MOVIE SHOTS. adapted from

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Bertina Floyd
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1 MOVIE SHOTS adapted from Aerial Shot An exterior shot filmed from the air. Often used to establish a location. Arc Shot A shot in which the subject is circled by the camera. Backlit Shot A shot in which a light source is generally mounted behind a subject to create a silhouette or to light the subject's hair and shoulders without illuminating the subject's front. This shot many times is used to create mood, or In particularly dramatic scenes it is used to emphasize the intensity of the situation. Bridging Shot A shot that denotes a shift in time or place. Close Up A shot that keeps only the face full in the frame. Perhaps the most important building block in cinematic storytelling. It focuses on the reaction or emotions of a character. Medium Close Up A shot that frames the character from the chest or shoulder up Choker A shot that frames the character from above the eyebrows to below the mouth Extreme Close Up A shot emphasizing a small area or detail of the subject (ex: the eyes or mouth) Cowboy Shot A shot framed from mid-thigh up, so called because of its recurrent use in Westerns. Crane Shot A shot in which the camera is placed on a crane or jib and moved up or down. Think a vertical tracking shot. Beloved by directors of musicals. Often used to highlight a character's loneliness or at the end of a movie, the camera moving away as if saying goodbye.

2 Cutaway A shot of something other than the character and away from the main scene. Deep Focus A shot that keeps the foreground, middle ground, and background ALL in sharp focus, making all of the action in the frame important. Dolly Zoom A shot in which the camera tracks forward toward a subject while simultaneously zooming out creating a woozy, vertiginous effect. Dutch Tilt A shot in which the camera is tilted on its side to create a kooky angle. Often used to suggest disorientation. Establishing Shot A shot, at the head of the scene, that clearly shows the locale the action is set in. It often comes after the aerial shot. It can establish mood, give clues regarding time (time of day, season, year), and provides information regarding the general situation. Full Shot A shot in which the character fills the frame. This shot emphasizes action or movement rather than a character s emotional state. Handheld Shot A shot in which the camera operator holds the camera during motion to create a jerky, immediate feel. High Angle Shot A shot looking down on a subject often isolating the subject in the frame. Sometimes used to depict the subject as weak or vulnerable.

3 Locked-Down Shot A shot where the camera is fixed in one position while the action continues off-screen. Long Shot A shot that shows the subject from top to bottom; for a person, this would be head to toes, though not necessarily filling the frame. The character becomes more of a focus than in an Extreme Long Shot, but the shot tends to still be dominated by the scenery. This shot often sets the scene and our character s place in it. This can also serve as an Establishing Shot, in lieu of an Extreme Long Shot. Extreme Long Shot This shot shows the subject from a distance, or the area in which the scene is taking place. This type of shot is particularly useful for establishing a scene in terms of time and place, as well as a character s physical or emotional relationship to the environment and elements within it. The character doesn t necessarily have to be viewable in this shot. Low Angle Shot A shot looking up at a character or subject often making the subject look bigger in the frame. It can make a subject look heroic and/or dominant. Many times it is used to establish power or strength of the character. Matte Shot A shot that incorporates foreground action with a background, traditionally painted onto glass, now created in a computer. Medium Shot A shot that utilizes the most common framing in movies, shows less than a long shot, more than a close-up. The shot typically frames the character from the waist up. It focuses on the character while still showing the environment. Money Shot A shot that is expensive to shoot but deemed worth it for its potential to wow, startle, and generate interest. Over-The-Shoulder Shot

4 A shot where the camera is positioned behind one subject's shoulder, usually during a conversation. It implies a connection between the speakers as opposed to the single shot that suggests distance. It is useful for showing reactions during a conversation. Pan A shot in which the camera moves continuously from right to left or left to right. Short for panorama. POV (point of view) Shot A shot that depicts the point of view of a character so that we see exactly what the character sees. Reverse Angle Shot A shot taken from an angle roughly 180 degrees opposite the previous shot. It is many times used during scenes that are primarily conversations. Sequence Shot A long shot that covers a scene in its entirety in one continuous sweep without editing. Steadicam Shot A shot from a hydraulically balanced camera that allows for a smooth, fluid movement. Tilt A shot where the camera moves continuously up to down or down to up. A vertical panning shot. A tilt to the sky is traditionally a last shot in a movie. Top Shot A shot looking directly down on a scene rather than at an angle. Also known as a Birds-Eye-View shot. It is useful for showing direction and that the character is moving, or for highlighting special relationships, or for revealing elements outside the character s awareness. Tracking Shot A shot that follows a subject from behind, alongside, or in front of the subject. Two-Shot

5 A medium shot that depicts two people in the frame. Used primarily to establish links between characters or people who are beside rather than facing each other. Whip Pan A shot that is the same as a pan but is so fast that picture blurs beyond recognition. Usually accompanied by a whoosh sound. Zoom A shot deploying a lens with a variable focal length that allows the cinematographer to change the distance between camera and object without physically moving the camera. There are two kinds of zoom shots: a zoom in and a zoom out.

Reading Technical codes: The camera.

Reading Technical codes: The camera. How the camera is used affects how an audience reads an image, or shot, used in a media text. What is included in the frame depends upon the distance, the angle and