TERMINOLOGY:EXAMPLE:ANALYSIS
CAMERA ANGLES, MOVEMENT, DISTANCE AND SHOT TYPE: TERMINOLOGY: EXAMPLE: ANALYSIS
ANGLE:
Low angle>man holding boy>makes him look heroic
Canted angle>on the table>makes it confusing and adds to panic
MOVEMENT:
Tracking>man running>makes you feel part of the action
Pan> from shed to tower>we can see what the characters see >shifts the conversation
DISTANCE:
Zoom Out>he is zoomed out and left alone>tension building
Zoom in> example> tension and suspense
SHOT YTPE:
Establishing>we see the whole shot>makes us see it more clearly
MID SHOT> conversation> we are close to the action puts us in the scene
CAMERAWORK TERMS
CAMERA SHOTS
Aerial Shot – A camera shot taken from an overhead position. Often used as an establishing shot.
Close Up – A head and shoulders shot often used to show expressions/emotions of a character. Also can be a shot of an object, filmed from close to the object or zoomed in to it, that reveals detail.
Extreme Close Up – A shot where a part of a face or body of a character fills the whole frame/dominates the frame. Also can be a shot of an object where only a small part of it dominates the frame.
Establishing Shot – A shot that establishes a scene, often giving ther viewer information about where the scene is set. Can be a close up shot (of a sign etc) but is often a wide/long shot and usually appears at the beginning of a scene.
Medium Shot – the framing of a subject from waist up.
Two Shot – A shot of two characters, possible engaging in conversation. Usually to signify/establish some sort of relationship
Point-Of-View Shot (POV) – Shows a view from the subject’s perspective. This shot is usually edited so that the viewer is aware who’s point of view it is.
Over the Shoulder Shot – looking from behind a character’s shoulder, at a subject. The character facing the subject usually occupies 1/3 of the frame but it depends on what meaning the director wants to create (for example, if the subject is an inferior character, the character facing them may take up more of the frame to emphaise this)
Overhead Shot – a type of camera shot in which the camera is positioned above the character, action or object being filmed.
Reaction Shot – a shot that shows the reaction of a character either to another character or an event within the sequence.
CAMERA ANGLES
Camera Angle – the position of the camera in relation to the subject of a shot. The camera might be at a high angle, a low angle or at eye level with what is being filmed.
High Angle – A camera angle that looks down upon a subject or object. Often used to make the subject or object appear small or vulnerable.
Low Angle – A camera angle that looks up at a subject or object. Often used to make the subject/object appear powerful/dominant.
Canted framing (or oblique) – camera angle that makes what is shot appear to be skewed or tilted.
CAMERA MOVEMENT
Pan – Where the camera pivots horizontally, either from right to left or left to right to reveal a set or setting. This can be used to give the viewer a panoramic view. Sometimes used to establish a scene.
Track - a shot whjere the camera follows a subject/object. The tracking shot can include smooth movements forward, backward, along the side of the subject, or on a curve but cannot include complex movement around a subject. ‘Track’ refers to rails in which a wheeled platform (which has the camera on it) sits on in order to carry out smooth movement.
Crane – A crane shot is sometimes used to signify the end of a scene/ programme /film. The effect is achieved by the camera being put onto a crane that can move upward.
Stedicam - A steadicam is a stabilising mount for a camera which mechanically isolates the operator's movement from the camera, allowing a very smooth shot even when the operator is moving quickly over an uneven surface. Informally, the word may also be used to refer to the combination of the mount and camera.
Tilt - where a camera scans a set or setting vertically (otherwise similar to a pan).
Zoom – Using a zoom lens to appear to be moving closer to (zoom in) or further away from (zoom out) a subject/object when in fact the camera may not move (so, strictly not camera movement). Can be used for dramatic effect.
Also visit this website, Media College, to find out more on camerawork techniques
TASK: (BLOG YOUR ANSWERS)
Watch the following clip and answer the questions:
FIRST SCREENING: What atmosphere does the sequence have? How does it make you feel? Who do you identify with? if anyone?
SECOND SCREENING: List and describe shot types, angle, movement and distance
THIRD SCREENING: Take one area of focus (type, angle, movement or distance) and answer the following: how/why does the camerawork make us feel this way?
CAMERAWORK AND MEANING
POINT OF VIEW SHOT
A Point of view shot is a short film scene that shows what a character (the subject) is looking at (represented through the camera). It is usually established by being positioned between a shot of a character looking at something, and a shot showing the character's reaction.
OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT
An over the sholder shot is a shot of someone or something taken from the perspective or camera angle from 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 toward.[1] This type of shot is very common when two characters are having a discussion and will usually follow an establishing shot which helps the audience place the characters in their setting. It is an example of a camera angle.
TWO SHOT
A Two shot is a type of shot employed in the film industry in which the frame encompasses a view of two people (the subjects). The subjects do not have to be next to each other, and there are many common two-shots which have one subject in the foreground and the other subject in the background.
The shots are also used to show the emotional reactions between the subjects.
HIGH ANGLE SHOT
In film, a high angle shot is usually when the camera is located above the eyeline.
With this type of angle, the camera looks down on the subject and the point of focus often get "swallowed up" by the setting.
High angle shots also make the figure or object seem vulnerable or powerless.
High angle shots are usually used in film to make the moment more dramatic or if there is someone at a high level that the character below is talking to.
ESTABLISHING SHOT
Establishing shots may use famous landmarks to indicate the city where the action is taking place or has moved to, such as Big Ben to identify London
Alternatively, an establishing shot might just be a long shot of a room that shows all the characters from a particular scene. For example, a scene about a murder in a college lecture hall might begin with a shot that shows the entire room, including the lecturing professor and the students taking notes.
CLOSE UP
Close-ups are used in many ways, for many reasons. Close-ups are often used as cutaways from a more distant shot to show detail, such as characters' emotions, or some intricate activity with their hands.
TASK
Once you have had a look at the examples above based on camerawork and meaning, you should then watch the following clip and answer the set question.
- Write down all the camera techniques of which you recognise in the extract, remember shot, angle, movement, position.
- Choose three out of your list and produce a brief analysis by using the TEA forumla. For example, if you have discovered there is a close up, then produce the evidence by telling us where in the extract was a close up. Then finally, add your analysis by explaining why you think that camera teachnique has been used in that particualr way.
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