Basic Camera Video Shots, Angles and Movements PDF

Basic Camera Video Shots, Angles and Movements  Grammar of Shots Like any other languages, television, video and films are means of communication. Through camera shots they transmit messages to the audience. Shots are very important in shaping meaning in eith...

Basic Camera Video Shots, Angles and Movements  Grammar of Shots Like any other languages, television, video and films are means of communication. Through camera shots they transmit messages to the audience. Shots are very important in shaping meaning in either a documentary or a movie.. every shot size has information and meanings attached to it. Every shot size has information and meanings attached to it. Grammar of Shots Grammar of Shots Pictures are just like words and sentences and have their own grammatical rules. Visual language has its own grammar and follows certain conventions which are referred to as the grammar of shots. Producers of shots convey information through the camera and editing by adopting those conventions.  Grammar of Shots What is a frame? A frame is the film’s smallest unit, like a still photograph. It is every individual image of a film. What is a shot? A shot is normally described as a single continuous recording or uninterrupted take made by the camera. Several frames make up a shot. It is what is recorded between the time a camera starts and the time it stops. A shot has no internal cuts or edits. A video film is usually shot at a frame rate of 24 frames per second and is composed of several shots.  Grammar of Shots What is a take? A take is a single videotape unit from the beginning to the end of the recording. Many takes may be required for a shot. What is a scene? A scene is a part of a film that can be composed by a single shot or a series of shots. It is something which occurs within a specific time frame in a video or film such as a crime or any other incident. Some types of scenes that usually take place in a single location have been termed as a love scene, a dance scene, a crime scene and so on.  Grammar of Shots What is a Sequence? A sequence is composed of several scenes, that are linked to each other which follow one section of the development of a story. A film is made up of several sequences. A sequence is a visual paragraph, a group of shots recording an event….a shot to a sequence is like a sentence to a paragraph Shot Sizes  Moving images have a defined vocabulary of shots, camera angles and camera movements.  The camera shot size identifies how large and area will be visible within the frame. Extreme Wide Shot (EWS)  An extreme wide shot or a very wide angle shot is commonly designed to show large distances and is traditionally used in exterior shooting.  It covers a wide area.  It is a establishing shot. Wide Shot (WS)  Wide shot shows a broad view of an entire location, subject or action.  It normally shows the outside of a building, a city or any other landscapes to enable viewers to discover the location.  The wide shot also shows the atmosphere and mood of the scene, indicating whether it is a beautiful sunny day or a dull winter rainy day.  It is a establishing shot. Wide Shot (WS) Full Shot (FS)/ Long Shot (LS)  If filming a person, it shows the person’s entire body with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom.  In films, it is used to show a complete view of a character and also gives a clear view of the environment.  The FS is normally avoided when important detail must be conveyed.  It may show the isolation or vulnerability of the character. Medium Shot (MS)  If the subject is a person, a medium shot frames the subject from the waist up.  That is why it is known as the waist shot or bust shot.  It shows a person’s upper-body, arms, and head and still reveals some of the background.  It is generally used to show interaction between characters and allow viewers to see their body language and their clothes. Medium Long Shot  The medium long shot is also known as the three quarters shot.  It is a head to the knees shot. It gives the opportunity to see some of the environment.  This shot is also referred to as the American shot or plan américain because is it commonly used in western genre to show the cowboy’s weapon in the image. Close- Up  The camera is near enough to allow one element of the scene to fill almost the entire frame.  Also referred as a “head shot’. It concentrates on either a face or a specific detail of an object and everything is blurred in the background.  Captures facial expressions clearly and enable viewers to understand a character’s emotions.  Commonly used for emotional impact and dramatic moments to show people in a state of emotional excitement, grief or joy. Medium Close- Up (MCU)  A MCU shows the subject in more detail and is often framed from just below the shoulders to the top of the head.  It is normally half way between a mid shot and a close up.  It shows the face of a person to enable viewers see nuances of emotions.  Reveals little of the surrounding and is commonly used for interviews in documentaries and news programs. Extreme Close- Up (ECU) or Big Close-Up (BCU)  An extreme version of a close up in which you get tiny detail of a character or of an object.  It allows you to see things greater than the human eye might be able to normally perceive.  A BCU creates an intense mood and is common in horror movies to build suspense. Two- Shot It is a type of shot which depicts two people in one camera angle. It is usually used to show the relationship between two persons or characters. The director could shoot the action using a medium shot or an over-the-shoulder shot Medium Close up of a Two-Shot depending on the effect that he/she wants to achieve. The two-shot can also be used when two characters are walking and talking side by side. Medium Long Shot of a Two- Shot Over-The-Shoulder Two- Shot It is framed when the camera shoots over one person’s shoulder to another person’s body. The most commonly used framing is the MCU. The camera is positioned in such a way to show someone as seen over-the- shoulder of another person in the foreground. Used for when two people are having an interview and in any other conversation sequences or to show the reaction of the listener in a conversation. In films, it is also used to show someone’s facial expressions. Camera Angles  Camera angles describes the position from which viewers are looking at the object or subject.  