Cinematography Camera Techniques

 I have started to assess different type of camera techniques in order to have knowledge when to use distinct types of shot sizes, movement, composition and depth of field.  

Each of these are able to affect the message I wish to portray to the audience as each can give off a certain type of feeling or distracts from the plot line, I am trying to send to them. 

In order to get the full understanding, I am researching each of the techniques in depth to fully understand the effect a camera angle, focus, composition and size can have on an audience.  

 

Shot Sizes  

 

Shot sizes are able to set up the tone, rhythm and meaning of a scene, this is able to help the director to storyboard their ideas and the different type of shot sizes they want to achieve a certain message. They will look at certain type of shot sizes depending on the genre they wish to portray, as each genre has codes and conventions, they must follow to reach a certain type of target audience.  

 

The establishing shot  

 

The establishing shot is typically wide enough to set up the location, geography, time of day and can show the scales of a subject in relation to their environment. This type of shot is often used to transition between scenes and locations. With certain genres like science fiction, they will use this type of shot to show off a new world to give the audience context of how they live such as they might live in a crowded location so they would portray this by showing towering buildings surrounding each other and loads of other types of buildings around them with narrowed streets. This type of shot is crucial as it is a part of the code and conventions as it must open this new world or a familiar world to the audience. This shot can mark a transition to a new location or introduce crucial details about the location of the world.  

 

The master shot  

 

The master shot is a bit similar to the establishing shot, it confirms the locations and geography of the scene but it also can clarify which characters are in the scene and where they are in relation to each other. This type of shot is able to show more detail than the establishing shot and it can capture the scene playing at its entirety. 

The purpose of the master shot is to cover your entire scene and have a shot that you can edit back to in order to get rid of any gasps. This shot is used in every movie as it gives the director more film to edit but also it follows the codes and conventions of creating a film or video.  

 

Wide shot (WS) 

 

The wide shot positions subjects far from the camera to visually stand for their relationship to their environment. This is distant from the establishing shot as the wide shot is principally concerned with the scale of the subject. It can be used when you need to make a subject feel lost, lonely or overwhelmed. This type of shot is quite common as in many movies the character will go through something that will make feel sad, lonely or overwhelmed and by using a wide shot the director can portray that to the audience by the actor’s facial expression but also the camera shot.  

 

Full shot (FW) 

 

When a subject's entire body reaches from the top to the bottom edges of frame the shot is defined as full. With a full frame it is not necessary to put the subject in the centre of the frame, but this is very often used as it can show how the characters feeling or the power they hold in that scene. It is able to tighten enough to tell a story with the characters face but wide enough to further the story by observing the entire postures, body and wardrobe of a character. This is used for capturing the characters or subjects and context of the character, this can be used for more than one character.  the director will use scenes this as it can show how characters are feeling or their relationships are in the scene, this follows codes and conventions as in each movie or video they need to portray how other characters feel about each other. 

 

Medium full shot (FS / cowboy shot)  

 

The medium full shot is arranged from the top of the subject's head to just below their waist. It is sometimes as the cowboy shot as it is based on the height of a gun holster. Directors will use this shot to present a subject as confident, dangerous or confrontational. This shot is used by directors to show the important action or costume of a subject, glue together separate shots through constant actions and presents a visual that are disarming and informal. Medium shots do a lot for the film industry as it gives a character performance, setting and sometimes action.  

 

Medium Shot  

 

The medium shot is perhaps the most popular shot size in all of the cinema. This is because it is more of a neutral shot, neither dramatic like a close up or distracting like a wide shot. It is able to capture the subjects in a size similar to how we interact with people. The typical composition of a medium shot starts above the waist but below the chest and ends just above the head.  This is a very useful shot when a director wishes to show the emotion of the actor and their surroundings or other characters in the scene, it also can be used when the director wants to show the audience where the characters has been and this can be represented by their clothing or any wounds they have gained while on their journey.  

