Camera Angles, Movements, and Transitions.
The rule of thirds - The viewfinder is crisscrossed by two horizontal and two vertical lines.
- The center of interest should fall along one of the lines or one of the intersections
- No large areas of blank space
- Look around the viewfinder as you are taking the picture rather than staring at the center
Horizontal lines should be… level
Vertical lines should be… straight up and down.
ES- Establishing shot- sets the scene in one image, grabs the viewer’s attention, and sets up the story.
XWS- Extreme wide shot- Lets the viewer know where the scene takes place, reveals little character detail, cues the viewer into the story, and creates a false reality
WS- Wide shot- the widest angle camera lens can receive, you can normally see a person from head to toe, showing the background and surroundings as well as the full action of the subject.
MS- Midshot- the middle range of the lens of your camera, either thigh to head or waist to head, shows some of the backgrounds but is used for dialogue
CU- Close-up- Isolates a single object or person’s face, headshot typically, shows little background or surroundings.
The most commonly used shots wide, medium and close up
Wide to medium creates… growing intensity
If one actor is shown in a close-up and the other in the wide shot the audience tends to favor the actor in the… close up
The closer the shot the more… intimate/emotionally warm it is
The wider the more… emotionally cool it is
XCU- Extreme close-up is super close to the subject, usually detailing one part of the face or body, all about detail and drawing the viewer into the story.
2 shot- Two shots- Typically used in drama or interviews, frame two individuals so they can be isolated and observed.
OSS- Over-the-shoulder shot- helps establish the position of each person, gets the perspective of one’s point of view, commonly cut between in dialogue to show the relationship and alternative speakers.
POV- Point of view shoulder shot- shows the view from the subject's point of view
CI Cut in- Show some part of the subject in detail, used as an edit point between settings and characters or to show emotion
CA Cut away- used as a buffer between shots to help transition between shots or add interest
Closing shot- Your closing image
Crane shot- The camera is above the ground and moving in any direction.
- The camera is on a platform attached to the mechanical arm which allows the camera to move around in n=any direction as well as up and down to various heights
Handheld camera- Held in the hands of the operative, allows greater freedom while filming, results in a shaky image
Pan- the camera is turning to the right or left, scans the space horizontally, immediately connects two places or characters, and makes the viewer aware of the proximity, the speed of a pan can be used for different dramatic effects
Tilt- the camera body swivels upward or downward, scans the space vertically, implies a change in the angle of the framing, shows the designs and details of a subject or object
Tracking shot- ANY SHOT WHERE THE CAMERA FOLLOWS BACKWARD, FORWARD, OR MOVES ALONGSIDE THE SUBJECT BEING RECORDED. A SHOT IN WHICH THE CAMERA IS MOUNTED ON A CAMERA DOLLY THAT IS THEN PLACED ON RAILS
Whip pan- AN EXTREMELY FAST MOVEMENT OF THE CAMERA FROM SIDE TO SIDE, WHICH BRIEFLY CAUSES THE IMAGE TO BLUR INTO A SET OF INDISTINCT HORIZONTAL STREAKS. COMMONLY USED IN FLASHY ACTION GENRES
Leading room- AMOUNT OF ROOM IN THE FRAME WHICH IS STRATEGICALLY LEFT EMPTY.
Headroom- AMOUNT OF SPACE BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE SUBJECT’S HEAD AND THE TOP OF THE FRAME
Editing wipe- A TRANSITION BETWEEN SHOTS IN WHICH A LINE PASSES ACROSS THE SCREEN, ELIMINATING THE FIRST SHOT AS IT GOES AND REPLACING IT WITH THE NEXT ONE. A VERY DYNAMIC AND NOTICEABLE TRANSITION; IT IS USUALLY EMPLOYED IN ACTION OR ADVENTURE FILMS.
Dissolve- BETWEEN TWO SHOTS DURING WHICH THE FIRST IMAGE GRADUALLY DISAPPEARS WHILE THE SECOND IMAGE GRADUALLY APPEARS; FOR A MOMENT THE TWO IMAGES BLEND IN. CAN BE USED AS AN EDITING DEVICE TO LINK ANY TWO SCENES, OR IN MORE CREATIVE WAYS
Storyboard- A SERIES OF SKETCHES THAT REPRESENT THE INDIVIDUAL SHOTS PLANNED FOR A VIDEO, FILM, OR COMMERCIAL. INCLUDES DIRECTIONS FOR CAMERA SHOTS, CAMERA ANGLES AND MOVEMENT, LIGHTING, AND TRANSITIONS, ALONG WITH DIALOGUE AND OTHER NOTES.