Glossary of film terms

Short definitions of film-analysis concepts. Tap a term to read the full explanation with examples.

Analytic and synthetic editing: Analytic editing uses close shots and details to immerse us in emotion; synthetic editing uses wide shots to show the whole space.
Antagonistic forces: Antagonistic forces are everything that opposes the protagonist: they can be human, non-human (the environment, fate) or internal (their own fears).
Characters and superobjectives: A superobjective is what a character wants most throughout the entire film: the overarching goal that drives every decision they make.
Continuity: Continuity is the coherence with which image, story and editing flow without illogical jumps that pull the viewer out of the film.
Expectation, suspense and intrigue: Expectation is the urge to know what will happen: suspense anticipates a danger, mystery hides what occurred, and surprise delivers an unexpected twist.
Film conflict: Conflict is the clash between what the protagonist wants and what stands in the way; without that clash there is no film.
Film editing: Editing is the art of ordering and joining shots to create meaning, rhythm and emotion: it is not just cutting — it is telling the story through the cuts.
Global interpretation of a film: Global interpretation is the final judgment that brings together the whole analysis: coherence, logic, message, credibility, emotion, beauty and editing quality.
Motivational axes: Motivational axes are the elements that create atmosphere and mood — light, color, music, costume, gesture, framing — making us feel without moving the plot.
Narrative structure: Narrative structure is the order in which a story is told: linear, with time jumps, in parallel, as a choral fresco, or a combination of several.
Narrative temperature: Narrative temperature is how tension keeps rising and gripping the viewer until it reaches the climax, the point of maximum intensity.
Rating a film: The rating is the final mark of the analysis, on a 7-to-1 scale: from Excellent (7) to Not recommended (1).
Symbolism in film: Symbolism comprises the objects or images that mean something larger: a sign has a direct meaning, a symbol a cultural reading, and an archetype a universal figure.
The premise and the ethical premise: The premise is the central idea or message the audience takes from a film, expressed in a single sentence; the ethical premise adds its moral or value.
The synopsis in film: A synopsis is the complete account of a film in a few sentences, with a beginning, middle and end — including how it resolves.
Thematic axes: Thematic axes are the three key events that open, sustain and close the story’s crises: the chain of cause and effect without which the narrative would not advance.
Transitions: Transitions are the ways of moving from one scene to another — straight cut, fade, dissolve, wipe or sweep — and they work as the punctuation marks of cinema.
Underlying context: Underlying context is the hidden messaging beneath the story: political, social, religious or commercial ideas tied to the era in which the film was made.