CAMERA SHOTS .

A shot is a continuous single image taken by the camera i.e an uninterrupted recording between
switching the camera on and off.

There are 7 basic camera shots:

1. Extreme Long Shot

Also called the Establishing shot, it is often used early in a scene to show the audience where
the action is taking place. It has a very wide field of view that shows the audience the entirety of
the landscape and builds drama. Example: Aerial shots of cities, or a shot showing the whole
mountain range and landscape.

Subject is very small in relation to the background and tends to compete with the surroundings
for viewer’s attention. The background dominates the frame. This can be used to create a sense
of the character feeling lost, small or insignificant due to their situation.

2. Long shot

Also known as the wide shot, it has a slightly closer field of view than the ELS. The subject
comes more into focus but continues to be dominated by the much larger background area.

It establishes the subject in the location and enables the viewers to follow action within the
frame.

3. Medium Long Shot

Also known as three quarters shot, it is wider than the medium shot but tighter than long shots.
The favour is slightly towards the background rather than the subject and the foreground.

It frames the subject from knee-up and is used when you need to see the character in context of
location. Example: Some documentaries with social themes use it to keep the social
circumstances rather than the individual in focus.

It emphasizes body language and gestures of the characters. It's often used for taking group
shots.

4. Medium Shot

Also known as the waist shot, it frames the subject from the waist up.
The subject becomes larger and more dominant and helps the viewer to easily recognise the
character and what he is doing.

Background is still important but it shares the attention with the subject. It can be used to reveal
something about the character or a situation.

It is commonly used in interviews.

5. Medium Close-up Shot

It frames a subject's head and cuts-off around the mid chest, revealing only a little about the
surroundings.

The focus remains on the subject and shows facial expressions, reactions, and feelings while
retaining some of the background.

6. Close-up Shot

It frames the subject's face and cuts off mid-neck.

The subject is the primary focus and fills almost the entire frame. The details of the face are
magnified in this shot and it is used to show reactions and emotions the character is feeling.

7. Extreme Close-up Shot

It frames just the person's facial features that are magnified to a very large extent i.e only a
small portion of the subject like the eyes, mouth, etc. are visible. The subject fills the entire
frame.

8. Over The Shoulder Shot

The camera is placed just behind an "off-screen" actor so that their shoulder is in the frame
while you capture the "on-screen" actor.

The inclusion of the back of the shoulder allows audiences to understand the spatial relationship
between the subjects while still being able to capture closer shots of each subject's facial
expression alternatively.

While establishing a relationship between two characters, it also enhances the depth of the
shot.

It is most commonly used to capture a conversation between two subjects.

9. Point Of View
The POV shot shows a scene as a character in the film would see it i.e from that character's :
optical viewpoint.

The camera position is close to the subject's line of sight watching the action.

Example: A popular trick in horror movies involves placing the audience in the position of a killer
who is slowly sneaking up on a victim.
 CAMERA ANGLES .
Camera angle is the positioning of the camera in relation to the subject. This can affect the way
the viewer perceives the scene and this provides perspective to an image.

It determines both the audience's viewpoint and the amount of area covered in the shot.

A scene may be shot simultaneously from multiple camera angles to amplify the cinematic effect
and emotions.

1. Birds eye view

Also known as an aerial shot, it is an elevated view from above with a perspective as though the
observer were a bird. It shows a scene from directly overhead and is often used as ELS. The
use of drones to get this shot is quite common.

It helps directors and cinematographers define the world the characters inhabit which can be a
powerful story telling technique.

In drama it can be used to show positions and motions of characters/objects, enabling the
viewer to see things the characters can't.

2. High angle

The camera is positioned above the eye level and shoots down on the subject to give an
elevated perspective.

It tends to make the subjects look smaller in size.

Is can be used to:

● Convey narrative information: Shows things that are hard to see from another angle.
Example: Often used in battle sequences from a clifftop or when showing a large space
that has a lot of visual information.

● Psychological reason: Looking down on a subject suggests a feeling of loneliness and

lack of power. It has a diminishing effect on the subject making them appear less
powerful, less significant, and even submissive.

3. Normal angle

The camera is positioned at approximately the subject eye level, shooting the scene as you
would normally view the world.
It mirrors human vision thus presents visual information through a familiar view point. It results
in very neutral shots that don't show the status of a character.

It is the most preferred angle during news reading, anchoring, and interviews.

4. Low angle

The camera is positioned below eye level, shooting up at the subject.

It makes the subject appear larger and suggests a feeling of power and dominance.

