A2 Media by Nicole McClelland

1. Research into specific
features- Editing
By Nicole mcclelland

2. Cut
The most common transition — an instant change from one shot to the next. The raw footage from your camera contains cuts between shots where you stop and start recording
(unless of course you use built-in camera transitions).
In film and television production, the vast majority of transitions are cuts.
Mix / Dissolve / Crossfade
These are all terms to describe the same transition — a gradual fade from one shot to the next.
Crossfades have a more relaxed feel than a cut and are useful if you want a meandering pace, contemplative mood, etc. Scenery sequences work well with crossfades, as do photo montages.
Crossfades can also convey a sense of passing time or changing location.

3. Fade
Fades the shot to a single colour, usually black or white. The "fade to black" and "fade from black" are ubiquitous in film and
television. They usually signal the beginning and end of scenes. Fades can be used between shots to create a sort of crossfade
which, for example, fades briefly to white before fading to the next shot.
Wipe
One shot is progressively replaced by another shot in a geometric pattern. There are many types of wipe, from straight lines to
complex shapes. Wipes often have a coloured border to help distinguish the shots during the transition. Wipes are a good way to
show changing location
Digital Effects
Most editing applications offer a large selection of digital transitions with various effects. There are too many to list here, but
these effects include colour replacement, animated effects, pixelization, focus drops, lighting effects, etc. Many cameras also
include digital effects, but if possible it is better to add these in post-production.
Transitions

4. Mid shot
The mid shot shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still showing
enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject. The
MS is appropriate when the subject is speaking without too much emotion or
intense concentration. It also works well when the intent is to deliver
information, which is why it is frequently used by television news presenters.
comfortable, emotionally neutral shot, the mid shot allows room for hand
gestures and a bit of movement.
Camera shots.
The medium closeup is
half way between a mid
shot and a close up. This
shot shows the face
more clearly, without
getting uncomfortably
close.
Medium close up
In the close-up shot, a certain feature or part of the subject
takes up most of the frame. A close up of a person usually
means a close up of their face (unless specified otherwise).
emphasizes their emotional state. A close-up exaggerates facial
expressions which convey emotion. The viewer is drawn into
the subject's personal space and shares their feelings.
specifically refers to showing some part of the subject in detail.
Can be used purely as an edit point, or to emphasise emotion
etc. For example, hand movements can show enthusiasm,
agitation, nervousness, etc.
Close-up.
Cut in

5. Extreme close up
shows extreme detail. You
would normally need a
specific reason to get this
close. It is too close to show
general reactions or emotion
except in very dramatic
scenes.
but the basic idea is to have a comfortable shot of two people.
Often used in interviews, or when two presenters are hosting a
show. Two-shots are good for establishing a relationship
between subjects. If you see two sports presenters standing
side by side facing the camera, you get the idea that these
people are going to be the show's co-hosts. As they have equal
prominence in the frame, the implication is that they will
provide equal input. Of course this doesn't always apply, for
example, there are many instances in which it's obvious one of
the people is a presenter and the other is a guest. In any case,
the two-shot is a natural way to introduce two people. A twoshot could also involve movement or action. It is a good way to
follow the interaction between two people without getting
distracted by their surroundings.
This shot shows a view from the subject's perspective. It is
usually edited in such a way that it is obvious

6. The rule of thirds is a concept in video and film production in which the frame is divided into
into nine imaginary sections, as illustrated on the right. This creates reference points which act
as guides for framing the image.
Points (or lines) of interest should occur at 1/3 or 2/3 of the way up (or across) the frame,
rather than in the centre. Like many rules of framing, this is not always necessary (or desirable)
but it is one of those rules you should understand well before you break it.
The eyes are placed 1/3 down the frame. In most "people shots", the main line of interest is
the line going through the eyes. In this shot, the eyes are placed approximately 1/3 of the way
down the frame.
Depending on the type of shot, it's not always possible to place the eyes like this.
The 180° Rule
The sky takes up approx. 2/3 of this frame. In this shot, the building takes up approximately
1/3 of the frame and the sky takes up the rest. This could be a weather shot, in which the
subject is actually the sky.
Crossing the line is a very important concept in video and film production. It refers to an
imaginary line which cuts through the middle of the scene, from side to side with respect to
the camera. Crossing the line changes the viewer's perspective in such as way that it causes
disorientation and confusion. For this reason, crossing the line is something to be avoided.
In this example the camera is located to the subject's left. The imaginary line is shown in red.
The resulting shot shows the subject walking from right to left, establishing the viewer's
position and orientation relative to her.
The rule of line-crossing is sometimes called the 180° rule. This refers to keeping the camera
position within a field of 180°.

