Camera Angles and shots

Medium rare shot- can see more facial expression is like you are standing speaking to person since you would see only waist up and is not as far away so is more personal.

Big close up- makes you more personal can see the facial expression of person so see their emotions more good to use when you need to see their facial expressions

Close up- used to show more emotion by highlighting the facial area and the facial expressions of the person. Makes more personal.

Medium close up- shows more emotion and makes more personal and places you sitting next to the character.

Very long shot- is a shot which shows action going on far away from the camera which is good for a lot of action like going towards something.

Medium long shot- is a shot that brings action closer to the viewer and shows things going on in the background and how the character interacts with it. Good for tracking someone walking towards something or during a fight scene to show fighting in more detail.

Long shot- shows action good for showing action scenes. Distance from the audience. Good for fighting scenes.

Extreme close up- good for showing emotion on camera and can isolate facial features to show emotion when showing an expression. Makes the viewer have a more personal connection with the character.

Canted shot- is a slanted camera angle which is used to create a unsettling feeling and can be used in horror films to effect during a chase scene or when a character is about to have a run in with the antagonist or is going towards them/their doom.

Ariel shot- is a shot that is taken from above almost above the head and shows the background it is a very long shot and can be used as a establishing shot.

Crane shot- is a way of shooting a high angle shot which requires the use of a crane.

Crab shot- is a shot that is done inside a confined space looking out such as in a fridge or cupboard.

Deep focus- is a shot that keeps both near and far objects in focus can be used when both objects are of importance and needs too be focused on by the audience.

Establishing shot- Shot that shows the setting the scene is in used at the start of the scene. Is usually a wide or long shot.

A Hand-held shot This is shot when the camera is held by the camera man. This makes the camera look shaky which helps make the scene look more realistic and makes the audience feel closer to the action.

Head-on shotIn this shot the action comes directly towards the camera, these are often used in war or action movies. This creates an effect of excitement and creates a sense of the audience being involved or targeted.

High angle shotThis is a shot filmed at a high angle above the character looking down on them, this makes the character look vulnerable, isolated or powerless. This can also be combined with a crane shot to make it closer to the character.

Long shotThis is a shot filmed from a distance when the camera is far away from the subjects being filmed. This is used as an establishing shot which sets the scene for the action and makes the audience more intrigued.

Loose frame

This is a shot with a lot of space around an object or person. This is to show them as being alone, isolated or unimportant.

Low-angle shotA shot where the camera shoots the

subject from below eye level, with the camera looking up at the subject. This can emphasise the size of the object being filmed and add to a POV perspective. This can make the subject be viewed as big and powerful and makes the audience or the character we are seeing through their POV seem small

Master shotThis is a camera shot used at the

beginning of a sequence to establish relationships and the component elements in a way to allow the audience to make sense of the action which will follow on.

Pan shotThis is a shot where the camera gently moves 180˚across the subject on a horizontal plane.

Point-of-View shot (or subjective filming)A camera shot taken from the position of the subjects, so as to enhance a sense of realism and involve the audience in the action.

Pull focusThis is a shot when one thing is in focus and then the lens is changed so that something else stops being blurry and becomes in focus. Often used to show something has become more important.

Rule Of ThirdsThis is a technique used to make a shot look

more interesting, this includes placing an object to the sides of a frame or where the lines would cross on the imaginary grid shown, as opposed to in the middle of the frame.

Shallow Focus

Describes a shot where an object in the foreground is in focus and everything else in the background and midground (behind the object) is out of focus (blurry). This is often used to make one thing seem more important.

Soft Focus

Is the use of a special lens or filter to create a hazy light around the subject. Soft focus shots are associated with the romantic or sentimental treatment of subject matter. This is can create a dream like effect.

Tight FrameThis Describes a shot that is composed with the person or the object given very little space around them. This is often used to make them seem important, or trapped.

Tilt shot

A camera movement that involves moving the camera vertically up and down from a fixed position.

Tracking shot

This is a shot where the camera moves along rails to follow the subject. When the rails are replaced by a moving platform on wheels the shot is called a dolly shot. You can call it a tracking shot or dolly shot as you wont be able to tell the difference on camera.

Whip panThis is a shot when the camera pans very

fast between two or more characters who are all points of interest. This gives the impression that the camera has been ‘surprised’ by activity and is used in the place of a more conventional close up or shot/reverse shot

Wide shotThis shot can be used as an establishing shot of a set or location or to show a large crowd of people. They can also emphasise the isolation of a single figure.

Zoom/reverse zoom

This is the adjustment of the camera lens to allow the operator progressively to move in, close off, or to pull away from the subject.

180 degree rule

This is when you imagine an imaginary line joining 2 people in a scene together, we do this when two people or more are in a scene. When you adhere to this rule you would always ensure your camera is on one side of that line and the camera would never cross to the other side. This allows the viewer to feel comfortable when watching and helps us understand the positioning of the characters and helps it feel more like real life.

Breaking the 180 degree rule

This is when the camera does not stay on one side of the imaginary line connecting two characters but crosses over at some point. This disorientates the viewer as we are unable to work out the position of the characters within the room or area they are in. This makes the scene seem odd or strange and may reflect the feeling of the characters.