Shows the view from
(Point of View) the subjects
perspective
5
6. Weather shot The subject seen is
weather, usually sky.
Can be used for
other purposes
Establishing Shot – this is the opening shot of a film or film sequence
Master Shot – this includes all of the action in a particular sequence. At the ending stage, any close-ups on
characters or medium close ups of conversations can be inserted in to the master shot. The master shot
acts as a constant background of action which is punctuated with other shots.
CINEMATOGRAPHY - DISTANCE
Distance refers to the amount of relational space between the audience and the character on the screen.
Though the characters are two-dimensional and the audience is distinctly separate from the screen by
dead space, the camera perspective, in effect, attempts to provide the amount of space desired subject to
the director’s direction. This space often results in the interaction and psychological connection between
characters and the audience.
CINEMATOGRAPHY – CAMERA POSITION
The position of the camera when a shot is filmed has a significant effect on the meanings that are
generated.
What meanings are generated by the use of these angles?
Eye Level shot (straight angle) – the camera is positioned at chest of head height
Low Angle Shot – positions the camera below eye level, looking up at a character, object or action within a
scene
High-Angle Shot – placed the camera above eye level, looking down on characters or action
Bird’s-eye shot (Ariel View) – looks vertically down at the subject
Point of View (P.O.V.) – presents action as if from the viewpoint of a particular character
6
7. CINEMATOGRAPHY – CAMERA POSITION
Not to be confused with angles, the height of the camera is
also valuable in creating meaning. Keeping a straight angle,
the height of the camera can
be adjusted for effect. You
may wish to film something
from a low height but still
keep the angle straight on, for example, someone’s footsteps
Similarly having the camera at a high height can create a specific effect. For
example, a comic effect can be created if you have two characters of opposing height and you keep the
camera on the taller one, cutting off the smaller character, or vice versa.
The LEVEL of the camera is the technique that is
used the least, and can only really be explained by
example. If the level of the camera is ‘canted’ the
image on screen will appear rotated in some way. It
is an effect that is generally achieved through hand-
held manoeuvre and creates a stylised look. It is
more common in TV shows than film but it can often
be seen in films aimed at younger audiences to give
a sense of the unconventional.
7
