SOME FILMIC TECHNIQUES

FILM TECHNIQUE

DESCRIPTION

USUAL EFFECT OF TECHNIQUE

EXAMPLE FROM NOAH & SASKIA

WHAT MESSAGE OR FEELING DOES THE EXAMPLE CONVEY TO THE AUDIENCE?

SHOTS

long shot

looking into the distance, often with something in the foreground

gives a sense of setting and people in the setting

Noah & Clive in the foreground outside school, with Melanie Collins looking at them, then walking towards them (episode 4)

shows that Melanie is different from Noah & Clive, that she’s desirable and probably unattainable. The slow motion shot of her walking adds to the effect of emotional distance between the characters

close up

an object fills the frame / screen

provides detail; facial close ups highlight emotions

when Renee opens the door and says: ‘I’m exfoliating!’(episode 1)

used to show Renee’s character – she’s working on her appearance as that’s important to her / humorous effect due to red blotchy face

extreme close up

an object fills the frame completely, and may extend beyond the frame

to provide great detail

Bevan’s cartoon image when Saskia & Renee try to break into Noah’s web site (episode 1)

the creator (Max Hammer) intends it to create shock and fear in the intruder. It’s as if the dog is leaping off the screen to intimidate the viewer

point of view

when the camera is the character, so we see things from that character’s point of view

emphasises the character and shows people and events from his/her perspective

when we first meet Noah and he walks from his room to the kitchen (episode 2)

strongly depicts how Noah sees his family, and how they see him. His home life is mundane and ordinary

cutaway or jump cut

a sudden cut between shots

this has a jarring effect. Here it’s used for humorous effect

Debbie gives Saskia lots of strange reasons to explain why Saskia thinks she is in love (episode 3)

used for humour. Debbie’s reasons are presented in a fast and disjointed delivery, with sound and light effects. Saskia calls the list of reasons ‘highlights of a talk I had with my mother’, and the jump cuts emphasise the humour of what Debbie is saying

CAMERA ANGLES

low

camera shoots the scene from below

subject seems large & powerful

Noah & Clive at school. The camera is at ground level and girls’ legs crisscross the frame with the boys in the background (episode 4)

the angle is used to show Clive’s preoccupation with girls. It emphasises his shallow understanding of girls – they are just passing shapes

high

camera shoots the scene from above

subject seems small, powerless & insignificant

Saskia’s interview in the shopping centre (episode 1)

Saskia is a small figure, and this suggests she is not controlling the event, she is there unwillingly

CAMERA MOVEMENTS

panning

camera moves left or right

creates interest and drama

in the aerial shot of Noah’s suburb, the camera pans over to his street (episode 4)

we have seen Saskia’s street in episode 1, and this shot allows us to compare settings

zooming

the camera moves in or out of a shot, usually rapidly

quick zooms have a dramatic effect. Zooming in can highlight an action or an event; zooming out can highlight the smallness of people in a big landscape

Debbie gives Saskia reasons to explain why she thinks she is in love. When Debbie pauses and says ‘hormones’ the camera quickly zooms in on Saskia (episode 3)

with the artificial sound effect, this shot is used for humour. It exaggerates the effect of Debbie’s use of the word ‘hormones’

SOME FILMIC ELEMENTS

FILM ELEMENT

DESCRIPTION

EXAMPLE FROM NOAH & SASKIA

WHAT MESSAGE OR FEELING DOES THE EXAMPLE CONVEY TO THE AUDIENCE?

SETTING

where the action takes place; the location of the scenes

Saskia walking home, shows us her house. The camera pans across the locality setting of wealthy homes and stops at her house (episode 1)

We instantly know Saskia is not well off. The contrast of images and the way she talks about her house is humorous, and that tells us about Saskia’s personality

LIGHTING

bright / high key lighting. (Dim, shadowy light is low key lighting)

strong, clear, light; this lighting can be daylight or artificial

the artificial lighting in the chicken shop (episode 1)

emphasises the nature of the setting: fast food, a clean, tidy shop lacking personality & atmosphere

use of colour

can be strong or pale or natural. The use of colour filters changes the image

the dark red background and colour wash when Noah talks to the Indy avatar (episode 2)

this artificially strong red gives a sense of drama. We understand from the scene that Noah is imagining Indy in his comic strip setting

SOUNDTRACK

music

can be background (incidental) or used in the script

in the script - Saskia practising the guitar with Bennie (episode 3)

this shows Saskia’s character - she’s creative and talented, and also too shy to play to an audience

sound effects

can be part of the story ( e.g. characters walking on gravel) or artificial sounds

when Saskia imagines the Max Hammer avatar saying ‘I love you’, an SFX crowd sucks in its breath (episode 3)

emphasises the importance of this event to Saskia

SPECIAL EFFECTS (SFX)

an artificial way to create an image or illusion

Saskia walking with the Max Hammar avatar and guitars are flying behind and around them (episode 3)

all the SFX in this scene combine to create an image about what is happening in Saskia’s head. It’s a dramatic and visually attractive way to get that across to the audience quickly

ANIMATION

giving inanimate objects the appearance of life on screen

the soccer game (episode 2)

the game is designed to look like a Playstation game, but with Noah’s family & friends playing. It humorously shows us how he negatively views his life

SOFT FOCUS

the filmed image is not sharp; often used to romanticise or hide something

when Saskia imagines what is in Renee’s head. The images are soft and blurred around the edges (episode 1)

this is film shorthand for showing us that the images are not real, they are dreamlike