Different Types of Shots and Camera Techniques

Creating interest in your film

Extreme Long Shot

Extreme Long Shot: Characters are small in the frame. It is used to establish the physical context of the action.

Long Shot

Long Shot: All or nearly all of the standing person is shown. It shows a large scale action.

Medium Shot

Medium Shot: Character is shown from the waist up. Small groups of people (2 or 3).

Close Up

Close-up: The head and neck of character is shown in the frame. The focus is usually on one character, and facial expression is very important.

Extreme Close-up

Extreme Close-up: The frame is filled with just a part of a character or a very small object. Sometimes used for a facial feature of a character.

Rule of ThirdsRule of Thirds: Avoid placing all the action in the center of your grid. It is a great place for tic tac toe, but it is bad for the camera. By placing action in the intersecting portion of the grid, you help create interest.

Bird’s Eye AnglesBird’s Eye View Angle: It shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle. Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally unrecognizable at first.

High Angle

High Angle: It is not as extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.

Eye Level ShotEye Level Shot: This is a fairly neutral shot. The camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground.

Low angle shot

Low Angle Shot: This angle helps to increase height of an actor. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer.

Tilting

Tilting: It is movement up and down from a stationary object.

Panning

Panning: It is movement side to

side from a stationary object.

Tracking

Tracking: The camera is not stationary but moves to follow a moving object or person. The camera is mounted on a dolly or something that rolls.

Over the Shoulder Shot

Over the Shoulder Shot: It is a shot of someone or something taken over the shoulder of another person. The back of the shoulder and head of this person is used to frame the image of whatever (or whomever) the camera is pointing to in the scene. It is often used with dialogue.

Zoom In, Zoom Out

Zoom In, Zoom Out: This can be done on a dolly (Dolly Zoom) or with a lens. Remember: You don’t want to over use the zoom feature because it can make the viewer dizzy.