AS Media Studies

Unit G322a:

Textual Analysis and Representation

1. Identify at least 6 shot types and why they are used.

2. Recognise at least 3 types of camera movement used in TV dramas and explain the effect they have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In looking at camera work the following areas need to be considered:

Shot typePositionAngleCompositionDepth of fieldMovement

NB – Other useful docs on Moodle – Technical Aspects of the Moving Imagehttp://moodle.reigate.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=20

How did you do with the starter activity?

The camera is the viewers eyes in a scene

…so, the camera position also dictates the viewers relationship with the action or characters in the scene.

How do the following images make you feel?

Low angle

High angle Tilted angle (sometimes

called ‘dutch’ or ‘canted’)

Birds eye view

Worms eye view

Eye level

When/why do you

think the different

camera angles might

be used?

Dead Man (Jarmusch, 1995)

A frame’s depth of field refers to the focal length.

Deep focus - where a frame shows everything sharp or in focus.

To get an idea of how this works put your finger in front of your face and concentrate on it. The finger will appear in focus and the background blurred. NowNow concentrate on the background, the human eye ‘pulls’ focus from the foreground to the background.

To get an idea of how this works put your finger in front of your face and concentrate on it. The finger will appear in focus and the background blurred. NowNow concentrate on the background, the human eye ‘pulls’ focus from the foreground to the background.

Selective focus - when a particular part of the frame is picked out and the rest of the frame is blurred or indistinct.

Pull or ‘rack’ focus - when the focal point changes within the frame.

Pan

Tracking

Tilt

Crab

Crane

Handheld

Zoom lens

Watch the clips from Skins and The Bill

What effect does camerawork, in

particular camera movement, have?

The Bill: http://estream.reigate.ac.

uk/View.aspx?ID=820

Skins: Series 1, Episode 1- Café scene chapter

Watch the clips from Skins and The Bill

What effect does camerawork, in

particular camera movement, have?

The Bill: http://estream.reigate.ac.

uk/View.aspx?ID=820

Skins: Series 1, Episode 1- Café scene chapter

1. Identify at least 6 shot types and why they are used.

2. Recognise at least 3 types of camera movement used in TV dramas and explain the effect they have.

To test the above, your homework task is to produce a crossword (using an online crossword creator) that includes at least 6 shot types and 3 camera movements. The best crosswords will have clues that link to the effect of that particular shot.

i.e. Clue: This shot would show the head and shoulders of a character and is often used to show the audience a character’s facial expression and so be suggestive of a particular emotional state. Answer: Close Up.

Crosswordlabs is a good crossword generator but you may find a better one to use.