different camera shots

1. Medium Shot
A medium shot is when half of the person is in shot, from the waist upwards.
Long Shot
A long shot is when the whole person
is in the shot and you can see their
whole body clearly. You can also see
the surroundings clearly.

2. Extreme Long Shot/Establishing Shot
A shot that shows the whole of the
setting and possibly the characters,
helps set a scene and shows the
relationship between the important
characters and objects.
Medium Long Shot
A medium long shot frames the whole
object/person from the knees upwards
and is also known as a three quarters
shot.

3. Canted/Dutch Tilt
A shot in which the camera angle is
deliberately slanted to one side. This can
be used for dramatic effect and helps
portray unease, disorientation, frantic or
desperate action, intoxication, madness,
etc.
Tilt Up
Tilting up involves the camera being
on an angle facing upwards
(towards) an object or person. It is
used to make the person/object
appear dominant and bigger.

4. Tilt Down
Tilt down is when the camera is
slightly pointing down (towards) an
object or person. It is used to make
the object/person seem smaller and
that they do not have a lot of
power/dominance.
Tracking
A shot in which the camera is
mounted on a cart which travels along
tracks and moves parallel to the
action.

5. Dolly
A dolly is a cart on a track, the camera is
mounted on top of it and records the shot
as it moves. It involves getting closer or
further away from the object as opposed to
tracking.
Crane
A shot taken by a camera on a crane, the
most obvious uses are to view the actors
from above or to move up and away
from them, a common way of ending a
movie.

6. Handheld
When the camera is held in the
operators hand as opposed to being
on a tri-pod or other base. Often
creates a sense of a ‘home made’ film
and is shakey.
Ariel/Birdseye
When a shot is taken from above the set
and the actors so the audience can view
everything from above.

7. Zoom
Zoom is altering the focal length of the lens to give the illusion
of moving closer to or further away from the action.