Camera Work

Analysing camera work

There is three ways of which to analyse camera work within a movie or programme.

Composition

This is how every shot is composed/ set out within the frame of the camera.

Framing

Framing is where the camera is in relation to the subject it is filming. Distance, angle and viewpoint all come under framing.

Movement

Movement is movement of the camera in relation to the subject.

Composition

There is two main composition styles.

Rule of thirds- this is where you divide up the frame into 9 segments – the points of interest should be in the middle four crosses as below

Golden mean- this is where the points of interested are located along a diagonal line, again, like below.

Framing

These are some of the key framing shots we use in movies and television today.

• Extreme / establishing long shot (ELS) - this can be used to set the scene, this makes you give a sense of location.
• Long shot (LS) – to show a whole subject or sometimes to set the scene.
• Medium long shot (MLS) – used to show you a whole character
• Mid Shot (MS) – this is used to show half a body, working well for action shots or conversation shots.
• Medium close up (MCU) – this is to show a person from shoulders up, can be used for reaction/ emotion shots.
• Close up (CU) – this is mostly used for reaction shots, you can just see the head of an actor in this shot.
• Big close up (BCU) – this shows from mouth to the eyes if emotion is wanting to be shown fully.
• Extreme close up ECU) – this is show things in real detail, only can see the eyes on a person, this is to show the focus on only one feature in the frame.

Angle of a shot

• High angle shot – taken from above looking down on the subject, sometimes used to show authority towards the camera and vunerability to the subject.
• Low angle shot – taken from below looking up at the subject. This is to show authority of the subject
• Wide angle shot – taken with a lens to show (width ways) more within a frame.
• Level shot – this is usual used for the news, to show equality, taken on eye level with the person/subject.

Movement

There is some main movement shots you can do with a camera as well.

• Pan (whip pan)- this is to emphasise movement of the subject
• Tilt – this can be used with a pan to ensure you et the whole subject when changing the height of which they are standing
• Dolly/tracking – this is used to follow a subject
• Zoom – this is to get closer to the subject with out moving or even get further away.
• Crane shot – this used to get high angle shots, very high angle shots.
• Hand held shot/ steadicam- this is to move around the scene.
• Ariel shot – provides an extreme high angle shot to show it from a birds eye view.

A few more shots

• Two shot – this is to show two people within a frame. This is used for conversations within a scene. This is usually a mid shot.
• Over-shoulder shot(OSS)- this is used in conversations as well, looking from behind a person to another subject.
• Point- of- view shot (POV)- this is to show a characters point of view within a scene