Long Description

The purpose of a video is often to convey an idea or message to its audience. When thinking about video, it is often helpful to use the same skills to analyze as you did when analyzing a text while reading.

Here is a list of typical techniques and conventions that are used to analyze video:

Term	Definitions	Question(s) to Ask When Analyzing
Character	These are character(s) present in the video.	Who are the people involved? What do they do? What are some important characteristics they possess?
Setting	Setting is the location, time and/or social situation of the video.	When and where does the scene/story/video take place? What is happening socially in the video?
Conflict	The conflict is the problem or issue being explored in the video.	What are the major issues taking place? What are the minor issues taking place? Who is involved?
Theme	The theme is the message that is being conveyed to the audience.	What theme(s) does/do the director touch on in the film? Is it effective at sharing its message? Why or why not?
Camera Angles	Camera angles is the technique of moving the camera around the subjects to create visual interest by shooting from different directions.	What camera angle(s) is/are being used in this scene? Is the camera moving or staying still? What purpose do these angles serve in conveying meaning to the audience? Is it successful in conveying meaning? Why or why not?
Sound	Sound is the technique of incorporating different audio effects into a video. They can be music, sound effects, background noise, dialogue, et cetera.	What do you hear in this scene/video? What purpose do these sounds play in conveying meaning to the audience? Are they effective at enhancing the meaning? Why or why not? What other sounds would you have used? What would you have taken away? How does the sound contribute to the mood?
Lighting	Lighting is the technique of using light and dark in a scene or video, often with the help of professional lights, but natural light is good too.	Where is the light in the scene/video? Is it natural or artificial? How does it help convey meaning to the audience? How does it contribute to the mood? Could it be better? Why or why not?
Mood	The mood is the feeling conveyed to the audience by the video or scene.	What emotions are being conveyed by the mood? How does the audience feel during/after viewing? Is the mood effective at conveying the meaning to its audience? Why or why not? How do colour, camera angles, lighting and sound contribute to the mood?