Film Studies key terms

A charismatic character type combining attractive qualities, such as charm and nobility, with dangerous or morally troubling qualities. It is named after the poet Lord Byron.

The direction from which the camera views its subject, such as looking down from a high angle or up from a low angle.

The apparent distance between the camera and its subject, expressed through shot sizes such as long shot, medium shot and close-up.

Whether the camera keeps the image upright or tilts it sideways, producing a canted image.

Movement of the camera during a shot, which can follow action, reveal information or change the composition.

A shot with a sloping rather than level horizon, created by rolling the camera sideways; also called an off-centre or Dutch-angle shot.

A deliberately simplified or exaggerated portrayal that reduces a person or group to a few recognisable characteristics.

A narrative relationship in which an action or event produces consequences that lead to further events.

Computer-generated imagery: digitally created images integrated into a film, including creatures, vehicles and environments.

The development or change a character undergoes across a narrative.

The role a character performs in developing a narrative, such as hero, opponent or helper.

A recurring kind of character with recognisable traits or a familiar role, such as the teenage rebel.

Lighting that creates strong contrasts between light and shadow.

A narrative that presents its main events in time order, although it may skip periods of time.

A widescreen film format introduced in the 1950s, using special lenses to produce an image much wider than it is tall.

The choices made about camera shots, angles, movement, framing and lighting to create a film’s images.

Filmmaking by ordinary people enabled by increasingly accessible equipment, including lightweight cameras and mobile phones.

A person’s social and economic position, associated with factors such as wealth, occupation and access to opportunities.

The decisive high point of a narrative’s central conflict.

A shot that shows a face or object in detail; a person is typically shown from approximately the shoulders upwards.

Changing language or behaviour according to the social setting or people present. In The Hate U Give, Starr does this partly to avoid racial stereotyping at school.

The political and ideological rivalry after the Second World War between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and its allies.

The sense of who someone is through their membership of a group.

A recurring colour associated with a character, idea or emotion across a film.

The characteristic range of colours used in a film or sequence.

The intensity of a colour: highly saturated colours appear vivid, while desaturated colours appear less intense.

A drama concerned with a young person's movement towards adulthood, including changes in responsibility, relationships and identity.