Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Shot Types and Angles

Establishing Shot: Your establishing shot is the shot used to set the scene at the start of the film. Most commonly the establishing shot is a wide landscape style of shot.

Long Shot: Normally shows the scene to scale. For example, a person would be fully in the scene with their head and feet coming close to the top and bottom edges of the screen. The background would be clear enough to understand the setting, however not focused on like in an establishing shot.

Medium Shot: An above-the-waist height. Focuses on between one to three people in a scene with a minimal background as the location has previously been established.

Close-Up: Tight view of a face, upper body or object. Very little of the background in focus. All the focus is on the one thing in the scene. For example, a character’s facial expression would be well shot as a close-up.

Angles

Birds-Eye View: perched above the subject in the scene. Shows the subject and the ground. Often used for dramatic effect.
Eye Level: Shot at the eye level of the camera operator. Very standard and the most commonly used shot. Also pretty boring.
Low Angle: Also known as a Worm’s View. Shot from below looking up on a scene. Makes objects look larger. Think Star Wars and Darth Vader, he was often shot from below to signify power.
High angle: The opposite. Shot from a height to make people seem smaller in the scene. Often used to signify weakness.
Oblique angle: Tilting the camera at an angle. Un-usual effect but it suggests that the world is crooked or messed up.

7 comments:

  1. I chose the long shot as one of the five elements of my project and I must admit that it was pretty awesome. I had the honor of capturing Mr.Casiano sitting on the Booker T. name wall right in front of the Pegasus. The image was very powerful because I could see all the hard work and stress and respect that nick has for the school embodied into this one shot. I also edited the photo a bit on Photoscrape, but all in all it was cool.

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  2. These are really useful, because it gives us first timers a base to draw from where shots and angels are concerned. I love establishing shots. When they are used most of the time the landscape is so pretty that I would be disappointed if I didn't have a chance to stare at it. I always love shots that have a bird's eye or worm's view angel, because it's such a different perspective of things.

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  3. As a visual student these are very great to know to apply to your own works weather it be in 2d or 3d pieces. They show artist who sculpt to look at their creation from different angles to ensure their are no weak points, and for a painter who can look at their painting from different lengths and walk up to it as if it were being displayed in a gallery what the first element in that painting the viewer notices. I'll be sure to keep these in mind when creating future pieces in the many years to come.

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  4. I love angles, you can really create a whole new feel to a shot by moving the camera. Also, is it weird that I love Close-Ups? I think they're so powerful and can really make a statement.

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  5. People sometimes underestimate the power of low-level shots, when in fact it is such a powerful shot if used correctly. With the right lighting it can give a feel of weakness unlike any other shot could.

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  6. First off its nice to have all these shots in a way "defined" in front of me. When using a certain look i know what i watt but the verbal communication of it his hard to do- this lingo is great. Also i find with separating types of shots such as medium and establishing i can more accurately have the viewer’s eye head straight to focus, when using the right shot and angel.

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  7. Now I can finally put tecnical terms to the shots I want to create. This is good because I can now more accurately descibe to others my plan for a film.

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