It is used to increase speed and height of a subject. It eliminates unwanted foreground and
background and creates a forceful perspective intensifying the dramatic impact of the scene.

5. Worm’s eye view

Shows the view of an object from below as though the observer were a worm. It gives
perspective from a low angle or inferior angle and is opposite of a bird's eye view.

It makes the subject look tall, strong, and mighty while the viewer feels powerless, small, and
vulnerable.

6. Dutch/canted angle

Also known as the oblique angle, the resulting shot has a noticeable tilt on the camera's x-axis
or the horizontal plane.

The deliberate slant portrays unease, disorientation, frantic behaviour, desperate action,
intoxication, madness, etc. For this reason it is commonly used in horror movies.

It adds an interesting effect and suggests a feeling of excitement, suspense, or fantasy to the
viewers. Example: Can be used to show cars racing at a high speed and make the speed look
more dramatic.

It is a great way to amplify whatever emotion, mental state, or suspense the filmmaker wishes to
bring to the scene.
 CAMERA MOVEMENTS .
Camera movement is the process of moving camera, camera support camera lens, or camera
equipment. It guides the viewer towards ‘where to look’ on the screen.

It exists in a 3 dimensional world and can move anywhere along the XYZ axis i.e up, down,
right, left, as well as forward and backward.

Camera movements can serve several purposes for your video production. They:

● Create dynamic scenes and add a naturalistic element by mimicking human movement.
It also helps to make static scenes seem active.

● Influence audiences’ emotional reactions by imitating a person’s view during various

circumstances. Eg: Shaking the camera during an earthquake scene can convey fear
and chaos while swaying on a boat mimics sea-sickness.

● Direct audiences’ attention by pulling away from certain elements on-screen.

● Provide narrative information, reveal new subjects that were once offscreen, and even
foreshadow or create ironic tension that characters are unaware of.

There are 10 basic camera movements:

1. Pan

Panning involves turning the camera horizontally, from left to right or from right to left while
keeping the position of the camera fixed.

It can help establish the location of a scene or let you follow a moving character. Panning can
also help reveal things that were previously off-screen.

For example, if there’s an uninvited guest in a party scene, you can build up the tension while
you pan to reveal their presence as opposed to using a fast cut.

2. Tilt

Tilting makes the camera point up or down. A tilt up means to point the camera gradually up. A
tilt down means to point the camera gradually down.
It can be used to give a character dominance in a shot or to reveal new information to the
audience. Tilts enable filmmakers to capture the verticality of a film in moments of awe and
spectacle.

Eg: If we want to reveal a new character or make a confrontation more dramatic, we can tilt
upwards from her shoes to the face.

3. Cant

Canting is to tilt the camera sideways. If you cant right, the horizon line will be slanted uphill; its
low point will be screen-left, its high point screen-right. It is helpful in creating a disoriented
effect.

4. Pedestal

With a pedestal movement, the entire camera moves up or down on a pedestal, as opposed to
the camera’s angle tilting. Throughout this movement, the camera is fixated on one location,
such as on an adjustable tripod. It is best used to shoot a tall character or subject.

5. Dolly

Dollying involves physical movement of the camera toward or away from an object in more or
less a straight line by means of a mobile camera mount.

When you dolly in, you move the camera closer to the object; when you dolly out or dolly back,
you move the camera farther away.

It is often used to focus on a character when they’re lost in thought or when they’ve come to a
sudden realization.

6. Truck

Trucking/tracking moves the camera laterally by means of a mobile camera mount. When you
truck right or truck left, you move the camera mount to the right or left with the camera lens
pointing at a right angle to the direction of travel.

If you want to follow somebody walking on a sidewalk, you would truck with the camera
alongside on the street, with the lens pointing at the person.

7. Arc

Arc shot orbits the camera around a subject in an arc pattern. Arc shots are typically used to
add energy to a shot in which characters have minimal actions.
Eg: Christopher Nolan uses the arc shot in The Dark Knight to add to the menacing energy of
the Joker.

8. Crane

To crane, or boom, is to lift the camera up to a high position or down to look over an area on a
camera crane or jib arm. It’s best used for establishing shots since it helps set the scene.

9. Tongue

Tonguing is to move the whole camera from left to right or from right to left with the boom of a
camera crane or jib arm. When you tongue left or right, the camera usually points in the same
general direction, with only the boom swinging left or right.

It creates an effect similar to a truck except that the horizontal arc of the boom with the camera
is usually much wider and can be much faster.

10. Zoom

Zoom changes the focal length of a lens through the use of a zoom control while the camera
remains stationary.

