Camera shots, angles and movement

Camera Shots, Angles

and MovementsShania Steele

Information taken from http://www.mediacollege.com/video/shots/

Extreme Wide Shot

The subject of the shot isn’t visible. Often used as an establishing shot.

Very Wide Shot

The subject is just about visible. The shot is still about the environment the subject is in.

Wide Shot

The subject takes up the whole or majority of the frame.

Mid Shot

Shows the subject in more detail but still gives the impression of the whole subject.

Medium Close Up

This shot is the halfway point between a Mid Shot and a close up.

Close Up

The whole frame is taken up by a feature of the subject.

Extreme Close Up

Shows extreme detail of the feature of the subject.

Cut-In

Shows some (other) part of the subject in detail.

Cutaway

A shot of something other than the subject.

Two-Shot

A shot of two people in a similar position to a mid shot.

Over-The-Shoulder Shot

This shot is looking from behind at a person.

Point-of-View Shot

This shot is shown from the subject’s perspective.

Weather Shot

The subject in this shot is the weather. It can also be used to back up text in films/trailers.

Eye-Level

This is the most common view, being the real-world angle that we are all used to. It shows

subjects as we would expect to see them in real life.

High Angle

A high angle shows the subject from above. This has the effect of diminishing the subject,

making them appear less powerful or have less authority.

Low Angle

This shows the subject from below. This make the subject seem powerful and authoritive.

Bird’s Eye

The scene is shot from directly above. This

is an unnatural point of view which can be

sued for dramatic effect or for showing a

different spatial perspective.

Slanted

The camera is purposely tilted to one side so the

horizon is on an angle.

Arc Shot

The camera moves around the subject.

Crabbing Shot

This is a less common version of tracking, trucking

and/or dollying. These terms are more or less

interchangeable, although dollying tends to mean

in-and-out movement whereas the others tend to

mean side-to-side movement at a constant

distance from the action.

Dolly Shot

A dolly is a cart which travels along tracks. The

camera is mounted on the dolly and records the

shot as it moves.

Dollying is often defined as moving closer to or

further away from the action.

Follow Shot

The camera follows the subject or action.

Pan

This shot is a horizontal camera movement in

which the camera moves left and right about a

central axis.

Camera Tilt

This is a vertical camera movement in which

the camera points up or down from a

stationary location.

Tracking

This is a shot mounted on a cart which travels along

tracks. This is different than a dolly shot because

tracking is often more narrowly defined as

movement parallel to the action or at constant

distance.

Trucking Shot

This is basically the same as tracking or

dollying. It generally refers to side-to-side

camera movement with respect to the

action.

It is not used as often in comparison to

dollying or tracking.

Zoom Shot

Zooming means altering the focal length of the

lens to give the illusion of moving closer or

further away from the action.

This is technically not a camera movement shot

as the camera does not move.