Camera Shots, Angles and Movements

Camera shots, angles and movements play a big role within a film. If a film doesn't contain good camera shots,mangles and movements then honestly it isn't a good film. No matter how good the actors are, how nice the location looks it's not a good film! All films need to contain good cinematic shot, angles and movements whether it is a low budget or Hollywood movie. The cinematic work contributes to the film more than you think.

Camera Shots

Camera shots are amount of space that is seen in one shot or frame. Camera shots are used to demonstrate  different aspects of a film's setting, characters and themes. Meaning that camera shots are very important, as they shape the meaning of the film.

• Establishing Shot: An establishing shot contains a large amount of landscape. It is used to show the audience the general location (setting) of the film. This shot is used generally at the beginning of the film or scene. 

• Long Shot: A long shot contains landscape but gives the viewers a more specific idea of setting. A long shot may show a pacific place where the next scene may be located, where the action is to next happen.

• Full Shot: A full shot contains a full view of the character/s. This shot allows the viewers to take in the character/s costume but also see the relationship that characters have between each other.

• Medium Shot: A medium shot contains characters or just one character from the waist up. From this shot the viewers are able to see the characters faces more clearly as well as their interactions with others. 

• Close-Up: A close-up is a shot that has a pacific focus character's face. From this the viewers are able to understand the characters emotion and then feel a pacific emotion for them.

• Extreme Close-Up: An extreme close-up is a shot that contains one part of a character's face or an other object within the scene. This type of shot creates a pacific mood (depending the film genre). For example an extreme close-up in a horror film would create an intense mood. 

Camera Angles

Camera angles are used to position the viewer so that they can understand the relationship between the characters.These are very important for shaping meaning in the film as well as in other visual texts.

• Birds Eye Angle: A birds eye angle is an angle that looks directly down upon a scene.This angle is often used as an establishing angle, along with an extreme long shot, to establish the scene. 

• High Angle: A high angle is a camera angle that looks down on a subject.These angles are often used to demonstrate to an audience a perspective of a particular character. A character with a high angle will look vulnerable or small. 

• Low Angle: A low angle is a camera angle that looks up to a subject. This is an opposite to a high angle as the low angle makes a character look more powerful. This can make the audience feel vulnerable and small by looking up to the character. This can help the respondent feel empathy if they are viewing the frame from another character's point of view.

• Eye-Level Angle: A eye-level angle puts the audience on an equal footing with the character/s. This is the most commonly used angle within films as it allows the viewers feel comfortable with the character/s

• Dutch Angle: A Dutch angle is used to demonstrate the confusion of a character.

Camera Movements

Composers of films also use camera movements to shape meaning. 

• Crane Shot: The crane shot is often used to signify the ending of the film or scene. the effective is achieved by having the camera put on a crane that slowly moves upwards and away from the picture.

• Tracking + Dolly Shot: Tracking and dolly shots have the same effect. A tracking shot is moved on tracks and a dolly shot is mounted on a trolley. This camera movement is used for several effects but most commonly used to explore a location or room. By using the tracking or dolly shot the viewers get a tour of a situation. The shots can also be used to follow a character.

• Panning: Panning is used to give the viewers a panoramic view of a set or setting. It can be used to establish a scene.