7. Camera Angles
Camera angles
The term camera angle means slightly different things to different people but it always refers to the way a shot is composed. Some people use it to
include all camera shot types, others use it to specifically mean the angle between the camera and the subject. We will concentrate on the literal
interpretation of camera angles, that is, the angle of the camera relative to the subject.
Eye-Level
This is the most common view, being the real-world angle that we are all used to. It shows subjects as we would expect to see them in real life. It is a
fairly neutral shot.
High Angle
A high angle shows the subject from above, i.e. the camera is angled down towards the subject. This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making
them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.
Low Angle
This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.
Bird's Eye
The scene is shown from directly above. This is a completely different and somewhat unnatural point of view which can be used for dramatic effect or
for showing a different spatial perspective.
In drama it can be used to show the positions and motions of different characters and objects, enabling the viewer to see things the characters can't.
The bird's-eye view is also very useful in sports, documentaries, etc.
Slanted
Also known as a dutch tilt, this is where the camera is purposely tilted to one side so the horizon is on an angle. This creates an interesting and
dramatic effect. Famous examples include Carol Reed's The Third Man, Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and the Batman series.
Dutch tilts are also popular in MTV-style video production, where unusual angles and lots of camera movement play a big part.

8. Camera movement
A pan is a horizontal camera movement in which the camera moves left and right about a
central axis. This is a swiveling movement, i.e. mounted in a fixed location on a tripod or
shoulder, rather than a dolly-like movement in which the entire mounting system moves.
To create a smooth pan it's a good idea to practice the movement first. If you need to move or
stretch your body during the move, it helps to position yourself so you end up in the more
comfortable position. In other words you should become more comfortable as the move
progresses rather than less comfortable.
A tilt is a vertical camera movement in which the camera points up or down from a stationary
location. For example, if you mount a camera on your shoulder and nod it up and down, you
are tilting the camera.
Tilting is less common than panning because that's the way humans work — we look left and
right more often than we look up and down.
The tilt should not be confused with the Dutch Tilt which means a deliberately slanted camera
angle.
A variation of the tilt is the pedestal shot, in which the whole camera moves up or down.
A zoom is technically not a camera move as it does not require the camera itself to move at all.
Zooming means altering the focal length of the lens to give the illusion of moving closer to or
further away from the action.
The effect is not quite the same though. Zooming is effectively magnifying a part of the image,
while moving the camera creates a difference in perspective — background objects appear to
change in relation to foreground objects. This is sometimes used for creative effect in the dolly
zoom.
Zooming is an easy-to-use but hard-to-get-right feature of most cameras. It is arguably the
most misused of all camera functions. See our camera zoom tutorial for more information.

9. Camera movement
Trucking is basically the same as tracking or dollying. Although it means slightly different things
to different people, it generally refers to side-to-side camera movement with respect to the
action.
The term trucking is not uncommon but is less widely-used than dollying or tracking. Yet
another equivalent term is crabbing.
The example pictured here shows a simple, very mobile set of tracks used with a standard
tripod to create smooth trucking shots.
Hand-held shots
This aesthetic took a while to catch on with mainstream Hollywood, as it gives a jerky, ragged
effect, totally at odds with the organised smoothness of a dolly shot. The Steadicam (a heavy
contraption which is attached a camera to an operator by a harness. The camera is stabilized
so it moves independently) was debuted in Marathon Man (1976), bringing a new smoothness
to hand held camera movement and has been used to great effect in movies and TV shows
ever since. No "walk and talk" sequence would be complete without one. 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.
The term tracking shot is widely considered to be synonymous with dolly shot; that is, a shot in
which the camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks.
However there are a few variations of both definitions. Tracking is often more narrowly
defined as movement parallel to the action, or at least at a constant distance (e.g. the camera
which travels alongside the race track in track & field events). Dollying is often defined as
moving closer to or further away from the action.
Some definitions specify that tracking shots use physical tracks, others consider tracking to
include hand-held walking shots, Steadicam shots, etc.
Other terms for the tracking shot include trucking shot and crabbing shot.

10. Camera movement
Trucking is basically the same as tracking or dollying. Although it means slightly different things
to different people, it generally refers to side-to-side camera movement with respect to the
action.
The term trucking is not uncommon but is less widely-used than dollying or tracking. Yet
another equivalent term is crabbing.
The example pictured here shows a simple, very mobile set of tracks used with a standard
tripod to create smooth trucking shots.
Hand-held shots
This aesthetic took a while to catch on with mainstream Hollywood, as it gives a jerky, ragged
effect, totally at odds with the organised smoothness of a dolly shot. The Steadicam (a heavy
contraption which is attached a camera to an operator by a harness. The camera is stabilized
so it moves independently) was debuted in Marathon Man (1976), bringing a new smoothness
to hand held camera movement and has been used to great effect in movies and TV shows
ever since. No "walk and talk" sequence would be complete without one. 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.
The term tracking shot is widely considered to be synonymous with dolly shot; that is, a shot in
which the camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks.
However there are a few variations of both definitions. Tracking is often more narrowly
defined as movement parallel to the action, or at least at a constant distance (e.g. the camera
which travels alongside the race track in track & field events). Dollying is often defined as
moving closer to or further away from the action.
Some definitions specify that tracking shots use physical tracks, others consider tracking to
include hand-held walking shots, Steadicam shots, etc.
Other terms for the tracking shot include trucking shot and crabbing shot.