 

Medium close up (MCU) 

 

A medium close up is when a shot is frames a subject from the mid chest to just above their head. A medium close up shot are about reducing distractions and prioritizing story and character details. This type of shot can also register the actors emotions and facial expression while also retaining some of the background behind them. Directors use it when they want to get intimate with a subject without losing their physicality. This shot is often used when a scene needs to be covered with standing coverage that doesn’t shock the audience, these are often used when a director wants a neutral narrative approach. Another reason why a director uses this shot is for affect as it keeps the effectiveness of a close up shot untapped, then when they decided to move in for a close up they can get more reaction from the close up and it can emphasise the scene with a simple change of shot size. 

 

Close up (CU) 

 

This is the most powerful visual weapon for highlighting a change in emotion or dramatic beat on screen. Close ups are most often arranged at eye level better to dig into the windows of the soul. In this shot size we can see a character's thoughts and feelings, the close up is about empathy and can illustrates how dramatically effective it can be in a time of descions or anxiety. A close up shot can signal to the audience that something is important, and this can be a prop or a reaction, but it is often best when a subject or object has a significant influence on the story and the viewers understanding of the story. A director would want to use a close up in order to generate a strong emotion from the audience in order to connect them to the story, this can also be used to show an actor's facial expressions and emotions they portray for their character.  

 

Extreme close up (ECU) 

 

An extreme close up frames a subject to isolate a specific area. This could be lips, ears or nose but the eyes are typically the focus, but when the function of a specific prop or an intimate detail it is necessary, directors will often rely on the insert shot. They are most commonly used to the narrative. It is the most intimate, dramatic and potentially startling of all the shots. A director might use an extreme close up in order to; focus in on a specific portion of a subject, to signal an important moment in a scene or to communicate tiny details too small to notice in a normal shot, this is shot is very helpful to a director as they may want a certain message to get across to the audience.  

 

Camera Framing  

 

Single shot  

 

Singles shots features one character alone in the frame, the individual character is the primary focus. They can range from any shot size as long as there is only on character feature within the frame. With single shots you can have an over the shoulder single that technically has more than one person in the frame, but the character in the foreground isn't featured. A director would uses this shot as in order to focus on the characters emotions and thought during the scene. 

 

Two shot  

 

Two shots are often really useful for allowing performance to play out in a single take, which can be especially useful for comedy. This can also allow the actors to perform off script and improvise their scene in order to create more intimate relationships or for more comedic purposes. A director might use this shot to show off a character's relationship to each other or show the difference between them. 

 

Three Shot  

 

A three shot are really important in adventure films or really any films that has a group of characters, because it is an enormous time to shoot three singles just to show every character. A director would use this shot in order to show the relationship between the characters and the emotions the actors portray for the characters.  

 

Over the shoulder (OTS) 

 

An over the shoulder shot is where a camera is placed behind an off-screen actor so that their shoulder is in the frame while you can capture the on-screen actor's coverage, an over the shoulder shot will also suggest a connection or understanding between the characters in the scene.  A director would use an over shoulder shot in order to orient your viewers, but it also can signal an understanding between the on-screen characters. There is a practical use for a OTS and that is so the audience has a subconscious sense of orientation while watching the scene.  

 

Over the hip shot  

 

An over the hip shot is where a camera is based at the height of a character's hip in order to see other characters or scenery in front of the character. This type of shot is normally used in western movies as they are normally the height of a gun holsters and can show to the audience that this scene could lead to an action sequence or a dramatic standoff between characters. A director would use this when try to show conflict between characters or show to the audience how the character is feeling.  

 

Point of view shot (POV) 

 

A point of view shot is a film angle that shows what a character is looking at in a first-person point of view. The camera acts as the eyes of a character and that audience can see what they see, it usually established by begin positioned between a shot of a character looking at something, and a shot showing the characters reaction. A director would use this in order to show the audience what the character is dealing with in that scene and show it can engage their reaction and connection to the character.  

