Revision: Film & Narrative Techniques

adaptation:adaptation: the presentation of one art form through another medium; a film based upon (or adapted from) a stage play (or from another medium such as a short story, book, article, history, novel, video game, comic strip/book, etc.) which basically preserves both the setting and dialogue of the original.

antagonistantagonist: the main character, person or villain of a film who is in conflict with the film's hero, lead character or protagonist.

archetype: archetype: a character, place, or

thing, that is repeatedly presented

in films with a particular style or characterization.

atmosphere: atmosphere: refers to any quality or feeling that contributes a dimensional tone to a film's action.

background music:background music: part of the score that

accompanies a scene or action in a film, usually to establish a specific mood or enhance the emotion

cartharsis: cartharsis: during a film's climax, the audience may experience a purging of emotional tension, providing relief or therapeutic restoration after a confronting or challenging scene.

coda: coda: literally, means "tail" in Italian. In film, it refers to the epilogue, ending or last section of a film (often wordless), that provides closure, a conclusion, or a summary of the preceding storyline

cautionary tale: cautionary tale: A literary term, referring to a narrative with a moral message or warning of the consequences of certain actions, ideologies, character flaws, technologies or institutions, often with a downbeat ending.

chiaroscuro lighting: chiaroscuro lighting: literally, the combination of the two Italian words for "clear/bright" and "dark"; refers to a notable, contrasting use of light and shade.

composition: composition: refers to the arrangement of different elements (i.e., colors, shapes, figures, lines, movement, and lighting) within a frame and in a scene

deep focus: a style or technique of cinematography and staging with great depth of field that uses lighting to simultaneously render in sharp focus both close and distant planes (including the three levels of foreground, middle-ground, and extreme background objects) in the same shot.

depth of field: depth of field: the depth of composition of a shot,i.e. where there are several planes (vertical spaces in a frame; a foreground, a middle-ground, & a background

diegetic: diegetic: simply means realistic or logically existing; refers to the narrative elements of a film (such as spoken dialogue, other sounds, action) that appear in, are shown, or naturally originate within the content of the film frame

non-diegetic: non-diegetic: refers to the narrative elements (e.g., background music, the musical score, a voice-over, or other sounds) without an origin within the film frame itself.

establishing shot: establishing shot: usually a long (wide-angle or full) shot at the beginning of a scene (or a sequence) that is intended to show things from a distance (often an aerial shot), and to inform the audience with an overview in order to help identify and orient the locale or time for the scene and action that follows

foil: foil: an acting role that is used for personality comparison or contrast, usually with the protagonist or main character, as a means to show and highlight a character trait.

foreshadowing: foreshadowing: to supply hints (in the form of symbols, images, motifs, repetition, or mood) within a film about the outcome, or about an upcoming action that will take place

framing: framing: refers to the way a shot is composed, and the manner in which subjects and objects are surrounded ('framed') by the boundaries or perimeter of the film image, or by the use of a rectangle or enclosing shape (such as a shadow, mirror, door or hallway) within the film image

iconography: iconography: the use of a well-known symbol or icon; a means of analyzing themes and various styles in a film

juxtaposition: juxtaposition: in a film, the contiguous positioning of either two images, characters, objects, or two scenes in sequence, in order to compare and contrast them, or establish a relationship between them

mise-en-scenemise-en-scene: : a term used in film to describe everything that you can hear and see on the screen at any time when watching a film. The director’s choice of:

• Lighting; scenery and setting • Costumes; props; • Camera shots and camera angles;• Body-language of actors; • Sound effects; music,

help create a particular atmosphere appropriate for the plot.

•Mise-en-scene elements help enhance the audience’s understanding and shape their response.

•Mise-en-scene is the director’s way of adding detail to a film outside of the words an actor delivers in a script and is the equivalent of an author’s use of description in narrative to describe scenes and surroundings in depth.

mise-en-scene:mise-en-scene:

morality tale: morality tale: a literary term mostly, but used also to refer to a film (often heavy-handed and obvious in tone) that presents a judgment on the goodness/ badness of human behavior and character, and emphasizes the struggle between good and evil

point of view: point of view: the perspective from which the film story is told; also refers to a shot that depicts the outlook or position of a character

protagonist: protagonist: the lead or main character in a film; also known as hero/heroine.

reaction shot: reaction shot: a quick shot that records a character's or group's response to another character or some on-screen action or event; often accompanied with a POV shot; reaction shots are usually cutaways.

SalienceSalience :: something that is noticeable or striking or perceived as relevant . Various visual methods such as framing, lighting, camera angle or shot can help make something salient or significant in terms of shaping meaning.

symbol: symbol: an object in a film that stands for an idea, or that has a second level of meaning to it, e.g., a window or train=freedom, a rose=beauty, a cross-roads=a decision point, etc.; the more a symbol is repeated, the greater its significance. . In this film, the fence becomes a symbol of freedom/enslavement, friendship/barriers and hope/despair.