Wednesday, 9 October 2013

Glossary of Shot Types and Terminology

Composition: where the objects are placed in the shot

Rule of Thirds: breaking an image down into nine parts in order to place points of interest in frame

The Golden Mean:

Framing: What is chosen to put in shot and what is not chosen to put in shot

Extreme Long Shot: Far-away shot used to set the scene and show the setting around the subject

Long Shot: Shows full-length of character and their environment

Mid-Shot: Shows character from waist up to show their facial reactions and body language

Medium Close-Up: Halfway between a mid-shot and close-up; shows characters expression  

Close-Up: Shows an object/part of an object in detail

Extreme Close-Up: Shows an object in very close detail, may be used for graphic match cuts

Cut Away: Technique used to split up a single shot by placing a short clip of an object or similar that is not part of the current scene

Two-Shot: Mid-shot with two people in shot; shows the relationship between characters

Over-the-Shoulder Shot: Technique used in interviews and movies also to display conversation between characters and their relationship

Noddy Shot: Shows mainly the head of a character and their reaction (helps to form empathy with audience)

Point-of-View Shot: Shows the scene from a character’s perspective

Low Angle Shot: Shot looking up at the character to portray their power

High Angle Shot: Shot looking down at the character demonstrating vulnerability

Pan: Camera follows the subject as they move; may be used to create a sense of urgency/speed

Zoom In/Out: Camera moves from one shot to another by zooming in; shows more detail of an object and emphasises it

Tracking Shot: Camera is placed on a trolley and moved, similar to pan creates it creates a sense of speed

Tilt: Camera looks up on a subject to give the audience a perception of height

Dutch Angle Shot: Camera is tilted to one side; used to portray uneasiness and tension

Steadicam/Handheld: Camera follows the action by pursuing the subject; generates more realistic effect

Crane Shot: Shows characters from above (camera high up on crane), sometimes used to end a film

Aerial Shot: Camera is high up but on a plane or helicopter; shows location and scale

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