Basic Camera Shot Types

Desnotre Watson

Objectives
By the end of the lesson learners will be
able to
Explain the term Framing
Identify and name industry accepted
conventions for camera shot sizes
EXT Analyse the effect these visual codes
have on the meaning or purpose of a
film

Starter

What

does this shot type connotate and

denotate?

Framing
Shots are all about composition.
Rather than pointing the
camera at the subject, you
need to compose an image
FRAMING is the process of
creating composition

Framing and Shot Size

Framing

technique is very subjective.

Industry guidelines which you should
use as rules of thumb.
Shot sizes are labelled according to how
a person is seen in a frame, the camerasubject distance.
In film and TV shot sizes are known by
their abbreviations.

Basic shot types

CU Close up.
A certain feature or part of the
subject takes up the whole frame.

MS Mid shot
Shows the top half of a
persons body. Cuts off at the waist.

LS Long Shot
Shows a person in full length, including
their feet

Wide or Long Shots

EWS (Extreme Wide or Long Shot)
View is so far from the subject that he
isn't even visible.
The point of this shot is to show the
subject's surroundings.
Is often used as an establishing shot

VWS (Very Wide or Long Shot)

Closer to the subject. He is (just) visible
here, but the emphasis is still on placing
him in his environment.

Media Language: Camera Shots

Extreme

Long Shot (ELS)

Establishing shot
(ES)

Used

in scenesetting,
establishing shots.
They normally
show an exterior
meant to give a
general impression
rather than specific
information.

Media Language: Camera Shots

Long Shot (LS)

Shows the image as

approximately "life"
size (corresponding to
the real distance
between the audience
and the screen in a
cinema).
Includes the full shot
showing the entire
human body, with the
head near the top of
the frame and the feet
near the bottom.

Media Language: Camera Shots

Shows

Medium or Mid
Shot (MS)

a figure
from the
knees/waist up
and is normally
used for dialogue
scenes, or to
show some detail
of action.
Backgroud detail
is minimal.

Media Language: Camera Shots

Shows

very little
background, and
concentrates on either a
face, or a specific detail of
mise en scne.
Everything else is just a
blur in the background.
This shot magnifies the
object and shows the
importance of things, be it
words written on paper, or
the expression on
someone's face.

Close-Up
(CU)

Media Language: Camera Shots

An

extreme version of the

close up, generally
magnifying beyond what the
human eye would
experience in reality.
An extreme close-up of a
face, for instance, would
show only the mouth or
eyes, with no background
detail whatsoever.
This is a very artificial shot,
and can be used for dramatic
effect.

Extreme Closeup (ECU)

Close up
ECU (Extreme Close Up)
Shows extreme detail.
For people, the ECU is used to
convey emotion.
MCU (Medium Close Up)
Half way between a MS and a
CU.
Shows the face more clearly,
without getting uncomfortably
close.

Media Language: Camera Shots

Over-the-shoulder

shot

Camera Angle
The

angle from which a shot is taken is

another way to give variety as well as
information.

High

Angle
Low Angle
Tilted frame

Media Language: Camera

Angles
The camera is
directly above
the action.
Birds

eye view
The camera is above the
action, looking down at it.

High

angle

Media Language: Camera

Angles
Eye-level
The camera is below
the action, looking up
at it.

Low

angle

Media Language: Camera

Angles
Oblique/Canted

angle

Worms Eye
View
The camera is directly
below the action.

Missing Work sheet

https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe2PqbUk0bU

Analysing Camera Shots

This is a MCU and it
used to show the Jokers
face and his hands
clapping. It is important
to illustrate his face
because it helps to
make his make-up and
the scars on his face
look more dramatic and
intense, this lets the
target audience know
that they are looking at a
villain.

Long Shot
Establishing Shot

Medium
Close-Up
or Mid
Crop this so it is a an
Extreme
Close-

Using and the Insert tab at the top, draw and label
each shot type (ES, LS, CU, ECU) for the following
pictures in the same way as modelled earlier in the
lesson.

Using and the Insert tab at the top, draw and label
each shot type (ES, LS, CP, ECU) for the following
pictures in the same way as modelled earlier in the
lesson.

Using and the Insert tab at the top, draw and label
each shot type (ES, LS, CP, ECU) for the following
pictures in the same way as modelled earlier in the
lesson.

Using and the Insert tab at the top, draw and label
each shot type (ES, LS, CP, ECU) for the following
pictures in the same way as modelled earlier in the
lesson.

Using and the Insert tab at the top, draw and label
each shot type (ES, LS, CP, ECU) for the following
pictures in the same way as modelled earlier in the
lesson.

Plenary

QUIZ!

Can you
explain each of the
following 5 shots?

Camera movement
https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z68dMBAAn
-k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_

P3oxjnFr0c
https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3EnnBD
gMww

 Dolly/

Tracking shot
Crane Shot
Handheld
Steadicam
Pan/ Panning
Tilt/ Tilting
Zoom

Conclusion
Industry

standard shot sizes and angles

help the viewer deconstruct the image.
It indicates
Emotion
Content
And Point of View
All of which help to tell the story

quiz
https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aKmPugL
Nh

In small groups
Using the magazines.
Find and Identify.
Extreme Close up (ECU)
Close up (ECU)
Mid Shot (MS)
Long shot (LS)/ Wide Shot (WS)