Camera Shots and Angles Film Study Camera Shots and Angles

Extreme Close Up Focuses on one thing in great detail, it is even closer than a close up.

Close Up Contains no background, focuses on the entire object or a persons head and shoulders. It may reveal human emotions or private information.

Medium Shot Person is seen from the waist up. If there are two people in a shot it is called a ‘two shot’, three people are a ‘three shot’.

Long Shot Contains a lot of landscape or background and figures in the scene are recognisable as being human, male or female.

Establishing Shot (Extreme Long Shot) Contains a lot of landscape and gives important information about the setting and atmosphere at the beginning of a scene.

High Angle Shot The camera looks down on the subject. This makes it look smaller – gives the audience a sense of power or the subject a sense of hopelessness.

Low Angle Shot The camera looks up at the subject. This makes the subject seem important, powerful or larger than the viewer.

Eye Level Angle The audience sees things from the characters eye level. It makes them feel more comfortable.

Dutch Angle or Canted Camera Central frame is unbalanced Subjective viewpoint Ex. Person who is drunk Ex. Symbolic imbalance Ex. World lacks harmony or balance

Reaction Shot Show the effect that someone’s words/actions have on another individual Could be a close up or a medium shot in order to catch body language

Over the Shoulder/Reverse Shot The camera shoots from behind a character’s shoulder, and is used mostly during conversations. Aimed nearly 180 degrees opposite to each other. Allows the audience to feel more involved.

DIAGETIC SOUND A sound that other characters would be able to hear. For example: A song on a radio, for instance, as a character drives down the highway, would be a diegetic sound, as would someone coughing audibly during a scene.

NON-DIAGETIC SOUND Any voice, musical passage or sound effect that comes from outside the world of the movies; For example: like background music, for instance or a voice over. If the characters can't hear the sound, it's non-diegetic.

Time to test how much you remember…

Close Up

Establishing Shot or Extreme Long Shot

High Angle Shot (close up)

Long Shot

Low Angle Shot (close up)

Medium Shot

Low Angle Shot (close up)

Establishing Shot or Extreme Long Shot

Long Shot

High Angle (long) Shot

Long Shot

Over-the-shoulder shot