Media Terminology
From the Study Design
Outcome 1 - Key skills point 8:
(8) Use appropriate media language
Outcome 1 - Key skills point 8:
(8) Use appropriate media language
Terminology List
What follows is a list of some of the elements of media narratives and the vocabulary associated with each one. This is not necessarily every single term that you will need to know. It is also necessary to build your own vocabulary of adjectives, words to compare and contrast, and words for analysis, seguing between ideas or connecting ideas. You should also know how to use semi-colons, complex compound sentences and other such things to enable you to write eloquent, academic prose. Note-form responses are acceptable when time does not allow for prose responses, but these must be well written and each one must make a point.
Camera
(part of Cinematography)
Shot Type: establishing shot, re-establishing shot, long shot, medium long shot, medium shot, medium close-up, close up, extreme close up, microscopic close up, shot reverse shot, over shoulder shot, twin shot, wide shot, point of view shot (p.o.v.), omniscient p.o.v. shot.
Angles: high, low, very high, very low, aerial/bird’s eye, eye level, side view, wide, tight.
Movement: zooms, pans, tilts, dollies, tracking, dolly zoom, cranes/jibs, arcs, circles, handheld.
Lenses: Types of films lenses used and capabilities of these lenses, also zoom in and zoom out.
Focus: Racking focus/focus pull, shallow depth of field, blurred focus, refocus, long depth of field.
Placement/Framing: 180 degree rule, rule of thirds, repositioning of camera between shots.
Filters/Film Stock: colour filters (blue, red, yellow, black and white, sepia), type of film stock, over exposure and under exposure of film, aspect ratio of film.
Acting
Facial expressions, appearance, hand gestures, body language, use of voice, voice intonation, nature of the dialogue delivery, comic timing, pause for effect, responses or reactions to others, acting style and techniques, contrast in the acting style of actors, posture, walking gait.
Casting: choice of actors, awards won, lead role, supporting role, cameos, celebrities, big name actors, unknown, appearance of the actors, associations made with the actor’s previous roles, range and capabilities of the actors, expectation and subversion of expectations unlikely casting, typical casting.
Mise-en-scène(includes Visual Composition)
Sets/Locations (interior/exterior), props (functional or symbolic), costumes, colour palette, hair and make-up, the visual or physical aspects of acting, the lighting, visual composition, visual prominence and hierarchy within the image, use of angle/framing and focus, scene blocking, process of selection and omission
Symbolism/Recurring Motifs: these can come from many or all of the production elements and are a part of both production elements and story elements
Special Effects (CGI): can apply to and combine many other elements as well, depending on the effects being used. If it’s a CGI character, for example, you might discuss the lighting of the character, the costume, the acting, etc.
Titles and Credit Sequences: Also often part of the opening and closing sequences (which are story elements), but need to be discussed in regards to production elements used in their construction as well.
Editing(both Vision and Sound)
Pacing, sequence, rapidity, shifts in mood, duration of shot, long hold, long take, the point of edit, montage, symbolism or meaning of the edit, intercuts between, juxtaposing, linear, non-linear, temporal order, temporal frequency, style of editing, length of take, length of hold, consistent pacing, inconsistency in pacing, discontinuity of editing, continuity of editing, how the edit enhances or destabilizes audience understanding, editing that seems continuous, editing that calls attention to itself.
Relationships between shots: graphic relations, rhythmic relations, spatial relations, temporal relations, elliptical editing, parallel editing/cross-cutting, flash back, flash forward, temporal duration (expansion and contraction of time), elliptical edit, graphic match, framing match.
Classic continuity: continuity, 180 degree rule, axis of action, 30 degree rule, jump cut, cut in, cut out, cutaway, cut back, action match, eyeline match, parallel actions, simultaneous time, cross cutting, motif, shot-reverse-shot.
Transitions: cut, transition, fade to black, fade to white, fade in, fade out, dissolve, wipe, montage, bridge, segues, cut to scenes.
Sound editing: non-diegetic insert, sound before vision, vision before sound, sound bridge, music bridge, seamless segue, jarring segue, rhythm, fidelity, space.
Lighting(an element on its own, but also part of Cinematography and Mise-en-scène)
Naturalistic, expressive, symbolic, under-lit, stark, dim, chiaroscuro, gls, filters, tungsten, diffused, saturated, desaturated, monochromatic, cool, warm, high contrast lighting, movement of light, step into light filtered, lighting for emphasis, symbolic use of lighting, hue gauzy, f-stop, over-exposed, under-exposed.
Lighting set-ups: three point, spot lighting, silhouetted, high key lighting, low key lighting, key light, back lit, half lit, front lit, top lighting, cross lighting
Sound(includes Sound Editing, SFX and Music)
Diegetic sound, non-diegetic sound, fidelity, foley sound, foley artist, leit motif, symbolic use of sound, ambient sound, background sound, dramatic sound, disparities in the rhythm of sound and vision, vision, rhythm, realism or expressive volume/audibility, dialogue, deliberate absence of sound or inaudibility, grab of dialogue, layering of sound, soundtrack, source of sound or off screen source of sound, sound of inner world of the character, sound as signifier, assonant sound, dissonant sound, evocation of mood, words to describe the sound, crescendo, decrescendo.
Dialogue/human voice: voice over, voice, laughter track, pitch, perspective of the sound.
Types of sound: simultaneous sound, non-simultaneous sound, synchronous sound, asynchronous sound.
Music: original score, use of music, timbre, instrumentation.
Editing sound: alteration and manipulation of sound, simultaneous cut with sound/lyrics, sound mixing, choice of when to play, sound before vision, sound bridge fade up, fade down, layering or multiple tracks of sound.
