Film Production and Cinematography Techniques

1. Lighting

• Background
• Key
• Fill
• High-key
• Low-key
• Mood
• Rembrandt
• Cameo
• Flood
• Lens flare
• Soft and hard

2. Sound

• Diegetic
• Non-diegetic
  • Narration
  • Film score
  • Sound effects

3. Shooting

Field Size

• Wide, full, long
• American, cowboy, 3/4
• Medium
• Close-up
• Two shot

Placement

• Perspective
• Over-the-shoulder
• Point-of-view
• Shot/reverse shot
• Trunk shot
• Single/multiple camera

Angle

• Tilt
• Aerial
• High-angle
• Low-angle
• Bird’s-eye
• Worm’s-eye view
• Boom shot
• Crane, jib
• Dutch angle

Movement & Unchained Camera Technique

• Tilting
• Panning
  • Whip pan
• Hand-hold
• Shaky
• Snorri
• Steadicam
• Dolly
• Walk and talk
• Dolly zoom (Hitchcock shot)

Lens Effects

• Focus
  • Depth of field
  • Shallow focus
  • Deep focus
• Zooming

Other

• Establishing shot
• Master shot
• B-roll
• Freeze-frame shot
• Long take
• One shot
• Insert

4. Editing

Technique

• Clues
• Cutaway
• Eyeline match
• POV
• Multiple exposure
• Optical illusion
• Split screen
• Transition

Insertion

• Dialogue
• Match cut
• Long shot
• Insert

Timelapsing & Pacing

• Jump cut
• Axial cut
• Wipe
• Dissolve
• Slow motion (overcranking)
• Prelap

Other

• Fast cutting
• Invisible cut
• Montage
• Supercut

Storytelling

• Cut on action
• Contrast cut
• Shot reverse shot
• Flashback/flashforward

Action

• Smash cut
• Cross cut
• Slow cutting
• Walk and talk

Rules

• 180-degree rule
• 30-degree rule

Terms

• Reaction shot
• Kuleshov effect
• Establishing shot
• Long take
• Footage
• Internal/external rhythm