Production Elements Terminology in the study of Narrative, VCE Media

1. PRODUCTION ELEMENTS

2. PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
• Camera
• Acting
• Mise-en-scene
• Editing
• Lighting
• Sound

3. CAMERA - OVERVIEW
A shot is the interval of time from when the
camera begins recording to when it stops.
Within this shot the camera can be used in
many ways to communicate an idea.
When looking at camera we analyse shot size,
angle, movement, focus and framing.

4. CAMERA – Consider:
• Distance (from the subject)
• Angle
• Movement
• Focus
• Framing/Composition

5. CAMERA – Shot Sizes
• Extreme long shot
• Long shot
• Medium long shot
• Medium shot
• Medium close-up
• Close-up
• Big close-up
• Extreme close-up
• Point-of-view shot (POV)
CAMERA

6. CAMERA - Angles
• High camera angle
• Extremely high camera angle
• Low camera angle
• Dutch angle
• Eye-level
CAMERA

7. CAMERA - Movement
• Panning
• Tilt
• Tracking/dollying
• Crane
• Zoom
• Handheld
CAMERA

8. CAMERA – Framing/composition
• Aspect ratio
• On-screen and off-screen space
• What is included in and excluded from the shot
• Rule of thirds

9. CAMERA – Focus/Depth of field
• Deep focus
• Selective focus
• Follow focus
• Focus pull

10. ACTING - Overview
Look at how elements such as facial
expressions, body language and tone of voice
contribute to the character at certain points in
the film.
We should also be aware of the performer and
any associations we may have.

11. CAMERA - Consider
• Body language
• Physical appearance
• Facial expressions
• Voice (tone/accents/volume etc)
• Prior knowledge/associations

12. MISE-EN-SCENE - Overview
Mise-en-scene refers to the arrangement of
ALL the visual elements within a shot.
Do NOT discuss SOUND when analysing mise-en-
scene

13. MISE-EN-SCENE - Consider
• Props
• Setting/Location
• Costume & make-up
• Shot size/angle/movement etc
• Lighting
• Acting/Character
• Framing and the relationship between
subjects/objects in the frame

14. EDITING - Overview
• The film editor works with the raw footage, selecting shots
and combining them into sequences to create a finished
motion picture.
• Film editing is often referred to as the “invisible art” because
when it is well-practiced, the viewer can become so engaged
that he or she is not even aware of the editor's work.
• On its most fundamental level, film editing is the art,
technique, and practice of assembling shots into a coherent
sequence.
• A film editor must creatively work with the layers of images,
story, dialogue, music, pacing, as well as the actors'
performances to effectively "re-imagine" and even rewrite
the film to craft a cohesive whole.
• wikipedia

15. EDITING – Consider
• Continuity
• Juxtaposition
• Montage
• Transitions
• Graphic relationships
• Rhythmic relationships
• Spatial relationships (space)
• Temporal relationships (time)

16. LIGHTING – Overview
From New Ways and Meanings
All lighting in film-making is controlled, it is
never an accident. Lighting has power to
suggest ideas and emotions.
Lighting helps the audience construct
meaning. It can suggest time, place, mood or
genre.

17. LIGHTING – Consider
• Low key lighting
• High key lighting
• Qualities of lighting
– Intensity - hard or soft
– Source - natural or artificial
– Direction - front, side, back, under,
top
– Colour – blues for cool, oranges for
warmth

18. SOUND – Overview
From http://www.oscars.org
• You might think of film as essentially a visual experience we
cannot underestimate the importance of film sound.
• A modern soundtrack is created and assembled in many
stages by sound recordists, mixers, editors and music
composers. Dialogue recorded by the production sound
mixer during filming or on location makes the initial layer of
the soundtrack.
• ‘Wild sound’ recordings are also made on set. For example if
the movie takes place in a hospital the mixer might record
30 seconds of sounds at the end of the day.

19. SOUND – Consider
• Diegetic sound
• Non-diegetic sound
• Voice over/narration
• Overlapping sound
• Parallel sound
• Contrapuntal
• Dimensions of sound
– Music
– Sound effects
– Dialogue

20. END