So that you can understand a little more about the filming process, here are a few of the more common camera shots explained.


SHOT

Firstly what is a shot? Well put simply, a shot is a continuous section of film that runs uninterrupted from start to finish. What you see in a single piece of footage is a shot. Of course most films are made up of huge numbers of shots, some lasting only a fraction of a second while others are much longer.


AERIAL SHOTS

Aerial shots are taken from a high angle, usually from a crane or elevated vantage point. They are commonly used to take in landscapes or put a small item in perspective within a large frame.


BIRD'S EYE SHOT

A bird's eye shot is one taken looking directly down on the subject. This gives a sense of foreshortening and can be used to emphasise smallness.


CLOSE-UP

A close-up is a shot which tightly frames a person or object to fill most of the screen. Most commonly a close-up would be used to show an actor's face especially when expressing an emotional moment.


ESTABLISHING SHOT

An establishing shot may be referred to as a set up or establishing shot. It's used to establish a scene's location or participants, letting the viewer know what it is they're watching.


FULL SHOT

Also known as a long shot or a wide shot, this is another well used shot which in its simplest form shows a human figure in full from head to foot.


MASTER SHOT

A master shot takes in an entire scene from start to finish from an angle which keeps all the action in view, e.g. the recording of a stage performance.


MEDIUM SHOT

A medium shot is what comes between a long shot and a close-up. Taken from a medium distance, a common example would be a person filmed from the waist up.


PAN

In film terms a pan is where you turn the camera horizontally on a vertical axis. For example you could pan from left to right to take in the entire view of a long building.


SHOT REVERSE SHOT

The shot reverse shot is a technique often used where two people are talking to each other. Made up of two mid shots one person is shown looking towards another, who is shown in a second shot looking back. Since they are shown looking in opposite directions, the two shots combined make it appear that they are talking to each other.


TRACKING SHOT

A tracking shot sometimes known as a 'dolly' is where the camera and tripod are mounted on a wheeled platform that is pushed on rails. It can be used to keep pace with a moving object or track past a stationary one.