212 | nº 31, pp. 207-238 | doxa.comunicación
July-December of 2020
Study on the cinematographic image composition: frame, light, and colour as expressive elements...
ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978
2.2. Categories Analysed
Regarding the variables analysed –frame, colour, and lighting– it is necessary to describe them.
The frame shows the prevailing typology and, consequently, its expressive intention. It is made up of a total of 1,339. The figure and its duration differ in each of the works studied (cf. Exact data in the Results section). It is necessary to clarify that the selected works do not have the same length. Therefore, the study of this first variable is centred on the film’s scenes (determined by the Field paradigm2) as this ensures that the amount of time analysed is as similar as possible in each film. The frame classification is based on those set out by Salt (2006) and Brown (2008). Table (1) allows us to gather these authors’ typologies, a brief description, and its purpose.
Table 1
Type of frame
Extension/Description
Use/Value/Funcionality
Close-up
Extreme Close-up or bleeding
Image of his/her face: from his/her chin to their head.
-Expressive function.
-Increases drama.
Long
Image of his/her body: from the waist to his/her head
-Descriptive function.
Medium or bust
Image: upper part of his/her body
-Expressive function.
-Increases the drama
Medium or torso
Image: lower part of his/her body.
-Expressive function.
Extreme Close-up shot
Image: eyes and mouth
-Expressive function.
-Dramatic intentionality.
Foreshortening
Image: two characters, one with his/her back to us and the other facing us.
-Expressive function.
-Conversations and relationships between characters (point of view).
-The audience’s empathy (empathy with the character).
American Shot
Image: from his/her head to legs (3/4 part of his/her body)
-Narrative function.
Full Shot
Image: scene (a place where the action takes place), with or without characters (full body shot from afar)
-Descriptive function (contextualisation).
Medium Shot
Image: from the head until the waist.
-Expressive function, occasionally descrip-tive.
Close-up
Image: eyes and/or mouth of the character or another part of the body or an object with relevance in action.
-Expressive function.
Full shot
Image: two or more actors (shows full body).
-Descriptive function.
2 According to Field (1979: 15), a script has 120 pages, which equates to approximately two hours. In other words, each page of the script means a minute on the screen. If we take this into account,and based on its paradigm the first act would be the first half hour of the film, the second act until 90 minutes and the third act until the end of the film.
