mezzodistrutto

Camera shots, moves and angles

Scale:

1. Extreme close-up: A shot with a very narrow field of view that gives the impression is very close to the subject. For instance a part of a person's face or a detail of a wall.
2. Close-up: Same as above, but with a slightly larger field of view: A character's head and shoulders or a branch of a tree, for example.
3. Medium shot: A shot in which the field of view is between those of the long shot and the close up. The camera sees a human figure from the waist up or a whole bicycle.
4. American shot: A shot that frames a figure from the knees up – This can be useful to capture parts of a street.
5. Full figure: Shot composed around the scale of a full human figure – This can be useful as a guide for shooting parts of facades.
6. Long shot: A shot giving a broad view of the visual field; the camera appears to be far away from the subject.
7. Wide shot: Shot composed to see a wide vista.

Angle:

1. High angle: A shot taken from an angle above the object.
2. Areal shot: A very high angle shot, often accomplished with a helicopter or an airplane.
3. Low angle: A shot taken from the placement of the camera below the object.
4. High-hat shot: A very low angle shot, positioned as if were a hat's height off the floor. The name is taken from a piece of equipment called a high hat, which is laid on the floor and designed to hold the camera.
5. ¾ shot: A shot that is positioned halfway between frontal angle and a profile. Can be either a front or a back shot.
6. Profile: Shot from a side angle.
7. Straight on, or frontal: When the camera is looking direct t to an object.
8. Canted frame: Also called "dutch" or "chinese" angles. The camera is tilted sideways, setting the objects off the vertical axis.

Moves:

1. Dolly shot: Also called "tracking" or "trucking" shot. Camera travels on dolly trucks. Usually used to describe shots moving on the Z axis (pushing in or pulling out).
2. Pan: The camera swivels on the horizontal (X) axis often used to follow the action.
3. Swish pan: A very swift pan that blurs the scene in between the starting and ending points.
4. Tracking shot: Camera moves to left or right. Often used to follow a figure or vehicle.
5. Tilt: The camera pivots up and down from its base, which does not move.
6. Boom shot: The camera travels up and down on a boom arm. Often combined with a dolly move.
7. Crane shot: A shot taken from a crane that has the ability to boom down and track in long distances with using tracks.
8. Car mount: A shot taken from a camera that is mounted directly onto a vehicle.
9. Static shot: Any shot where camera specifically does not move.
10. Zoom: Refers to the movement of a zoom lens.
11. Handheld: Operator braces the camera on the shoulder or at hip height. Often used in point of view shots or in documentary-style footage.
12. Follow shot: Any moving shot that follows an actor/object.