technical camera shots

1. Camera shots:
Long shot:
A long shot (sometimes referred to as a
full shot or a wide shot) typically shows
the entire object or human figure and is
usually intended to place it in some
relation to its surroundings. This can be
taken from as much as a quarter of a
mile away, and is generally used as a
scene setting, establishing shot. It shows
an exterior, e.g. the outside of a building,
or a landscape, and is often used to
show scenes of thrilling action e.g. in a war film or disaster movie. There will be very
little detail visible in the shot, as it is meant to give a general impression rather than
specific information.
The long shot is used to set the scene in a film.
Master shot:
A film recording of an entire
dramatization scene, from start to
finish, from an angle that keeps all
the characters in view. It is often a
long shot and can sometimes perform
double functions as an establishing
shot. Usually, the master shot is the
first shot checked off during the
shooting of a scene- it is the
foundation of what is called camera
coverage.
Mid shot:
A medium shot is a camera angle shot
from a medium distance. It is mainly
used for a scene when it is desirable to
see the subject's' facial expressions in
the context of their body language. A
medium shot shows to the audience,
the scenery and characters in the

2. scene. It is generally used to display characters actions or objects acting on a character.
A medium shot shows the scenery and the characters.
Two shot:
A two shot is a type of shot
employed in the film industry
in which the frame
encompasses a view of two
people (the subjects). The
subjects do not have to be
next to each other, and there
are many common two-shots
which have one subject in the
foreground and the other
subject in the background. It
is very useful if the film is about two people. The shots are also used to show the
emotional reactions between the subjects.
Point of view:
A point of view shot (also known
as POV shot) 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.
The technique of POV is one of
the foundations of film editing. A
POV shot need not be the strict
point-of-view of an actual single character in a film.
Over the shoulder shot:
In film or video, an over the
shoulder shot (also over shoulder,
OS, OTS, or third-person shot) is a
shot of someone or something
taken from the perspective or
camera angle from the shoulder of
another person. The back of the

3. shoulder and head of this person is used to frame the image of whatever (or whomever)
the camera is pointing toward. This type of shot is very common when two characters
are having a discussion and will usually follow an establishing shot which helps the
audience place the characters in their setting.
Close up:
A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television
production, still photography and the comic strip
medium is a type of shot, which tightly frames a person
or an object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots
used regularly with medium shots and long shots
(cinematic techniques). Close-ups display the most
detail, but they do not include the broader scene.
Moving in to a close-up or away from a close-up is a
common type of zooming.
Extreme Close Up
Camera shot showing detail. Of a person, this is closer than a close up shot
Extreme close up focuses the audience's attention on a particular detail. It has the effect
of intensifying and concentrating an idea, emotion or atmosphere.
Tilted shot
The tilt shot is similar to the pan shot, but the tilt
shot moves vertically instead of horizontally. Like
the pan shot, the tilt shot can be done hand held or
with a tripod with a good head. We would highly
recommend using a tripod for a tilt shot. Tilt shots
are often used to show the vertical significance of something. For example, imagine
being at the bottom of a building and then tilting the camera upwards to capture the
entire building structure (which obviously can’t fit in one frame).
Canted shots
A canted shot (otherwise known as a Dutch angle
shot) is a type of camera shot where the camera is set
at an angle on its roll axis so that the shot is
composed with vertical lines at an angle to the side of
the frame, or so that the horizon line of the shot is not

4. parallel with the bottom of the camera frame. In cinematography, the canted angle shot
is one of many cinematic techniques often used to portray psychological uneasiness or
tension in the subject being filmed.
Panning shots
panning refers to the rotation in a horizontal plane of
a still camera or video camera. Panning a camera
results in a motion similar to that of someone
shaking their head from side to side or of an aircraft
moving into a different angle. Or to that of an
opening door if the door stays facing one
way.Filmmaking and professional video cameras
pan by turning horizontally on a vertical axis, but the
effect may be enhanced by adding other techniques,
such as rails to move the whole camera platform.
Slow panning is also combined with zooming in or
out on a single subject, leaving the subject in the same portion of the frame, to
emphasize or de-emphasize the subject respectively
Tracking shot
The term tracking shot may refer to a shot in
which the camera is mounted on a camera
dolly, a wheeled platform that is pushed on rails
while the picture is being taken; in this case the
shot is also known as a dolly shot or trucking
shot. One may dolly in on a stationary subject
for emphasis, or dolly out, or dolly beside a
moving subject (an action known as "dolly
with").The term may also refer to any shot in
which the camera follows a subject within the
frame, such as a moving actor or a moving vehicle.When using the term tracking
shot in this sense, the camera may be moved in ways not involving a camera

5. dolly, such as via a Steadicam, via handheld camera operator, or by being
panned on a tripod.
Jib
a jib is a boom device with a camera on
one end, and a counterweight and
camera controls on the other It operates
like a see-saw, but with the balance
point located close to the counterweight,
so that the camera end of the arm can
move through an extended arc. A jib
permits the camera to be moved
vertically, horizontally, or a combination
of the two. A jib is often mounted on a tripod or similar support.
crane
a crane shot is a shot taken by a camera on a
crane or jib. The most obvious uses are to
view the actors from above or to move up and
away from them, a common way of ending a
movie. Camera cranes go back to the dawn
of movie-making, and were frequently used in
silent films to enhance the epic nature of
large sets and massive crowds.