They range from high to low and are mainly used to give emotional information to members of the audience and to guide their judgment about the character or object in the shot. Camera Angles Aerial Shot/ Bird’s Eye View It is a view from above to show an image taken from a helicopter, plane or crane. It is also known as a bird’s eye view shot which puts the audience in such a way that it is looking down on the action as if seen by a bird in flight. Aerial Shot is normally used for showing a location where the action is talking place like showing the top view of the Eiffel tower indicating that the action is taking place in Paris. This type of shot can be used to establish a scene. High-Angle Shot The camera is placed above an object or a person. The high-angle shots are often used to demonstrate to the audience a perspective of a particular character. It is commonly used to make a person or a character looks smaller than normal giving him/her the appearance of being vulnerable, submissive, lonely, weak, powerless or insignificant. Low-Angle Shot  The camera is placed close to the ground shooting upwards and looks up at someone or something to make it look bigger than it really is.  It accentuates the height of the object or person to make an object or someone (hero, king, for example) look bigger, stronger, impressive, threatening or powerful.  A low angle shot gives the impression of height. Eye Level Shot An eye level angle shot shows the object looking directly at you. The camera is placed at the subject’s height. It creates a sense of equality between the subject and the viewer. It could connote that the subject has the same amount of power as you. It usually aims to allow the viewers to feel comfortable with the subject and is regularly used in interviews, talks, news casting, etc. Camera Movements As its name suggests a camera movement is to move the camera with the action. The camera is normally mounted on a platform that can move around. So, the camera can not only show a moving subject but can also move during the course of recording. Camera Movements- Pan Shots  In a pan shot, the camera is stationary, usually placed on a tripod and rotates from side to side to scan a scene horizontally either from left to right or right to left.  The term is short for panoramic and is also commonly used to scrutinize surroundings, to show beautiful sceneries or to follow a subject as it moves across a location.  Quick pans could suggest imminent danger and urgency in films.  Pan right- camera body turns to the right side.  Pan left- camera body turns to the left side. Camera Movements- Tilt Shots In a tilt shot the camera is stationary and rotates upward or downward. The tilt shot can be done hand held or with a tripod and are often used to scan a scene vertically or to follow an action tilting upward or downward. For example a camera can tilt upwards to reveal the height of a building or skyscrapers Tilt shots can also express emotional responses. For example tilting the camera up can generate feelings of hope, expectation or anticipation while tilting downward can create feelings or regret or sorrow. Tilt up- camera rotates upwards. Tilt down- camera rotates downward.  Camera Movements- Zooms The camera has a special lens which is called a zoom lens that can be used to make things look closer or farther. In a zoom shot the camera does not move and only the camera’s focal length lens is adjusted to increase or decrease the camera’s field of view. Zooming can create a sense of speed. Zoom out- The zoom out is a continuous changing of image size from small to large. Zoom In- The zoom in is a continuous changing of image size from large to small. Camera Movements- Dolly Shots  In contrast to zoom where the camera remains stationery, the camera physically moves in space for dolly shots.  For example, the camera can be placed on a moveable mechanism such as a trolley or on a moving vehicle to enable it to move physically closer or further from a subject Camera Movements- Dolly Shots Dolly in- Camera is moved close to the object. The “dollying in” (or trucking in/ tracking in) shot refers to filming while moving the camera gradually towards the object.This can be done with a purpose of drawing the viewer into a closer relationship with the subject or to indicate that something is about to happen (e.g. a crime). Dolly out- Camera is moved away from the object. The “dollying out” (or trucking out / tracking out) means moving away from the subject with the intention of creating emotional distance with the subject. Anxiety or tension is now lowered. Camera Movements- Tracking Shots In a tracking (or trucking, also known as “dollying along”) shot the camera moves to the left or right beside the subject or parallel with the scene. It is usually fastened to a movable mechanical device such as a pre-laid track. A tracking shot can also be done handheld. It can be a good way of portraying movement such as following a moving character or an artist during a performance. It can also create a feeling of surveillance. Track right- Camera is moved to the right side of the object Track left- Camera is moved to the left side of the object Camera Movements- Hand held  Handheld camera shot is shooting without a tripod.  The camcorder is carried by the operator, often creating an uneven movement.  In a handheld walking shot, the operator could walk towards or away from a subject like the dolly shots.  Often used in news coverage or sports because it allows the camera operator to move around and follow an action very closely. 180 degree rule If you are using multiple cameras and plan to edit the different shots in a scene into a seamless sequence, an important rule to keep in mind is to place all the cameras on the same side of a line of action. A line of action is a path which your subject is traveling along or an imaginary line between two characters who are interacting. This rule is called "180 degree rule". 180 degree rule 180 degree rule Common Editing Sequences/ Transitions Cut Dissolve Fade Fade- In Fade- Out Wipe Cut Cut Acut is an instantaneous transition from one scene to the next. It is the continuation of two different shots within the same time and space In film and television production, the vast majority of transitions are cuts. Dissolve  The dissolve is an editing technique where one clip seems to dissolve, or fade into the next.  As the first image is fading out, getting lighter and lighter, the second image starts fading in, becoming more and more prominent.  A dissolve is when a shot changes into another shot gradually.  A dissolve indicates that a period of time has passed between the two scenes. Fade A fade is a gradual transition between a scene and a constant image (fade out) or between a constant image and a scene (fade in). The fade in and fade out usually signal the beginning or end of a scene. The most common fade is of course, but fading is fading to/from black But you can fade to white too. Wipe  Another common scene break is a wipe which a line moves across the screen with the new scene appearing behind the line.  Wipesare a good way to show changing location.