Camera Angles In A Film

Camera Angles In A Film

There is four types of films, - documentary, narrative, experimental and instructional.

The 4 key elements in photography are Frame, shot, scene and sequence.

How a photographer really works around all these elements to produce a full new film is quite difficult as well as unique.

There are certain basic camera angles, which are mostly experimented with while making a film.

An extreme long shot is a shot wherein the frame encompasses the entire scenario. It is generally used when one has to display the background of the scene, buildings, and landscape.

A long shot is the one in which the focus is on the subject. It is very useful when one has to accommodate movement without reframing.

Medium long shots and medium close up shots also focus on the subject itself and are used quite creatively when editing is done.

Close up shots are one of the most exciting and widely used shots in a movie or film. It is used almost in every form of a video. It establishes its focus on the subject, most importantly the emotion. Whether its crying, laughing, smiling, sadness etc., or is there is an important scene like a kissing scene, playing scene and others which have to be brought onto the forefront, the close up shots are used.

The frame in a close up shot is quite large and the extremely zoomed out.

Another intriguing shot is the extreme close up shot. Here a particular part of the body or face is highlighted. For example, eyes, which are commonly, used, faces though are the most recurrent images used for such shots and the lens requirement is the zoom lens.

Other shots also include the eye level shots, reverse shot, low angle shots which is mostly used to create an illusion of height as the shot is taken from as low as possible. Dutch angles shots, high angle shots are other shots used. In a high angle shot, the function is exactly opposite to that of a low angle one. High angle shots make the subject appear shot as they are shot from the top. Many movies have experimented with these two types of shot and really filmed it well.

A pan shot is the most abundantly used shot. All forms of films have used this shot as it is quite innovative and used to cover the entire scenario. For example, even if one puts their camera on a tripod, a pan shot can we easily shot and will cover up a lot of background due to the multiple frame.

Cut in, over the head, tilt, dolly zoom, over the shoulder, medium shots are some basic and most innovate shots used.