Film Language: Camera Work in Film

Film Language: Camera work
in film
Today we are:
Learning about the impact camera angles
can have on an audience and their
understanding of a film
Learning the different camera angles and
when to apply them
Objectives:
• By the end of this lesson:
• All of you:
Will know the differences between camera angles
• Most of you:
Will be able to analyse the use of camera angles
from a film using the correct terminology.
• Some of you:
Will be able to describe and select camera angles
appropriate to a piece of film.
Starter Question:
• Write down your answers - leave a space
underneath each answer....
• Watch the film clip and describe the

different shots/angle/movement the
camera uses in your own words....
• Why do you think these angles are used?

What effect does it have on an audience?
Camera Work In Film...
• You are going to create camera angles of different scenes to
show your audience different items within the scene.
• Framing Exercise!!!
• Camera angles and movements combine to create a sequence

of images, just as words, word order and punctuation
combine to make the meaning of a sentence. You need a
straightforward set of key terms to describe them.
Describing Shots
• Describing Shots
• When describing camera angles, or creating them yourself, you have

to think about three important factors
• — The FRAMING or the LENGTH of shot

• — The ANGLE of the shot
• — If there is any MOVEMENT involved
• When describing different cinematic shots, different terms are used

to indicate the amount of subject matter contained within a frame,
how far away the camera is from the subject, and the perspective of
the viewer. Each different shot has a different purpose and effect. A
change between two different shots is called a CUT.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe2PqbUk0bU&feature=related
Framing or Shot Length
1 . Extreme long shot/Establishing Shot
• 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 normally shows
an EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is
often used to show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film or
disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it's
meant to give a general impression rather than specific information.
• 2. Long Shot
• This is the most difficult to categorise precisely, but is generally one which
shows the image as approximately "life" size.
• This category includes the FULL SHOT showing the entire human body,
with the head near the top of the frame and the feet near the bottom.
While the focus is on characters, plenty of background detail still emerges:
we can tell the coffins are in a Western-style setting, for instance.
3. Medium Shot
• Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for

dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action.
Variations on this include the TWO SHOT (containing two figures from
the waist up) and the THREE SHOT (contains 3 figures...). NB. Any
more than three figures and the shot tends to become a long shot.
Background detail is minimal, probably because location has been
established earlier in the scene - the audience already know where they
are and now want to focus on dialogue and character interaction.
• Medium Shot (Variation)
Another variation in this category is the OVER-THE-

SHOULDER-SHOT, which positions the camera
behind one figure, revealing the other figure, and
part of the first figure's back, head and shoulder.
close up
4. Close-Up
• This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a
specific detail of mise en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the
background.
• This shot magnifies the object (think of how big it looks on a cinema
screen) and shows the importance of things, be it words written on paper,
or the expression on someone's face. The close-up takes us into the mind
of a character. In reality, we only let people that we really trust get
THAT close to our face - mothers, children and lovers, usually - so a close
up of a face is a very intimate shot. A film-maker may use this to make us
feel extra comfortable or extremely uncomfortable about a character,
and usually uses a zoom lens in order to get the required framing.
5. Extreme Close-Up
• As its name suggests, an extreme version of the close up, generally

magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality.
• An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or
eyes, with no background detail whatsoever. This is a very artificial shot,
and can be used for dramatic effect. The tight focus required means that
extra care must be taken when setting up and lighting the shot - the
slightest camera shake or error in focal length is very noticeable.
Camera Angles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd2YUPGovQw&feature=related
• The relationship between the camera and the

object being photographed (ie the ANGLE)
gives emotional information to an audience,
and guides their judgement about the
character or object in shot.
• The more extreme the angle (ie the further

away it is from eye left), the more symbolic
and heavily-loaded the shot.
Camera Angles
1. The Bird's-Eye view
• This shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural

and strange angle. Familiar objects viewed from this angle
might seem totally unrecognisable at first (umbrellas in a
crowd, dancers' legs). This shot does, however, put the
audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action.
People can be made to look insignificant, ant-like, part of a
wider scheme of things.
Camera Angles
• 2. High Angle
• Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated

above the action using a crane to give a general overview.
High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and
less significant (or scary). The object or character often
gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a
wider picture.
Camera Angles
• 3. Eye Level
• A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is

a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads
are on a level with the focus. The camera will be placed
approximately five to six feet from the ground.
Camera Angles
• 4. Low Angle
• These increase height (useful for short actors like Tom Cruise) and give a sense
of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of
powerlessness within the action of a scene.
• The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of
detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the viewer. The added
height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who
is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.
Camera Angles
• 5. Dutch Angle/Canted Angle
• Sometimes the camera is tilted (ie is not placed

