DOCSLIB.ORG

DIGITAL Filmmaking an Introduction Pete Shaner

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
DIGITAL Filmmaking an Introduction Pete Shaner DIGITAL FILMMAKING An Introduction LICENSE, DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY, AND LIMITED WARRANTY By purchasing or using this book (the “Work”), you agree that this license grants permission to use the contents contained herein, but does not give you the right of ownership to any of the textual content in the book or ownership to any of the information or products contained in it. This license does not permit uploading of the Work onto the Internet or on a network (of any kind) without the written consent of the Publisher. Duplication or dissemination of any text, code, simulations, images, etc. contained herein is limited to and subject to licensing terms for the respective products, and permission must be obtained from the Publisher or the owner of the content, etc., in order to reproduce or network any portion of the textual material (in any media) that is contained in the Work. MERCURY LEARNING AND INFORMATION (“MLI” or “the Publisher”) and anyone involved in the creation, writing, or production of the companion disc, accompanying algorithms, code, or computer programs (“the software”), and any accompanying Web site or software of the Work, cannot and do not warrant the performance or results that might be obtained by using the contents of the Work. The author, developers, and the Publisher have used their best efforts to insure the accuracy and functionality of the textual material and/or programs contained in this package; we, however, make no warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the performance of these contents or programs. The Work is sold “as is” without warranty (except for defective materials used in manufacturing the book or due to faulty workmanship). The author, developers, and the publisher of any accompanying content, and anyone involved in the composition, production, and manufacturing of this work will not be liable for damages of any kind arising out of the use of (or the inability to use) the algorithms, source code, computer programs, or textual material contained in this publication. This includes, but is not limited to, loss of revenue or profit, or other incidental, physical, or consequential damages arising out of the use of this Work. The sole remedy in the event of a claim of any kind is expressly limited to replacement of the book, and only at the discretion of the Publisher. The use of “implied warranty” and certain “exclusions” vary from state to state, and might not apply to the purchaser of this product. DIGITAL FILMMAKING An Introduction Pete Shaner MERCURY LEARNING AND INFORMATION Dulles, Virginia Boston, Massachusetts Copyright ©2011 by MERCURY LEARNING AND INFORMATION. All rights reserved. This publication, portions of it, or any accompanying software may not be reproduced in any way, stored in a retrieval system of any type, or transmitted by any means, media, electronic display or mechanical display, including, but not limited to, photocopy, recording, Internet postings, or scanning, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Publisher: David Pallai MERCURY LEARNING AND INFORMATION 22841 Quicksilver Drive Dulles, VA 20166 [email protected] www.merclearning.com 1-800-758-3756 This book is printed on acid-free paper. P. Shaner. DIGITAL FILMMAKING. An Introduction. ISBN: 978-1-9364201-1-7 The publisher recognizes and respects all marks used by companies, manufacturers, and developers as a means to distinguish their products. All brand names and product names mentioned in this book are trademarks or service marks of their respective companies. Any omission or misuse (of any kind) of service marks or trademarks, etc. is not an attempt to infringe on the property of others. Library of Congress Control Number: 2010941256 111213321 Our titles are available for adoption, license, or bulk purchase by institutions, corporations, etc. For additional information, please contact the Customer Service Dept. at 1-800-758-3756 (toll free). The sole obligation of MERCURY LEARNING AND INFORMATION to the purchaser is to replace the disc, based on defective materials or faulty workmanship, but not based on the operation or functionality of the product. This book is dedicated to Victoria Mature and Steven Scheibner. Victoria is my muse. Without her the creation of As You Like It and the writing of this book would not have been possible. Steven co-created my first movie, an epic of dental hygiene called Supercrest. He taught me the vital importance of silliness. I owe each of you more than I can ever repay. Contents Illustration Credits xxi Preface xxiii Chapter 1 Getting Started 1 Overview and Learning Objectives 1 What is Filmmaking? 2 Telling stories 2 It Takes a Village 3 But you don’t have a village of artists (or a movie studio) 4 What’s Ahead 4 Choosing a Camera 6 Format 7 Recording media 8 Tape Cameras 9 DVD Cameras 10 Hard-Drive Cameras 11 Memory-Card Cameras 11 Manual controls you must have 13 Manual focus 14 Control of Automatic Exposure 14 White-Balance Control 17 External Microphone Jack 17 Headphone Jack 18 Other bells and whistles 19 Zoom Lenses 20 Image Stabilization 20 Digital Effects 20 24P 21 So which camera do I choose? 22 Choosing a Computer 23 Firewire and USB ports 23 A large hard drive 24 Basic editing software 25 Final Thoughts About Equipment 25 Summary 27 Review Questions: Chapter 1 28 Discussion / Essay Questions 28 Research/Lab/Fieldwork Projects 29 Talking-Head Exercise 29 Applying What Yo u Hav e Learned 29 Chapter 2 What’s Your Story? 