Laura LeeTYPES OF SHOTS

As its name suggests, an extreme version of the close up, generally magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality. An 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 eff ect. 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.

EXTREME CLOSE UP

Close up shots are used to show an object in such detail that it blurs the background around the image. However it can also be used in a drama or fi lm to get close to the actors so that the audience feel almost involved in what is happening.

CLOSE UP

Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action. Variations on this include the TWO SHOT (containing two figures from the waist up) and the THREE SHOT (contains 3 figures...). NB. Any more than three figures and the shot tends to become a long shot. Background detail is minimal, probably because location has been established earlier in the scene - the audience already know where they are and now want to focus on dialogue and character interaction.

MEDIUM SHOT

Shows the image as approximately "life" size i.e. corresponding to the real distance between the audience and the screen in a cinema (the figure of a man would appear as six feet tall). This category includes the FULL SHOT showing the entire human body, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom. While the focus is on characters, plenty of background detail still emerges.

LONG SHOT

This shot is commonly used to show a target and a large setting behind them. The main point of this shot is to try to see the setting more than the target. Moreover it is also used to see large distances.

WIDE SHOT

This is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an EXTERIOR, e.g. the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action e.g. in a war fi lm or disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it's meant to give a general impression rather than specific information.

EXTREME LONG SHOT

This angle looks down on someone, it makes the person or object small and insignificant. This is used in a TV drama when they want to know someone has more power than someone else.

HIGH ANGLE

This angle looks up on something or someone making it look bigger than it really is. It is the opposite of a high angle. It is commonly used in TV shows when they want someone to look big and powerful.

LOW ANGLE

A slanted angle shows an object or someone from an unnatural point of view. It can be used in a drama to show things only the audience can see.

SLANTED ANGLE

An eye level angle shows the object of the picture looking directly at you, this shows that he or she has the same amount of power as you. However in some magazines it is used to show sexual tension when it is used with models.

EYE LEVEL

A view from above, it could be a place or a scene for a movie. It shows everything t hat is happening from a birds eye view. It shows the audience everything that is happening at once. A crane shot is used to achieve this type of shot.

AERIAL SHOT

A two shot is mostly used in TV dramas w here it shows friends side by side. However it can also be used show relationships. The main purpose of this shot is for the audience to see what sort of relationship the characters have between them.

TWO SHOT

Taken from behind a subject to see someone else. It is sometimes used in dramas to show someone's facial expression. It is more commonly used for when two people are having a conversation.

OVER THE SHOULDER

This shows the view point of an actor. You can usually see the actors feet or hands in the picture so that you know straight away what sort of shot it is. It is sometimes used in fi lms to show someone's eyesight as blurry, if they are becoming uncurious.

POINT OF VIEW

Sometimes 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 used to suggest 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.

OBLIQUE/CANTED ANGLE