Section 3 - Cinematography / Ms Frost

Camera Shots and Angles - 

Extreme Wide shot - Establishes where the scene is set. Provides a lot of information, but not a lot of detail

Wide shot - shows all or most of the subject, leaving room in the shot for some background to be included. This shot allows actors room to move around the frame without the camera having to follow the action.

Medium shot - Shows no more than half of a subject. In the case of a person, for example the shot would be from the waist up

close up - Shows the subject filling most of the shot. Provides a lot of detail, for example, an actors emotions, but does not provide background information. 

Extreme close up - Shows a small part of the subject. In the case of a person, for example, the shot would be of just an eye or of a smile. Provides a lot of detail.

High angle - Makes the subject look small and powerless. The camera is above eye level. 

Low angle - Makes the subject look large and powerful. The camera is below eye level.
Why use a low angle shot? - A low angle shot makes the character or scene look big and powerful.

Over the shoulder - Frames the shot with another person. Makes the audience feel as if they are watching the action.

Point of view - Shows what a character would see. Draws the audience into the action.

22nd september 2016 

Cinematography: camera and shot angles/movement                                                 

Why use a high angle shot? 
A high angle shot is used to make the character or scene look small and powerless. This is a contradiction of a low angle shot.

Why use a low angle shot?
A low angle shot makes the character or scene look big and powerful.

Aerial shots - are taken from planes and helicopters. They are usually used to establish the location and setting.

Focus is the quality - the 'sharpness' of an object it is registered in the image

Focus refers to the degree of the images outlines and distinct textures.

Depth of field - is directly connected, but not to be confused with focus
It refers to the extent to which the space represented is focus.

Deep focus -
makes appallingly clear the number of people collected for transportation to the concentration camps in 'The Pianist'

Shallow focus - The camera focuses on objects in the foreground, so the background is blurry.
It is often used to separate character from their surroundings, perhaps emphasising loneliness or isolation, emotional or real.

Differential or selective focus-
Used to describe those shots where the focus is neither deep nor shallow but on a chosen plane or object.
The focus is on the magnificent stag the queen sees extraordinary close: it is her POV and she is merely a blur on the picture plane as she looks at it.

Rack or pull focus
Focus can change from one object to another, by lens movement rather than by a CUT.
It forces the viewers eye to travel with those areas of an image that remain in sharp focus

Camera Movement

Dolly sharp - Tracks are laid on the set to permit a smooth movement of the camera, which can then follow a moving person or object.

Tracking/trucking shot - A shot taken from a moving vehicle, that follows a moving person, animal, vehicle or other object.

Steadi-cam - Dollies are used less than they used to be since the invention of the Steadicam, which gives a smoother, less jerky results than a hand-held camera, but has a flexibility a stationary camera (or even one on tracks) can't have 

Reverse tracking - Tracking shots are usually made on a slight angle from the side of the subject; occasionally a following shot will be shot from behind.

Following shots are not common because faces cannot be seen. 

Reverse tracking is used when the director wants to focus on the face of the character being tracked, or wants the audience to share the characters experience.

Pan - this describes how the camera is swivelled from side to side (usually left to right) on the tripod to scan across a scene. The speed,direction of the pan can affect the mood/meaning of the shot. 'whip' or 'zip'

Track - the camera moves alongside/ in towards or away from its subject. This is not the same as zooming in with the lens but is done physically by running the camera along , often on a track and, or dolly. Cranes can also be used.

Zoom in and zoom out - This is when the camera focuses in or out of a subject. Zooming in can create tension, and zooming out can reveal something previously unseen.