Film+terms


 * It is incredibly important that you include some film terms within your essay. Most are very easy and will become part of your daily discussions anyway. Including these regularly within your essay will help improve your grade. You never need to explain what they mean in your essay, just try to use them as if they are part of your normal vocabulary.**


 * __General:__**

**Genre** - A way to categorise films with similar story lines/ideas in them. Common genres include sci-fi, horror, romance, comedy, action and thriller.

**Genre conventions** - Typical features of a genre you are likely to find in a number of films. For example sci-fi will often feature aliens, new technology, impossible science/weapons, the future, male lead characters, special effects etc.

**Messages and values** - What ideas or ‘lessons’ the film is trying to get across. Is there a moral?

**Mise-en-scène** - T  his t erm refers to how a scene is constructed (therefore it is a term covering the lighting, colours, costume, setting, positioning of people/objects within a frame).

**Narrative structure** - How the beginning of the film gives us clues about the rest of the film and how the story might develop


 * __Characters:__**

**Central protagonist** - This is another term for the main character. It helps to make your work sound sophisticated and mature if you use it.

**Oppositional character** - The oppositional character in sci-fi is often a female character who works alongside the male. Often a love story will develop between the two characters.

**Stereotype** - Characters will often share typical features, known as stereotypes. Males in sci-fi tend to be heroic, strong, loners whereas female characters tend to be weak, dependent and bland.

**Stock characters** - A small role in sci-fi that needs to be identified quickly and easily by the audience, such as a scientist (identified by a white coat, glasses etc)


 * Representation ** - How characters are represented on screen, what information the audience is given about characters and how the audience feels about those characters