Film is a - Visual Language

FRAMING & COMPOSITION

Shot - Smallest unit of a visual narrative

FRS - Frame per second ( 20, 30, 60, 120..)

Shortest Shot - Less than a single frame

Longest Shot - Trt of available film

shot + shot = scene “sentence”

scene + scene = sequence “ paragraph”

sequence + sequence = whole visual narrative “short story”

ONE SHOT = ONE WORD = must have meaning, story or message

SHOT ZONES - foreground, midground and background

- to create depth
- to give strong meaning or message

ELEMENTS OF FRAMING

1.Shot Size
2.Angle
3.Camera Movements
4.Composition Style

SHOT SIZES

A. WIDE SHOT / FULL SHOT “master shot”

- to establish a scene, setting, environment…
- most basic shot
- all details are seen in one shot ( time of the day, characters…)
- head to foot ‘no crops’

B. MEDIUM SHOT “head to bust shot” “standard shot”

- reveals details of the characters
- interplay of characters
- size for establishing the interplay of the characters.
- shot for most of conversations.

C. CLOSE UP SHOT “two shot”

- most of the time concentrate exclusively on one character
- most compelling shot
- to be able to relate it to the audience
- put emphasis on something

D. EXTREME WIDE SHOT

- panoramic view
- landscape shot
- ‘huge’ master shot
- isolate a character to its background
E. EXTREME CLOSE UP SHOT
- draws more attention to the subject
- also knows as “ BIG CLOSE UP”

CAMERA ANGLE

A. HIGH ANGLE
- to make a subject feel inferior
- taken from an elevated position
- birds eye view “overhead angle”

B. LOW ANGLE
- to put power on a character
- anywhere below the eye level or looking up
- worm’s eye view “ground angle”

C. EYE LEVEL or NEUTRAL SHOT

* Always keep in mind of the objective to why the shots angle change.