Media Language

Camera shots
Establishing shot
 The establishing shot, is ordinary the opening
to a scene it sets the scene.
 It gives the audience the idea of where they
are. This can also be seen in the opening
credits to Eastenders or Coronation Street.
 Establishing shots are exactly what they say;
they establish where the program is set and
gives information to the viewer in a short
space of time.
 They are usually exterior shots, and give a
general view of the surrounding. Establishing shots are also used as
part of continuity editing system
 They are usually followed by a mid shot and a (the Hollywood style) to present
close up shot. continuity and to move the story
forward.
Master Shot
 Is a long continuous shot that captures
all the action from start to finish.
 A master shot is usually filmed as a
opening shot of a scene and is often a
long shot, which is made up of other
shots that reveal other aspects of
actions i.e. the groupings of two or EXAMPLE The film Atonement uses a master
three of the actors at crucial moments, shot to film the Dunkirk beach sequence. Look
close-ups of individuals and various at how a master shot works to connotate
props, and so on. emotion in this sequence. Consider why the
director has chosen this shot, and also the use
 Key: Continuous, one long shot and
of a stedicam and a dolly. Why does this make
does not cut to other shots. the audience feel part of the action rather
 than using a mixture of different shots to

create a sequence?
CLOSE-UP
 A picture which shows a fairly small
part of the scene, such as a
character's face, in great detail so that
it fills the screen

 A framing in which the scale of the

object shown is relatively large.

 In a close-up a person's head, or some

other similarly sized object, will fill the
frame.
 These shots can be used to stress the
importance of a particular character
at a particular moment in a film or
place her or him as central to the
narrative by singling out the character
in CU at the beginning of the film.
 Connotation: This shot creates
intimacy between the characters.
EXTREME CLOSE-UP
 A framing in which the scale of the
object shown is very large; most
commonly, a small object or a part of
the body usually shot with a zoom
lens.
 Again, faces are the most recurrent
images in extreme close-ups.
 However, this shot can also be used to
show an extreme close up of a text on
a mobile phone.
 These shots have a symbolic value,
due to their recurrence during the
film. How and where they recur is
revealing not only of their importance
but also of the direction or meaning
of the narrative or to signal out at
important person or object.

 Connotations: ECU’s show emotion,

usually fear or happiness.
MEDIUM CLOSE-UP
 The medium close up is half way
between a mid shot and a close up.
 A medium close up is framing the
shoulder, chest to head. It would
fill most of the screen.
 Conventions: Medium shots are
frequently used for the tight
presentation of two or three actors.
 This shot is very commonly used in
indoor sequences allowing for a
visual signification of relationships
between characters. If there are a series of shots which show
 Connotations: Intimacy, coming two people in an MCU and then one person
together. in a sequence using MCU . This may co
notate the closeness or intimacy of the
two characters against the distance they
feel to the characters shown in a single
shot.
LONG SHOT/ WIDE SHOT
 A framing in which the scale of the
object shown is small; a standing
human figure would appear nearly
the height of the screen.

 It makes for a relatively stable

shot that can accommodate
movement without reframing
 Allows the audience to see a large
number of components of the
arena
MEDIUM LONG SHOT
 Framing such an object four or
five feet high would fill most of
the screen vertically.

 Also called plain américain, given

its recurrence in the Western
genre, where it was important to
keep a cowboy's weapon in the
image.
 Gives clear sense of character in a
given location and emphasises
body language.
EXTREME LONG SHOT
 A framing in which the scale of the
object shown is very small; a building,
landscape, or crowd of people will fill
the screen.
 Surroundings now have as much if not
more importance, especially if the
shot is in high-angle.
 This means that the closer up the
shot, the more the spectator's eye is
directed by the camera to the
specified reading, extreme long shots
give an overall view and do not
necessarily direct the viewers eye to
what the characters are doing.
 Usually the first or last shotsof a
sequence, that can also function as an
establishing shot.
Mid shot
 Its from the waist and usually used in
conversations and is a common shot.
 In film, a medium shot is a camera shot
from a medium distance. The dividing line
between "long shot, and "medium shot" is
fuzzy, as is the line between "medium
shot" and "close-up"

