Camera angles in media are used for different reasons. Varied camera angles keep visuals interesting rather than using the same shot throughout. Different angles can create impact, enhance actions, inform the audience, and change perceptions. Camera shots like close-ups are used to show emotion while shots from a distance provide more context of the environment. The document discusses various camera shots including their purposes and examples from movies to illustrate their uses.

1. We use different camera angles in media for many reasons. It makes the visuals of the media much more
interesting, rather than one range of shot the whole time. It can create impact, enhance actions, informs
and can also change the way we perceive things.

2. Ferris Buelers Day off
Extreme Close Up (ECU)
Extreme close ups are taken from a very close range and usually are used to
create a sense of emotion. It creates a connection to the viewer because of how
close we are to the character or object which can make us feel different things.
Close up’s are generally used at points when we feel suspense or important
events or emotions are displayed.
This type of shot gives us the opportunity to see what is going on in the shot
directly and clearly. They allow us to see a certain body shot at a closer range,
they are used in-between shots to add a personal level and also emphasis to the
feature.
For example this shot is taken from Ferris Bueler’s Day off when Cameron Frye is
horrified when Ferris Bueler crashes his fathers car though a glass wall. A close
up shot was used to show the shock, worry and fear is his eyes.

3. Harry Potter
Big Close up (CU)
Big Close up shots are usually of a face and hold most
for the image in the shot. They are used alike extreme
close ups to capture emotion or an element of
expression but are different because don’t have as
much of an impact so don’t go down to that scale in
which we focus on a feature eg. Eyes or mouth.
They can be used to exaggerate emotion because we
are in the subjects personal space so we share
emotion through the shot. It shows more emotion
than a normal close up shot so we use this sort of shot
at more relevant times.
This shot was taken from Harry Potter: Half Blood
Prince when Herminie Granger see’s Ron, her secret
crush kissing Lavender Brown. This shot was taken
because we want to feel sympathy for her and share
her emotion. We would have used the extreme close
up on Ron and Lavender kissing because this would
have been more of a shock/ twist.

4. Close up (CU)
Easy A
Close up shots are used at scenes a lot like big close up’s but preferably
at less emotional points. We use them to also capture detail and
emotion but if we don’t want a necessary impact of the emotion we
may chose to keep the viewer further away
For example, in Easy A when Olive is labelled as a “slut” and a public
victim of bullying in school, she reacts to it differently than the
stereotypical way. She tries to embrace it and blows a kiss to her bully,
we want to be close up in the shot to experience the way she reacts but
not too close to feel as though it is directed to us.

5. Pulp Fiction
Medium Close Up (MCU)
Medium Close Up shots are used to get a level of detail and understanding
of the shot without us getting too close to the subject in which we may get
a connection to the action/object/character.
They allow us to see a relatively large amount of detail while fitting a lot
into the shot. It falls in-between the medium shots and close ups.
This example is taken from the Pulp Fiction opening scene where the two
characters are talking in a booth. We don’t want to be too far from the
characters in which we are viewing because we wouldn’t engage with
them but we want to be close enough so we can still see detail and relate.

6. Medium Shot (MS)
The Hunger Games
Medium Shot’s are a very common shot because they
allow us to view a relatively large amount of the
scene. They are shot from a medium distance away
and usually shoot from the waist to head ratio of a
person. This allows us to see facial expression and
some body language.
They are not very personal so we would not use them
in times of emotion, more to convey conversation in-between
people, interviews/ getting information.
They make the viewer feel as though they are viewing
everything in the shot even though they may not be.
It is a comfortable range, it is a distance that is typical
for a real life conversation so it feels very comfortable
and realistic.
For example in this shot from The Hunger Games,
when the two characters are watching their rivals
train, it is a neutral situation so we use a casual shot
to reflect this.

7. Medium Long Shot (MLS)
Mamma Mia
Medium Long Shot’s are shot from beyond a
medium distance from the subject. We use this shot
when we want to have a relatively far distance from
the subject because we do not want to interfere or
intrude. This shot allows us quite clearly to see
everything in the scene, it is quite common because
it allows us to experience everything while not being
disconnected from the action.
This is a good shot because we are able to see the
subjects facial expression while observing their body
language which alters the effect. It is often used
when we want more than one person in the shot but
still want a level of detail.
For example, this scene from Mamma Mia when the
three characters sing and dance about the memories
of when they were young, and about letting their
children grow up. We have a relative distance in-between
us because we want to view everything that
is going on in the scene, not being too close so we do
not miss action, but close enough to see expressions
and to feel like we are part of the scene.

