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— The FRAMING or the LENGTH of shot

— The ANGLE of the shot

— If there is any MOVEMENT involved

Camera FramingTHE CAMERA’S CLOSENESS TO THE OBJECT.

MEDIUM

SHOT

Definition How its used

Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue

scenes, or to show some detail of action. Background detail is minimal

because location has been established earlier in the scene - the audience

already know where they are.

This is a “Bread and Butter” shot. It is used to move the story forward, showing two characters conversing and

allowing the narrative to move onward.

EXTREME CLOSE

UP


This is a very close shot

showing the detail of an

object or the physical

features of a person.

This shot is used to show the emotions of a character, usually through their eyes. It could be used to show

anger with a straight stare. It also makes the character more personal to the audience as people tend not to be that close to each other unless they are intimate.

CLOSE

UP


This shot shows very little

background and just concentrates on one specific thing closely.

This shot is used to show the full range of emotions of a character. It also allows the audience to identify certain characters. For example a group of soldiers would only

be identified by their faces due to their similar gear.

LONG SHOT


The camera is placed far

away to capture a

large area of view.

The long shot is used to show the action occurring from a distance. This could be to emphasise the scale of the event or

landscape that the characters in. it could also be used to show that a character is stranded, showing the empty

landscape around them.

POINTOF

VIEW SHOT


A simple shot of what the character (or object) sees. We as the audience get a glimpse of what the character is looking at.

This shot is used to make the audience feel like a

certain character. It could be used to show that characters journey or

adrenaline if they are in trouble. In some cases it

can be used to hide a murderer but still show the

actions that he/she commits.

OVER THE SHOULDER

SHOT


A shot with an actor’s shoulder in the foreground.

This shot is used to show one character talking to

another, it can be rotated by 180 degrees to show

the other character talking. Without one

characters shoulder being in shot, it would look odd

that one character is talking to nothing.

REACTION SHOT


A shot showing one or more characters reacting to an action or statement.

This shot is used to show the emotional response

from a character after they have witnessed an event. An example of this is wide eyes and open mouth for someone being murdered.

Camera AngleTHE CAMERA’S HEIGHT FROM THE GROUND

To show insignificance.

To give a more detailed view.

Normal eye level view, what we see.

To give a more detailed view of less authority

To show powerful, masculinity, authority

BIRDS EYE

VIEW


This shows a scene from

directly overhead, a

very unnatural

and strange angle.

Birds eye views are used to show a whole situation from above. It can be used to show how dense a

suburban area is or show how powerless someone is if they have been deserted somewhere.

HIGH ANGLE


Not so extreme as a

bird's eye view. The camera is elevated

above the action using a crane to

give a general

overview.

High angle is used to show vulnerability or powerlessness. It can be used to show how

insignificant a character is. It can be used to show the rank of a character.

EYE LEVEL


the camera is positioned as though it

is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. The camera will

be placed approximately five to

six feet from the ground.

This shot is used to show a character on their level. It is used to show how people

usually see the world. This moves the story onwards.

LOW ANGLE


the camera is positioned below the

object or people being shot.

Low angles are used to show a characters dominance or high authority.

DUTCH TILT


The camera is tilted so that on screen, the

horizon appears to be tilted.

This shot is used to show a character that is disorientated or show a rush, usually in

action sequences.

Camera Movement

TILT UP Definition How its used

the camera looks up at the objector people

being shot.

This shot is used to reveal a character or situation from a low angle that gets larger.

TILT DOWN


the camera looks down on the objector people

being shot.

This shot is used to reveal a character or situation from a high angle that gets larger.

PAN Definition How its used

The camera moves across the scene FROM

SIDE TO SIDE (move your head from left to right – this is panning)

This is used to show a character walking along or to reveal a large scale scene that

cant be emphasized in one shot.

TRACKING


A tracking shot and a dolly shot have the

same effect. A tracking shot moves on tracks and a dolly shot is mounted on a

trolley.

This shot is used to follow a camera.. The camera is mounted on a track to make the

movements smooth.

ZOOM Definition How its used

Zooming means altering the focal

length of the lens to give the illusion of moving closer to or

further away from the action.

The zoom is used to slowly reveal more detail to an audience. It can be used to

show the facial expressions of a character that is initially far away.

QUICKZOOM


Zooming means altering the focal

length of the lens to give the illusion of moving closer to or

further away from the action.

A quick zoom is when you move closer

quickly.

A quick zoom is used to show a realization of a character. The camera quickly zooms into a character to show that they have

realized that something bad has happened.

ARC SHOT


the camera moves in a rough semi-circle around the subject.

The arc shot can also show realization as it captures all the emotions of a character as

the camera rotates around them. It can alkso be used to show the full scene or

scenario around the character.

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