Surprising Heroes: Visual Codes

Lighting is a very important aspect for shaping meaning in films. It plays an important part in creating the atmosphere in a film.  The amount of light and the direction of the light source can give meaning to the viewer of the film, e.g. to indicate the time of the day.

What kind of atmosphere is created in a room lit by candles?

Have you ever heard of mood lighting?

A room that is brightly lit by neon lights might seem to be sterile or a shadowy room might be eerie or scary. The lighting technicians in a film crew have the task of creating lighting to suit the mood and atmosphere of each scene in a film.

The setting is the location and historical period in which the story takes place. The setting allows the audience to place it within the context of its genre. The setting can also help further character development.

The setting of Shrek is in the fictional Far, Far Away Kingdom.  Its name is based upon the traditional opening line for many children's fairy tales and fables, e.g. Once upon a time, in a kingdom, far, far away.....

Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of setting, themes and characters. Camera angles are used to position the viewer so that they can understand the relationships between the characters. These are very important for shaping meaning in a film as well as in other visual texts.

A bird's eye angle is an angle that looks directly down upon a scene. This angle is often used as an establishing angle, along with an extreme long shot, to establish the setting.

A high angle is a camera angle that looks down upon a subject. A character shot with a high angle will look vulnerable or small. These angles are often used to demonstrate to the audience a perspective of a particular character. This angle of Puss in Boots is used often by the Director to show Puss in Boots as a vulnerable character to gain sympathy by the viewer.

An eye-level angle puts the audience on an equal footing with the character/s. This is the most commonly used angle in most films as it allows the viewers to feel comfortable with the characters.

A low angle is a camera angle that looks up at a character. This is the opposite of a high angle and makes a character look more powerful. This can make the audience feel vulnerable and small by looking up at the character. This can help the responder feel empathy if they are viewing the frame from another character's point of view.

A camera shot is the amount of space that is seen in one shot or frame. Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of a film's setting, characters and themes. As a result, camera shots are very important in shaping meaning in a film.  Different camera shots are carefully crafted to manipulate our emotions and our responses to the film.

An extreme long shot contains a large amount of landscape. It is often used at the beginning of a scene or a film to establish general location (setting). This is also known as an establishing shot.

A long shot contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of the setting. A long shot may show the viewers the building where the action will take place.

A medium shot contains a complete view of the characters. From this shot, viewers can take in the costumes of characters and may also help to demonstrate the relationships between characters.

A mid shot contains the characters or a character from the waist up. From this shot, viewers can see the characters' faces more clearly as well as their interaction with other characters. This is also known as a social shot.

A close-up contains just one character's face. This enables viewers to understand the actor's emotions and also allows them to feel empathy for the character. This is also known as a personal shot.

An extreme close-up contains one part of a character's face or another object. This technique is quite common in horror films, particularly the example above. This type of shot creates an intense mood and provides interaction between the audience and the viewer.