Camera Shots

What is a Camera Shot in photography?

A Camera Shots is when the angles, transitions and cuts are used to express emotion, Ideas and movement.

Close Up (CU)

A Close Up is a picture showing a small part of the scene, such as a characters faces in detail. So it fills the screen, a framing in which the scale of the object is shown is large. In a close up the person’s head or some similar sized object will fill the frame. These shots can be used to show stress of a specific character at a certain moment, in a film or place. As the person central to the narrative, by removing the character in CU at the beginning of the film. It creates intimacy between the characters,there would be space between the chin and frame called air.

This is My example of a Close Up:

Extreme Close Up: (XCU)

Can only focus on the eyes, mouth or nose. The objects are very enlarged, a small part of the body shot with a zoom lens, this shot can be used to show an extreme close up of a text on a phone. They have a symbolic value during a film. How and where they recur is revealing not only of their importance, but also of the direction or meaning of the narrative. Or to signal out at a important person or object, they can show emotion, fear or happiness.

Here is my example of a Extreme Close Up:

Big Close Up: (BCU)

A tighter shot where it almost suffocates the frame means there is no air with the frame and the chin. But to be careful to not mistake it with other types of close up.

Medium Close Up: (MCU)

Is halfway between a Mid Shot and a Close Up , a Medium Close Up, is framing the shoulder chest to head and would fill most of the screen.

They are used frequently for the tight presentation of 2/3 actors. This shot is used in indoor sequences, allowing for a visual signification of relationships between characters. It’s also for intimacy and coming together and its the biggest Close Up.

My examples for Medium Close Up:

Medium Long Shot (MLS)/Mid Shot (MS):

Framing such an object 4/5 ft high would fill most of the screen vertically. Its called plain american its the western genre, and its important to keep a cowboys weapon in the image. Can also give a clear sense of character, in a given location and shows body language. Goes from knees and above and you can see the knees and hips.

Long Shot (LS)/Wide Shot (WS)/Full Shot (FS):

A Framing which the scale of the object, shown is small a standing human figure would appear near the height of the screen. Making it a relatively stable shot that can accommodate movement without re-framing. Allows the audience to see a large number of the components of the arena. There is some air from the top of the frame to the head of a person or character.

This is My example for Long Shot:

Extreme Long Shot: (XLS/ELS)

The scale of an object is very small: a building, landscape or crowd of people will fill the screen.Surroundings now have as much importance if the shot is in high angle. XLS will give an overall view, and its either the first or last shot of a sequence and can also function as a establishing shot.

My examples of an Extreme Long Shot:

Bird Eye View Shot (BEV)/ Aerial Shot (AS):

A camera that is filmed from an air plane or helicopter, and isn’t a moving shot.

Here are My examples of a Bird Eye View Shot or an Aerial Shot, as I couldn’t really get into a helicopter. I don’t have a drone so I went to the top of a car park and took the view of a city (Southampton). its the best i could do for a aerial shot. To take these type of photos as my example on this blog post:

Point of View Shot (POV):

Point of View shows what the character sees, and are often freehand and used in horror films. The editor may change the audiences point of view to create certain effects. To make the audience feel that they are part of a story.

My examples of a Point of View Shot. I tried to make it look scary so the audience, feel like they are involved in a scene.

Over the Shoulder Shot (OS)/Reaction Shot:

Cinematographic shot taken from over the shoulder of a character, whose back can be seen at the side of the frame. This type of shot is very common when 2 characters are having a discussion and will usually follow an establishing shot. Which helps the audience place the characters in their setting and can see expression or emotion in the characters.

My example of a Over the Shoulder Shot:

These are some photos of all the main Close Ups in one chart so its easier to look at and remember: