- Editing is literally how shots are put together to make
up a film.
- A shot is a single unit of a scene.
- A sequence is a series of shots within a scene (ex.:
shot-reverse shot).
- An ellipsis indicates passage of time, most commonly
signaled by a fade out to black before the next scene begins.
- A jump cut transports the spectator from one action and
time to another, giving the impression of rapid action.
- When a camera pans, it moves left-right or right-left,
or also up-down / down-up. The scene's subject is usually not moving, and
the camera moves by it.
- A point of view shot shows the scene from a specific
character’s perspective. We see their surroundings exactly as they would.
Pretty similar to a first-person video game viewpoint.
- A pull back shot is one that moves back from the
subject to reveal the context of the scene.
- In a close-up/extreme close-up, the frame’s subject
takes up the whole screen. These are often used to show a character is
important to the story, but can also be used on objects to show imminent
action (like a hand picking up a knife).
- A medium close-up frame the shoulders or chest and the
heads of one or two (sometimes three) characters. When it features two or
three (or more) characters, it can signify a togetherness or solidarity.
- In a wide shot, the camera is far away and shows not
only the characters but also (almost) all of their surroundings. When a
sequence begins with a wide shot, it is often to show that the characters
featured here are vulnerable
- A tracking shot (also called a follow shot)
occurs when the camera is moved on wheels, allowing us to travel with the
scene's subject. These can be fast or slow, but usually the movement is fluid.
If excessively slow, it could be a dream or a trance; if excessively fast,
it could be a moment of panic or fear. A tracking shot can go forwards,
backwards, left-right, or right-left.
- A bird's-eye shot is when the camera is directly above
the subjects, looking down on them from overhead.
