cinematography

cinematography

shot types
medium shot:
a medium shot is used to give the audience of who/what the subject is. this type of shot films the character from the waist upwards.

long shot:
a long shot is used to show the character and the setting in the frame of the picture. this shot gives the audience an idea of the characters surroundings whilst allowing them to get an interpretation of who the character is.

extreme long shot/establishing shot:
an extreme shot is used to get a clear view of the setting in the frame and focuses less on the subject but more on the surroundings giving the audience a long distance view of the setting.

medium long shot:
this shot films the subject from the knee upwards and allows the audience to see further away than a medium shot. this type of shot gives us a clear idea of both the characters emotions in the scene and the setting in the scene.

canted/dutch tilt:  a dutch tilt is a camera shot that is deliberately slanted to one side. this could be used to portray unease,madness,disorientation or desperation etc.


angles and movements

tracking shot:
to follow the character but keeps them in the frame at times during the tracking.this effect gives the impression the character is up to something. for example this could be used when a character is being chased through a scene or frame.

tilt up : moving the camera lens up while keeping the horizontal line constant. this effect could be used to make the character look dominant in the scene.

tilt down : moving the camera lens down while keeping the horizontal axis constant. the effect of this camera movement could make a character look inferior in a scene .

dolly : a movement away or towards the subject in a scene which is usually on a cart with wheel which would go along the floor to follow a character of leave a character in or out of a scene.

crane shot : a technique where the camera is on a crane.  the crane allows the camera to move in great distances in all directions while flying high in the air. these shots are usually long shots or extreme long shots. the effect of this could leave the audience with a feeling of omniscience over the characters.

handheld camera : a technique that allows the cameraman to get more flexibility when filming/editing a scene. however this could lead to a 'shaky image' when filming therefore sights/lens's are often used to get a better shot in a scene/image.

aerial shot/ birds eye view : an external shot taken from a plane,helicopter,crane etc. this could be used as an establishing scene for the start or ending of a film.

zoom : a camera lens which has a focal point could easily be changed rapidly reducing/enlarging the size of an image. the effect could symbolize an importance to the meaning of a scene or the significance of a character in a scene.