31 Overview and Learning Objectives 31 Story is Everything! 32 What makes a story good? 32 What’s Your Point? 32 It’s harder than it looks 33 What Makes a Story? 33 Parts of the whole 34 Act I – The Beginning 35 Act II – The Middle 37 Act III – The End 38 Not All Stories Should be Movies 41 Choosing the right format 41 The Novel Approach 41 The Play’s the Thing 42 The Motion Picture Show 43 How Can I Make My Story Visual? 45 Show me, don’t tell me 45 Find a physical action to represent a thought 46 Keep dialogue to a minimum 46 viii n n n CONTENTS n What Should My Script Look Like? 48 How Do I Know If It’s Any Good? 50 Get a second opinion 50 Summary 51 Review Questions: Chapter 2 52 Discussion / Essay Questions 52 Applying What Yo u Hav e Learned 53 Research/Lab/Fieldwork Projects 53 Chapter 3 Stop or I’ll Shoot 57 Overview and Learning Objectives 57 I Want More Control 58 I Can See Clearly Now 59 Let’s stay focused 60 How to focus manually 62 Using the Focus Ring 66 Feeling Exposed 70 The many, many types of exposure control 73 Using shutter control 76 Working with gain control 77 Staying Balanced 78 Light sources and their colors 78 Setting your white balance 79 Standard Presets 80 Custom Settings 81 Operating Like a Professional 82 First things first: Put that camera on a tripod! 83 Choosing the Right Tripod 84 Going handheld 87 How to shoot handheld like a pro 88 Grips and Body Positions 88 Hello dolly 92 Other Operator Options 95 Summary 98 Review Questions: Chapter 3 98 Discussion / Essay Questions 99 Applying What Yo u Hav e Learned 99 Research/Lab/Fieldwork Projects 99 n CONTENTS n n n ix Chapter 4 The Language of the Shot 103 Overview and Learning Objectives 103 What’d He Just Say? 104 Lenses: The Director’s Quill 104 Characteristics of wide-angle lenses 105 Characteristics of telephoto lenses 110 Characteristics of normal lenses 113 Your Visual Vocabulary 115 What the heck is coverage? 115 The establishing shot 117 The master shot 118 The long shot 119 The medium shot 119 The closeup 120 The extreme closeup 122 Expanding Your Vocabulary 123 The two-shot 123 The single 124 The Dirty Single 124 The Clean Single 125 The insert 126 Variations on Theme 127 What’s your angle? 127 High Angle 128 Low Angle 128 Size matters 128 Let’s Get Graphic 129 The rule of thirds 131 Put a frame on it 133 It’s all in the lines 137 Verticals 137 Horizontals 137 Diagonals 139 Curves 139 It’s good to be different 139 Don’t Cross the Line 140 Preserving Screen Direction 145 Summary 147 x n n n CONTENTS n Review Questions: Chapter 4 148 Discussion / Essay Questions 148 Applying What Yo u Hav e Learned 149 Research/Lab/Fieldwork Projects 149 Chapter 5 Lighting Made Easy 151 Overview and Learning Objectives 151 Why Do I Have to Light My Scene? 152 But I’m not a cinematographer 152 Basic Lighting Concepts 154 Light and shadows define form 154 What’s brightest object? 156 Look over there! 157 Hard or Soft: Two Types of Light 157 It All Starts With Three-Point Lighting 160 Key light 161 Fill light 163 Back light 165 Practical Lighting Considerations 166 Hard or soft? 168 What about the set? 169 Do I really need three lights? 170 Help! I’ve only got one light! 171 No, really, I only have one light! 172 Lights, the Cinematographer’s Paintbrush 174 The basics 174 Grip equipment 177 So where do I get lighting and grip equipment? 178 Making your own equipment 180 Shooting Outdoors 181 It’s a bright, bright, sunshiny day 181 Diffuse the Sun 183 Add Light to the Scene 183 Subtract Light from the Scene 185 Cloudy days 188 Nighttime 189 Day for night 190 Magic hour 191 n CONTENTS n n n xi Summary 192 Review Questions: Chapter 5 193 Discussion / Essay Questions 193 Applying What Yo u Hav e Learned 193 Research/Lab/Fieldwork Projects 193 Chapter 6 Now Hear This 195 Overview and Learning Objectives 195 Telling Stories with Pictures AND Sound 196 When Dialogue is King 197 Microphone Placement 198 The Different Types of Microphones 199 A quick microphone primer 199 Microphone pick-up patterns 200 Wired lavaliere microphones 201 Wireless lavaliere microphones
Load more

Recommended publications
  • TRANSCRIPT Editing, Graphics and B Roll, Oh
    TRANSCRIPT Editing, Graphics and B Roll, Oh My! You’ve entered the deep dark tunnel of creating a new thing…you can’t see the light of day… Some of my colleagues can tell you that I am NOT pleasant to be around when I am in the creative video-making tunnel and I feel like none of the footage I have is working the way I want it to, and I can’t seem to fix even the tiniest thing, and I’m convinced all of my work is garbage and it’s never going to work out right and… WOW. Okay deep breaths. I think it’s time to step away from the expensive equipment and go have a piece of cake…I’ll be back… Editing, for me at least, is the hardest, but also most creatively fulfilling part of the video-making process. I have such a love/hate relationship with editing because its where I start to see all the things I messed up in the planning and filming process. But it’s ALSO where - when I let it - my creativity pulls me in directions that are BETTER than I planned. Most of my best videos were okay/mediocre in the planning and filming stages, but became something special during the editing process. So, how the heck do you do it? There are lots of ways to edit, many different styles, formats and techniques you can learn. But for me at least, it comes down to being playful and open to the creative process. This is the time to release your curious and playful inner child.