8. Point of View Shot (POV)
Paranormal Activity
POV shots are used so the viewers
perceive what the character is doing (in
their perspective). This is used for a
number of reasons, it can add emotion
because it adds empathy because we
experience things as them, can add
suspense- horror movies for example;
instead of seeing someone's perspective,
we experience what they are so it feels as
though we are in the events.
This shot allows the audience to feel
more involved.
For example in Paranormal Activity the
majority of the film is shot in POV
because it makes the audience feel as
though they are in the film because they
perceive everything as though they were
there. This shot makes it personal
because we see a hand (us) holding a
photo and we look down onto the photo
as if it were us holding and looking at it.

9. Cut-In’s and Cutaways
Cut in’s are short shots that are relatively close
to break up the big shots. They usually focus in
on the subjects face or certain body part to gain
more information or bulk up scenes. They
usually are not very important shots, they are
edited in for extra exaggeration of emotion/
emphasis.
For example, this shot may be added into a shot
to show the movement in the persons gestures
which may be because of enthusiasm or anger
ect.
Cut-away’s are the opposite, they focus on
something besides the subject to once again
bulk up the scenes but it adds interest while
giving a break from something the scene
(refreshes the eyes- something else to look at so
the scene does not get boring for viewer).

10. Noddy Shot (NS)
Noddy Shot’s are very basic shots in which
the camera sticks to the subject, usually
when still. They focus on the subject usually
to gather information. It is a “listen and
react” shot where we film the experience of
the person without cutting into other shots
so we watch their actions on one roll.
They are common in interviews because we
are watching a straight-forward scene
where we do not need to view much else
and it is direct and precise.

11. Over the shoulder shot (OSS)
Over The Shoulder Shot’s are filmed;
obviously over the shoulder of the person
looking at the subject/thing that is being
filmed. The focus thought be on the subject,
not the person we are looking past- and they
should not take up too much of the shot
either.
When using this type of shot we usually
switch between all the characters shoulders
to reinact a conversation through the camera
work, this makes it seem as though we are
overlooking what is going on in the scene.
It helps us establish the whereabouts of all
the characters, and it makes the viewer feel
comfortable because we are not in the centre
of the action, we are behind.

12. Long Shot (LS)
My Sisters Keeper
Long Shot’s are the smaller version of the ELS
which exaggerates this shot even more. Long
shots allow enough room for everything
necessary to take place without exaggerating it
too much (distance). They are taken from a long
distance away in which we can fit everything in,
we cannot make out detail or facial expressions,
we can see body language and actions.
In this shot from My Sisters Keeper we can see all
three characters easily, it allows us to believe we
are seeing everything relative in this shot, we can
see the background and foreground of the scene,
nothing is cut off or separate.

13. Extreme Long Shot (ELS)
Hunger Games
Extreme Long Shots are taken from a
far distance to fit the subject in the
frame fully without cutting off the head
and feet to make it look comfortable
and realistic. There is usually a lot of
extra space in the long shot, they are
used to fit in more into the scene or to
show distance/space.
We cannot see detail or facial
expressions in the long shot because of
how far the range is.
For example, in this shot from The
Hunger Games we see the character
running forwards and the shot captures
everything in the background which
exaggerates how much she
(presumably) ran and lets us see the
surrounding we are in.

14. Establishing Shot (ES)
The Devil Wears Prada
Establishing shots are usually of
the setting of a scene in which
the audience is able to overview
everything to see all the action
within it. They are usually used
in the opening of a scene to give
an overview before we enter the
actual filming. They are not
close shots, usually extreme
long shots so we can see
everything needed.
Like in this example of an establishing shot from The Devil Wears Prada, where we can
see the view of New York City, it is an extreme long shot so we can see all aspects of the
city, bridges, sea, buildings, civilisation. We use this shot to exaggerate the size of the city
and show us the setting of our story.

15. Handheld shot
Paranormal Activity 1
Handheld shots are simply a shot that
is held in the hands opposed to being
steady on a tripod. We do this to create
a jerky, unbalanced, “real-life” sort of
feeling. It gives a much more personal,
realistic feel to the filming.
For example, this shot from Paranormal
Activity 1 we can see in the reflection in
the mirror that the subject is holding
the camera. Throughout the movie
there are handheld shots, giving the
audience the perception that the
subject is recording there experiences
and we see what is on the camera in
which they are holding. This gives us a
realistic feel in which we can
experience the same thing as the
subject.

16. Pan Shot
Herbie Fully Loaded/Formula 1
Pan Shots/Panning is when the camera
moves continuously left to right (or
opposite). We use them to capture all the
action of the subject unlike when we stop
filming and use a different angle/shot and
we miss something.
They are used to give the impression that
we are always watching the subject(s)
closely, so we do not miss out on viewing.
We use panning in things like Formula 1 and
Herbie: Fully Loaded, the camera moves
side to side capturing all the action. We do
not change cameras because it will confuse
the viewers and potentially miss something.

18. 180 degree rule
The three cameras on the left of the image