horizontal to floor level), to suggest imbalance,
transition and instability (very popular in horror
movies). This technique is used to suggest POINT-
OF-View shots (ie when the camera becomes the
'eyes' of one particular character,seeing what
they see — a hand held camera is often used for
this.
Camera Movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z68dMBAAn-k&feature=related
• A director may choose to move action along by telling the story as a

series of cuts, going from one shot to another, or they may decide
to move the camera with the action.
• Moving the camera often takes a great deal of time, and makes the
action seem slower, as it takes several second for a moving camera
shot to be effective, when the same information may be placed on
screen in a series of fast cuts.
• Not only must the style of movement be chosen, but the method of
actually moving the camera must be selected too.
Camera Movement
• 1. Pans
• A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The

camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a
stationary axis point as the camera is turned,
often to follow a moving object which is kept in
the middle of the frame.
Camera Movement
• 2. Tilts
• A movement which scans a scene

vertically, otherwise similar to a pan.
Camera Movement
• 3. Dolly Shots
• Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. The camera is

placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally
following a moving figure or object.
• Complicated dolly shots will involve a track being laid on set for the
camera to follow, hence the name. The camera might be mounted on
a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley!
• A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the

journey of a character for instance, or for moving from a long shot
to a close-up, gradually focusing the audience on a particular object
or character.
Camera Movement
• 4. Hand-held shots
• When the camera is held in the hand of the operator

producing a "fly-on-the-wall" effect, and a jerky, ragged
effect. Example: Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield
• Hand held cameras denote a certain kind of gritty realism,

and they can make the audience feel as though they are part
of a scene, rather than viewing it from a detached, frozen
position.
Camera Movement
• 5. Crane Shots
• Basically, dolly-shots-in-the-air. A crane (or jib), is a large,

heavy piece of equipment, but is a useful way of moving a
camera - it can move up, down, left, right, swooping in on
action or moving diagonally out of it.
• The camera operator and camera are counter-balanced by a

heavy weight, and trust their safety to a skilled crane/jib
operator.
Camera Movement
• 6. Zoom Lenses
• A zoom lens contains a mechanism that changes the magnification

of an image. On a still camera, this means that the photographer
can get a 'close up' shot while still being some distance from the
subject.
• A video zoom lens can change the position of the audience, either
very quickly (a smash zoom) or slowly, without moving the camera an
inch.
• Zoom lenses are also drastically over-used by many directors who

try to give the impression of movement and excitement in a scene
where it does not exist.
Camera Movement
• 7. The Aerial Shot
• An exciting variation of a crane shot, usually taken

from a helicopter. This is often used at the
beginning of a film, in order to establish setting
and movement.
Activity...
• Let’s watch a clip from a film and
decipher which camera shots, angles
and movements have been used.
• Make a note of all of shots, angles

and movements that have been used
Tell me what camera shots, angles
and movement you would use in the
following scene….
• A young man wakes up in the middle
of a field. He does not know where he
is. He gets up and looks around to try
and establish his whereabouts. A dark
mysterious figure stands behind him.
In Conclusion:
• Let’s return to our original clip, this time
add in the detail you have learnt this
lesson..
• Describe the different

shots/angles/movement used in this clip?
• Why do you think these angles are used?

What effect does it have on an audience?

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Film Language: Camera work

• Watch the film clip and describe the

• Why do you think these angles are used?

• Camera angles and movements combine to create a sequence

• When describing camera angles, or creating them yourself, you have

• — The FRAMING or the LENGTH of shot

• When describing different cinematic shots, different terms are used

• This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is

• Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for

Another variation in this category is the OVER-THE-

• As its name suggests, an extreme version of the close up, generally

• The relationship between the camera and the

• The more extreme the angle (ie the further

• This shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural

• Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated

• A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is

• Sometimes the camera is tilted (ie is not placed

• A director may choose to move action along by telling the story as a

• A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The

• A movement which scans a scene

• Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. The camera is

• A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the

• When the camera is held in the hand of the operator

• Hand held cameras denote a certain kind of gritty realism,

• Basically, dolly-shots-in-the-air. A crane (or jib), is a large,

• The camera operator and camera are counter-balanced by a

• A zoom lens contains a mechanism that changes the magnification

• Zoom lenses are also drastically over-used by many directors who

• 7. The Aerial Shot

• An exciting variation of a crane shot, usually taken

• Make a note of all of shots, angles

• Describe the different

• Why do you think these angles are used?

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