What follows is a list of some of the elements of media narratives and the vocabulary associated with each one. This is not necessarily every single term that you will need to know. It is also necessary to build your own vocabulary of adjectives, words to compare and contrast, and words for analysis, seguing between ideas or connecting ideas. You should also know how to use semi-colons, complex compound sentences and other such things to enable you to write eloquent, academic prose. Note-form responses are acceptable when time does not allow for prose responses, but these must be well written and each one must make a point.
Camera
(part of Cinematography)
Shot Type: establishing shot, re-establishing shot, long shot, medium long shot, medium shot, medium close-up, close up, extreme close up, microscopic close up, shot reverse shot, over shoulder shot, twin shot, wide shot, point of view shot (p.o.v.), omniscient p.o.v. shot.
Angles: high, low, very high, very low, aerial/bird’s eye, eye level, side view, wide, tight.
Movement: zooms, pans, tilts, dollies, tracking, dolly zoom, cranes/jibs, arcs, circles, handheld.
Lenses: Types of films lenses used and capabilities of these lenses, also zoom in and zoom out.
Focus: Racking focus/focus pull, shallow depth of field, blurred focus, refocus, long depth of field.
Placement/Framing: 180 degree rule, rule of thirds, repositioning of camera between shots.
Filters/Film Stock: colour filters (blue, red, yellow, black and white, sepia), type of film stock, over exposure and under exposure of film, aspect ratio of film.
Acting
Facial expressions, appearance, hand gestures, body language, use of voice, voice intonation, nature of the dialogue delivery, comic timing, pause for effect, responses or reactions to others, acting style and techniques, contrast in the acting style of actors, posture, walking gait.
Casting: choice of actors, awards won, lead role, supporting role, cameos, celebrities, big name actors, unknown, appearance of the actors, associations made with the actor’s previous roles, range and capabilities of the actors, expectation and subversion of expectations unlikely casting, typical casting.
Mise-en-scène(includes Visual Composition)
Sets/Locations (interior/exterior), props (functional or symbolic), costumes, colour palette, hair and make-up, the visual or physical aspects of acting, the lighting, visual composition, visual prominence and hierarchy within the image, use of angle/framing and focus, scene blocking, process of selection and omission
Symbolism/Recurring Motifs: these can come from many or all of the production elements and are a part of both production elements and story elements
Special Effects (CGI): can apply to and combine many other elements as well, depending on the effects being used. If it’s a CGI character, for example, you might discuss the lighting of the character, the costume, the acting, etc.
Titles and Credit Sequences: Also often part of the opening and closing sequences (which are story elements), but need to be discussed in regards to production elements used in their construction as well.
Editing(both Vision and Sound)
Pacing, sequence, rapidity, shifts in mood, duration of shot, long hold, long take, the point of edit, montage, symbolism or meaning of the edit, intercuts between, juxtaposing, linear, non-linear, temporal order, temporal frequency, style of editing, length of take, length of hold, consistent pacing, inconsistency in pacing, discontinuity of editing, continuity of editing, how the edit enhances or destabilizes audience understanding, editing that seems continuous, editing that calls attention to itself.
Relationships between shots: graphic relations, rhythmic relations, spatial relations, temporal relations, elliptical editing, parallel editing/cross-cutting, flash back, flash forward, temporal duration (expansion and contraction of time), elliptical edit, graphic match, framing match.
Classic continuity: continuity, 180 degree rule, axis of action, 30 degree rule, jump cut, cut in, cut out, cutaway, cut back, action match, eyeline match, parallel actions, simultaneous time, cross cutting, motif, shot-reverse-shot.
Transitions: cut, transition, fade to black, fade to white, fade in, fade out, dissolve, wipe, montage, bridge, segues, cut to scenes.
Sound editing: non-diegetic insert, sound before vision, vision before sound, sound bridge, music bridge, seamless segue, jarring segue, rhythm, fidelity, space.
Lighting(an element on its own, but also part of Cinematography and Mise-en-scène)
Naturalistic, expressive, symbolic, under-lit, stark, dim, chiaroscuro, gls, filters, tungsten, diffused, saturated, desaturated, monochromatic, cool, warm, high contrast lighting, movement of light, step into light filtered, lighting for emphasis, symbolic use of lighting, hue gauzy, f-stop, over-exposed, under-exposed.
Lighting set-ups: three point, spot lighting, silhouetted, high key lighting, low key lighting, key light, back lit, half lit, front lit, top lighting, cross lighting
Sound(includes Sound Editing, SFX and Music)
Diegetic sound, non-diegetic sound, fidelity, foley sound, foley artist, leit motif, symbolic use of sound, ambient sound, background sound, dramatic sound, disparities in the rhythm of sound and vision, vision, rhythm, realism or expressive volume/audibility, dialogue, deliberate absence of sound or inaudibility, grab of dialogue, layering of sound, soundtrack, source of sound or off screen source of sound, sound of inner world of the character, sound as signifier, assonant sound, dissonant sound, evocation of mood, words to describe the sound, crescendo, decrescendo.
Dialogue/human voice: voice over, voice, laughter track, pitch, perspective of the sound.
Types of sound: simultaneous sound, non-simultaneous sound, synchronous sound, asynchronous sound.
Music: original score, use of music, timbre, instrumentation.
Editing sound: alteration and manipulation of sound, simultaneous cut with sound/lyrics, sound mixing, choice of when to play, sound before vision, sound bridge fade up, fade down, layering or multiple tracks of sound.