Camera Shots
Camera Shots are important for video and film as they are used to showcase something to the viewer and to possibly convey something to them.
Opening Shots
It's purpose is to be an introduction to the film/video that also sets the scene and it is a very part of the film.
an example of an opening scene is the very first star wars movie with the appearance of the star destroyer.
Establishing Shots
an establishment shot is used to show where the location of the scene will be set as well as giving context to where the scene is happening, examples are:
- Using buildings to establish where the scene will take place in.
- A shot right outside a room to show which specific room will be used in a scene.
The example used below is a photo of the college that I had taken so it can be used to establish the location where a potential scene will be shot at.
Very Long Shots
A long shot/ Wide shot is used to take a shot of a character or scenery from a long distance to encapsulate what is happening in this shot.
The example below is of a fellow college student that volunteered to help with this shot. In this shot he is at the end of a long corridor, unlike a Full shot along shot has the background and scenery take up more of the screen.
Full Shot
A full shot is where you take a full body shot of someone who takes up a majority of the screen with a small part of the background behind.
The example below is a fellow college student standing in front of a pillar in the mac room with his arms crossed taking up most of the shot .
Medium Long Shot
A long medium long shot is a long shot but at a closer distance to what they are filming or shooting which is usually a person with the shot just cutting at the knees.
The example below is of me (bad hair day) standing next to a pillar in the mac room with my knees and feet cut from the shot.
Medium Shot
A medium shot is taken a lot more closer compared to the previous shots, This shot can be taken at an angle and it cuts off from the waist.
The example for this below shows another fellow college student with their photo taken at an angle cutting from the waist.
Medium Close-up
A medium close-up is a shot with the main focus being on the upper half of a person that takes up the entire shot.
The example below is a photo taken by a fellow classmate that has him taking up the entire shot in the same way as described above.
Close-up
A close-up shot is more focused above the shoulders with the persons face in the centre of the shot so you can see their expressions more clearly.
The example below shows a fellow classmate in a close-up shot with the shot cutting from just a bit below the shoulders and his face in the centre of the shot.
Extreme Close-up
The extreme close-up like it says in the name, is a shot taken extremely close to the persons face to possibly showcase and intensify their emotions and expressions during a scene.
This example has the shot cutting from just below the nose and at the top of the head as he stares to the lower right of the shot.
Dutch Angle
A dutch angle is a shot that is adjusted by a 15 degree angle or more giving a slight intensity to a scene, This is often used in horror movies to show a sign that the character may be losing it or being possessed.
It can also be used for objects as well.
The example below is me using some books for a dutch angle, and by using this angle it gives the shot more flare.
Low Angle
low angle shot is used to in cinematography to create a sense that the person within the shot holds some form of power or an object having some form of importance within that scene.
Below is a photo I had taken of some books that I had on me to use as an example for this shot.
High Angle
A high angle shot is often used to get a look from above over something or someone wether that be for dramatic purposes or to show the different heights of elevation between two people or objects.
The Photo below is of the same books that i have used for the other angles, but this time I have the camera aimed over them to get a wide view of it from a top-down perspective.
Camera Movements
There are various forms of camera movements that are used in film and video making, These various movements are called:
Dolly, Boom/Jib, Truck, Pan, Tilt and Roll.
Dolly movement is for Zooming in & out of a Shot with the camera.
Boom/Jib movement is when you're taking a shot that pans from top to bottom or bottom to top.
Truck camera movement is when you're taking a panning shot from the left to the right and vice versa.
Pan movement is when you're turning the camera in a fixed position.
Tilt movement as the applies, this camera movement is when you tilt the camera up and down or vice versa from a fixed position(like a tripod).
Roll movement is when you you roll the camera to its side whilst filming.
I was tasked to record and edit videos containing these movement techniques, Down Below are the videos created for this lesson.
With the camera movement videos with the camera and audio recorder, i Filmed them with my phone as part of the lesson tutorial, so I can get more familiar of how to take the camera movement shots.
The fake camera movement video was made by taking various free clips from Pexels, I combined these clips together and used some cross dissolve editing as well as opacity and simple video cutting to give it a somewhat smooth transition. The types of fake camera movements I did were, Dolly, Boom/Jib and Truck camera Movements.
Below is a screenshot of me editing the fake camera movement video.
