Front
Extreme Close-Up (ECU)
Back
Focuses on a tiny detail or specific feature
Fills the frame with an eye or a small object to create intensity.
Example: The opening eye shot in Psycho.
Public Deck
Film Terminology - 35 Key Concepts
Learn essential film vocabulary with 35 flashcards covering camera work, editing, lighting, sound, and narrative techniques.
AnyFlashcards35 cards
Preview
Front
Close-Up (CU)
Back
Frames a character's face or a specific object
Captures facial expressions and emotions clearly.
Example: Jack Nicholson's face through the door in The Shining.
Front
Medium Shot (MS)
Back
Shows a character from the waist up
Balances the subject with their immediate surroundings.
Example: Standard dialogue scenes in most Hollywood dramas.
Front
Long Shot (LS)
Back
Shows the entire human body from head to toe
Places the subject within their environment.
Example: The iconic standoff shots in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Front
Extreme Long Shot (ELS)
Back
Shows a vast landscape or exterior setting
The subject is tiny or invisible compared to the environment.
Example: The desert vistas in Lawrence of Arabia.
Front
Low Angle Shot
Back
Camera looks up at the subject from below
Makes the subject appear powerful, heroic, or intimidating.
Example: Darth Vader's introductions in Star Wars.
Front
High Angle Shot
Back
Camera looks down at the subject from above
Makes the subject appear vulnerable, small, or weak.
Example: Andy Dufresne in the rain in The Shawshank Redemption.
Front
Dutch Angle (Canted)
Back
Camera is tilted to one side
Creates a sense of unease, disorientation, or psychological instability.
Example: The distorted city streets in The Third Man.
Front
Bird's Eye View
Back
Shot from directly overhead
Provides a god-like perspective or maps out a scene's geography.
Example: The overhead shot of the crime scene in Taxi Driver.
Front
Tracking Shot (Dolly Shot)
Back
Camera moves alongside or follows the subject
Creates a smooth, fluid sense of motion on tracks or a dolly.
Example: The Copacabana entrance in Goodfellas.
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