Camera shots Just as in writing, film uses techniques to produce different responses in their audience. Short sentences are used for impact in writing, but certain camera shots are chosen for exactly that effect as well. Each camera shot is picked with the intention of delivering a very specific effect on the audience.

Camera shots There are 7 main camera shots which are each picked for a particular effect. Point of view shot High-angle shot Over the shoulder shot Close-up shot Low angle shot Medium Shot Long shot These are occasionally played around with to make new versions, depending on what suits the director – for example, you could have a medium long shot, which would half the distance of a long shot, but still wouldn’t be a medium shot, etc.

Match the camera angle to the shot Point of view shot High-angle shot Over the shoulder shot Close-up shot Low angle shot Medium Shot Long shot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Match the camera angle to the shot High-angle shot Point of view shot 1 2 3 Medium Shot Long shot Close-up shot Over the shoulder shot 4 5 6 High-angle shot Medium long shot Low angle shot Extreme close up 7 8 9 10

Camera shots As we’ve discussed, each camera angle is picked specifically with an effect in mind. Write the type of camera shot and your explanation of its function in your books. For example: ‘High angle shot – used to make the audience think/produce the effect of…’

Concentrates attention. Point of view shot The audience sees the situation from the character’s position High-angle shot Suggests character’s smallness, weakness or isolation. The audience is in a powerful position. Over the shoulder shot Focuses the audience’s attention on one character Close-up shot Concentrates attention. Shows character’s emotion Puts audience in a privileged position. Extreme close up shot Audience in intimate relationship. Shows a character’s intimate feelings. Low angle shot Suggests character’s bigness, strength or dominance. Audience in weak position. Medium Shot Situates character in immediate environment, yet still shows emotion. Long shot Shows the context of the shot. Medium long shot Important in action scenes, where emotion is still important.

Camera Movement Not only is the shot an important tool in telling the film’s story, but the movement contributes a lot to our understanding too. Camera movement is used to: Follow the action Reveal information – moving plot forward Change the emotional mood of the scene (e.g. making someone appear more or less powerful, frightened etc.)

Camera Movement There are several established camera movements the director uses for certain effects. Panning Tilting Dollying in and out Handheld Tracking/crabbing alongside

Camera Movement Function Panning Describes/reveals the location or follows the action, gets a much wider shot into the shot (short for panorama) Tilting Describes a person in relation to the place they’re in. Can be used to reveal a location in stages to build surprise or shock Travelling (hand held) Can create a first person perspective, puts the audience in the eyes of the character (who may or may not have been seen) – can give you the thrill of being that character. Dollying in and out Depends on speed - dollying in to a still object can be quite unnerving if at speed emphasises the importance of the object (like rushing in to something in real life), dollying in builds tension, can make a place feel claustrophobic, can make the audience feel pulled Dollying out – can pull back and reveal. Dollying/Tracking/ Crabbing along side Builds anticipation if you are dollying along with a moving object, describes the place but makes you feel like you are on a journey – to arrive to the next scene.

GCSE Watch the opening 5 minutes of Mission Impossible 2. Identify the different camera movements and shots- say why the director (John Woo) has used them. How do they reflect the action adventure genre?

AS Watch some clips from past exams and analyse how angles and movement have contributed to representation.

A2 Q1a- how did your use of the camera develop in different phases? Q1b-how did you use the camera to reflect any of the five things you need to talk about? Q2- how was the camera used in film, and in print images, to influence the representation of youth?