To zoom in means to change the lens gradually to a narrow-angle position, thereby making the
scene appear to move closer to the viewer; to zoom out means to change the lens gradually to
a wide-angle position, thereby making the scene appear to move farther away from the viewer.

It can be used to add more drama and energy in the frame or zooming in on a character’s face
to emphasize a humorous expression or look of terror. For these reasons, zooms are one of the
best camera movements to use in horrors and thrillers.
 RULES OF COMPOSITION .
Composition in photography refers to the orderly arrangement and placement of visual elements
in a frame which when taken as a whole, convey intent and meaning.

It is an art and technique that is used to draw the eye of the viewer to the central point or story
in your image.

Composition can be static or dynamic.

Static composition covers the content of fixed images, such as paintings or still photos.

Dynamic composition goes a step further and takes into consideration the effect of time, or
moment-to-moment change. This change can be within a single shot (including camera or talent
moves), or it can apply to the sequence of scenes created through editing.

Elements of composition

1. Unity: Refers to how different elements in a frame come together to create a sense of
wholeness.

2. Balance: Refers to the distribution of visual weights in a composition.

3. Movement: Illusion or sense of motion (or lack thereof) throughout a piece of art. For
example, a scarf blowing in the wind portrays movement, while a cup sitting on a table
portrays stillness.

4. Rhythm: Refers to the movement or the visual flow in an image.

5. Focus: The main focal point in the frame where the viewer’s eye will ultimately pause
and rest.

6. Contrast: Refers to the arrangement or juxtaposition of opposite elements (light vs. dark
colors, rough vs. smooth textures, large vs. small shapes, etc.)

7. Pattern: Created by repetition of certain shapes, lines, colors, or elements.

8. Proportion: Refers to how different subjects or objects appear in relation to one another.

Rules

1. Rule of thirds
It states that the image should be divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced vertical
and horizontal lines. The important elements or the subject should then be placed along these
lines or at the intersection points.

This will help you to balance your main subject with negative space in your shot to nail an
effective photographic composition that will draw the viewer’s eye. It also makes the frame more
aesthetically pleasing, professional, and interesting.

2. Leading lines

This rule draws the viewer’s eye to a specific part of the frame along vertical, horizontal,
diagonal, or curved lines by creating a visual path to follow. It makes one feel as if he/she is
standing within the photo by adding depth to the frame.

Different lines invoke different feelings. For instance: Horizontal lines invoke feelings of peace,
stability, and tranquility, wavy lines for grace, charm, movement, and zig zag express agitation
and discomfort.

3. Rule of space

This rule states that if the subject is not looking directly into the camera, or looks out of the
frame, there should be enough space for the subject to look into. For example: If there’s a still of
a moving bicycle on the right side of the frame, there should be significant space in the direction
of the subject’s movement i.e on the left.

This creates a flow to naturally drag the attention of viewers to the direction of the subject. This
sense of looking or moving towards somewhere gives the image a dynamic edge and forms the
narrative of your frame.

4. Rule of odds

The rule of odds states that images are more visually appealing when there is an odd number of
subjects. It helps in achieving a visually pleasing composition of several objects.

A common form of usage is having three objects in frame, they always form either a line or a
triangle, both of which invoke interest in the human brain upon perception.

5. 180 degree rule

The 180 rule sets an imaginary axis, or eye line, between two characters or between a
character and an object.

By keeping the camera on one side of this imaginary axis, the characters maintain the same
left/right relationship to each other, keeping the space of the scene orderly and easy to follow.
When the camera jumps over the invisible axis, it is known as crossing the line or breaking the
line, which changes the subjects’ position and can produce a disorienting and distracting effect
on a viewer.

6. Balance

Balance refers to the equal distribution of weights in a frame. It can be symmetrical,

asymmetrical, or radial.

Symmetrical balance has the same visual weight on each side of an axis. In other words, if you
cut the photo in half, the left and right side mirror each other. Or the upper and bottom half are
imitating each other. It creates a sense of order, stability, rationality, solemnity, and formality.
Eg: Taj Mahal’s architecture, human body.

Asymmetrical balance has unequal visual weight on either side. But those visual elements
balance out each other. It offers more visual variety and is more dynamic and interesting. It
evokes feelings of modernism, movement, energy and vitality.
Eg: Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, uses a notable visual, the sun, in the top right, and
balances it out with a dark cypress tree in the bottom left.

In radial balance, elements within an image radiate outwards from a central point. This way,
they create an even pattern, adding depth and visual movement to the picture. It can help bring
the viewer’s eyes to a subject placed in the centre. The circular pattern also creates harmony.
Eg: Rangoli, water ripples, star trails.