Cinematography refers to the techniques of the camera. The camera can be used to capture a variety of shots including long shot, medium shot, close-up and extreme close-up. Another visual technique of the camera is the angle at which it is placed. A camera can be placed at a low angle where it will look up at the scene or it can be placed at a high angle where it will look down on the scene. A low-angle camera conveys the large size and power of the characters whereas a high-angle camera conveys the smallness and weakness of the characters in the scene.
Editing techniques vary according to film style. Classical Hollywood cinema of the mid-20th century is famous for using a system called "continuity editing" which ensured that the editing techniques did not disrupt the narrative of a film. Classical Hollywood editing used rules such as the 180 degree rule which kept the camera on one side of an invisible 180 degree line so that characters always appeared on the same side of the screen during a scene. It was thought that if the character who was on the left suddenly appeared on the right, the audience would become confused. However, in the post-Classical Hollywood period, filmmakers often draw attention to the editing of a film by using disorienting cuts and rapid speed. Rapid editing is one way that the filmmaker can visually create tension or adrenaline in a film.
Mise-en-scene refers to the elements that are placed in front of the camera such as the actors, the props, the costumes and the lighting. There are several visual techniques that can be created through the mise-en-scene. Lighting is one element of mise-en-scene that is particularly useful as a visual technique. The lighting can be high key or low key. High-key lighting softens the image and conveys a lighter, happier tone, whereas low-key lighting creates more contrast and makes shadows noticeable, resulting in a heavier, darker tone.
The use of computer-generated images, or CGI, is a modern film technique that allows filmmakers to insert settings and even characters that were not physically present at the time of the filming into the scene. Using a blue or green screen, filmmakers can capture the performances of live actors on camera and then edit the scene with a computer, adding in the background and other visual elements to create the scene.