Angles & Motion

Tips for shooting video projects.

Establishing Shot

Master Shot

• Master shot: A long take of an entire scene, generally a relatively long shot that facilitates the assembly of component closer shots and details. The editor can always fall back on the master shot: consequently, it is also called a cover shot.

Close-Up

Medium Close-Up

Extreme Close-Up

Medium Shot

Long Shot

Low Angle

• This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.

High Angle

• A high angle shows the subject from above, i.e. the camera is angled down towards the subject. This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.

Eye level

• This is the most common view, being the real-world angle that we are all used to. It shows subjects as we would expect to see them in real life. It is a fairly neutral shot.

Dutch Angle

• Also known as a Dutch tilt, this is where the camera is purposely tilted to one side so the horizon is on an angle. This creates an interesting and dramatic effect.

The Rule of Thirds

• The rule of thirds is a concept in video and film production in which the frame is divided into nine imaginary sections, as illustrated on the next page. This creates reference points which act as guides for framing the image.

• Points (or lines) of interest should occur at 1/3 or 2/3 of the way up (or across) the frame, rather than in the center. Like many rules of framing, this is not always necessary (or desirable) but it is one of those rules you should understand well before you break it.

Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds

Head Room

• Headroom is the distance from the top of the subject's head to the top of the frame. With too much headroom, all you see is this little head toward the bottom of the frame—it's awkward and your subject will appear to be short, if not sinking. With not enough headroom, the subject appears too confined.

Too muchNot enough

Nose room

• Nose room is the distance from a subject's nose (or eyes) to the edge of the frame on either the left or right side (depending which way the subject is facing). If your subject is looking to the right of a frame, it's a good idea to allow for more nose room on the right. This means your subject will be docked more toward the left of the screen. The subject won't appear boxed in.

Forced Perspective

• A technique that employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It is used primarily in photography, filmmaking and architecture. It manipulates human visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation between them and the vantage point of the spectator or camera.

Rack focus

• A technique that uses shallow focus (shallow depth of field) to direct the attention of the viewer forcibly from one subject to another. Focus is "pulled", or changed, to shift the focus plane, often rapidly, sometimes several times within the shot.

Pull back shot

• A tracking shot or zoom that moves back from the subject to reveal the context of the scene.

Point of View shot

• Also known as POV shot or a subjective camera is a short film scene that shows what a character (the subject) is looking at (represented through the camera. It is usually established by being positioned between a shot of a character looking at something, and a shot showing the character's reaction

Walk and talk

• The most basic form of walk and talk involves a walking character that is then joined by another character. On their way to their destinations, the two talk.

Center for Teaching & Learning 2013 todd.sheene@centre.edu