Film Language and Mise-en-scène

What this unit covers

This unit sits in the Film Language and Analysis strand of Photography and film. It is mostly vocabulary and ways of reading an image. The flashcard decks list shot sizes such as long shot, medium shot and close up. They also cover angles (high, eye level, low) and movements such as pan, tilt, tracking and zoom.

Where to start

Begin with the Film Terminology flashcard deck. It runs from mise en scene and open space through to fades and cuts. Then open the Mise en Scene deck, which breaks the image into setting, lighting, costume, makeup, hairstyle and composition, with Citizen Kane and Chinatown as examples.

Next, try these:

• Camera Angles and Camera Movements for the language of the camera.
• Narrative Structure for plot and story, diegesis, plot order and screen duration.
• FILM101 Glossary for a longer list, from aspect ratio to the axis of action.

Using maps with quizzes

Mind maps give you the overview. Film Language appears in several versions, and Camera Shots, Angles and Movement pulls the camera terms together. There are also maps on editing, sound, stylistic codes and genre, including horror and thriller. A few look at particular films or directors, such as the map on Run Lola Run and the Hitchcock maps.

Read a map first, then take a quiz such as Film Test One or English Film techniques. Anything you get wrong tells you which deck to go back to. Because many of the resources are pitched at secondary level, with the rest aimed at university level, some use the language of GCSE Media Studies. Others are written for degree-level film courses, so check the wording against your own course.

How to work through it

1. Learn the terms from one flashcard deck.
2. Look at a mind map on the same topic.
3. Take a quiz.
4. Return to the cards you missed.

Teachers can use the decks and maps as starter material for lessons, and everything was made by GoConqr users. Choose a deck that matches what you are studying today and see how far it gets you.