This document provides guidance for students on shooting a media studies assignment using camera equipment. It includes definitions of different shot types and angles, instructions for a test to identify shots, guidelines for capturing proper lighting, focus, and composition. Students are assigned to shoot footage in groups over the next few days following the instructions and best practices covered.

1. Foundation Portfolio - Shots
AS MEDIA STUDIES

2. Learning Intentions
 To learn basic terminology of shots
 To plan shoot covering range of different shots
 To organise shooting to take place before/
during next lesson (Thursday)

3. Success Criteria
 All students will note down information
about different kinds of shot and will plan a
simple shoot
 Most students will create a simple
storyboard/ shooting schedule
 Some students will devise a detailed
storyboard/ shooting schedule

4. Types of shot
 Extreme Long Shot (ELS)
 Long Shot (LS)
 Medium Shot (MS)
 Two Shot
 Close Up (CU)
 Extreme Close Up (ECU)
 High Angle
 Low Angle

5. Nike - Invitation

6. Name the Shot
 Extreme Long Shot
 Extreme Close Up
 Two Shot
 Long Shot

7. Task
 3 minutes to correctly identify the shots
 Label shots on left using titles from right
(abbreviate where appropriate)

9. Mise En Scene
 What appears in the shot (denotation)
 Costume
 Props
 Make-up
 Framing
 Setting
 Purpose and effect
 Intended connotation

10. Explain the Mise En Scene

11. Task
 Work in groups of 1/2
 Given a number of shots to compose
 Given camera/ tripod to use for next three days
 Select appropriate locations
 Follow instructions on sheet and complete shoot
 Upload footage onto computer by end of lesson on
Thursday
 Editing begins Friday 12th September
 Final submission Friday 19th September
 Maintain blog throughout process

12. CAMERA BASICS

13. Classic “Don'ts”
 Don’t...
 forget to charge battery or load media
 leave lens cover on
 leave camera on when not shooting
 have irrelevant people or things in shot
 catch camera reflected in window/ mirror
 get thumb or shadow in shot
 talk over shot
 edit shots “in camera”

14. Shooting Tips
 Use a tripod –shots will look much better
 Run through the action before shooting
 Make sure you’re covering everything, particularly if you
have complicated movement
 Start recording about 5s before the action starts
 You can edit this out later
 Record at least 2 takes for each shot
 Record a “master” shot for each scene

15. Resolution
 Cameras default to 1080/ 60 (HD resolution/ frame-rate)
 Better set at 720/ 30
 Whenever you turn on the camera
 Check the bottom left corner of the screen
 If number is 1080, press “menu” button, select “resolution” and
select “720”
 You will always need to reset the frame rate to 30.
 In the menu, click down to the second page
 Select “Stabilizer”
 Make sure the green tick is selected
 Click menu button
 The number at the bottom left should now read “720P30”

16. Charging it Up
 Make sure battery and charger with camera
 Different cameras have different adapters
 Battery should be
connected to the base unit
in order to charge it

17. Camcorder Media
 Mini-DV Tape|
 Mini-DVD Disc
 SD Card

18. Turning it on
 Press the “on/off” button once
 Check the “mode” – you won’t be able to
record if the video camera icon is not selected
 If you can’t see anything, make sure you’ve
taken the lens cover off

19. Lens Covers
 Some cameras have internal lens covers
 The Powershots have the lens cover attached
to the camera

20. Aspect Ratio
 Some cameras default to an aspect ratio of 4:3
(old TV standard)
 Make sure you set your camcorder to 16:9 (or
“widescreen”). You will usually do this via the
camera menu

21. Zoom
 To “zoom” (i.e. make the image bigger or
smaller) , use the “W/T” slider (usually found on
the “shoulder” of the camera
 The slider is “touch sensitive” – the zoom will
speed up or slow down depending on pressure
 Advised not to zoom when recording; this will
generally make your footage look amateurish
 However, if you practice a
zoom a few times, it can
look quite effective

22. Focus
 Most domestic camcorders use “auto-focus”
 You can alter this, although you will need to
experiment
 You will find it
difficult to
maintain the
focus if your
subject moves much
 You are advised to only experiment with
focus at your own risk

23. Light
 Camcorders work best in reasonable light
 If you shoot at night or in low light, image
quality will degrade
 Ideally, shoot during the day and then tint the
image to create “day for night”
 Otherwise, make sure you have enough light

24. Effects
 Many cameras come with “effects” buttons
 You are advised not to use these when you
are shooting
 You can create more powerful effects using
the editing software, with the advantage that
you can undo them if you don’t like them

25. Tripod Basics