Eduqas GCSE Film Studies key terms

The presentation of two or more images within separate areas of the screen at the same time.

The public identity of a film star, formed through screen roles, performances, publicity and information about their life.

The promotion of recognisable performers as stars whose public image and popularity help attract audiences to films.

A camera that remains in a fixed position rather than moving through the scene.

A camera-stabilising device developed by Garrett Brown that keeps the image steady while allowing fluid movement.

A question divided into linked parts that move from a short identification to explanation and extended exploration.

A simplified, generalised image of a person or group that overlooks individual differences.

The complete sequence of events in a narrative world, including events shown directly and those the spectator infers, arranged chronologically.

An immediate transition from one shot to another, without a fade or dissolve.

Watching or listening to content delivered over the internet as it plays, without first downloading the complete file.

The dominant organisation of classical Hollywood filmmaking around major studios which brought together performers, writers, technicians and production facilities.

Recurring formal choices or concerns that make a filmmaker’s work recognisable.

A narrower category within a broader genre, with more specific conventions, such as vampire horror within horror.

The domination of a group through force or control, denying its members freedom and power.

To challenge or overturn an established expectation, convention or stereotype.

To undermine or overturn an established expectation, such as a stereotype about how a character should behave.

A small-gauge film format associated with amateur home movies; its recognisable appearance can evoke personal memory and nostalgia.

An effect in which one image is laid over another so that both remain visible.

An object, image or sound that carries a meaning beyond its literal role.

An arrangement within a shot in which the two sides appear balanced around a central axis.

A composition in which elements are balanced on either side of the frame, often suggesting order or control.

The matching of sound and image in time, so that sounds coincide with the actions that appear to produce them, such as speech matching mouth movements.

Recorded sound played in time with the film image, so that sounds such as speech match the action seen on screen.

A film with recorded, synchronised speech, particularly associated with the transition from silent cinema in the late 1920s.

The technologies available when a film is made and how they influence its production and, sometimes, its story.

A film genre centred on young people’s experiences, commonly exploring identity, friendship, belonging and relationships with authority.

A central idea explored by a film, such as belonging, freedom or self-respect.