Visual Film Structure: Frames, Shots, Scenes, Sequence

Terms you must learn (in bold italics, background highlighted) : Frame, Shot, Scene, Sequence.

Additional Terms (in bold italics): Reel, Frame Rate, Soundtrack, Digital Format, Framed/Framing, Angle, Extreme Close-Up, POV (point of view), Flashback, Flashforward, Intercut/Crosscut, Character, Protagonist, Antagonist.

There are two types of film structure: visual structure and story structure. First, we will discuss visual structure.

The smallest unit of visual film structure is a frame.

If someone handed you a reel of film, and you unwound it and looked closely through it, you would see that it was a series of images, each looking something like this–

Each image is a frame of film. There would be holes at either side, called sprocket holes, that pulled the film through the projector, much like how a bike chain is pulled by the sprocket to turn a bike wheel. Film is pulled through a projector at 24 frames per second, usually written as 24 fps, which is called the frame rate or the rate of speed that the film passes through the projector. Also on this frame, there would be a bumpy sort of line running along the edge of the image (see left side of image) and this is the film's soundtrack.

Film and video are not the same. They have different frame rates–film; 24 fps, video: 30 fps. Film is made by chemical process and video is electronic. Because we are now in the middle of a major shift in media technology, the movie business is quickly changing to a digital format, and film reels and videotape will become as antiquated as vinyl records became when CDs and then MP3 digital music players came onto the consumer market. 

If you were to examine large lengths of the film on your reel, you might see the image suddenly change, showing a different location or view. This indicates a new shot. A new shot begins when the camera is stopped, the image is framed differently so that we see either a new image, or the same image taken from another angle. For instance, you might see a shot of a kitten playing with a toy mouse. Then you might see a shot of it's brother kitten watching from behind a chair. Then another shot of the brother kitten watching, only this time an extreme close-up of only his eyes. Then a POV (point of view) shot of the toy mouse that he is watching. Then a shot of the brother kitten as he pounces on the toy mouse from behind the chair. Then a shot of the first kitten hissing in anger as his brother carries the toy mouse off in his mouth.

There are 6 shots altogether, which make a scene.    

Shot 1. Kitten plays with toy mouse

Shot 2. Kitten's brother watches from behind chair.

Shot 3. Extreme Close up of brother kitten's eyes.

Shot 4. Brother kitten's POV of toy mouse.

Shot 5. Brother kitten pouncing on mouse.

Shot 6. Kitten hissing as brother steals the toy mouse.

A frame is the smallest unit of film. Each shot is made up of many frames (remember, 24 frames per second), and a scene is usually (not always) made up of several shots. 

A scene is defined as action that takes place in the same location or the same time. There are exceptions to this, such as if a character has a flashback, or flashforward, or the scene intercuts or crosscuts between two locations with action happening at the same time. 

 A sequence is usually made up of several scenes. Taking the kitten example, say this scene came from a movie titled, "9 Lives–A Cat's Story." In this movie, there might be a kitten sequence, which was made up of several scenes about the protagonist cat as a kitten.  The second sequence might be the cat as an adolescent, and this sequence might be a series of scenes of the cat going outside for the first time, the cat meeting up with the antagonist dog next door, the cat getting stuck on the roof. A third sequence could be the cat now fully grown keeping the dog next door in line, prowling the neighborhood, falling in love with a female cat, having kittens of his own. 

So, the visual units of film go from smallest to largest: frame, shot, scene, sequence. 

About Video Production Class

The ROP Video Production class is a yearlong course designed to give students a basic and broad understanding of the film and video production process. It is the prerequisite course for the Cinema Arts course, meaning it must be taken with a passing grade before a student is allowed to take Cinema Arts.

The areas of study within this course are:

1. The Production Process: Preproduction (preparation for filming, such as scriptwriting, storyboarding, casting, technical and artistic preparation), Production (filming and everything related to actual filming, such as setting up lights, cameras, directing actors) Post Production (after filming; editing, adding music and special computer effects). Beyond the making of the movie, Distribution and Marketing are also sometimes considered part of the production process.

2. Film Occupations: What producers, directors, assistant directors, gaffers, grips, editors, etc., actually do.

3. Standard Film Lingo: terminology you must understand in order to converse about film. Terms such as; genre, shot, scene, sequence, plot, montage, protagonist, antagonist, conflict, synopsis.

