Download - Camera shots, angles and movements
The various
Camera shots, movements and
angles used in production
Camera Shots
Establishing shot
This is a shot usually taken away from the action, such as outside the building that the scene is taking place. It shows the time and place a production is set, and is used at the start of productions to provide the audience with the setting for the production. An iconic
example of this would be in Star Wars episodes I, II and III when showing Coruscant
to emphasise it’s wealth and order.
Long ShotUsually following the establishing shot, the
long shot is a head-to-toe shot of a character that shows their relationship with their
surrounding.
Mid Shot
The mid shot is taken from the waist up and normally follows a long shot. It allows the
audience to become familiar with the character and their importance within the
narrative because the audience is now closer to them and can see facial expressions much clearer. This shot from Inception shows this.
Two shot
A shot with two characters in the frame, often showing how those two characters act
together, providing detail to the production and showing the situation that both
characters are in together, as seen in the shot from Uncle Buck. This is a common technique used in chat shows, such as
Conan.
Close Up
Shows character’s head and shoulders, with little background. This frames the character’s emotions, as seen in this still from Avatar, or shows important symbols/objects such as the
close up of Bruce Wayne’s gun in Batman Begins.
Point of View Shot
This shot engages the audience with the character’s motives by putting them in the position of the character in question. This
makes it easier to relate to the emotions of the character. For instance, in this scene from Inglorious Bastards the audience can feel the fear the character would be experiencing in
this position.
Extreme Close Up
An extreme close up emphasises a character’s emotions. This is by putting the audience in a position where they are very close to another character, such as a close up on an eye crying. Contact this close is
rare, and therefore makes the audience feel uncomfortable and makes the scene intimate.
Camera Angles
Over the Shoulder Shot
This enables the audience to view the action and emotion of a shot over the shoulder of characters. Often this will be used during
conversations to show the back and forth of the speech. When it switches between
characters speaking, this is called a ‘angle-reversed-angle shot’, which is always shot over the same should for both characters.
High Angle Shot
The high angle shot is taken from a height, of course, and used to show vulnerability of the character show or when they are defeated. Puss in Boots, from the Shrek movies, is often shown using this angle when the
director wishes to show him as vulnerable, gaining the audience’s sympathy.
Low Angle Shot
The camera for this shot is positioned below the character it focuses on, giving a sense of power, authority and dominance in the shot. It is used to make the audience feel vulnerable
in the presence of the character focused upon. Sometimes it is done to an extreme, evident in this shot from The Dark Knight
Rises.
Camera Movements
Tracking/Sideways Tracking Shot
The movement of the camera while following a character or an object on screen, often
used to show progression within the narrative as seen in this clip from Saving Private Ryan.
Tracking in introduces a scene, whereas tracking out shows the scene has come to it’s
conclusion.
Tilt Shot
Movement of the camera up or down; upwards movement is used to show height or
power, and can show a character look upwards at another character when used in
conjunction with a point-of-view shot.
Zoom
Done by adjusting the focal length of the camera, a zoom can be used to move the audience towards or away from the action, giving similar effects as the tracking shot. It also helps to frame the character in the shot
better, because it places focus on them.
Arc Shot
In this shot, the camera moves round the action/characters, enabling the audience to
see multiple reactions of characters in a scene and allows them to be part of the
action as they are almost placed in the scene.
Crane Shot
A crane shot follows the action of the shot in a vertical direction, and is done so by
attaching a camera to a crane.
Panning Shot
A movement where the camera moves from left to right, or vice versa, by turning the
camera on a fixed tripod. It is often used to show a character scanning a room in
conjunction with a point of view shot, or to follow an object in the frame.