Camera (Framing & Movement) - Notes

• In filmmaking, the camera is used to create the visual building blocks of a film sequence - these are known as "shots".
• When using the camera to capture narrative action, a filmmaker has to make a number of creative and technical decisions.
• These fall within the following two key areas:
  • Camera Framing
  • Camera Movement

• Camera framing refers to three key areas:
  • Shot type
  • Camera positioning
  • Camera angle

Shot type

• Types of shot refer to the positioning and distance between the camera and its subject.
• The main types of shot include:
  • Long Shot
  • Medium Shot
  • Medium Close-Up
  • Close-Up
  • Shot Extremes - Extreme CU and Extreme LS

Camera positioning

• In addition to considering framing in terms of shot type, it is also important to consider shots in relation to their point of view and perspective within the scene.
• Where is the camera positioned within the scene?

Camera angle

• A final, important consideration in relation to camera framing is shot angle.
• Camera angle can play an important part in a film's narrative strategy (providing an omniscient bird's eye view of events, for example). It can also contribute to characterisation (in increasing a sense of dominance or inferiority).
• The two main types of angle are:
  • High Angle
  • Low Angle

• The main types of camera movement that are used in film are:
  • Panning
  • Tilting
  • Crane
  • Tracking
  • Zooming

• Panning - a panning shot is where the camera moves slowly across from side to side from a fixed axis.
• Tilting - a tilt shot is where the camera moves up and down from a fixed axis.
• Crane - a crane shot is where the camera, mounted on a crane, moves around at a distance above ground level.
• Tracking - a tracking shot is where the camera follows the action, moving along tracks laid for that purpose, often pulling backwards from a scene. In some cases, a crane is used to make it possible to move the camera vertically and horizontally at the same time.

• Zooming - a zoom shot is similar to a tracking shot in that it is possible to zoom in (giving the impression of moving forwards) and out (giving the impression of moving backwards). In the zoom however the camera itself remains still and so the effect is a little different. A zoom enlarges or decreases the size of its subject. This can increase or decrease the subject's degree of importance.