Visual Literacy Terminology

Camera Distance The apparent size of an object in relation to its surroundings and the screen itself can affect the way a viewer sees it or feels about it. Camera shots are, therefore, names according to the field of view or how much of the object that the camera sees.

Extreme close-up (ECU or XCU) In this shot the subject’s face or part of the face fills the screen. Such shots exaggerate features and tend to make viewers feel uncomfortable because they are not used to seeing people this close. It also makes the subject appear dominant or even aggressive.

Close-up (CU) The head and the top of the shoulders are visible in this shot which allows the viewer to see the eyes and facial expressions of the subject. It shows how the subject feels about or reacts to the action while giving a degree of comfort to the viewer who is not too close.

Medium close-up (MCU) The subject can be seen from the middle of the chest up in this shot. This is a good shot to make the viewers think that they are being spoken to directly. It is a common field of view for friendly conversations between close friends.

Medium shot (MS) This shot shows the subject from about the waist up. Since this is the normal field of view of our daily conversations, it is the most comfortable of shots for the viewer. News reporters are often shot in MS. This distance also allows for more than one subject to be seen comfortably on screen in what is termed a two shot for two subjects in the frame.

Medium long shot (MLS) The subject is visible from about the knees up which allows for gestures or movements of an actor to become apparent. Again two or even three subjects can be clearly seen in a MLS.

Long shot (LS) Sometimes called the wide shot, the long shot takes in the subject’s whole body from head to feet. It is the most common shot for action scenes and allows for group shots of four or more actors.

Extreme Long shot (ELS or XLS) This shot is used to show a whole crowd of people or to view the setting of a scene. Because it can take in a large area, it is often used as an establishing shot to allow the audience to take in the setting of where a scene occurs and when it takes place.

Generally, the closer the shot is, the more emotional, emphatic and detailed it is likely to be. Wider or longer shots tell the viewer about the action taking place or the setting. A good video should have mix of shots.

Camera Angles and Movement The position of the camera in relation to the subject is another important consideration of videography. Camera placement or angle determines how the viewer perceives the subject and has a great impact upon the mood of a shot

Straight (normal) angle The camera is on the same level as the subject and looking straight at it. This is the most common, normal way of looking at a subject.

High Angle The camera looks down on the subject above eye level, diminishing the apparent size of the subject. In extreme cases, the camera is directly above the subject as a top angle shot.

Low angle The camera looks up at the subject from below, making it appear to be larger or imposing. If the camera is directly beneath the subject, it is known as a bottom angle shot.

Over the shoulder view The camera is situated behind a person, viewing the scene or subject from over the shoulder of an actor. Thus the viewer seems to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Point of view shot (subjective camera angle) The shot is taken from a character’s perspective inside the story. This shot must be part of a larger sequence because it shows how a character views events in a scene.

Movement Is one of the most important principles of creating an interesting video. Either the subject or the camera should exhibit a great deal of movement during your video in order to maintain the viewer’s attention on the film.

Pan shot The camera moves horizontally (left or right) from a fixed base or tripod position. This shot may establish setting, scan across the crowd or follow the movements of a subject, giving he viewers a panorama view.

Tilt shot The camera moves vertically (up or down) from a fixed base or tripod, giving the viewers a look up or down a person, building or tall object.

Dolly (in or out) A dolly is a cart or wheels that the camera is mounted on so it can move smoothly. To dolly is to move the entire camera towards or away from the subject.

Tracking shot The camera moves back or forth with a subject who is moving also. It follows beside the moving subject and is sometimes called a following shot or a traveling shot.

Zoom (in or out) The zoom lens changes its distance from the subject while filming, so the movement toward or away from the subject is apparent to the viewer (like adjusting the distance through binoculars or a telescope).

Lighting terms The direction and intensity of light upon the subject can have a great impact upon the mood of a shot or on the way the subject is pereived.

Front Lighting The main light source comes from directly in front of the subject, leaving no noticeable shadows on the face or front of the subject. Generally, front lighting is a feature of spotlights and many portraits because it still provides a hint of depth in facial features.

Flat lighting When there is more than one light source directly upon the front of the subject, the effect is flattening of the subject so that it softens the features and leaves no evident shadows whatsoever on the subject. Flat lighting is often the desired lighting for closeups of models in made-up ads.

Top lighting Light comes from above the subject so that shadows are noticeable towards the bottom. Eyes are often not visible or shaded, creating an aura of mystery, fear or sadness.

Bottom lighting The main light source comes from below the subject leaving unnatural shadows on the face or front of the subject. Often used in horror films, bottom lighting creates an eerie effect because there is no real natural source of bottom lighting.

Backlighting (silouetting) The main light source comes from behind the subject leaving a ring or halo effect around it and showing few frontal features of the subject. In extreme cases where no light is visible on the front of the subject, it creates a total silhouette of the subject

Side lighting Light comes predominantly from one side of the subject, leaving shadows towards the other side. Side lighting creates depth of character, interest and mystery on the subject.

Hatchet Lighting Bright side lighting effectively cuts the face or front of the subject in half so that half is brightly lit and the other half is in darkness. Hatchet lighting can show that there are two sides to a personality, one half of which is a mystery.

In addition to the direction of the light source, lighting can also be distinguished by its intensity in the picture. Hard Lighting (spotlighting): the only light source is a single bright light source like a spotlight on the subject or bright sunlight coming in a window. Soft Lighting (diffused light): the light sources have been diffused or filtered to soften the effect of the subject, leaving a fuzzy glow or feeling of warmth on the whole picture.