This document defines and provides examples of 17 different types of camera shots and angles used in filmmaking, including establishing shots to set a scene, low and high angle shots, close ups and extreme close ups to show facial details and emotions, long shots and medium shots to show characters' bodies, point of view shots from a character's perspective, panning and tracking shots to follow moving subjects, and hand held shots to capture a character's point of view.
2. 1. Establishing Shot
Here is an example of
an Establishing Shot
used in a film.
Establishing Shot is the
master shot of a scene,
normally used to set a
scene including i.e.
location, scenery,
characters, buildings,
period of time etc.
3. 2. Low Angled Shot
An example of a Low
Angle Shot is shown
in this print screen
from the Spiderman
film (2002)
It is a shot taken from
a low angle, normally
looking upwards at the
subject.
4. 3. High Angled Shot
A High Angled
Shot is a shot
taken from above,
as if looking down
on a subject.
Used when
showing the
size/status of a
character i.e.
Matilda in this
picture (1996)
5. 4. Close Up
A Close Up is a
zoomed in shot of a
subject, preferably
the face showing in
detail every feature.
Used when
showing emotions
and detail of a
characters face.
Used here in the
film Snow White
and the Huntsman
(2012)
6. 5. Medium Close Up
A medium close up
shot is similar to the
close up shot
however this focuses
on a characters face
and shoulders,
showing more
however still in detail.
Used here in Snow
White and the
Huntsman (2012)
7. 6. Extreme Close Up
Extreme close up is a
zoomed in shot of
one specific feature
on a character or
object i.e. nose,
eyes, mouth etc.
Shows intense detail.
Used here in the
Harry Potter
franchise (2001-
2011)
8. 7. Long Shot
A long shot is when
the entire body of a
character is shown,
showing them from
head to toe.
Used here in Boy in
Striped Pyjamas
(2008)
9. 8. Medium Long Shot
A medium long shot is
the camera shot which
is between medium
and long.
It takes a shot of the
subjects body up to
their waist/knees
showing nearly the
whole body.
Used here in Forrest
Gump (1994)
10. 9. Two/Three Shot
This is a shot
taken with more
than one
character in it i.e.
2 or more.
This is used in
Sherlock Holmes
– A Game of
Shadows (2011)
11. 10. Aerial Shot
An aerial shot is a
over view scene
shot used mostly
by cranes etc.
Used to set the
scene, time,
location.
12. 11. Point of View
Point of view is
the camera
angle used from
a character’s
perspective i.e.
what they are
seeing.
Used here in
127 Hours
(2010)
13. 12. Panning Shot
Panning is when
the camera is
following a subject
i.e. person or car
etc using a side to
side motion.
Establishes a
moving shot of
where a person/car
is going.
14. 13. Tilting
Tilting is used to
create an image which
is on an angle.
The camera is put at
an angle to create an
effect.
Used here in The Third
Man (1949)
15. 14. Tracking
Tracking is similar to
a panning shot
where it follows a
subject however a
tracking shot uses a
track which the
camera follows, only
moving from side to
side.
16. 15. Dollying
Dollying is similar to tracking as
the camera follow a track to
create a smooth shot however
dollying is used when following
a subjects actions from the
front therefore the camera only
moves backwards.
17. 16. Hand Held Shot
Hand held shot is
when a character
in the film is
filming off a hand
held camera.
Used to show
point of view of a
character.
Used here in
Cloverfield (2008)
18. 17. Depth of Field
Depth of field is the
camera shot which
shows the distant
between the nearest
and furthest
object/subject within
a shot.