4. Technical Knowledge: This includes basic knowledge of how to navigate an iMac, and Apple software applications such as iMovie, Garageband, Photobooth. It also means learning the fundamentals of video camera operation, lighting, and sound.

5. Basic Screenwriting and Script Interpretation: Professional Hollywood scripts follow a very exact format and have very specific terminology such as slugline/scene heading, action, character heading. Script interpretation means reading and visualizing what the screenwriter wants you to see, but also adding your own unique vision to the script when appropriate.

6. Camera Angles and Maneuvers: What is a low angle, POV, dolly or dutch angle? When would you use an extreme close-up or a two-shot? Which camera angle do you choose to get the greatest emotional response?

7. Working as an Effective Production Team: Filmmaking is usually a collaborative process, and students work in production teams in this course. Here we practice skills that are essential and valuable for most occupations: communication, cooperation, respect, flexibility, ingenuity, creativity, support, honesty, initiative, technical skill and follow-through. This area is probably the most critical for success in this class, and if you learn to work well with others in a mature and professional manner, you will have learned what are probably the most important skills for getting and keeping a job.

What You Must Do to Pass This Class

1. Show up. Excused absences are understandable, but since this class requires hands-on cooperation and participation, especially on video production days when we are filming, it is very important to everyone on your team to have you physically present and ready to work.

2. Have a Good Attitude and be Ready to Work. Because this is a Regional Occupation Program course, also known as Career Technical Education, your training (and our CTE standards) require that you learn how to behave appropriately and effectively on the job. If your future employer finds you are unwilling to work, not doing what your supervisor has asked you to do, disrespectful of fellow employees, arriving late, mishandling equipment, stealing, swearing, or doing anything which everyone understands is counter productive to the task at hand, she or he is likely to reprimand or fire you. I will likely dock you some points (which I can do, being a CTE instructor) or write up a discipline referral, call your parents, ban you from using the video equipment, or all of the above. I would much rather give you a good grade, as I find this usually makes everyone much happier.

3. Pay Attention, Do the Assignment. Every day in class there is usually a short lecture and a small written assignment. Often this means copying down one or a few new terms and definitions to learn, for which you are given some points. These assignments will be graded and go into your folder, which you will then use during final exams. If you don't do these assignments, not only will you not know the material, but you won't have anything to refresh your memory during the test, not to mention the lack of points will bring down your grade.

4. Complete Your Projects: In a production team, sometimes things fall apart. People get sick and don't show up for a week. People drop out. People just don't do their job, for whatever reason. However, this does not excuse the rest of the team from the assignment. I have seen students complete video projects when their team went from 8 students down to 2, and do it well. I am very impressed when I see students take initiative to complete projects in the face of production challenges, and usually reward them with extra points.

5. Study for the Final: There are a hundred to two hundred terms and procedures to learn in this course just to have a basic understanding of filmmaking. There are quizzes and semester finals. The final is challenging, but it is not impossible to get all questions correct, especially if one puts their mind to it.

6. Talk To Me: If you have a problem or question related to this course, please don't hesitate to see me. I want you to have a positive experience in my class. Your success is my success.

Welcome to Spartan Studio!

As you know, most major Hollywood production companies end in "studios," as in, Universal Studios, Fox Studios, etc. This is why I chose to name Seaside High Schools's ROP Multimedia/Video Production Class blog Spartan Studio. It is an ironic name, of course, because not only are we the Seaside Spartans (spartan, the noun, meaning "person of Sparta" or "person of great courage and discipline") but our production studio is, for the moment, spartan (spartan, the adjective, meaning "marked by simplicity, frugality or lack of luxury and comfort"). We often do have to be frugal and make do with what we've got, especially now that budgets are tight. However, we do now have both a classroom and a production studio area, and this will allow us the room to film and to build small sets if we wish.

Being spartan is not necessarily a bad thing. Creativity is often spurred by limitation, and there are many examples of low budget films that achieved great critical and financial success, and also big budget films that were flops. It is my hope and intention that my students learn that engaging their inventiveness and creativity are at least–if not more–important than how to operate a camera.