Camera Shots and Examples Totally radical Taken from

Camera Shots and Examples Totally radical

� Taken from great lengths-up to a quarter of a mile away. � Typically used for scene setting or establishing a scene. � Shows exteriors: buildings, landscapes, etc. � There is little detail but a lot to see, so the shot is often used to give an overall ‘impression’ of a scene. 1978 horror movie ‘Halloween’ begins with a title card of a shot of a pumpkin, taken from a great distance. Extreme Long Shot

� Long shots are taken from less of a distance than their extreme variant. They are typically indicative of the ‘lifesize’ distance between the audience and the action on screen, as if the audience was experiencing the action. � ‘Full shots’ of any actors are included-showing their whole body. � As well as focusing on actors, detail can be made aware of. Cars, Pixar, 2006. All characters can be seen fully and details such as the town hall can be made out. Long Shot

� From waist/knee up – essentially top half of body. � Used in dialogue heavy scenes with conversation or to show detail. � Background detail/long shots are minimal as the location of the scene is likely to have already been established. � A variation is the over-the-shoulder shot, also used in conversational scenes. From James Cameron’s ‘Avatar. ’ Medium Shot

� Shows a face/object which is focused on and consumes the majority of the shot, everything else (background) is blurred or obscured. � Shows how important things are - emphasis on facial expressions. � Close-ups are very intimate and allow us to get into the mind of the character. We‘ll either feel comfortable and connected to them, or uncomfortable with the proximity. Close-up of Kristen Stewart’s face in ‘Snow White and the Huntsman. ’ Background on the left hand side is out of focus. Close-Up

� Beyond the face. Only shows very specific details, a mouth or an eye for instance. � Very dramatic shot, and must be focused perfectly. Kill Bill, Vol. 1. The Bride is undertaking a dramatic experience of going up against the crazy 88, something we cannot really relate to, so the extreme close-up is very appropriate. Extreme Close-Up