C

Canted angle
See Dutch angle

Closeup (CU)
This shows a person's head and shoulders. You can now see the expression on their face, which helps you to know what they are thinking and feeling.

Cold lighting/colour
Cold lighting is bluish in tone.

Composition
The way in which objects are arranged in the picture frame.

Continuity
Editing which combines separate shots so that the audience thinks that the action is continuous.

Continuity errors
Mistakes in continuity, eg a character's clothing or hair changing between shots

Contrast
The difference between the lightest and darkest parts of an image.

Crane
A crane is used to move the camera above or across the action.

Cross-dissolve
A transition in which one image dissolves into another.

Cross-fade
See cross-dissolve

Crossing the line
Breaking the 180 degree rule by moving the camera across the line of action.

Cut
One image is suddenly replaced by another.

Cutaway
A shot of something outside the main action in a scene (eg a film of a play could have a 'cutaway' of the audience).