Film Language
You are expected to be able to use the following terminology in your analysis if and where relevant.
Shot types : extreme close-up, close-up, mid-shot (medium close-up), long shot, extreme long shot, establishing shot;
Camera movement : zooming, panning, tracking, dollying, crane shot;
Angles : high angle, low angle, overhead, undershot, dutch tilt (or simply a tilt) point-of-view, eye-level.
Film Codes : written, audio, technical and symbolic codes, iconography, cultural codes ;
Editing : cross-cut, cut-away, transitions, dissolve, fade-to-black, superimpose, eyeline matching, digital editing;
Other terminology : montage, SFX , split-screen, narrator, voice-over, piece-to-camera, dramatisation / re-enactment / reconstructions, external footage, line-of -action, archival footage, graphics, flashback, slow motion, sound mixing, genre, conventions, propaganda, live footage, graphics.
Editing
Editing is a post-production activity, that is it takes place after the production of the physical filming activity. The meaning of any film is largely produced in the editing process. A film can be edited in- camera by shooting the film in the exact order in which the shots will be seen by the viewer. Most editing is done post-production. In documentary filming, the post production process is critical in the construction of meaning in the final product.
The editing process alters the meaning of what has been filmed.
Selection means what the director chooses from all his or her footage to include in the final product; to include or select certain footage implies that it is important;
Exclusion or omission means deciding to omit or leave out certain footage; leaving out one piece of the action can significantly influence our perception of truth;
Sequence is the order in which events are displayed. This order of events, even in the most factual documentary, is not necessarily what happens in the real world. The film maker can only show one thing at a time. In the real world many things happen at once or simultaneously. If the film maker wants to record these things, they can only be shown in a sequence, because it is not possible to show everything happening at exactly the same time. This sequence constructs meaning. In addition, a film maker can choose to change the order of events, actively deciding to misrepresent what happens. This misrepresentation will obviously change the viewer’s perception of what actually took place.
Foregrounding - something is foregrounded if we see a lot of it, ie it is shown to the viewer more than other things or seen / noticed by the viewer more than other elements as though it is literally in the foreground.. To foreground something is to emphasise this element. This can be both a positive thing and a negative thing.
Naturalisation - Associated with foregrounding is when we see something occurring frequently, we tend to assume that things are always like this. By foregrounding something, we may tend to think that this is normal or natural and thus accept without thinking or criticising.
Other Documentary Techniques
- use of film language - significant- (ie SWAT codes and film conventions) ;
- use of verbal language;
- selection - as above - (what has been chosen, what omitted) and compression;
- sequence - as above (what order);
- structure (what segments); the various elements will be organised carefully in ways that real life is not- in visual media this involves mise-en-scene and the organisation of narrative;
- foregrounding (what is placed / kept in front of us, );
- use of narrative (including setting, character, narrative structure, point of view and theme)
- montage (the use of juxtaposition in film);
- archival (historical) footage;
- interviews;
- narrator / presenter and/or voice-over;
- stills;
- set-ups (re-enactments) and dramatisations;
- use of statistics
- cinema verite (unscripted real-life action) also known as fly-on-the-wall;
