This document defines and provides examples of various camera shots, angles, and movements that are used in filmmaking. It describes extreme long shots, long shots, mid shots, close ups, and extreme close ups. It also outlines high, eye level, low, and Dutch angles. Finally, it discusses different types of camera movements like pans, tilts, tracking shots, aerial shots, and zooms, as well as the use of storyboards in planning film sequences.

1. Camera
Shots, Angles
and Movement.

2. Camera Shot
• Extreme Long Shot (ELS)
• Also known as an establishing shot. Often
used at the beginning of a sequence to
‘establish’ the setting in which the scene
takes place.

3. Extreme Long Shot from Mission Impossible 2

4. Camera Shot
• Long Shot (LS)
• A shot that portrays the scene in a
realistic perspective. It can also be
defined as a Full Shot, a shot that
contains a person from head to toe. This
can be used to draw the audience into a
scene after an establishing shot.

5. Long Shot from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

6. Long Shot / Full shot from Burke and Hare

7. Camera Shot
• Mid Shot (MS)
• A shot depicting a person from the waist
up. Can be used for dialogue
• 2 shot
• A MS containing 2 people. Used for
travelling scenes and dialogue.
• 3 shot
• A MS containing 3 people. Used for
travelling scenes and dialogue.

8. Mid Shot from Kill Bill

9. 2 Shot from X- Men: First Class

10. 3 Shot from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

11. Camera Shot
• Close Up (CU)
• A shot depicting a person from the
shoulders/neck up or depicting a specific
item or prop in the scene. Used to draw
the audience’s attention to a specific
person or item. Can be used for dialogue

12. Close Up from United 93

13. Camera Shot
• Extreme Close Up (ECU)
• A detailed shot either displaying a
person’s facial feature (i.e. the eye.) or
an important object. Used for dramatic
effect to display emotions or to draw the
audience’s attention

14. Extreme Close Up from The Lord of The Rings

15. Extreme Close Up from The Lord of The Rings

16. Camera Angle
• Bird’s Eye View
• A high angled shot normally directly
overhead the character. Combined with
an ELS it can be used to establish a
scene.

17. Birds Eye View shot from Kill Bill

18. Camera Angle
• High Angle
• Shot by the camera pointing down at the
character. Can be used to diminish a
character and make them seem smaller.

19. High Angle shot from North by Northwest

20. Camera Angle
• Eye Level
• Most commonly used angle. Used to
depict dialogue and in most other
scenes. This gives a naturalistic effect to
the scene.

21. Eye Level shot from Kill Bill

22. Camera Angle
• Low Angle
• Shot by the camera pointing up at the
character. Can be used to add height to
buildings, but can also make characters
seem taller and more threatening.

23. Low Angle shot from Inglorious Basterds

24. Camera Angle
• Dutch Angles
• The camera is tipped and not level with
the floor. This gives a sense of unease to
the scene. This angle is more commonly
used in the Horror or suspense genre.

25. Dutch Angle from The Third Man

26. Camera Movement
• Pan
• Horizontal camera movement across a
scene
• Tilt
• Vertical camera movement across a
scene.

27. Camera Movement
• Tracking (Dolly Shots)
• Camera moves alongside the action.
These can be aerial (achieved by a
crane), in a car, or more conventionally
on a dolly.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQv
8OavpALQ

28. Camera Movement
• Aerial Shot
• Usually an ELS shot from an aeroplane or
a helicopter. Used to give a sense of
grandeur and exhilaration
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s5K
FbyBmrQ (2.13)

29. Camera Movement
• Zoom
• Used to focus on an object within a
scene without editing. Can be achieved
by a zoom lens or by physically moving
the camera closer to the object
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OC
rkaMaBbY

30. Storyboards
• Storyboards are used by most film
directors as a means to visualise the shots
in a film sequence before they shoot
them.
• The Cohen Brothers use story boards
extensively during their filming allowing
them to carefully plan each of their shots.