Language of Cinema

Week three's lecture was about cine-speak, which is learning the language of cinema. There are many different shots to create different effects and meaning. Therefore, the close up answers the question of 'who' by showing the character in detail. The mid shot answers the question of what by showing the actor in action. The long shot answers the where in the establishing shot. The wide shot and the close up can answer the when question, however time can be a difficult thing to capture on screen. The big close up can answer the why question by revealing more about the character, trying to see inside them. To answer how we can use a single medium shot or a range of close ups to explain an event. 

Additionally there are other elements to cine-speak such as; headroom, talking room, rule of thirds (balance in a shot), the 180 degree rule where there are cameras on one side of the event, inserts and cut aways (providing extra information inside or outside the scene) and most importantly the scene needs to make a statement and drive the narrative forward.