Japanese term for animated films (film equivalent of ‘manga’ comic books).

Relationship between the width and height of a picture as it is displayed on a screen. It is expressed as a ratio of width: height. See Aspect Ratio page for further details.

French term meaning ‘author’; a filmmaker who has a distinctive, recognisable vision. An Australian example would be Paul Cox.

Position from which the camera frames what is filmed.

The first type of film base used in motion picutres, and the most common until 1951. Cellulose nitrate film is highly unstable and presents a very serious fire risk.

Rating (G, PG, M etc) given to a motion picture by a film classification body (in Australia, Classification Board), according to certain classification guidelines. Also known as Classification Rating.

Person who designs or directs the positioning of the camera and lighting for each shot; the director of photography. The cinematographer can also be the camera operator, but this is not always the cas [..]

Style of documentary from the French term ‘cinema of truth’. Similar to 'direct cinema’, it describes a style of filmmaking that follows the subject in an observational style with minimal or no u [..]

Camera shot showing a close-up view of the subject that fills most of the screen.

Arrangements of elements in a shot in relation to each other and to the viewer; the way they are framed.