 

Insert shot 

 

An insert shot is any shot that’s sole purpose is to focus the viewers' attention to a specific detail within a scene. These shots are often placed from the point of view of a character, suggesting that we see what the characters sees during a moment of concentration. A director would use this shot in order to focus the audience attention on a specific detail to the plot line but it is able to draw the audience eye and engage a reaction from them. 

 

Camera Angles 

 

Eye level shot  

 

An eye level shot is when the level of a camera is placed at the same height as the eyes of a characters in a frame. An eye level camera angle does not require the viewer to see the eyes of the character and they do not need to look directly into the camera to be considered eye level shot. A director would use an eye level shot to destroy the barrier between the viewer and the story and can humanise character with a neutral type of camera angle.  

 

Low angle shot  

  

A low angle shot is a shot from a camera angle that is positioned anywhere below the eye line, pointing upward. It can even be below the characters feet which is an extreme low angle shot.  A director would use this type of shot in order to make character seem powerful or vulnerable, but this can increase perceived height of an object and it can make it look more powerful or overbearing. 

 

High angle shot  

 

A high angle shot is where a camera looks down on the character or subject from an elevated perspective. This is usually achieved by placing the camera higher than the subject and then angling it down on them, this can range from a shallow angle just above the eye level all the way to directly above the subject. A director would use this shot for add narrative information to create on emotional response, and it can present a character from a perspective that makes them seem vulnerable or diminished. 

 

Hip level shot  

 

A hip level shot, or a cowboy shot is created when the camera is placed nearly waist high, it is used mostly in western movies to intensify the moment of pulling out the gun in a dual scene it is also useful when characters are not at the same level. A director would use this to show the audience that a violent scene is about to happen or a character's emotions by their hand gestures. 

 

Knee level shot  

 

This is when your camera height is about as low as a character's knees, they can emphasise a character's superiority if paired with a low angle. It is not extreme as a ground level shot but it gets same feeling across. A director would use this shot to track the characters movements but also to show emotion as a characters emotions can be tracked at how fast they are walking or running.  

 

Ground level shot  

 

A ground level shot is when a cameras height is on ground level with a subject, this camera angle is used a lot to feature a character walking without revealing their face, but it can help to make the viewer more active and uses the actor's performance to build an idea. A director would use this shot to show where a character is and what they are seeing from a low angle, this could make things seem powerful to the audience as they see it compared to the subject’s legs. 

 

Shoulder level shot  

 

A shoulder level is where a camera angle that is as high as a subject's shoulders. A shoulder level shot is much more standard than an eye level shot which can make your actor seem shorter than reality. A director may use this type of shot to show a conversation between characters and almost point of view of a characters, this can also make it look like a actors is more powerful than others. 

 

Dutch angle shot  

 

A Dutch angle shot is a a camera shot that has a noticeable tilt on the camera, this is often used to signal to the viewer that something is wrong, disorienting or unsettling. A director may use this to shoot a different depth of Fields or a vertical level of the audience view. This could also symbolise in a fight scene a character is overpowering another and one is slowly losing the fight between them. 

Overhead shot  

 

Aerial shot  

 

An aerial shot is a shot that is taken from an elevated vantage point than what is framed in the shot, this shot normally gives viewers a deeper understanding of what is happening below, both literally and metaphorically. A director may uses this shot in order to provide a sense of scale of the surroundings of a characters or location.  

 

Camera Focus  

 

Deep Focus  

 

Depth of focus refers to the space between the lens and the image sensor where the image being filmed will appear in focus to the human eye. If an image sensor is too close or too far from the lens, it is outside of the depth of focus and the photograph or footage will look blurry. 

 

Shallow Focus  

 

Shallow focus is a term referring to the technique that keeps one part of an image in focus while the rest is out of focus. Shallow focus uses a shallow depth of field by either widening the aperture, increasing the focal length of the lens, or placing the camera closer to the subject to create blur. It is blurring the background and foreground around the sharp subject. It helps emphasise one part of the image over another to draw the viewer's eye to a particular area of the frame or subject. 

