Handbook - How to Read a Film
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Six Elements of Style
in Film Making:
How Directors Tell a
Story
HOW TO READ A FILM
By Blanqui Valledor
Six Elements of Style
Literature versus Film
Literature
Film
Diction
Cinematography
Author’s Choice of Words
o Specific effect of word choice:
connotation and denotation
Overall Style
o Types and lengths of
sentences
o Types of words used
o Use of imagery/figurative
language
Imagery
The language that engages the
senses and evokes emotion
o Visual Imagery: what we can
see
o Auditory: what we can hear
o Tactile: what we can touch
o Olfactory: what we can smell
o Gustatory: what we can taste
o Kinesthetic: sense of
movement
o Organic: internal sense of
being
Shots
o Extreme Long Shot
o Long Shot
o Medium Long Shot
o Medium Shot
o Medium Close-up
o Close-up
o Extreme Close-up
Angles
o Low
o High
o Eye-level
o Worm’s Eye
o Dutch (Oblique/Canter)
o Bird’s Eye
Movement
o Pan
o Dolly (in/out)
o Tracking (side to side)
o Tilt
o Zoom is NOT a camera
movement, but a lens
movement.
Imagery
Mise-en-scene
o Composition
o Lighting
o Special Effects
o Costume/Makeup
o Sets/Props
Sound
o Non-diegetic (outside the story)
Tone
Tone
The attitude of the speaker toward
Cinematography
another character, a place, an idea or
Mise-en-scene
a thing.
Sound
o It is important to pay
o Diegetic (within story)
attention not only to what
o Non-diegetic (outside story)
the character or speaker
does, but also to what he or
The tone taken by the movie’s narrator
she says.
reflects the screenwriter’s and director’s
psychological, emotional, and intellectual
attitudes toward their story.
Syntax
The order of words in a sentence;
the rhythm of the prose.
o Prominence
o Position
o Pace
Point of View
Editing
How the story is told; rhythm and
pace.
o Prominence
o Position
o Pace
Point of View
Omniscient – (unrestricted) 3rd
person point of view of all aspects
of the movie’s action or characters
Restricted – a narration that
reveals information to the
audience only as a specific
character learns of it.
First person narration – voice of an
actual character in the movie (i.e.
Cher in Clueless (1995))
Voice-over narration – a person
who is not a character (i.e.
documentaries)
First Person
Second Person
Third Person - Limited
Third Person – Omniscient
Objective
Figurative Language
Language not meant to be taken
literally (metaphor).
Figurative Language
Symbolism
Cinematography
Mise-en-scene
Editing
Sound (non-diagetic)
Six Elements of Style - Literature
Title of Work: ______________________________________Author: _____________________
How does the author present?
Diction
Imagery
Tone
Syntax
Point of View
Figurative Language
Evidence from the text?
How does it develop the theme?
Six Elements of Style – Movie
Title of Movie: ________________________________________Director: _________________
Theme: ____________________________________________________________________
How does the director present?
Diction/Cinematography
Imagery
Tone
Syntax/Editing
Point of View
Figurative Language/Symbolism
Evidence from the movie?
How does it develop the
theme?
Basic Film Definitions
1. STRUCTURE OF A FILM
Shot
A single 'run' of the camera. This is the basic unit from which a film is constructed. The length (or
duration) of a shot depends upon:
a. its purpose ie. establishing a place; to show action; to show reaction
b. the pace (or tempo) of the sequence in which it occurs.
Sequence
A group of shots depicting one action, or, which seems to belong with or depend upon each
other. (Say 3 to 18 shots).
Scene
A group of sequences, or, (for short scenes) a group of shots, which:
a. depict an event in the story. and
b. occur in one place.
A scene is generally a larger unit than a sequence (though) sometimes a group of shots can be
classified as either).
2. TYPES OF SHOT
Extreme Long Shot [E.L.S]
Shot taken from a great distance, almost always an exterior shot, shows much of locale
Long Shot [L.S.]
