CompositionVideo Productions

Composition

•What is composition?

•Composition is the way you arrange the items you are filming to appear on the screen.

Framing & Angles

•Framing - How much of your subject fills the frame

•Angles - the angle of the camera to your subject

Frame Names & abbreviations

• Extreme Long Shot [XLS]

• Long Shot [LS]

• Full Shot [FS]

• 3/4 Shot [3/4]

•Medium Shot [MS]

•Meduim Close Up [MCU]

• Close Up [CU]

• Extreme Close Up [XCU]

The subject fills a very small portion of the frame

Ext Long Shot

[XLS]

Subject: Man on stage

The subject fills a very small portion of the frame

Ext Long Shot

[XLS]

Subject: Man

The subject fills a very small portion of the frame

Ext Long Shot

[XLS]

Subject: Riders

The subject and a LOT of the surrounding area fills the frame

Long Shot

[LS]

Subject: boys

The subject and a LOT of the surrounding area fills the frame

Long Shot

[LS]

Subject: People

The subject and a LOT of the surrounding area fills the frame

Long Shot

[LS]

Subject: Kids

The entire subject fills the frame

Full Shot

[FS]

Subject: Bicycle

The entire subject fills the frame

Full Shot

[FS]

Subject: Guitar

The entire subject fills the frame

Full Shot

[FS]

Subject: Band

¾ of the subject fills the frame

¾ Shot

[3/4]

Subject: Man

¾ of the subject fills the frame

¾ Shot

[3/4]

Subject: People

¾ of the subject fills the frame

¾ Shot

[3/4]

Subject: People

About ½ of the subject fills the frame

Medium Shot

[MS]

Subject: Guy

About ½ of the subject fills the frame

Medium Shot

[MS]

Subject: Guy

About ½ of the subject fills the frame

Medium Shot

[MS]

Subject: Guy

More than a Close Up but less than a Medium Shot of the subject fills the frame.

Medium Close Up

[MCU]

Subject: boy

More than a Close Up but less than a Medium Shot of the subject fills the frame.

Medium Close Up

[MCU]

Subject: guy

More than a Close Up but less than a Medium Shot of the subject fills the frame.

Medium Close Up

[MCU]

Subject: man

Part of the Subject fills the frame.

Close Up

[CU]

Subject: puppy

Part of the Subject fills the frame.

Close Up

[CU]

Subject: apple

Part of the Subject fills the frame.

Close Up

[CU]

Subject: elephant

Part of the Subject fills the frame.

Close Up

[CU]

Subject: girl

A SMALL part of the Subject fills the frame.

Extreme Close Up

[ECU]

Subject: dog

A SMALL part of the Subject fills the frame.

Extreme Close Up

[ECU]

Subject: windmill

A SMALL part of the Subject fills the frame.

Extreme Close Up

[ECU]

Subject: guy

Angles

Birds-Eye [BE]

High Angle [HA]

Eye Level [EYE]

Low Angle [LA]

Worms-Eye [WE]

The camera is DIRECTLY above the subject looking down.

Birds-eye

[BE]

Subject: hockey players

The camera is DIRECTLY above the subject looking down.

Birds-eye

[BE]

Subject: Space

Shuttle & plane

The camera is DIRECTLY above the subject looking down.

Birds-eye

[BE]

Subject: kid

The camera is above the subject looking down.

High Angle

[HA]

Subject: student

The camera is above the subject looking down.

High Angle

[HA]

Subject: student

The camera is above the subject looking down.

High Angle

[HA]

Subject: chicken

The camera is level with the subject.

Eye Level

[EYE]

Subject: guy

The camera is level with the subject.

Eye Level

[EYE]

Subject: seal

The camera is level with the subject.

Eye Level

[EYE]

Subject: guy

The camera is below the subject looking up.

Low Angle

[LA]

Subject: guy

The camera is below the subject looking up.

Low Angle

[LA]

Subject: wolf

The camera is below the subject looking up.

Low Angle

[LA]

Subject: guys

The camera is below the subject looking up.

Low Angle

[LA]

Subject: building

The camera is DIRECTLY below the subject looking up.

Worm’s Eye

[WE]

Subject: guys

The camera is DIRECTLY below the subject looking up.

Worm’s Eye

[WE]

Subject: Basketball

player

The camera is DIRECTLY below the subject looking up.

Worm’s Eye

[WE]

Subject: dandelion