2. THE ART OF COMPOSITION
• Determines what the viewer can and can’t see.
• A typical sequence would start with a long shot to orient the
audience, and continue with medium shots to reveal the action.
• In between the mid shots, close-ups can be used to vary the
emotional impact, to reveal reactions and to magnify small
details.
• Each shot is created and selected for a specific purpose, as well
as to draw the eye to a clear center of interest.
3. TYPES OF SHOTS - AESTHETIC
Extreme Long Shot
Long Shot
Medium Long Shot
Medium Shot
Medium Close-up
Close-u[p
Extreme Close-up
4. EXTREME LONG SHOT (XLS)
• Aerial or distant
views
• Often used as an
establish shot
• Lacks the emotion
of closer shots
Image: Screen Capture from Titanic, Director James Cameron, Studio Paramount Pictures
Carpenter, Russell (Cinematographer). (1997). Titanic [Movie], March28, 2012, from:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4017795328/tt0120338
5. LONG SHOT (LS)
• Shows the entire
scene, including
surroundings
• Used to establish the
scene and where
everything and
everyone is in
relation to everything
and everyone else
Image: Screen Capture from Titanic, Direcotr James
Cameron, Studio Paramount Pictures
Carpenter, Russell (Cinematographer). (1997). Titanic
[Movie], March 30, 2012, from:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4035688192/tt012033
8
6. MEDIUM LONG SHOT (MLS)
• Shows most of the actors body, but not all, and
shows less space
around the actor
• Usually used as a
transition shot
Image: Screen Capture from Titanic, Director James Cameron, Studio Paramount
Pictures
Carpenter, Russell (Cinematographer). (1997). Titanic [Movie], March29, 2012, from:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm512538368/tt0120338
7. MEDIUM SHOT (MS)
• Shows the actor
from the waist up
• It bridges the gap
between the wide
and long shots
and the close-up.
Image: Screen Capture from Titanic, Director James
Cameron, Studeo Paramount Pictures
Carpenter, Russell (Cinematographer). (1997). Titanic
[Movie], March29, 2012, from:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3325605376/tt0120338
8. MEDIUM CLOSE-UP (MCU)
• Show the actor from the lower chest and up
• Most commonly used shot
Image: Screen Capture from Titanic, Director James Cameron, Studio
Paramount Pictures
Carpenter, Russell (Cinematographer). (1997). Titanic
[Movie], March28, 2012, from:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2139928320/tt0120338
9. CLOSE-UP (CU)
• Shows the actor
from his or her
chest to just above
his or her head
• Shows emotion
better then any
other framing
Image: Screen Capture from Titanic, Director James
Cameron, Studio Paramount Pictures
Carpenter, Russell (Cinematographer). (1997). Titanic
[Movie], March 30, 2012, from:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2072819456/tt0120338
10. EXTREME CLOSE-UP (XCU)
• Any frame that is
closer than a close-up
• Shows importance of
object
Image:
Sugar Coated Roses (Photographer). (2012).Heart of the Ocean in my Hand [Photo], March
30, 2012, from: http://sugar-coated-roses.deviantart.com/art/heart-of-the-ocean-in-my-hand-
182160314
11. CAMERA HEIGHT AND ANGLE
NOT A HARD SET RULE. USE YOUR JUDGMENT.
Low Angle Shots High Angle Shots
The camera is positioned lower then the object The camera is positioned higher then the object
Weakens the character
Implies strength and power
Image used under the creative commons license.
Image: used under the creative commons license.
Attributed to:
Attributed to:
Liban, David (Creator).Dliban (Poster) (2009, December 21). Low Kit. (Creator). Practicalowl (Poster) (2009, July 28).Waiting Softly [Photo]
Angle Boy in Sunlight [Photo] Retrieved March 31, 2012 from: Retrieved March 31, 2012 from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dliban/4207904952/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/practicalowl/3766679856/
12. CAMERA MOVEMENT
• Camera movement adds interest and excitement to
shots.
• Camera movements should be motivated, which is to
say they should be done for a specific reason, such as
to reveal information or to follow the action.
• There are four main types of camera movements:
Pans, Tilts, Dollies and Trucks.
13. PANNING AND TILTING
Panning – when the camera moves from left to right or vise versa, with the camera
staying in one place.
Example of one of the first panning shots -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktVIOxGgla8&feature=related
Tilting – when the camera moves up and down from a single location.
View this brief example of a camera tilt -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jYXX48Oz7s
Heise, William, & White, James. (Creator). Punkologus (Poster) (2011, March 13). Fifth Avenue, New York 1897 [Video]
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktVIOxGgla8&feature=related
Kost, John. (Creator). JohnKost (Poster) (2010, June 3). Camera Movement - Tilt [Video] Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jYXX48Oz7s
14. DOLLY AND TRUCKING
Dolly Shot – When you push the whole camera forward or backwards in a straight
line
Trucking - side to side movement of a camera. The distance usually remains
constant between camera and subject.
You can see the camera operator seated on the dolly in the behind-the-scenes
video of Grey’s Anatomy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXzALj_FOho&t=3m6s
ABC Studios. (Creator). KatherineHeigl (Poster) (2008, December 28). Set of Grey's Anatomy Behind the Scenes;
Filming Season 3 [Video] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXzALj_FOho&t=3m6s
15. RESOURCES
Information for this presentation was gathered from:
Butler, Jeremy G. (2012). Television: Critical methods and
applications. New York & London: Routledge.
Done, J., & Johnson, R. (1996). Understanding the Film: An
introduction to film appreciation, 5th Edition. New York, New
York: McGraw Hill: Glencoe.
