Aspects of Film

There are several aspects of film you might want to review.  I want to break them down into some categories for you to give you a clearer idea of where the properties you have chosen might best fit.

Acting:
Performance
Believability (of portrayal)
Characterization (how well the actor creates the character - mannerisms, habits, etc.)

Plot:
The events we see unfold onscreen.  This is different than story, which includes the events that take place both onscreen and off.  Plot is the "what happens" in the story - the actual events.  This is an important differentiation.

Theme:
What the story is about on a grander scale.  This is really the philosophical meaning of the film or its deeper implications.  To use an example - the plot of Mystic River is three childhood friends being brought back together when one of their daughters is killed.  The theme, however, is the lasting scar that a single event can have not just on a person but on an entire community.

Screenwriting:
Dialogue
Believability (of events)
Pacing
Story

Cinematography:
Camera angles
Camera placement/distance/movement
Lighting
Color (of lighting/lens filters)
Types of lenses and/or film used

Special Effects:
Realism
Animation
CGI
Effectiveness

Sound:
Atmosphere
Diegetic Sound (sound that takes place within the story being told on screen - footsteps, music that is being played in a club where the characters are, etc.)
Extradiegetic Sound (sound that is not part of the story - music that creates atmosphere or tension but is not part of the story, voice-over narration)

Editing:
Types of cuts
Effectiveness of cuts
Continuity
Pacing - editing can be very important in action films; for instance, the average length of scene in a film is 2-3 minutes. (The average television scene is 3 minutes.)  A slow-moving film or a period piece might have longer scenes (The Social Network opens with a 5 minute scene) while a film with a lot of action will have shorter scenes (often less than1 minute).  Shorter scenes make the film feel as if the action is moving faster; longer scenes do the opposite.

Setting:
Time period
Place
Situation
Props
Costumes
Set Design

There are many more obscure ones that I could add, but most of you are unlikely to be using them.  Also, I am sure there are some that I have not thought of here.  Please, if you have something you are not sure about, drop me a line for clarification.