A distance shot in which a setting, and not a character, is the emphasis. This is generally used to
establish the place in which action will occur, hence the term establishing shot. Given its
function, a long shot is often used at the beginning of a scene or sequence, and may be
combined with a panning movement of the camera to show us a wider area.
Mid Shot [M.S.]
A middle distance shot which focuses our attention on a particular subject. With a mid shot the
camera is close enough to pick up detail, though still far enough away to be able to follow the
subject as he/she/it moves. The mid shot, therefore, is commonly used to show action e.g. as in
a fight scene.
Close Up [C.U.]
A close shot of an object or person, the aim being to focus our attention on a particular detail.
Close ups of a person have a number of different functions:
a. in an establishing sequence a close up of someone suggests that he/she is a main
character
b. the first close up of a character (in a sequence of shots), establishes point of view e.g.
who is watching an event
c. a close up is most commonly used to show the reaction of a character, i.e. a reaction
shot.
Extreme Close Up [E.C.U.]
A shot of a small object or part of a face that fills the screen used for emphasize.
3. CAMERA MOVEMENTS
Pan
Movement from side to side from a stationary position.
Tilt
Movement up or down from a stationary position.
Tracking
The camera is not stationary but moves to follow a moving object or person. The camera is
mounted on a moving device such as a rail platform, a dolly or a vehicle.
Dolly
Movement outwards away from a subject. Note: The speed of a camera movement (from very
fast to very slow) can dramatically alter its effect.
4. MOVING FROM ONE SHOT TO ANOTHER
Cut
The ending of a shot. If the cut is a jerky movement, which seems a little inconsistent with the
next shot it is called a jump cut.
Fade In or Out
The image appears or disappears gradually. It brightens to full strength over a full second, or
darkens to fade out. The fade is often used as a division between scenes.
Dissolve
One image fades in while another fades out so that for a few seconds the two are
superimposed.
5. CAMERA ANGLES
In filming a shot a decision is made about the angle at which the camera is to be directed at a
subject. High and Low angles may be used to influence our impression of a particular character.
A character filmed from a low angle (camera placed low) will seem strong, powerful, tall, proud,
etc... whereas if a high angle (camera place high) is used the subject will appear weak,
insignificant, vulnerable, small etc... Our impression of a structure or object can be manipulated
in a similar way.
A distorted angle (oblique/dutch) may be used to make a scene more frightening, or to make
the viewer feel anxious, or queasy (especially if fast or jerky camera movement is also used).
6. EDITING
This is the process of assembling and splicing together the various shots which comprise a film.
Underlying the process is a technique which can be called pairing, i.e. a story is built up by
alternating one set of shots with another.
There are common instances of pairing:
c. A conversation or confrontation between two characters. The shots alternate from one
to the other, angles may be used to suggest inferiority or superiority.
d. Shots of a character are alternated with shots of what he/she sees. The first shot of the
character is the P.O.V. (It establishes point of view i.e. who is looking).
e. Cross-cutting. A sequence of shots in which the alternation is between two different
locations (e.g. A burglar creeping into a house in which an unsuspecting victim lies
sleeping). The sequence builds to a climax and ends with the two things coming
together.
The Editing Speed (or tempo) of a particular sequence is also an important consideration. Fast
editing involves fast cutting. ie. The shots are 1 to 2 seconds long. Fast editing generates
excitement and anticipation as for example in a chase sequence. Slow editing (i.e. Shots are 3 to
10 seconds long), has the opposite effect, calming and relaxing the viewer. Accordingly slow
editing is a characteristic of love scenes.
7. OTHER TERMS
Soft Focus
A slightly blurred shot to make the subject seem more attractive, romantic, nostalgic or
dreamlike.
Hand Held Camera
The tripod and dolly are deliberately abandoned in favor of this method when a director wants
to create a sense of anxiety or confusion, exploiting the unsteady movement of the camera. A
hand held shot in which a character is approached from behind usually suggests that someone is
being followed and is about to be 'pounced upon'...