 

Soft Focus 

 

Soft focus photography is a technique used to capture images that reduces the contrast of fine detail in the image. Soft focus can also utilise a lens flaw where the lens forms blurred images due to spherical aberration. Spherical aberration is an optical issue that occurs when incoming rays of light focus at different points after passing through a spherical lens. A director may use this when a character sees light for the first time if they have always been based in a dark setting or make them look divine or godlike. 

 

Rack focus  

 

Rack focus, also known as pulling focus or racking focus, is a camera-based film-making technique in which the focus changes over the course of the shot from one focal plane to another. This effect can be subtle or overt, slow or rapid. Filmmakers use this technique for stylistic and visual storytelling purposes.  

 

Tilt shift  

 

A tilt shift is where the orientation and position of the lens mechanism with respect of image sensory, this is typically a lens and sensor are parallel to one another on the same plane. With this lens, the ability to tilt the lens in different directions changes the entire plane of focus. By changing the angle of the plane between the lens and the cameras sensor, one changes the scale of the focus and depth of field. Changing the scale allow your image to appear miniature.  

 

Camera Gear  

 

Handheld  

 

A handheld shot is a shot taken with the camera being supported only by the operator’s hands and shoulder. Handheld camera work entails camera shake from the operator’s movements. According to the handheld camera definition, the shot relies only on the operator’s body. However, over time as cameras have evolved and grown, operators have utilised a few rigs to achieve the same effects of a handheld shot. Depending on the camera’s weight and size, operators also utilise minimal rigs such as a shoulder mount or easy rig to ease the physical burden of an operator as well as give them more control over the amount of camera shake 

 

Tripod  

 

The tripod is the perfect camera gear to shoot a static shot — a shot with no camera movement. A tripod is a type of camera stand with a fluid head to which the camera is mounted. If the camera does need to move, tripods can also pan or whip left and right and tilt up and down for smooth controlled movements. 

Tripods are perfect for typical shot reverse coverage which is heavily used when shooting over the shoulder dialogue scenes. 

 

Pedestal  

 

The pedestal is used by filmmakers when they need to move the camera vertically in minor movements. Pedestal shots are excellent for mirroring actor movements. They're also fantastic for revealing things. 

 

Crane Jib  

 

A crane shot is captured by a camera placed on a moving jib or crane. The phrases 'jib' and 'cranes' are interchangeable in this context. A jib's principal purpose is to stretch your camera out over a tripod and move it up, down, left, right, or in any combination of those directions. No matter how you move them, certain jibs can keep the camera level and parallel to the ground. A jib is a camera that sits on a tripod and can pan from left to right. The jib's fulcrum, or centre of gravity, permits it to move up and down. 

 

Overhead  

 

When the camera is situated precisely above the subject, it is called an overhead shot. It's at around a 90-degree angle above the action taking place. Bird views, bird's eye views, and elevated shots are all terms for overhead shots. In contrast to the aerial picture, it is placed close to the action. Aerial shots are closer to a satellite or aeroplane view, God's eye views are closer to an overhead shot, and overhead shots are closer to a bird's eye view. 

 

Dolly  

 

A dolly shot is a type of tracking shot in which we follow a subject on a moving platform known as a dolly. A dolly is a camera cart that runs along dolly track or on its own wheels with the camera placed on it. Smooth and controlled camera movements are the goal of dolly shots. Dolly shots can be coupled with additional camera motions like as pan and tilt to emphasise the scene's theme or message. This view can be used by a filmmaker to provide a smooth and accurate camera movement, as opposed to a more neutral sort of movement. 

 

Stabiliser  

 

A Steadicam shot is made with a camera stabiliser that combines the steadiness of a tripod with the flexibility of a handheld camera and the movement of a dolly. Steadicam absorb shake by isolating the operator's movement, ensuring that tracking shots are always smooth. A Steadicam Operator wears a vest with a camera equipment attached to it. As a result, the camera feels almost weightless and is easy to control. It can get clean shots in any direction, even around corners, stairwells, and even bumpy roadways.