A satire film uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize foolishness or corruption in individuals, institutions, or society.
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Genre & Style Terms Starting With S
The genre & style terms that begin with S, in alphabetical order.
1–48 of 48 entries
Definitions of Genre & Style Terms Starting With S
Open any entry for the full definition, where the term comes from and the films that show it best.
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A science fantasy film is a hybrid genre that blends the imaginative, futuristic technology of science fiction with the archetypal, mythic elements of fantasy.
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A narrative technique that makes an audience aware of a film’s constructed nature
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A warm brown monochrome effect that imparts a nostalgic quality to film images.
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Shake and Bake is a slang term for a style of chaotic camera movement or a very fast and simple lighting setup.
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Shaky cam is a cinematographic style characterized by intentionally unstable camera movement to convey realism or tension.
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Selective depth isolates subjects, steering attention and evoking intimacy or dreaminess.
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A silent comedy is a film genre from the silent era that relies on physical comedy, slapstick, and visual gags rather than spoken dialogue to create humor.
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A silent film is a motion picture that does not have synchronized recorded dialogue, relying on visual storytelling, intertitles, and musical accompaniment to convey its narrative.
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A production style employing one camera to shoot scenes with cinematic flexibility.
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Capturing an entire scene in a lone camera pass prioritises performance continuity over editorial fragmentation.
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The Sinhala New Wave was a pivotal film movement in Sri Lanka during the 1960s and 70s, led by director Lester James Peries, which established a distinct, art-house national cinema.
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A sketch show is a series of short, comedic scenes that has served as a vital training ground for generations of film talent and as a format for feature films.
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Slapstick comedy is a genre of broad, exaggerated physical humor characterized by mock violence, absurd situations, and choreographed mishaps.
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A slasher film is a horror subgenre defined by a killer who stalks and murders victims in graphic sequences.
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A stylistic movement characterized by minimalism, long takes and deliberate pacing.
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Over-cranking or optical tricks lengthen real time to heighten drama and perception.
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A smash cut is an abrupt and often jarring transition from one scene to another, used to create surprise, comedy, or a sudden shift in tone.
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Social realism is a broad artistic movement that uses realistic styles to depict the lives and struggles of the working class and the poor with a critical political perspective.
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A soundbite is a brief, memorable audio excerpt used for quick recall.
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South African Cinema Renaissance
The South African Cinema Renaissance denotes the dynamic period of growth and creative expression in the nation's film industry following the end of apartheid in 1994.
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Soviet Montage was a revolutionary 1920s film movement that used dynamic editing to create symbolic meaning and evoke powerful emotional responses.
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A space western is a subgenre of science fiction that transplants the narrative themes and character archetypes of the Western genre into a futuristic, outer-space setting.
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An Italian‑produced Western style known for stylized violence and moral ambiguity.
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A splatter film is a horror subgenre that distinguishes itself by its deliberate and graphic focus on visceral gore and bodily mutilation.
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Splatterpunk is a subgenre of horror film characterized by its explicit, graphic, and transgressive depiction of violence and gore.
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A split edit is an editing technique where the transition points for video and audio are separate, with either the sound (J-cut) or picture (L-cut) transitioning before the other.
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Spoken word is a performance-based art form that focuses on the rhythmic and expressive recitation of poetry, frequently used in film to voice a character's inner life.
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A genre combining athletic settings with humor, satire, and lighthearted storytelling.
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A genre that intertwines athletic competition with character-driven storytelling and emotional stakes.
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The sports film is a genre that uses a specific sport as the backdrop for its narrative, often focusing on themes of perseverance, teamwork, and redemption.
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A spy spoof is a subgenre of comedy film that satirizes and parodies the conventions of the spy thriller genre.
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A stand-up special is a feature-length film of a comedian's performance, which has evolved into a distinct and often highly cinematic genre.
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A streetwear brand is a clothing company that originates from urban youth subcultures like skateboarding and hip-hop, focusing on casual, graphic-heavy apparel like t-shirts, hoodies, and sneakers.
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Stuck in the mud is on-set slang for a camera movement that feels slow, sluggish, and lacking in energy.
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A style guide standardizes writing and formatting conventions for screenplays or publications.
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A style transfer pass is a digital post-production process where the visual aesthetic of a source image or video is algorithmically applied to a different piece of footage.
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Aesthetic associated with Super 16mm acquisition—fine grain, shallow gate weave, and high micro-contrast with widescreen extraction.
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A film movement embracing dreamlike imagery and illogical narratives
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A cinematic approach inspired by surrealism, blending dream imagery and irrational juxtapositions.
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A genre focusing on characters’ struggle to endure extreme situations and environments.
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High-spirited duels, daring rescues, and romantic bravado define the evergreen swashbuckler tradition.
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A swish pan is an extremely fast pan or tilt of the camera that blurs the image into streaks of color and motion, used as a rapid and energetic transition between shots.
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Sword and sorcery is a fantasy subgenre focused on heroic, personal adventures, visceral action, and the pursuit of immediate goals like wealth or revenge.
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A peplum film genre featuring ancient settings, heroic feats, and mythic narratives.
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Musclebound adventures set in antiquity deliver sand-scorched spectacle and moral simplicity.
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Synthpop is a genre of pop music that prominently features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument, known for its catchy melodies and often futuristic or romantic themes.
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Synthwave is a microgenre of electronic music heavily inspired by the soundtracks and aesthetics of 1980s action, sci-fi, and horror films.
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