A Basic Guide to

CAMERA TECHNIQUE
CAMERA SHOTS
 CAMERA SHOTS
In film and Television different camera shots are used
and then edited together to create a narrative (story).
The idea being that even if your film or tv show
contains no dialogue, your selected images should still
tell a story that makes sense.
Try watching something with the sound turned down
– you will find that just from the pictures you can still
understand a lot of what is going on.
 CAMERA SHOTS
A typical camera has a rectangular lens like this:

We call this the FRAME.

 CAMERA SHOTS
W hen creating camera shots, you have to think about FOUR
important factors:

• The framing of the shot.

• The length of the shot.
(the distance of the camera from the subject)
• The angle of the shot.
• If there is any movement involved.
 CAMERA SHOTS
Types of Camera Shot
EXTREME WIDE SHOT This is often used as a scene-setting,
establishing shot. This will be the first shot
of a movie or sequence that establishes the
Setting or Location. It normally shows an
exterior, i.e. the outside of a building, or a
landscape, and is also sometimes used to
show scenes of thrilling action. There will
be less detail visible in the shot as it's
meant to give a general impression of a
place.

This EWS (extreme wide shot) is taken from a distance, but denotes a precise location - it might
even connote all of the entertainment industry in the context of the production.
 CAMERA SHOTS
Types of Camera Shot
LONG SHOT
A long shot typically shows an entire object
or person and is usually intended to place it
in some relation to its surroundings. The LS
(Long Shot) would show the entire human
body, with the head near the top of the
frame and the feet near the bottom.

Long shots focus on characters, but still show plenty of background detail. In this shot we can
tell the coffins are in a Western-style setting, for instance.
 CAMERA SHOTS
Types of Camera Shot
MEDIUM SHOT Sometimes called a mid shot. Contains a
figure from the knees/waist up and is
normally used for dialogue scenes, or to
show some detail of action. It is mainly
used for scenes where the director wants
the audience to see the subject’s facial
expressions and their body language.

Variations on this shot include The Two Shot (containing two figures from the waist up) and the
Three Shot (contains 3 figures).
 CAMERA SHOTS
Types of Camera Shot
MEDIUM CLOSE UP
This is halfway between a Medium Shot
and a Close Up. This shot usually focuses
on a characters head and shoulders. They
are often used when trying to represent
the emotions or thoughts of a character.

Medium Close Ups are generally used during scenes with lots of dialogue. If two people are
talking the camera will often switch between MCUs (Medium Close Ups) of both of them.
 CAMERA SHOTS
Types of Camera Shot
CLOSE UP Close Ups show very little background, and
concentrate on either a face, or a specific
detail of mise en scene. Everything else is just
a blur in the background. This shot magnifies
the object and is used to show the
importance of things, e.g. words written on
paper, or the expression on someone's face.
The CU (close-up) tries to take us into the
mind of a character, by getting close up on
their expression.
A film-maker may use this to make us feel extra comfortable or extremely uncomfortable about
a character, and usually uses a zoom lens in order to get the required framing.
 CAMERA SHOTS
Types of Camera Shot
EXTREME CLOSE UP
As its name suggests, an extreme version of
the close up, generally magnifying beyond
what the human eye would experience in
reality. An ECU (extreme close-up) of a face,
for instance, would show only the mouth or
eyes, with no background detail whatsoever.
This is a very artificial shot, and can be used
for dramatic effect.

The tight focus required means that extra care must be taken when setting up and lighting the
shot - the slightest camera shake or error in focal length is very noticeable.
 CAMERA SHOTS
Types of Camera Shot
OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT
The OSS (‘Over-the-Shoulder-Shot’)
positions the camera behind one
figure, looking over their shoulder and
revealing the other figure. Part of the
first figure's back, head and shoulder
will also be in shot. It gives the
impression of the audience standing
behind the character and listening to
the conversation.

Over the Shoulder Shots are used extensively in both film and TV. One common use in
television is in news interviews.
 CAMERA SHOTS
Types of Camera Shot
POINT OF VIEW SHOT
In a point of view shot the camera
stands in for one of the characters. It
shows what a character is looking at.
This allows the audience to experience
the scene as though through that
character’s eyes (their ‘point of view’).
This can allow the audience to get
closer or feel involved in the drama.

In this POV (Point of View Shot) the victim is lying on the floor looking up at the person who is
going to kill them!
CAMERA ANGLES
 CAMERA SHOTS
The angle at which the camera is placed can
have different effects. It can give emotion to a
scene or create mood. It can also be used to
give the person or object in the frame more
or less status.
Try lying on the floor and looking up at somebody – they
suddenly look a lot bigger and scarier than usual! If your
camera was placed on the floor looking up, this would have the
same effect for an audience.
 CAMERA ANGLES
Types of Camera Angle
THE BIRD’S EYE VIEW This shows a scene from directly overhead,
a very unnatural and strange angle. Familiar
objects viewed from this angle might seem
totally unrecognisable at first (umbrellas in a
crowd, dancers' legs). This shot puts the
audience in a godlike position, looking down
on the action. People can be made to look
insignificant, ant-like, part of a wider
scheme of things.