Top shot mid shot, left

shot medium close up
right close up
Aerial shot
 A camera shot that is
filmed from an airplane or
a helicopter.
 Not necessarily a moving
shot.
Point of View shot
 (POV) Point of view shows what the
character sees. These are often freehand
and are used in horror films.
 The editor may change the audience’s
point of view to create certain effects.
Over the shoulder shot
 Shot filmed from behind character's
shoulder: a cinematographic shot taken
from over the shoulder of a character
whose back can be seen at the side of the
frame.

 This type of shot is very common when

two characters are having a discussion and
will usually follow an establishing shot,
which helps the audience place the
characters in their setting.
TWO SHOT
 There are a few variations on this
one, but the basic idea is to have a
comfortable shot of two people.
Often used in interviews, or when
two presenters are hosting a show.
 A "One-Shot" could be a mid-shot of
either of these subjects. A "Three-
Shot", unsurprisingly, contains three
people.
 Two shots are good for establishing
relationships between characters
 two-shot could also involve
movement or action. It is a good way
to follow the interaction between two
people without getting distracted by
their surroundings.
Angles
High Angle
 A high angle is a power position.
 Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is
elevated above the action using a crane to give a
general overview.
 High angles make the object photographed seem
smaller, and less significant (or scary).
 The object or character often gets swallowed up by
their setting - they become part of a wider picture.
 These shots allow you to see more of the picture
the mise en scene.
 A high angle shot, can make a character seem more
superior and the subject more subject more
vulnerable.
Low Angle
 Low angles help give a sense
of confusion to a viewer, of
powerlessness within the
action of a scene.
 The background of a low
angle shot will tend to be
just sky or ceiling, the lack of
detail about the setting
adding to the disorientation
of the viewer.
 The added height of the
object may make it inspire
fear and insecurity in the
viewer, who is
psychologically dominated
by the figure on the screen.
Canted Angle
 Sometimes the camera is tilted (i.e. is not
placed horizontal to floor level), this shot
suggest imbalance, transition and instability
(very popular in horror movies).
 This technique is used to suggest POINT-OF-
View shots (i.e. when the camera becomes
the 'eyes' of one particular character, seeing
what they see — a hand held camera is often
used for this.
Movement shots
TILT
 The camera body swivelling
upward or downward on a
stationary support. Scans the
space vertically.

 A tilt usually also implies a change

in the angle of framing;

 High angle view – inferior

 Low angle – superior

PAN
 .The pan shot is more often used,
however, for the purpose of following
action or of giving movement to a
scene that otherwise would be static.
When made rapidly it is called a whip
shot, a manoeuvre that is better
reserved for special occasions, such as
a dramatic shifting of interest from
one character or thing to another.
 It moves from one side to the other
 A pan connects two places or
characters, thus making us aware of
their proximity. The speed at which a
pan occurs can be exploited for
different dramatic purposes.
HANDHELD CAMERA, STEADYCAM
 The use of the camera operator's
body as a camera support, either
holding it by hand or using a
gyroscopic stabilizer and a harness.
Can be attached to a dolly, is used to
stabilises footage. Generally used in
certain genres such as documentaries.

 Used by newsreel and wartime

camera operators.
 Recently, they are extensively used in
music videos and in the films like the
Shinning, and in Atonement and the
battle of Dunkirk.
TRACKING SHOT
 A tracking shot also known as a dolly shot.
Usually follows a character or object as it
moves along the screen.
 A tracking shot can go
 backwards
 left to right
 right to left
 The movement is normally quite fluid (except
perhaps in some of the wider car chases) and
the tracking can be either fast or slow.
Depending on the speed, this shot has
different connotations, eg:
 like a dream or trance if excessively slow
 bewildering and frightening if excessively
frenetic.
 The way in which a person is framed in that
shot has a specific meaning, (for example, if
the camera holds a person in the frame but
that person is at one extreme or other of the
frame, this could suggest a sense of
imprisonment).
Dolly
 A camera dolly is a specific piece of
equipment designed to create smooth
camera movements. The camera is
mounted to the dolly and the camera
operator and camera assistant usually
rides on it to operate the camera. The
dolly is operated by a dolly grip who is a
dedicated trained operator.
CRANE SHOT
 A shot with a change in framing
rendered by having the camera
above the ground and moving
through the air in any direction.

