This is a clip of a variety of camera shots including close up, long shot, medium shot, high angle, low angle and dutch angle.
Enjoy!
Friday 27 September 2013
Tuesday 17 September 2013
Camera Movement
There are six main camera movements in cinematography. Pan, crab track, zoom, ped up and tilt up.
The camera swivels (in the same base position) to follow a moving subject. A space is left in front of the subject: the pan 'leads' rather than 'trails'. A pan usually begins and ends with a few seconds of still picture to give greater impact. The speed of a pan across a subject creates a particular mood as well as establishing the viewer's relationship with the subject. 'Hosepiping' is continually panning across from one person to another; it looks clumsy.
Crabbing
A term similar to truck which usually means for a handheld camera operator to walk sideways (like a crab). With the advent of stabilised camera mounts it's largely a directors choice whether to say truck or crab.
Tracking
Roughly synonymous with the dolly shot, but often defined more specifically as movement which stays a constant distance from the action, especially side-to-side movement.
Zooming
Technically this isn't a camera move, but a change in the lens focal length with gives the illusion of moving the camera closer or further away.
Pedestal
Moving the camera position vertically with respect to the subject
Tilt
Vertical movement of the camera angle, i.e. pointing the camera up and down (as opposed to moving the whole camera up and down).
Saturday 14 September 2013
Camera Shots
I have recently learnt about the different aspects of film language. In particular camera shots.
Hear are some examples of each camera shot and their purpose.
Extreme Close Up
This short helps intensify the dialogue at this point. Extreme close ups cut everything else out from the shot except the subject the director wants you to look at. T he audience focus' just on her face and in turn what she is saying.
Big Close Up
Again, this helps intensify the shot. Big Close ups often include all of the face and some shoulder. This still pulls your attention to the subject.
Close Up
Close ups are very effective in presenting a character. They can often incorporate props and slight background. In this example, this shot compliments the directors goal of drawing your eye to the spoon and her eyes.
Medium close up
Medium close ups show the face more clearly, without getting uncomfortably close. This shot often includes full head and shoulders and again is very effective in presenting a character for the first time.
Medium shot
It is mainly used for a scene when it is desirable to see the subjects' facial expressions in the context of their body language. As well as being a comfortable, emotionally neutral shot, the mid shot allows room for hand gestures and a bit of movement
Medium Long shot
This frames the whole subject from the knees up and shows the subject in relation to the surroundings. Also known as plan américain. This example is very effective as the background compliments the subject very well and creates a mystical atmosphere.
Long shot
Long shots typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings. This shot may show the viewers the building where the action will take place.
Extreme Long Shot
An extreme long shot contains a large amount of landscape. It is often used at the beginning of a scene or a film to establish general location. This is also known as an establishing shot. The subject is small in the overall image
High Angle Shot
A high angle shot is when the camera angle is located above the eye line. With this type of angle, the camera looks down on the subject and the point of focus often get "swallowed up" by the setting. High angle shots also make the figure or object seem vulnerable or powerless.
Low angle shot
A low angle shot does the opposite. It makes the subject took powerful and in control. The camera is positioned anywhere below the eye line, looking up. This creates this effect.
Birds eye view
The scene is shown from directly above. This is a completely different and somewhat unnatural point of view which can be used for dramatic effect or for showing a different spatial perspective.
In drama it can be used to show the positions and motions of different characters and objects, enabling the viewer to see things the characters can't.
Dutch Angle
This camera shot where the camera is tilted off to one side so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an angle to the side of the frame often used to portray the psychological uneasiness or tension in the subject being filmed. A Dutch angle differs from a high-angle shot and low-angle shot in that those refer to placement of the camera in height relative to the subject.
Eye level shot
A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground.
Reverse angle shot
This shot views the action from the opposite side of the previous shot, as during a conversation between two actors, giving the effect of looking from one actor to the other.
Hear are some examples of each camera shot and their purpose.
Extreme Close Up
This short helps intensify the dialogue at this point. Extreme close ups cut everything else out from the shot except the subject the director wants you to look at. T he audience focus' just on her face and in turn what she is saying.
Big Close Up
Again, this helps intensify the shot. Big Close ups often include all of the face and some shoulder. This still pulls your attention to the subject.
Close Up
Close ups are very effective in presenting a character. They can often incorporate props and slight background. In this example, this shot compliments the directors goal of drawing your eye to the spoon and her eyes.
Medium close up
Medium close ups show the face more clearly, without getting uncomfortably close. This shot often includes full head and shoulders and again is very effective in presenting a character for the first time.
Medium shot
It is mainly used for a scene when it is desirable to see the subjects' facial expressions in the context of their body language. As well as being a comfortable, emotionally neutral shot, the mid shot allows room for hand gestures and a bit of movement
Medium Long shot
This frames the whole subject from the knees up and shows the subject in relation to the surroundings. Also known as plan américain. This example is very effective as the background compliments the subject very well and creates a mystical atmosphere.
Long shot
Long shots typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings. This shot may show the viewers the building where the action will take place.
Extreme Long Shot
An extreme long shot contains a large amount of landscape. It is often used at the beginning of a scene or a film to establish general location. This is also known as an establishing shot. The subject is small in the overall image
High Angle Shot
A high angle shot is when the camera angle is located above the eye line. With this type of angle, the camera looks down on the subject and the point of focus often get "swallowed up" by the setting. High angle shots also make the figure or object seem vulnerable or powerless.
Low angle shot
A low angle shot does the opposite. It makes the subject took powerful and in control. The camera is positioned anywhere below the eye line, looking up. This creates this effect.
Birds eye view
The scene is shown from directly above. This is a completely different and somewhat unnatural point of view which can be used for dramatic effect or for showing a different spatial perspective.
In drama it can be used to show the positions and motions of different characters and objects, enabling the viewer to see things the characters can't.
Dutch Angle
This camera shot where the camera is tilted off to one side so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an angle to the side of the frame often used to portray the psychological uneasiness or tension in the subject being filmed. A Dutch angle differs from a high-angle shot and low-angle shot in that those refer to placement of the camera in height relative to the subject.
Eye level shot
A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. The camera will be placed approximately five to six feet from the ground.
Reverse angle shot
This shot views the action from the opposite side of the previous shot, as during a conversation between two actors, giving the effect of looking from one actor to the other.
Thursday 5 September 2013
Analysis of the Car Park Scene in 'Get Carter'(1971)
Today in the lesson we watched a clip of Mike Hodges' 1971 film 'Get Carter'.
The exercise was to take on board the film language used to show character, relationships, location, genre and narrative. I found most striking how characters are presented and what the audience could infer from this.
Firstly Jack, Micheal Caine, looks into the camera lens in a menacing way- straight away suggesting he is going to cause trouble.
The second frame shows three men. All in suits situated in a warehouse; suggesting they may be business men (This idea is supported by the use of location. Large concrete building in an urban area.). In this frame it is clear that Cliff, Bryan Mosley, is a main character because of a few factors.
- He is wearing a different coloured suit to the others, implying a different power to the other two men.
- He is closer to the camera and more in shot than the others. Showing he is of importance and the director wants you to pay attention to him. In terms of the 'rule of thirds' Mosley is situated perfectly to get your attention from the start.
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