Stories in Motion

Shots Styles

Making a film that is impactful requires much planning and consideration. Below, and the article to the right, are some ideas to consider for the storyboarding process, and the shooting of the video.

Cinematography Techniques.pdf

Orienting your Camera - how is your TV orientated? When you go see a movie how is the screen orientated? This is how the device you shoot with should be orientated.

Camera Orientation

Establishing Shot - This is where you fool the audience into believing you are somewhere that you are not. For example if your story takes place in a hospital the first scene should be of the outside of a hospital.

Shots - taking shots from different angles can go a long way in creating an impact on your audience. Using the right shot at the right time can make your film so much more effective.

- Extreme close up - to convey emotion
- Close up - Characters actions and emotions become more important than the surroundings
- Mid Shot - start to engage the audience with a character. It similar to the proximity we take when in conversation with someone.
- Medium long shot - provides more information about the character, but may not effectively convey the emotion of the character
- Long shot - introduces us to the subjects, but does not engage the audience fully
- Extreme long/wide shot - to set the scene or setting

Angles
- Angled shot - gives the impression that something is wrong or unsettling.
- Low angle shot - Shooting up to make the subject look large and imposing
- High Angle Shot - Shooting down to make the subject look small, weak, and perhaps in danger
- Over the shoulder - Gives the audience an emotional connection to the character and what they are engaged in. It can put the audience in the “shoes” of the character.

Movement
- Panning - moving the camera across a scene to give the illusion of movement or grandness. It is important that this movement be smooth. It can also provide the illusion of speed.
- Location - Moving the camera from one location to another helps the audience have a sense that they are in the same setting. For example, when a person enters a room, first shoot from behind outside the room. Then move the camera into the room and shoot the character as they enter the room. These two shots are then put together to make it appear that the character entered the room in one shot. If you have two cameras you can shoot this at the same time, but need to be careful that the camera is not captured in the scene.

Forced Perspective - This is a technique that is used to decisive the audience into believing something that is not true. This feature was used to film a number of elements in Elf, where buddy was made to appear much larger than the other elves.

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