This article contains a list of cinematic techniques that are divided into categories and briefly described.
Basic definitions of terms
180-degree rule
A continuity editorial technique in which sequential shots of two or more actors within a scene are all shot with the camera on one side of the two actors so that a coherent spatial relationship and eyeline match are maintained. Airborne shot A shot taken from an aerial device, generally while moving. This technique has gained popularity in recent years due to the popularity and growing availability of drones. Arc A dolly shot where the camera moves in an arc along a circular or elliptical radius in relation to the subject ("arc left" or "arc right") Backlighting (lighting design) The main source of light is behind the subject, silhouetting it, and directed toward the camera. Bridging shot A shot used to cover a jump in time or place or other discontinuity. Examples are a clock face showing advancing time, falling calendar pages, railroad wheels, newspaper headlines and seasonal changes. Bridge shots are also used to avoid jump cuts when inserting a pick-up. Camera angle The point of view or viewing position adopted by the camera with respect to its subject. Most common types are High-angle shot (the camera is higher than its subject) Low-angle shot (the camera is lower than its subject) Close-up A frame depicting the human head or an object of similar size. Cut An editorial transition signified by the immediate replacement of one shot with another. Cross-cutting Cutting between different events occurring simultaneously in different locations. Especially in narrative filmmaking, cross-cutting is traditionally used to build suspense or to suggest a thematic relationship between two sets of actions. Continuity editing An editorial style that preserves the illusion of undisrupted time and space across editorial transitions (especially cuts). Deep focus A technique in which objects in the extreme foreground and objects in the extreme background are kept equally in focus. Dissolve An editorial transition overlapping a fade in and a fade out in such a way that one image gradually disappears while another simultaneously emerges. This transition generally suggest a longer period of narrative elapses than is suggested by cuts. Camera Dolly A wheeled cart or similar device upon which a movie camera is mounted to give it smooth, horizontal mobility.