Cinematography applied to forrest gump

Cinematography applied to Forrest GumpBy Chloe Abraham

Establishing Shot

This shot sets up a scene’s location and / or characters.

Extreme Long Shot / Wide Shot

Creates an affect of vastness.

Long Shot

Shows the whole person or a large section of the location.

Mid Shot

Most of the figure is shown in the shot. It could also show the location. It can be side on or straight on.

Medium Close Up

Shows head and shoulders. This shot allows us to be more intimate with the character.

Over The Shoulder Shot

Allows the viewer to see a greater depth of emotion on the character’s face while establishing the location of each character.

Close Up

Lets us see emotion and reactions on a character’s face that could be missed. They often come after a wide shot.

Extreme Close Up

This shot is very tight so that only part of the object or person can be seen.

Point Of View Shot (POV)

A type of cutaway that shows what a character is seeing, it’s often part of shot / reverse shot.

Deep Focus

Involves a large depth of field where every plane is in focus.

Shallow Focus

A function of a narrow depth of field so only one plane of the frame is in focus. It shows us that one field is more important than the others.

Racking Focus

Changing the focus of the lens to a subject in the background and vice versa.

Zoom Shot

Occurs when a filmmaker changes the focal length of the lens in the middle of a shot.

Low Angle Shot

Used to make the character appear dominant.

High Angle Shot

Used to make the character appear vulnerable.

Dutch Tilt

The frame is at an angle. It gives a sense of unease.

Level Of Framing

Refers to the height at which the camera is positioned in a given shot.