Analysing Film

Framing and shot size

A close-up directs attention to detail or expression. A wide shot can show distance, environment or relationships in space.

Do not treat shot types as having automatic meanings. Explain what the framing does in the specific scene.

Camera angle and movement

High and low angles, tracking shots, handheld movement and static framing can influence how a scene feels.

A low angle may make a figure appear imposing in one scene, but its effect depends on context.

Editing

Editing controls the order, duration and relationship between shots.

Fast cutting can create urgency, while a long take can force the viewer to remain with a moment.

Sound

Dialogue, music, silence and environmental sound all contribute to meaning.

Ask whether sound supports the image, creates contrast or reveals something the image does not.

Mise-en-scène

Mise-en-scène refers to what is arranged within the frame: setting, lighting, costume, props, colour, position and movement.

These elements can communicate relationships, mood and social context without being stated directly.

A character receives bad news, but the film avoids a close-up and instead keeps them small in a wide, empty room.

Rather than simply saying that the character is sad, an analysis might argue that the framing visually isolates them and makes the emotional distance part of the setting.

1. Describe the scene's purpose in the story.
2. Choose two or three important cinematic choices.
3. Identify exactly where they occur.
4. Explain what they direct the viewer to notice.
5. Connect the choices to character, mood, theme or conflict.
6. Consider how the choices work together rather than analysing each technique in isolation.

• The framing emphasises...
• The close-up directs attention to...
• The editing creates a contrast between...
• The use of silence makes...
• The lighting positions the character as...
• Taken together, these choices suggest...

Plot summary

A film analysis should explain how meaning is created, not only what happens.

Fixed technique meanings

A high angle does not always mean weakness. Analyse the effect in context.

Ignoring sound

Film is audiovisual. Silence, music and environmental sound can be as important as the image.

• Film meaning is created through image, sound, editing and performance.
• Analyse specific choices in specific scenes.
• Connect technique to effect and interpretation.
• Avoid fixed meanings for camera techniques.
• Move beyond plot summary.