Shots, Angles,

Sound and
Lighting
The building blocks of the cinematic
language.
SHOTS AND ANGLES CREATE A POINT OF
VIEW

1. What is the viewpoint, or the

story demands, for recording
this portion of the event?
2. How much area should be
included in the shot in order
to communicate the story?
Both
Both questions
questions deal
deal with
with the
the audience’s
audience’s perspective
perspective on
on what
what the
the
story
story is.
is.
Shots Capture The Scene
• A scene defines the place or setting
where the action is being filmed.
• Each new place (setting) maybe a new
scene.
• Borrowed from theater. Where acts
were broken down with different
scenery or settings.
 The Shot

• A shot defines a continuous camera take with out

disruption.
• May be referred to as a panel in pre-production
storyboards.
• May be referred to as a take, during production.
• May be referred to as a clip in post-production,
editing.
 The Frame – What is captured
within the borders of the film
• The smallest piece of information in film.
• A single still image in a series of images.
• NTSC - 29.97 Frames Per Second (fps)
• PAL - 25 fps
• Film - 24 fps
 Camera Shots

• Wide shot - shows the most space within

the frame possible
• Wide angle shot – uses a wide angle lense
to create a panoramic effect
• Master shot – shows a complete version of
the action
• Establishing shot – shows the geography
of a scene
 Master Shot
• Master shots are usually the first shot of a scene. It is a wide
shot which covers all the action and speech in the scene and
establishes context
 Extreme Wide Shot (EWS):

A scenic or panoramic view. The view is so far

from the subject that it usually isn't visible.
This is often used as an establishing shot (a shot that
establishes a scene or setting).
 Camera Shots
• Long shot – taken from a distance
using a telephoto lens
• Medium Shot – closer to the subject
• Close up – Closest to Subject
Long Shot (LS):

shows entire
body,
including
the setting.
Medium Long Shot (MLS):

• subject
presented
from the
thigh up
(with head
room).
 Medium Shot (MS):

shows subject
above the waist.
 Close Up (CU):

A certain feature or part of the subject takes

up the whole frame (usually the head of the
subject). This shot typically demonstrates
the emotion of the character.
Extreme Close Up (ECU):
inside the face
or on a part of
an object. This
shot can be used
to showcase a
character’s
emotion by
showing
extreme detail.
 Camera Angle
• The camera angle determines both
the audiences viewpoint, or how
they see the story, and the physical
amount of area covered in a shot.
 Camera Movement
• Pan - to swivel the camera sideways
• Whip Pan – to swivel very quickly
• Tilt – to swivel the camera upward or downward
• Zoom In/Out – gives the illusion of moving closer
or further away using a zoom lens
• Crash Zoom – a very fast zoom
 Camera Angles
• Objective
• Subjective
• High Angle
• Low Angle
• Aerial Angle
 Camera Angles
• Low angle – Worm’s eye view – looking up
at a character. Gives the audience a feeling
that this person is powerful. Used to show
the large scale of a character or object.
• High angle – Bird’s eye view – from above
the character used to make the character feel
Inferior. Used to show the small scale of a
character or object.
• Aerial– Taken from the air
 Low Angle Shot (LA):

A low angle shot is below eye level looking

up at the subject.This shows the subject
from below, making them seem powerful or
dominant.
 High Angle Shot (HA):

shows the subject from above, (i.e. the

camera is angled down towards the
subject.) This makes the subject appear
weak, powerless, or insignificant.
 Eye Level Shot (EL):

turns the camera into the viewer’s “eyes”,

showing subjects as we would expect to
see them in real life. It suggests that the
subject is equal to the viewer.
 Bird’s Eye View (BEV):

The scene is shown from directly above. This is a

completely different and somewhat unnatural point of
view. It can be used to show the positions and motions of
different characters and objects, enabling the viewer to see
things the characters can't. The bird's-eye view is also
very useful in sports, documentaries, etc.
 Objective camera angle
• When the audience views what is happening as an
unseen observer.
• The audience feels as though they are eaves
dropping on the characters in the scene.
• Objective camera angles are impersonal.
• The players in a scene are unaware of the camera
and never make eye contact.When filming an
objective camera angle if any person in the scene
looks into the camera the shot is ruined and will
need a re-take.
 Subjective camera angle
• Involves the audience directly with the
characters in the scene.
• Players may look directly into the camera.
• Camera acts as the players eyes.
 The Sequence
• A sequence is a series of scenes, or
shots that complete a subject or idea.
• A sequence may occur in a single
setting (place), or in several settings
(places).
• A sequence ends when the subject
matter changes.
 Transitions between Sequences
• Cut – Switching to another screen image, possibly
in another scene.
• Jump Cut – Signals that time has elapsed or
something has been omitted from a scene.
• Fade-In – Fades the image in from black
• Fade-Out – Fades the image out to black.
 Sound Terms
Sound (includes dialogue, music, sound effects, as well as pitch, timbre,
direction- all of which are designed to support the action and reflect
the mood and atmosphere of what is taking place)
Sync Dialogue Dialogue that we watch as it’s being spoken (synced with
image)
Voice-Over Used to present dialogue that can not be heard from the
scene’s participants.
Narration Superimposed voice commenting on the action.
Commentary superimposed voice commenting on visible action.
FX – Sound effects track (created in studio).
Atmosphere track - includes ambient sounds like birds, traffic, or the
wind.
Music Track- The music playing over scenes.
 Lighting Terms
• Low-key Lighting: the main characteristics of this
shot are darkness, shadows, and patches of bright
key light.
• High-key Lighting: this type of lighting is
distinguished by its brightness, openness, and lack
of shadows or contrasts between light and dark.
• Neutral Lighting: when the lighting is even and
balanced throughout the shot.
 Lighting cont’d

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 Other
• Set Design: includes all the scenery and
props used and how it is set up (hard and
soft surfaces).
• Properties (props): all of the objects that
the actors use to support their role i.e.
mirrors, canes, books, hairbrushes etc.
• Costume: all clothing and accessories worn
by actors-used to support setting, character
and action.