Media Dictionary

Ellisse White-Oliver

Camera Key Terms

Long (Wide Angles)• Extreme Wide Shot: Extreme wide shots are far removed from the subject and often shot

with a wide-angle lens. They may show the subject in the distance, but the emphasis is more on showing the subject in his or her environment.

• Very Wide Shot: Very close to an extreme wide shot apart from the subject is now a lot more visible but the emphasis is still on their surroundings.

• Wide Shot: Wide shots (also known as long shots) provide an overall view of the whole scene. If the shot contains a person, the whole body is shown.

• Medium Shot: The waist up medium shot is ideal when you aren’t focusing on smaller detail but when a character or person is speaking e.g. a monolgue

Medium Shots

Close Ups• Extreme Close Up (ECU): Any shot that zooms in very close to a

particular part of a subject is known as an extreme close up. They vary considerably but usually focus on a particular part of a person—the face, mouth, eyes, hands, etc—object, or animal. These shots can create a feeling of intimacy in your video, and to convey a mood or emotion.

• Close Up: Close up shots typically contain just the face and shoulders of a subject, with a little head room above. These shots are the most common of all as they can convey a real sense of emotion and help the audience to connect with the subject.

Creative Shots• Over the shoulder shot (OSS): These shots are filmed from just behind a person. They tend

to show the back of a person’s head (often cutting off the frame just behind the ear) and sometimes one shoulder.

• Reaction Shot: Also known as noddy shots, these shots show a person’s face listening or reacting to something. Reaction shots are common in interviews and are also often used to cut into a sequence and hide jump cuts.

• Point of View Shot (POV): Also called a subjective shot. The camcorder adopts the perspective of a character. We see what a character sees and therefore identify with him/her. The person whose point of view it is should never be seen in the shot. These shots are often used to add drama in chase scenes.

• Cutaway (CA): Placed between the main shots, a cutaway is usually of something other than the current action. These shots are used as transitions between main shots, or to add interest or information. For example, a typical CA shot could be a close up of the subject’s mouth or hands—also known as a cut-in (CI), or a shot of an entirely different subject.

Angles• Eye Level Angle: Because this is the perspective most familiar to us, the eye-level angle is

one of the most commonly used shots. If you want to shoot at this angle, however, bear in mind that ‘eye-level’ refers to your subject’s eye level—not yours.

• High Level: In these shots, the camcorder looks down on the subject making it appear smaller and less important. High angle shots are often used to make a person appear vulnerable.

• Low Level: In low angle shots, the camcorder looks up at the subject. Use these shots when you want to make your subject appear larger, imposing, or more important to the viewer.