The famous Hollywood film director Alfred Hitchcock was fond of using this style of shot.
 CAMERA ANGLES
Types of Camera Angle
HIGH ANGLE Not so extreme as a Bird's Eye View.
The camera is elevated above the action
using a crane to give a general
overview. High angles make the object
photographed seem smaller, and less
significant (or scary). The object or
character often gets swallowed up by
their setting - they become part of a
wider picture.

This shot is often used in action movies to show how big a problem the characters are facing
(literally!)
 CAMERA ANGLES
Types of Camera Angle
LOW ANGLE
These increase height (useful for short
actors like Tom Cruise!) Low angles give a
sense of confusion and powerlessness to the
viewer. The background of a low angle shot
will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of
detail about the setting adding to the
disorientation. Low angles add height to
people or objects to inspire fear and
insecurity in the viewer. They can make
Low angle is used to make this character things appear dominant or give them more
look much bigger and more threatening than status on screen.
he really is.
 CAMERA ANGLES
Types of Camera Angle
CANTED ANGLE
Sometimes called a DUTCH TILT the
camera is tilted (i.e. is not placed horizontal to
floor level), to suggest imbalance, transition
and instability (very popular in horror
movies). This technique is sometimes used as
part of Point of View shots (i.e. when the
camera becomes the 'eyes' of one particular
character, seeing what they see) A hand held
camera is often used for this.

Canted angles are often used to twist reality and make the world look strange.
CAMERA MOVEMENT
 CAMERA MOVEMENT

There are EIGHT basic

methods of camera
movement
These are…
 CAMERA MOVEMENT
Types of Camera Movement
PANNING SHOT
A panning shot scans across a scene
horizontally. The camera and its operator
remain static (in the same spot) but the
camera lens moves across or passes over an
object which is kept in the middle of the
frame. This technique is very common and
helps to create action in scenes such as car
chases.

In this shot the camera is being panned to follow the man across the room.
 CAMERA MOVEMENT
Types of Camera Movement
TILT SHOT A shot where the camera moves either Up to
Down or Down to Up. Like a panning shot, but
vertical not horizontal. Again the camera and
its operator are usually static and don’t move
position. A tilt to the sky is a traditional last
frame in a movie.

Tilt shots are often used to first reveal

an important character – such as the
‘sexy heroine’.
 CAMERA MOVEMENT
Types of Camera Movement
TRACKING SHOT Also known as a DOLLY SHOT. The camera
is mounted on a wheeled truck (a Dolly) or
other vehicle and moves to follow a subject
either from behind, alongside or in front. A
dolly can move in a number of directions:
forward, backward, side to side, diagonally, and
even in circles.

Here the camera is Tracking (keeping

up with) the action in these scenes.
 CAMERA MOVEMENT
Types of Camera Movement
HANDHELD SHOT A shot in which the camera operator
holds the camera during motion to give a
jerky, immediate feel. It creates a sense of
the footage being ‘real’.

Handheld shots are the basis of the whole

’Found Footage’ Horror sub genre.
 CAMERA MOVEMENT
Types of Camera Movement
CRANE SHOT A shot where the camera is placed on a crane
or jib and moved up or down. A sort of
vertical tracking shot. Often used to
pull away from a character at the end
of a movie, as if saying goodbye.

In this scene a Crane shot is used to show how

much danger the character is in.
 CAMERA MOVEMENT
Types of Camera Movement
ZOOM LENSES A zoom lens allows the camera operator
to change the size and length of the shot
without moving the camera. The speed of
the zoom can create very different effects.

A slower Zoom allows the audience time

to see that the character is thinking about
what he has to do.
 CAMERA MOVEMENT
Types of Camera Movement
THE HITCHCOCK ZOOM So brilliant they named a shot after
him! Also known as a DOLLY ZOOM,
the camera tracks forward toward a
subject but at the same time zooms out
creating disorientation. In
a Hitchcock Zoom the subject appears
to stand still size while the background
seems to change size .

The Hitchcock Zoom is used for those ‘Uh-Oh’ The Man himself
moments to show something has gone wrong. Alfred Hitchcock
 CAMERA MOVEMENT
Types of Camera Movement
AERIAL SHOT An exterior shot filmed from the air. Often used
at the start of movies to establish a location. Can
sometimes be an extreme version of the Bird’s
Eye View, designed to make people or places
seem small or insignificant. Now achieved with
remote control drone cameras.

In this Aerial shot the character is

leaving at the end of the movie.
FRAMING
 FRAMING
There are many different ways to frame a shot, however, some particular
techniques include:

• Tightly framed: a close shot - often suggests entrapment or confinement.

• Loosely framed or wide framed: a long shot - often suggests freedom.

• Internal framing: using an object (such as a doorway or window frame)

to symbolically “confine” a person.

Framing can be used to suggest things about the characters

or their situation.
TIGHT FRAMING
LOOSE FRAMING
 INTERNAL FRAMING
Framing the shot in a way that
uses something else to ‘confine’
the subject (person). In this
example a corridor is used,
which seems to be closing in
around the character.

Ahem! Yes, well…this is

certainly a symbolic use of
internal framing!
IN SUMMARY
End.