EWS (Extreme Wide Shot)
The view is so far from the subject that he isn't even visible. Often used as an establishing shot.
VWS (Very Wide Shot)
The subject is visible (barely), but the emphasis is still on placing him in his environment.
WS (Wide Shot)
The subject takes up the full frame, or at least as much as comfortably possible.
AKA: long shot, full shot.
MS (Mid Shot)
Shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the whole subject.
Usually refers to a shot of the interviewer listening and reacting to the subject.
1 . Extreme long shot
This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is
generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an
EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to
show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film 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.
The extreme long shot on the left is taken from a distance, but denotes
a precise location - it might even connote all of the entertainment industry if
used as the opening shot in a news story.
2. Long Shot
This is the most difficult to categorise precisely, but is generally one
which shows the image as approximately "life" size ie 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: we can tell the coffins on the right are in a
Western-style setting, for instance.
3. Medium Shot
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 interation. Another
variation in this category is the OVER-THE-SHOULDER-SHOT, which positions the
camera behind one figure, revealing the other figure, and part of the first
figure's back, head and shoulder.
4. Close-Up
This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or
a specific detail of mise en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the
background. This shot magnifies the object (think of how big it looks on a
cinema screen) and shows the importance of things, be it words written on
paper, or the expression on someone's face. The close-up takes us into the mind
of a character. In reality, we only let people that we really trust get THAT
close to our face - mothers, children and lovers, usually - so a close up of a
face is a very intimate shot. 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.
5. 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 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 Angles
The relationship between the camera and the object being photographed
(ie the ANGLE) gives emotional information to an audience, and guides their
judgment about the character or object in shot. The more extreme the angle (ie
the further away it is from eye left), the more symbolic and heavily-loaded the
shot.
1. 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 unrecognizable at first
(umbrellas in a crowd, dancers' legs). This shot does, however, put 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. Hitchcock
(and his admirers, like Brian de Palma) is fond of this style of shot.
2. 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.
3. Eye Level
A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human
actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the
focus. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the
ground.
4. Low Angle
These increase height (useful for short actors like Tom Cruise or James
McAvoy) and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of
confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. 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 of the viewer. The added
height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who
is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.
5. Oblique/Canted Angle
Sometimes the camera is tilted (ie 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 (ie when
the camera becomes the 'eyes' of one particular character,seeing what they see
— a hand held camera is often used for this.
Camera Movement
A director may choose to move action along by telling the story as a
series of cuts, going from one shot to another, or they may decide to move the
camera with the action. Moving the camera often takes a great deal of time, and
makes the action seem slower, as it takes several second for a moving camera
shot to be effective, when the same information may be placed on screen in a
series of fast cuts. Not only must the style of movement be chosen, but the
method of actually moving the camera must be selected too. There are seven
basic methods:
1. Pans
A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a
tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned,
often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the frame.
2. Tilts
A movement which scans a scene vertically, otherwise similar to a pan.
3. Dolly Shots
Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. 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.
4. 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.
5. The Aerial Shot
An exciting variation of a crane shot, usually taken from a helicopter.
This is often used at the beginning of a film, in order to establish setting
and movement. A helicopter is like a particularly flexible sort of crane - it
can go anywhere, keep up with anything, move in and out of a scene, and convey
real drama and exhilaration — so long as you don't need to get too close to
your actors or use location sound with the shots.
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