CAMERA TECHNIQUES CINEMATOGRAPHY. CAMERA TECHNIQUES: WHAT TO KNOW Key areas Shot Type Camera Angles Camera Movement Focus.

CAMERA TECHNIQUES

C I NE M A T O G R A P H Y

CAMERA TECHNIQUES: WHAT TO KNOW

Key areas Shot Type Camera Angles Camera Movement Focus

PRODUCTION ELEMENTSProduction elements include everything that you can see or hear on screen in a narrative. They include:

Camera Acting Lighting Mis en Scene (Visual Composition) Sound Editing

Cinematographers:• Primarily responsible for how the films looks• Dictate how the camera and lighting will be used• Work with production designers, actors and editors to ensure the

overall look comes together the way it was intended to.

CAMERAAll films are made with a camera and the camera is used in specific ways in order to tell the story.

There are four main elements of camera: Shot Type Camera Angle Camera Movement Camera Focus

CAMERA: SHOT TYPEShot TypeThe distance of the camera from the subject determines the shot sizes or shot type. Shot types include the following:

Long shot (LS)The subject takes up the full frame, or at

least as much as possible.

Mid Shot  (MS)Shows some part of the subject in more

detail whilst still giving

Medium close up (MCU)

Half way between a MS and a CU.

CAMERA: SHOT TYPES

Close up shot (CU) A certain feature or part of the subject takes up

the whole frame.

Extreme close up (ECU)

The ECU gets right in and shows extreme

detail.

Cut away (CA) A shot of something

other than the current action.

CAMERA: SHOT TYPES

Cut InShows some part of the

subject in detail.

Two shot A comfortable shot of two people, framed

similarly to a mid shot

Over-the-shoulder-shot

(OSS)Looking from behind a person at the subject

CAMERA: SHOT TYPE

Point-of-view shot (POV)

Shows a view from the subject's perspective

Establishing shotUsually the first shot of a film is an extremely long or wide shot that

establishes the setting and location of the story.

CAMERA: ANGLESThe relationship between the camera and the object being photographed (i.e. the ANGLE) gives emotional information to an audience, and guides their judgment about the character or object in shot.

CAMERA: ANGLES

Bird’s eye viewThis shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle.

Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally unrecognisable at first (e.g. umbrellas in a crowd).

This shot can 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.

CAMERA: ANGLESHigh AngleNot so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated above the action to give a general overview.

High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant. The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting – they are often seen as less powerful when shot from a high angle.

CAMERA: ANGLESEye-level

A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that actors' heads are on a level with the focus.

The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground.

CAMERA: ANGLES

Low Angle

These increase height and give a sense of power or authority to the character.

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.

CAMERA: ANGLESDutch tiltSometimes the camera is tilted (i.e. is not placed horizontal to floor level), to suggest imbalance, transition and instability. This technique is not as common.

CAMERA: MOVEMENT

Panning A movement which scans a scene horizontally, that is left to right (or right to left). The camera is placed on a tripod, and is turned, usually to follow an object, keeping it in the middle of the frame.

Tilting A movement which scans a scene vertically, that is up and down, otherwise similar to a pan.

CAMERA: MOVEMENTTracking Shots (a.k.a. Trucking or Dolly shots)

The camera is placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally following a moving figure or object.

Complicated tracking shots will involve a track being laid on set for the camera to follow. The camera might be mounted on a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley (for low-budget films).

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.

CAMERA: MOVEMENTHand-held shots (Or Camera Vest Shots)

It gives a jerky, ragged effect, totally at odds with the organised smoothness of a dolly shot, and is favoured by filmmakers looking for a gritty realism, which involves the viewer very closely with a scene.

This will be a favoured technique in the production of our mockumentary TV Series

CAMERA: ANGLEZooming

The zoom lens means that the camera need not be moved (and saves a lot of time and trouble). The zoom lens can zip a camera in or out of a scene very quickly.

The drawbacks include the fact that while a dolly shot involves a steady movement similar to the focusing change in the human eye, the zoom lens tends to be jerky (unless used very slowly) and to distort an image, making objects appear closer together than they really are.

Zoom shots are usually avoided in most types of filmmaking with the exception of documentaries and mockumentaries. In these cases, zooming in gives a more realistic look to your film and can by used in a humorous way.

CAMERA: FOCUS

Cameras are able to focus on certain objects within a frame, thus directing the audience’s attention towards the important information whether it is a significant object or an important conversation.  The depth of fieldHow much of the information in the frame is in focus.