 It is accomplished by placing
the camera on a crane
(basically, a large cantilevered
arm) or similar device.
 A common way of ending a
film.
 Zoom and reverse zoom
 A zoom is technically not a camera move as it
does not require the camera itself to move at
all. Zooming means altering the focal length
of the lens to give the illusion of moving
closer to or further away from the action.
 The effect is not quite the same though.
Zooming is effectively magnifying a part of
the image, while moving the camera creates
a difference in perspective — background
objects appear to change in relation to
foreground objects. This is sometimes used
for creative effect in the dolly zoom.
WHIP PAN
 An extremely fast movement of
the camera from side to side,
which briefly causes the image to
blur into a set of indistinct
horizontal streaks.

 Commonly used in flashy action

genres such as kung-fu movies
from the 70s, like Fists of Fury
 Composition:
Framing of shots
180 degree rule
 180 Degree
Rule
The 180 rule ensures
directional consistency
from shot to shot

Focus Pull
Focus pull is useful for directing the viewer's attention. For example,
if there are two people in shot but only one is in focus, that person is
the subject of attention. If the focus changes to the other person,
they become the subject. This is often used in drama dialogues —
the focus shifts backwards and forwards between the people
speaking. A slightly more subtle trick is to focus on a person speaking
then pull focus to another person's silent reaction

 By change focus during a shot. this means adjusting the focus from
one subject to another. The shot below begins focused on the plant
in the foreground, then adjusts focus until the girl is sharp.
 Deep Focus
 A a technique which
incorporates a large depth of
field so the foreground,
middle ground and
background are all in focus
and clear.
Deep Focus

Here's another example from In Bruges, with Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell sitting by a river.
When put in context of the plot (Colin's character accidentally shoots a child during a hitman job), it
has a profound resonance: sitting by a calming spot of nature, it's framed so that Brendan Gleeson's
frame appears bigger than Colin's, as he takes on a surrogate father figure role
American History X
American History X analysis
• The camera is framed so Ed Norton appears much larger than
Edward Furlong. It's a deliberate attempt to make him out as
the older, wiser brother (he's straight out of prison at this
point).
• Edward Furlong's character is slouched back against the table,
but crucially, rather than framing him against the right side of
the shot, he's more centred. This close distance helps to
illustrate that they are brothers, and that there is a warmth
and respect there that later enables Edward Furlong's
character to overcome the racist views he has been taught
after listening to his brother explain about his time in prison.
• A wide-angle lens is used to show how cramped the house is
rather than a purpose-made set. Connotations that they are
poor.
Pulp Fiction

• Analyse the framing of this shot and the connotation.

Shallow Focus

This shot from film Michael Clayton and is an example of shallow focus, which is the
opposite of deep focus. The person in the foreground is sharp, but the man in the
background is a blur.
Shallow Focus
An OTS shot from Indiana Jones . The depth of field is not as shallow as that used
in In Bruges, whilst blurred, it still retains some sharpness.
• Aside from using these types of shots in films for focus pulls and intense close-ups, they can be used to
illustrate a character's state of mind - a great example of this is in American History X.

This can illustrate factors such as Ed Norton's haziness and slightly concussive state: he's just been attacked
by the Aryan Brotherhood members because he began to disassociate himself with them, is in great pain,
and is starting to realise the mistakes he has made in his life that have landed him in jail. He is also having
serious second thoughts about his white supremacist views, and if you want to get really artistic, the shallow
depth of field can visually illustrate the short-sightedness of those views. Again, these are both close-up
shots.