A Brief Note

Different Camera Angels with

proper abbreviations…
 Close-up (CU)
 Medium shot (MS)
 Long shot (LS)
 Full shot (FS)
 Extreme close-up (ECU)
 Medium close-up (MCU)
 Extreme long shot (ELS)
 Point of view (POV )
 Over the shoulder (OTS)
 Foreground (FG)
 Background (BG)
CLOSE UP…
Close-ups are used for distinguishing main characters.
Major characters are often given a close-up when they
are introduced as a way of indicating their importance.
Leading characters will have multiple close-ups. Close-
up shots do not show the subject in the broad context of
its surroundings. If overused, close-ups may leave
viewers uncertain as to what they are seeing. Close-ups
are rarely done with wide angel lenses, because
perspective causes objects in the center of the picture to
be unnaturally enlarged.
Instance
Medium Shot…
In film, a medium shot is a camera shot from a
medium distance. The dividing line between “long
shot" and "medium shot" is fuzzy, as is the line
between "medium shot" and "close-up". In some
standard texts and professional references, a full-
length view of a human subject is called a medium
shot; in this terminology, a shot of the person from
the knees up or the waist up is a close-up shot.
Medium shots are relatively good in showing facial
expressions but work well to show body language.
Instance
 Long Shot…
In photography, film and video, a long shot
(sometimes referred to as a full shot or a wide shot)
typically shows the entire object or human figure
and is usually intended to place it in some relation to
its surroundings. It has been suggested that long-
shot ranges usually correspond to approximately
what would be the distance between the front row of
the audience and the stage in live theatre. It is now
common to refer to a long shot as a "wide shot"
because it often requires the use of a wide angel lens.
Instance
Extreme Long Shot…
An extreme long shot is used to show a large amount
of landscape around the character/s. This is also
known as an establishing shot. It is when the camera
is at its furthest distance from the subject.
Instance
Over the shoulder…
In film or video, an over the shoulder shot is a shot
of someone or something taken over the shoulder of
another person. The back of the shoulder and head
of this person is used to frame the image of
whatever (or whomever) the camera is pointing
toward. This type of shot is very common when two
characters are having a discussion and will usually
follow an establishing shot ,which helps the
audience place the characters in their setting.
Instance
 Pan…
In photography, panning refers to the horizontal
movement or rotation of a still or video camera, or the
scanning of a subject horizontally on video or a display
device. Panning a camera results in a motion similar to
that of someone shaking their head "no" or of an aircraft
performing a yaw rotation.
Film and television camera pan by turning horizontally
on a vertical axis, but the effect may be enhanced by
adding other techniques, such as rails to move the whole
camera platform. Slow panning is also combined with
zooming in or out on a single subject, leaving the subject
in the same portion of the frame, to emphasize or de-
emphasize the subject respectively
Instance
 Zoom…
A zoom is technically not a camera move as it does
not require the camera itself to move at all. Zooming
means altering the focal length of the lens to give
the illusion of moving closer to or further away from
the action.
The effect is not quite the same though. Zooming is
effectively magnifying a part of the image, while
moving the camera creates a difference in
perspective — background objects appear to change
in relation to foreground objects.
Instance
 Tracking…
In motion picture terminology, a tracking shot is a
segment in which the camera is mounted on a
wheeled platform that is pushed on rails while the
picture is being taken. The tracking shot can include
smooth movements forward, backward, along the
side of the subject, or on a curve. Tracking shots,
however, cannot include complex pivoting
movements, aerial shots or crane shots.
Focus Pull…
The focus pull is a creative camera technique in
which you change focus during a shot. Usually this
means adjusting the focus from one subject to
another.The focus pull is useful for directing the
viewer's attention.
Instance
Dutch angle…
Dutch angle or Batman Angle are terms used for a
cinematic tactic often used to portray the
psychological uneasiness or tension in the subject
being filmed. A Dutch angle is achieved by tilting
the camera off to the side so that the shot is
composed with the horizon at an angle to the
bottom of the frame. Many Dutch angles are static
shots at an obscure angle, but in a moving Dutch
angle shot the camera can pivot, pan or track
along the director‘s or cinematographer’s
established diagonal axis for the shot.
Instance
Dolly Shot…

The camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves

alongside the action, generally following a moving figure
or object. Complicated dolly shots will involve a track
being laid on set for the camera to follow, hence the
name. The camera might be mounted on a car, a plane,
or even a shopping trolley (good method for
independent film-makers looking to save a few dollars).
A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement,
the journey of a character for instance, or for moving
from a long shot to a close-up, gradually focusing the
audience on a particular object or character.
Instance
Tilts…
A movement which scans a scene vertically,
otherwise similar to a pan.
Instance
 Crane Shots

Basically, dolly-shots-in-the-air. A crane (or jib), is a

large, heavy piece of equipment, but is a useful way
of moving a camera - it can move up, down, left,
right, swooping in on action or moving diagonally
out of it. The camera operator and camera are
counter-balanced by a heavy weight, and trust their
safety to a skilled crane/jib operator.
Instance
Track in and out…
Track in can be defined as the process where the
magnification takes place for a particular object by
moving the camera towards it rather than making
variation in the focal length.
The background portion, relating the object in this
shot, is much larger than zooming in.
Track out is just the reverse process of the above
mentioned.
Instance
An effort by…
Sayantan Das
Subhranil Basu Roy
Nishant Saha
Sneha Mukherjee

We are thankful to our teacher , SUBHAJIT DAS