The Different Camera Shots

Master

A master shot is a single shot that includes the complete scene from start to finish. Usually the master shot is filmed, then teh rest of the shots are shot later.

Extreme Close Up

The extreme close-up is magnifying beyond what the human eye would actually experience in reality. And often shows just a feature on the face, with no background detail whatsoever.

Close-Up

The close-up shows very little background and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mise en scene. This shot is often used to magnify the object and shows teh importance of things. Because often the close-up takes us into the mind of that certain character, or to make us feel comfortable or uncomfortable with that character.

Mid/Medium

The medium camera shot shows a person from the knees/waist up. This shot is often used in dialogue scenes. The background detail tends to be minimal as the location has often been established earlier on in the scene.

Long Shot

This camera shot shows the image as “life size” so if you are showing a six foot man, you would show the entire six foot man, the entire human body, with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom.

Extreme Long

The extreme long shot is used as a scene-setting, and is usually taken from a quarter of a mile away, and shows the exterior. It often shows very little detail, and generally just gives a general impression than it does specific information.

Establishing

An establishing shot often sets up or establishes teh context for a scene by showing the important figures and objects.

High Angle

For the high angle shot, the camera is elevated above the characters and the action happening in the scene, to give a general overview. This can make the object that is being filmed, or photographed seem smaller and less significant.

Low Angle

The low angle increases height and gives a sense of speeded motion. It can also give a sense of confusion to the viewer. The background when using the low angle tends to just be the sky, or ceiling.

Point of View

Teh point of view shot shows a view from teh subjects perspective, it is often edited in such a way that the viewer knows whose point of view it is.

Wide Shot

The wide shot is often used for teh viewer to observe the most action in the performance.

Two Shot

The Two Shot, which contains two people from the waist up, can be classed as a different variation of the Medium shot.

Over the Shoulder

The over the shoulder shot is another variation of the medium shot, it is where the camera is positioned behind one figure, revealing the other figure and part of the first figures back, head and shoulder.

Insert

An insert shot is a very close shot of some detail in a scene, which moves in on the object.