Camera Shots, Angles and Movements in Music Videos

1. Camera Shots,
Angles and
Movements
A2 Media Music Video Research
Martyna Nowakowska

2. Camera Shots
• Camera shots are used in music videos for various reasons. They can show
the viewers what is happening, as well as showing and expressing the main
characters’ feelings.
• Some of the most used shots include:
Wide Shot
Mid Shot
Medium close-up
Close-up
Extreme close-up
Over-the-Shoulder Shot
Examples of the following on next slide.

3. Shot Example Notes
Wide Shot This shot gives the viewers a sense of the
location, while (usually) still showing the
main subject of the story.
In this example we can see a car driving down
a highway near a desert, from this we get a
sense of isolation and loneliness, which is the
theme of the song, Scar Tissue (Red Hot Chili
Peppers).
Mid Shot This shot type shows either the artists or the
main character(s) of the video from the waist up.
The character is what this shot mainly focuses on,
however it does give away a little bit of the
location. For example, in the music video for
Brendan’s Death Song we can see the guitarist
and the drummer are somewhere where it’s warm
as there are palm trees and a blue sky behind
them.
Medium Close-up This shot is somewhere in between of
the mid shot and a close up. It show
the character of artist from the chest
up. This shot focuses on the emotion in
the facial expression of the subject.

4. Shot Example Notes
Close-up This shot show the artist’s of character’s face,
and just the face, however the audience can
still see some background. This type of shot is
good at showing the emotion even better. This
shot can also show the audience something
that the character or artist is doing, for
example playing the guitar, or show an object
relevant to the story.
Extreme close-up This type of shot shows the artist’s or character’s
face extremely close. This can show a crucial
emotion, and set the mood for the video, or give
the audience a better idea at how the character
is feeling. This is also used to show lip-syncing.
In the example we can see a girl who just got a
tattoo done on the inside of her mouth which
links to the meaning of the song.
Over-the-shoulder shot In a narrative/story based music video
the OTS shot is used for dialogues,
alternating from one side to the other,
whereas in a performance based video,
this will be a shot where one artist is
not facing the camera.

5. Camera Angles
• The way the camera is positioned determines the angle of the shot. There
are many different camera angles used in the production of music videos to
convey different images.
• Some of the most used angles include:
Eye level
High angle
Low angle
Bird’s eye
Slanted
Examples of the following on next slide.

6. Angle Example Notes
Eye level This angle is very common in music videos, and
shows the artists/characters how they would be
seen if they were among us, in real life. This
angle shows the scene as a real world view, as we
would expect to see it normally. In this example
we can see a very relateable situation of a
funeral, and therefore this angle has been used in
order to show the real emotion and feeling of the
shot.
High angle This angle shows the character or artist
from above giving the impression of
them being less powerful, not
significant or submissive, however this
isn’t always the case. This angle can be
used purely for an artistic and
interesting effect.
Low angle This angle shows the subjects from
below. This usually is used to show the
characters as powerful or intimidating,
and similarly to the previous shot, this
isn’t always the case. It can also be
used for a purely artistic and/or
interesting effect.

7. Angle Example Notes
Bird’s eye view This angle show the scene from above.
This can be used in order to show the
location or scenery, or for a dramatic
effect. In this case we can see the
stage like set up on a roof.
Slanted This is also know as the Dutch
angle and is usually used for a
dramatic or artistic effect.

8. Camera Movements
• The camera movement allows the operator to follow the artist/characters
and/or to show their performance. 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.
• Some of the most popular movements include:
Panning
Dolly/Tracking
Zoom
Pedestal
Crane/Jib
Handheld

9. Movement Notes
Panning This can be described by saying that the camera pans the
scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod which
operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned to
follow the subject in the middle of the frame.
Dolly/Tracking This is similar to the zoom, however the whole camera moves
towards or from the character, not just the lens. The camera is
mounted on a cart and travels along tracks for a smooth
movement.
Zoom This movement involves changing the focal length of
the lens to make the subject appear closer or further
away in the frame.
Pedestal This is a movement which requires the camera to move up
and down without changing its vertical or horizontal axis. The
camera is on a tripod and the operator moves the camera up
and down the tripod leg.
Crane/Jib A crane can be used to lift a camera (and operator, if it's big
enough) from low to high shooting positions. Less expensive
jibs can support the weight of a camera and lift it several feet
off of the ground.
Handheld This is pretty much self explanatory. It’s where the operator will
just simply hold the camera, and then employ a number of basic
camera moves by moving the feet - trucking in and out, dollying in
one direction or another, tilting, panning, zooming - and
combinations of all of these.

10. In the video for
the song Dark
Necessities we
can notice that
the camera is
never still. From
the beginning,
where the artists
are shown on the
sofa, to the parts
where the
skaters are
filmed. The
camera is never
still. Even
though at some
points it seems
still, if you look
closely and
carefully, you
will notice the
slightest
movement.
1.
3.
2.
4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0oIoR9mLwc
Handheld Example

11. In the video
for the song
Desecration
Smile we will
find a pedestal
camera
movement.
This one
consists of the
guitarist
playing, and
this is shown
to us through
that specific
movement.
1.
3.
2.
4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-nNksBWxNI
Pedestal Example