Extreme long shots are taken from a long way away. These shots are used as an establishing shot at the start of your film or scene to show where the story takes place.

The long shot shows a person in full length, from head to foot. You can recognise the person and see what is going on around them but you can't see their facial expression very clearly. Long shots are good for action!!

The Mid shot shows the top half of a person, from their hips to their head. You can see their expression and what they're doing. You can also see their surrounds or you may choose to keep the foreground in focus and blur the background.

This shows a person from their chest to their head. It doesn't have as much impact as an actual close up shot, but it allows more space for the person to move around.

A close up just shows part of a subject. If it's a person you are filming, it should include the whole head and maybe shoulders. A close up is great for showing expression and feelings.

A big close up shows the main parts of the face, from just above the eyes to below the mouth. You can use it to show strong emotions like anger surprise or even make someone look threatening.

Extreme close ups show detail. They are used to emphasise something important, or to make an impact. You can also use it to show strong emotions or reactions.

A shot that probably doesn't need too much explaining. The Bird's Eye is a shot that is filmed from above looking down.

A low shot looking up to an object can make it look powerful or dominating.

The Dutch angle is a great way to create variety in your shot selection. Dutch angles are when the camera shoots using a tilted angle. In this video you can see our attempt to simulate an earthquake scene by tilting and shaking the camera. Search "Dutch Angle"on the internet to find out more.

Monster in the cupboard is also known as the "third person" this type of shot gives the perception there is another person in the room "watching". This shot is often used in horror films. In this video you can see two girls gossiping about others without any knowledge they are being filmed.

Apple has created a fantastic series of eBooks titled Everyone Can Create. I highly recommend you download them all and spend some time becoming familiar with the content. Search Everyone Can Create in the iBooks Store or click on the images to download.

The Everyone Can Create Video and Teacher Guide have great ideas that will only improve your film making skills and ability. Click on the images to download the eBooks. These eBooks also have some great video support material that reinforces the film making techniques that have been suggested in this website.