Formal Elements of Film Chart

Formal Elements of Film
L
o
w

Camera is positioned lower than the subject and tilted upward; makes the
character appear larger than life
E
y
e
-
L
e
v
e
l

Camera is level with the eye-line of the characters; a neutral shot
emulating the natural way we perceive the world
S
h
o
t

What is recorded by a single operation of the camera; can be defined in
terms of distance and area (see Framing below) or subject
S
c
e
n
e

Unit of action taking place in the same location, comprised of one or many
shots
S
e
q
u
e
n
c
e

Group of shots forming a self-contained segment of the film that is
intelligible in itself
T
i
m
e

&

S
p
a
c
e

M
i
s
e
-
e
n
-
s
c
n
e

Staging or arrangement of the visual elements within a shot or sequence;
includes the placement of characters in relation to each other, the set
design, the lighting, etc.
L
o
n
g

Main objects are seen in the distance and appear small on screen; used to
establish setting (often called an establishing shot) and show characters in
relation to objects; similar to the third-person, omniscient point-of-view in
literature
M
e
d

Shows a character from the waist up; often a natural or neutral shot
F
r
a
m
i
n
g

C
l
o
s
e
-
u
p

Object or character takes up most of the frame; highlights emotion played
out on a face or the detail of an object; encourages viewers to identify
with characters or to focus their attention on a thematic element
L
o
w
-
K
e
y
Small source of lighting used to create ample shadows and an
atmosphere of mystery/danger; can suggest characters are evil,
conflicted, or morally ambiguous
L
i
g
h
t
i
n
g

H
i
g
h
-
K
e
y
Even, sometimes flattering, light source with few shadows; can convey
normalcy or a lack of threat; typical of most mainstream classical
Hollywood films

H
i
g
h

Camera is positioned higher than the subject and tilted downward; makes
the character appear smaller than normal
P
a
n

Camera pivots along a horizontal axis without moving its position; enlivens
the shot, makes the frame dynamic, and emulates how people move their
heads from side to side to view action (such as how a spectator watches
cars zoom by on a race track)
T
i
l
t

Camera moves along a vertical axis without moving its position; can
emphasize the grandeur of an object (like craning your head up to make
look at a basketball player) or diminish it (like the huge class bully looking
down at the class runt)
Z
o
o
m

Cameras focal point is magnified/minimized to bring objects in the
foreground or background into focus; emulates how our own focus shifts
from person to person or object to object; can reconfigure the
composition of the shot without any editing
M
o
v
e
m
e
n
t

T
r
a
c
k

Any shot taken when the camera is on some sort of moving vehicle or
mechanism (such as a dolly, crane, or truck) or held by/strapped onto a
person (Steadicam)

Further Reading
Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film. New York: Longman, 2010. Print.
Dick, Bernard F. Anatomy of Film. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2010. Print.
Golden, John. Reading in the Reel World: Teaching Documentaries and Other Non-Fiction
Texts. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English, 2006. Print.

Major Film Journal Databases
JSTOR
Academic Search Premier
Project Muse
Film and Television Literature Index

Auraria Research Librarian Specializing in Film
Nikki [email protected]
F
a
d
e

Image slowly fades to black; can signal the passage of time or a
significant emotional ending to a sequence
D
i
s
s
o
l
v
e

First shot slowly fades out while the second shot fades in, blending the
two together; often used to create irony or visual juxtapositions
C
r
o
s
s
-
c
u
t

One shot placed immediately after another unmatched shot; creates visual
dissonance and quickens the tempo and pace of the film
E
d
i
t
i
n
g

E
y
e
l
i
n
e

M
a
t
c
h

Often used to depict conversations between characters; the camera first
films the character looking in one direction, then follows with a shot of
what being looked at

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