This document defines and describes various shot types used in filmmaking. It provides descriptions of establishing shots which show the location, extreme close-ups which magnify details like faces, and long shots which capture a large area from a distance. Other shots described include point of view, medium, over the shoulder, two-shot, close-up, tilted, high angle, low angle, zoom, pan, track, handheld, shot reverse shot, wide, crane, aerial, and dolly shots. Each shot type has a different purpose for framing and viewing the subject or scene.

1. SHOT TYPES

2. ESTABLISHING SHOT
• As much as a quarter of a
mile away, scene
establishing, tells us when
and where we are.

3. EXTREME CLOSE-UP
• Magnifying beyond the human
eye, generally of a face or mouth,
showing the importance.

4. LONG SHOT
• Camera is placed far away
to capture a large area of
view, and generally see
from head to toe of a
person.

5. POINT OF VIEW
• See what the actor sees through their
eyes. Can cause sympathy or
discomfort.

6. MEDIUM SHOT
• Most common shot in movies, middle
upwards, should be matched with a
flow of long shot.

7. OVER THE SHOULDER
• This is a shot where we see what
the actors see but not through
their own eyes.

8. MEDIUM CLOSE UP
• •Frames a subject's head and
cuts off around mid-chest, the
focus is on the subject, reveals
only a little of the surroundings,
shows the facial expressions of
the subject and commonly used
for interviews in documentaries
and news programs

9. TWO SHOT
• A view of two people (the
subjects), the subjects do not
have to be next to each other,
and there are many common
two-shots which have one subject
in the foreground and the other
subject in the background. It is
very useful if the film is about two
people

10. CLOSE UP
• Very little background,
concentrates on face or mise
en scène. Shows emotion,
takes us into the mind of a
character and may be used to
feel uncomfortable about a
character.

11. TILTED
• A type of camera shot
where the camera is set so
that the horizon line of the
shot is not parallel with the
bottom of the camera
frame. This produces a
viewpoint akin to tilting
one's head to the side

12. HIGH ANGLE SHOT
• Looks down on the action
from a superior angle. The
observer dominates – power,
higher status

13. LOW ANGLE SHOT
• Looks up at the action from
below, an inferior position – the
observer is vulnerable, weak and
lower status.

14. ZOOM
• When the camera moves
closer to the action or away
in a very quick way. Zoom
lens means the camera does
not need to be moved. Can
suggest surveillance,
voyeurism or intense
observation.

15. TILT
• Scans the scene vertically on a tripod.
Stays stationary and tilts up and down.

16. PAN
• Scans the scene horizontally.
Placed on a tripod and stays
still. Pans left to right.

17. TRACKING
• Similar to a pan the shot
moves left to right but not on
a tripod, the camera is moving
like a ‘crab’

18. HAND HELD SHOTS
• Handheld gives a ragged, jerky
effect, totally at odds with the
organised smoothness of the
dolly. Favoured for gritty
realism.

19. SHOT REVERSE SHOT
• When one character is shown
looking (often off screen) at
another character, and then the
other character is shown
‘looking back’ at the first
character.

20. WIDE SHOT
• Broad shot to emphasise
size/scale, parts of set or
externals

21. CRANE SHOT
• High up, move
up/down, left/right,
swoops

22. AERIAL SHOT
• Usually taken from a
helicopter, establish setting
and movement, very flexible

23. DOLLY SHOTS
• Camera is placed on a
moving vehicle and moves
alongside the action,
following a moving object.
Stable shot