Montage
The editing together of a large number of shots with no intention to create a continuous reality. A
montage is often used to compress time (a number of facts are established in one sequence). Films may
begin with a montage which establishes a particular time and place. With the absence of a visual
relationship between them, the montage shots are linked through a unified sound - either a voiceover or
a piece of music.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Pre-production
/>Outline and Treatment
/>Scriptwriting
/>Storyboards
/>How to Format Scripts
/>Lighting Basics
/>ideo
Editing Transitions
/>Sound
/>
Slide 1
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SIX ELEMENTS OF STYLE IN FILM MAKING
HOW DIRECTORS TELL STORIES
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Slide 2
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1. DICTION = CINEMATOGRAPHY
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Shots
Angles
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Movement
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Slide 3
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CINEMATOGRAPHY - SHOTS
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Slide 4
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CINEMATOGRAPHY - ANGLES
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Slide 5
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CINEMATOGRAPHY - MOVEMENT
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Slide 6
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ACTIVITY – IDENTIFY THE SHOT AND ANGLE
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Slide 7
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2. IMAGERY = IMAGERY
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Mise-en-Scene
Sound (non-diagetic)
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Slide 8
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MISE-EN-SCENE
Overall feeling of a movie
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The sum of everything the audience sees, hears, and experiences while viewing it.
Influences our mood
Décor, lighting, smells, and sounds
All movies have Mise-en-Scene
Strong Mise-en-Scene: viewer experiences the aura of the place and time.
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Slide 9
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EXAMPLES OF MISE-EN-SCENE
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Composition
Lighting
Special Effects
Costume/Makeup
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Sets/Props
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Slide 10
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SETTING, DÉCOR, AND PROPERTIES
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Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor (1987)
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Slide 11
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WHAT DO YOU SEE? HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
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Slide 12
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SOUND
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Diegetic (within story)
Non-diegetic (outside story)
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Affects in Film
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Slide 13
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3. TONE = TONE
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Cinematography
Mise-en-scene
Sound
Diegetic
Non-diegetic
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The tone taken by the movie’s narrator reflects the screenwriter’s and director’s psychological, emotional, and
intellectual attitudes toward their story.
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Slide 14
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TONE
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Slide 15
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4. SYNTAX = EDITING
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How the story is told; rhythm and pace.
Prominence
Position
Pacing
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Slide 16
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EDITING
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Slide 17
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EDITING
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Slide 18
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EDITING
Cut
Transition between scenes when one scenes ends and another one begins
Types
A shot inserted in a scene to show action to another location.
Faces, emotions, narrative.
Cross Cutting
Action going on in time, two different spaces.
Chases – people, cars, etc.
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Dissolve
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Cut Away
A gradual transition in which the end of one scene is superimposed over the beginning of a new one .
Fade In/Out
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Slide 19
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5. POINT OF VIEW = POINT OF VIEW (CAMERA/EDITING)
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Omniscient – (unrestricted) 3rd person point of view of all aspects of the movie’s action or characters
Restricted – a narration that reveals information to the audience only as a specific character learns of it.
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First person narration – voice of an actual character in the movie (i.e. Cher in Clueless (1995))
Voice-over narration – a person who is not a character (i.e. documentaries)
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Slide 20
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6. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE = FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
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Symbolism
Mise-en-scene
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Slide 21
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ACTIVITY 1
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Watch the short film, Perfection and identify the theme.
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Slide 22
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Slide 23
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ACTIVITY 2
Now that you have identified the theme of the short film, how does the director create it using the following:
Table 1 – Figurative Language
Table 2 – Diction (auteur, cinematography, editing)
Table 3 – Imagery (mise-en-scene)
Table 4 – Tone (cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound)
Table 5 – Syntax (editing)
Table 6 – Point of View
Remember you need to identify how the director uses the above to create the theme. Be specific!
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Slide 24
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STUDENT SHOWCASE
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Slide 25
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QUESTIONS?
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