Basic Terms

SHOT
A shot is a continuous piece of filming without interruption from the time the camera is turned on and starts filming until it is turned off.
- In general most shots last for no more than about ten seconds.
- The camera or subjects may move during a shot, however the filming is uninterrupted.

EDIT
An edit is a break in the film where one shot ends and the next shot begins.
The four common types of edit are:
- cuts
- dissolves
- fades
- wipes (occasionally)

SCENE
A scene is a collection of shots arranged through editing, into a specific order.
- When reading film it is common to analyse individual scenes rather than specific shots.
- A scene with two characters having a conversation would likely consist of fewer shots than a fast paced car chase.

SHOT TYPES

The First Basic Rule

Cinema is a visual art form. Cinema is not literature. A film is not a novel.

What does reading a film mean?

- Analysing how images and sound are used to tell a story.
- Understanding how codes, conventions and stylistic devices create viewer responses.
- Consciously identifying our unconscious responses.