Codes and Conventions

Media and Information Literacy- Senior High School

• Codes- are systems of signs that when we put
together create meaning.
• Conventions- are generally established and
accepted ways of doing something
The ̏ Grammar” of the Camera
Media and Information Literacy- Senior High School
Extreme Long Shot
• Shot of a large crowd scene or a view of scenery as far
as the horizon.
Extreme Long Shot Example:
Long Shot
• A view of a situation or setting from a distance
Long Shot Example:
Medium Shot
• Shows a group of people in interaction with
each other
Medium Long Shot Example:
Close-Up Shot
• A full-screen shot of a subject’s face, showing
the finest nuances of expression.
Close-Up Shot Example:
Extreme Close-Up Shot
• A shot of a hand, eye, mouth, or object in detail.
Extreme Close-Up Shot Example:
Point of View Shots
Media and Information Literacy- Senior High School
Establishing Shot
• Often used at the beginning of a scene to indicate the
location or setting, it is usually a long shot taken
from a neutral position.
Establishing Shot Example:
Point-of-View Shot/ POV Shot
• Shows a scene from the perspective of a character or
one person. Most newsreel footages are shown from
the perspective of the news caster.
Point-of-View Shot/ POV Shot Example:
Over-The-Shoulder Shot
• Often used in the dialogue scenes, a frontal view of a
dialogue partner from the perspective of someone
standing behind and slightly to the side of the other
partner, so that parts of both can be seen.
Over-The-Shoulder Shot
Reaction Shot
• Short shot of a character’s response to an action
Reaction Shot
Insert Shot
• A detail shot which quickly gives visual information
necessary to understand the meaning of a scene, for
example a newspaper page, or a physical detail
Insert Shot
Reverse-Angle Shot
• A shot from the opposite perspective, e.g., after an
over-the-shoulder shot
Reverse-Angle Shot
Hand-held Camera
• The camera is not mounted on a tripod and instead is
held by the cameraperson, resulting in less stable
shots.
Hand-held Camera
Camera Angles
Media and Information Literacy- Senior High School
Aerial Shot/High Angle/Overhead
• Long or extreme long shot of the ground from the air.
Aerial Shot/High Angle/Overhead
High Angle Shot
• Shows people or object from above, higher than eye
level
High Angle Shot
Low Angle Shot
• Shows people or object from below, lower than eye
level.
Low Angle Shot
Eye-Level Shot/ Straight-on Angle
• Views a subject from the level of a person’s eyes.
Eye-Level Shot/ Straight-on Angle
Camera Movement
Media and Information Literacy- Senior High School
Pan(ning) Shot

• The camera pans (moves horizontally)

from left to right or vice versa across a
vertical line.
Tilt Shot
• The camera tilts up(moves upward) or tilts
down (moves downwards)around a vertical
line.
Tracking Shot
• The camera follows along next to or behind
a moving object or person
Zoom
• The stationary camera approaches a
subject by ‘zooming in’; or moves farther
away by ‘zooming out’