The Syntax of Film - A Glossary (Original English Version)
This comprehensive yet concise glossary provides students with
relevant terms and concepts they need in order to analyze movie sequences.
It does not however, provide its own frame of (analytical) reference which
it should be embedded in (e.g. a narratological/transmedial approach). The
entries are mainly taken from Ephraim Katz's The Film Encyclopedia
(2008) and James Monaco's The Dictionary of New Media (1999). The
glossary's structure is based Monaco's third chapter "The Language of Film:
Signs and Syntax" of his book How to Read a Film (2000) stressing
the second part of this chapter, hence the title. Additions were made
wherever this seemed to be necessary to meet the requirements of the target
audience. The result is a highly condensed glossary based on two seminal
works aimed at high school and undergraduate students.
French Version
This version is based on the structure and layout of the original
English edition, thus facilitating its use in both (foreign) language
classrooms. Definitions are mainly taken from Marie-Thérèse Journot's Le
Vocabulaire du cinéma (2004) and Vincent Pinel's quasi-sequel,
Dictionnaire technique du cinéma (2008), which assures their
genuineness and results in a slightly more Eurocentric outlook on the
topic. In most cases however, information has been added and/or modified to
assure a high degree of consistency between the two versions.
General Note
The full digital edition features both versions, movie stills,
extracts from movies, diagrams, and samples from actual film productions
that illustrate most of the terms.
For information on how to obtain it (including the printed English edition)
please contact:
(for educational
purposes only)
Note: A printed version of the French glossary will be available soon.