CAMERA TECHNIQUES

 So let me ask you a simple question. How do we shoot a scene? Well you might say with a nice location and a responsible cast. Well you’re not wrong, but the most fundamental scene for shooting a scene is a camera. So you can imagine how important it must be for us to fully understand the maximum potential of a camera.

So let’s discuss camera angles.

                      Camera Angles

          .Birds Eye View

A Birds Eye view is the view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird. It’s taken directly above the scene to show the landscape and the actor’s relationship to it.

        .Establishing Shot

This shot is often used at the start of a programme or film. It is usually used at a start of a new scene to establish a relationship between the characters and the location and to show the whole view.

      .High Angle shot

So basically, A high angle shot is where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle. High angle shots make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless in the eyes of the viewer. In film, it can also be used to show the protagonist or antagonist as weak so the audience can know which one is stronger.

  

   

     .Low Angle shot

A low angle shot, is a shot from a camera angle positioned low and is looking up. The effect of the low angle shot is that it makes the subject look strong, powerful and more important.

   .POV Shot

In the point of view shot the camera is positioned at the side of the subject. So the audience is given the impression that they are the character and they see everything through the characters eyes.

    .Dutch Angle

The Dutch angle is a shot in which the camera has been rotated around the axis of the lens and relative to the horizon or vertical lines in the shot. The use of a Dutch angle is to cause a sense of unease or disorientation for the viewer.

        

                               .Shot Sizes

       .Extreme Wide Shot

Even the main characters aren’t visible in this shot. Main purpose is to establish a location or the destruction of a location.

         .Very wide shot 

The main character is barely visible in this shot. Main purpose is to establish location or show some events happening.

   .Wide Shot

A wide shot establishes the surroundings, where the scene is set, who is in the scene etc. Wide shots allow the character to utilise their physicality and give the Director a lot of space to work with.

   .Medium Long shot

A medium long shot is used to show how lonely a character is or it is used while a character is talking to a group of friends.

  .Medium Shot

A medium shot is used to emphasise both the character and his surroundings by giving them both an equal presence on the screen.

 .Medium close up shot

A medium close up shot is used to capture a characters emotions while capturing some of the background.

   .Close up Shot

One of the most commonly used camera shots is the close up shot. This shot keeps only the face in the frame. It focuses on one subject to emphasise whatever is happening to it. This helps to convey the emotions of a character in a particular situation.

 .Big Close up Shot

This is a type of shot which shows a person from forehead to chin. This is mostly used in face to face interactions or to someone’s feelings or reaction.

 .Extreme Close up Shot

The extreme close up shot is used to display the detail in a person or an object. Because it is so focused on a subject every subtle expression, muscle movement and detail become much more apparent. It is used to show to viewers something that is very important.