camera shots & angles

Camera Shots &

Angles

Concept

When describing camera angles, or creating them yourself, you

have to think about important factors The FRAMING of the

shot, LENGTH of shot, the ANGLE of the shot or if there in

any MOVEMENT involved.

When describing different cinematic shots, different terms are

used to indicate the amount of subject matter contained within a

frame, how far away the camera is from the subject, and the

perspective of the viewer. Each different shot has a different

purpose and effect.

Camera Shots

• Long Shot

• Extreme Long Shot/ Vista Shot

• Wide Shot

• Full Shot

• Medium Shot

• Aerial Shot/ Bird-eye View Shot

• Cowboy Shot

• Over The Shoulder Shot

• Close up

• Macro Shots

• High Angle

• Eye Level

• Low Angle/ Worm Eye Angle

• Oblique/ Tilted Angle

Camera Angles

CAMERA SHOTS

A long shot (sometimes referred to as a full shot or a wide shot) typically

shows the

entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some

relation to its

surroundings. While the focus is still on the characters, a lot of background

detail still

emerges.

Long Shot

Extreme Long Shot

Extreme long shot can be taken from as much as a quarter of a

mile away, and is generally

used as a scene setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an

EXTERIOR, e.g. the outsid of

a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of

thrilling action e.g. in a war

film or disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in

the shot, it's meant to give a

general impression rather than specific information.

Medium Shot

Medium Shots contains a figure from the knees/waist up.

Background detail is minimal,

probably because location has been established earlier in the

scene - the audience already

know where they are. Medium shots help place a subject in

context--and they are also

necessary for people who gesture a lot.

Aerial Shot

Aerial shots are usually done with a crane or with a camera

attached to a special

Helicopter to view large landscapes. This sort of shot would be

restricted to exterior

locations. A good area to do this shot would be a scene that takes

place on a building.

c

Over The Shoulder Shot

This shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the

subject. The person facing

the subject should usually occupy about 1/3 of the frame. This

shot helps to establish the

position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person

from the other's point of

view.

Close Up

This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a

face, or a specific detail of

mise en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the background.

This shot magnifies the

object and shows the importance of things, be it words written on

paper, or the expression

on someone's face.

CAMERA ANGLES

High Angle

While taking a shot from the high angle the camera is elevated

above the action using a crane

to give a general overview. High angles make the object

photographed seem smaller, and less

significant . The object or character often gets swallowed up by

their setting they become

part of a wider picture.

Eye Level

Eye level angle takes a fairly neutral shot; the camera is

positioned as though it is a human

actually observing a scene, so that e.g. actors' heads are on a

level with the focus. The

camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the

ground, up to the eye level of

the object.

These increase height and give a sense of

speeded motion.

The background of a low angle shot will

tend to be just sky

or ceiling, the lack of detail about the

setting adding to the

disorientation of the viewer.

The added height of the object may make

it inspire fear

and insecurity in the viewer, who is

psychologically

dominated by the figure on the screen.

Low Angle

Sometimes the camera is tilted, to suggest imbalance, transition

and instability. This

technique is used to suggest POINT-OF-View shots (i.e. when the

camera becomes the 'eyes’ of

one particular character, seeing what they see. A hand held

camera is often used for taking

an oblique angle shot.

Oblique Angle