FILM DIRECTING TERMINOLOGY
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SHOT TYPES (by distance from subject):

1. EXTREME WIDE SHOT (EWS) / EXTREME LONG SHOT (ELS)
   - Shows vast landscape or crowd scene
   - Establishes setting and scale
   - Character often barely visible or absent

2. WIDE SHOT (WS) / LONG SHOT (LS)
   - Shows full subject from head to toe
   - Establishes location and subject together
   - Common for action and dance sequences

3. FULL SHOT (FS)
   - Entire figure in frame, slight buffer space
   - Shows body language and movement
   - Allows for action within frame

4. MEDIUM SHOT (MS)
   - Waist up or knee up
   - Good for dialogue and character interaction
   - Balance of expression and environment

5. MEDIUM CLOSE-UP (MCU)
   - Chest/shoulders up
   - Slightly more intimate than medium shot
   - Common for conversations

6. CLOSE-UP (CU)
   - Face fills frame
   - Shows emotion, detail, importance
   - Often used for key dramatic moments

7. EXTREME CLOSE-UP (ECU/XCU)
   - Single feature (eye, lips, hand)
   - Maximum emotional intensity
   - Reveals detail or creates tension

CAMERA MOVEMENTS:

1. PAN (Panorama)
   - Horizontal rotation on fixed axis
   - Sweeps across environment
   - Follows moving subject

2. TILT
   - Vertical rotation on fixed axis
   - Up/down movement
   - Can reveal subjects or information

3. ZOOM
   - Lens focal length changes
   - Subject appears closer/farther
   - Note: Different from moving camera closer

4. DOLLY SHOT
   - Camera moves toward or away from subject
   - Creates depth and focus changes
   - Emotional: approaching = intimacy, retreating = isolation

5. TRACKING SHOT / TRACK SHOT
   - Camera follows alongside subject
   - Shows movement through space
   - Often on rails or with dolly

6. CRANE SHOT
   - Camera moves up or down via crane
   - Sweeping vertical movement
   - Often dramatic reveals

7. HANDHELD
   - Camera operated without stabilization
   - Creates gritty, realistic feel
   - Often used in documentary/horror/action

8. STEADICAM
   - Stabilized camera system
   - Smooth movement while walking/running
   - Allows tracking shots without dolly track

CAMERA ANGLES:

1. EYE LEVEL
   - Neutral, balanced perspective
   - Standard for dialogue and narrative

2. LOW ANGLE
   - Camera looks up at subject
   - Makes subject appear powerful/dominant
   - Often used for heroes or authority figures

3. HIGH ANGLE
   - Camera looks down at subject
   - Makes subject appear weak/vulnerable
   - Often used for villains or defeated characters

4. BIRD'S EYE / OVERHEAD
   - Camera directly above
   - Creates abstract, voyeuristic feel
   - Shows patterns and relationships

5. DUTCH ANGLE / OBLIQUE
   - Tilted horizon
   - Creates unease, disorientation
   - Common in thriller/horror

DIRECTING COMMANDS:
- "Action!" - Begin scene
- "Cut!" - Stop recording/performance
- "Roll cameras" - Start camera
- "Marker" - Slate information
- "Hold" - Wait, maintain position
- "Picture up" - Fill frame with subject
- "Background" - Note to background actors
- "Copy" - Acknowledgment

SCREENPLAY FORMAT:
- FADE IN:
- INTERIOR/EXTERIOR
- LOCATION - TIME
- Action description (present tense)
- CHARACTER NAME (dialogue)
- (parenthetical) - acting direction
- FADE OUT / CUT TO:
