Camera Angles & Shots
Camera shots and angles play a fundamental role in our understanding of film. They serve to explain countless aspects of a movie in just a glance. They are an integral part of illustrating the story to the viewer. The terminology is also important because it helps a director convey a cinematic vision to the crew.
CAMERA SHOTS |
Camera shots dictate how much can be seen in each frame. Each shot has a specific use and function. |
CAMERA ANGLES |
The camera angle refers to the physical placement of the camera for each shot. Angles dictate powerful meanings of how the audience observes the subject. Camera angles are not only used to record the subject — they are used to reflect mood and tension, to create power relationships between your subjects and environments.
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CAMERA SHOTS
Shot Type
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EXTREME LONG SHOT
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Shot Type
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LONG SHOT
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Shot Type
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MEDIUM SHOT
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Shot Type
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CLOSE UP SHOT
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Shot Type
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EXTREME CLOSE UP SHOT
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CAMERA ANGLES
Shot Type
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HIGH ANGLE SHOT
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Shot Type
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LOW ANGLE SHOT
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Shot Type
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EYE LEVEL SHOT
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Shot Type
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REVERSE ANGLE SHOT
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Shot Type
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CANTED SHOT
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Shot Type
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SUBJECTIVE SHOT
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CAMERA MOVEMENT
PANNING
Horizontal movement, pivot left and right. When a camera is moved from side to side, this is known as panning. Here the lens scans the scene to provide the viewer with elements of a scene that cannot be included in a wide-angle shot. A pan can also reveal information as needed. It can follow a moving object. Panning should be smooth. It should not start with a jerk or end with a sudden stop. Adjusting the tension and drag on your tripod head will insure smooth pans and tilts. |
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TILTING
Vertical movement of the camera angle, pivot up and down. i.e. pointing the camera up and down (as opposed to moving the whole camera up and down). The movement of the camera head up or down is know as tilting. Tilting the camera up can show height. Tilting it down can show depth. It can also show relationships. For example, the tilt of the camera from a man standing on a rocky ledge with a coiled rope on his shoulder to a man standing alone at the base of the cliff presents the situation. |
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TRACKING/TRUCKING
Side to side movement of a camera, on a track or wheels. To truck a camera is to move the camera along with a moving subject or to move it parallel with the scene. If a camera were to move along with a person walking along a sidewalk this would be trucking. The person would seem stationary in the picture, but the background would appear to be moving. Trucking creates a feeling of observation or inspection. |
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DOLLYING
Forward and back movement of a camera, on a track or wheels. Moving a camera towards or away from the subject is dollying. The direction of the dolly draws different types of attention from the viewer. When the dolly moves toward the subject, the viewer’s interest is increased. When the camera is dollied away interest in the subject is lowered and tensions are relaxed. |
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ZOOMING
Technically this isn't a camera move, but a change in the lens focal length with gives the illusion of moving the camera closer or further away. The speed at which zooms take place have a definite bearing on the viewer. Fast zooms bring emphasis and excitement. Slow zooms remove emphasis and are calming. Also known as Vertical Effect. |
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DOLLY ZOOM
A combination of the Dolly and Zoom techniques in which the camera moves closer or further from the subject while simultaneously adjusting the zoom angle to keep the subject the same size in the frame. |
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ASSIGNMENT
You will take a photographic example of each camera shot and angle. And a video example of each camera movement. Keep the same subject(s) for your project.
Camera Shots
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Camera Angles
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Camera Movement
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For Camera Shots and Angles:
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For Camera Movement examples:
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