    [Show full text]
  • Film Terminology
    Film Terminology Forms of Fiction English 12 Camera SHOTS camera shot is the amount of space that is seen in one shot or frame. Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of a film's setting, characters and themes. As a result, camera shots are very important in shaping meaning in a film. Extreme long shot A framing in which the scale of the object shown is very small; a building, landscape, or crowd of people would fill the screen. Extreme long shot/Establishing shot This shot, usually involving a distant framing, that shows the spatial relations among the important figures, objects, and setting in a scene. Long Shot A framing in which the scale of the object shown is very small A standing human figure would appear nearly half the height of the screen. It is often used to show scenes of action or to establish setting - Sometimes called an establishing shot Medium long shot A framing at a distance that makes an object about four or five feet high appear to fill most of the screen vertically Medium Shot A framing in which the scale of the object shown is of moderate size A human figure seen from the waist up would fill most of the screen Over the shoulder This shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject This shot helps to establish the position of each person and get the feel of looking at one person from the other’s point of view It is common to cut between these shots during conversation Medium close up A framing in which the scale of the object is fairly large a human figure seen from the chest up would fill most the screen Close-up Shot A framing in which the scale of the object shown is relatively large; most commonly a person’s head seen from the neck up, or an object of a comparable size that fills most of the screen.
    [Show full text]
  • Syllabus for M.Sc. (Film Production)| 1
    Syllabus for M.Sc. (Film Production)| 1 Detailed Syllabus for Master of Science (Film Production) (Effective from July 2019) Department of Advertising & Public Relations Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication B-38, Press Complex, M.P. Nagar, Zone-I, Bhopal (M.P.) 462 011 Syllabus for M.Sc. (Film Production)| 2 MAKHANLAL CHATURVEDI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION (DEPARTMENT OF ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS) Master of Science (Film Production) (Effective from July 2019) Marks Distribution Subject Theory Practic Intern Total Credit al al CCC-1 Evolution of Cinema 80 00 20 100 6 CCC-2 Origin and Growth of Media 80 00 20 100 6 Introduction to Socio CCC-3 80 00 20 100 6 Economic Polity Sem - I CCE-1 Art of Cinematography 50 30 20 OR OR 100 6 CCE-2 Storyboarding 50 30 20 OE-1 Understanding Cinema 25 15 10 50 3 CCC-4 Drama & Aesthetics 50 30 20 100 6 CCC-5 Lighting for Cinema 50 30 20 100 6 CCC-6 Audiography 50 30 20 100 6 Sem - II CCE-3 Art of Film Direction 50 30 20 OR OR 100 6 CCE-4 Film Journalism 50 30 20 OE-2 Ideation and Visualization 25 15 10 50 3 CCC-7 Multimedia Platform 50 30 20 100 6 Editing Techniques & CCC-8 50 30 20 100 6 Practice CCC-9 Film Research 50 30 20 100 6 Sem - III Screenplay Writing for CCE-5 50 30 20 Cinema OR 100 6 OR CCE-6 50 30 20 Advertisement Film Making OE-3 Film Society & Culture 40 00 10 50 3 CCC-10 Film Business & Regulations 80 00 20 100 6 CCC-11 Cinematics 50 30 20 100 6 CCC-12 Project Work on Film Making 00 80 20 100 6 Sem - Literature & Cinema CCE-7 80 00 20 IV OR OR 100 6 Film Management & CCE-8 80 00 20 Marketing OE-4 Documentary Film Making 25 15 10 50 3 Syllabus for M.Sc.
    [Show full text]
  • Film Studies Film Studies
    Summer School Film Studies Film Studies Progression to A Level Film Studies at Prior Pursglove College What is film studies? Film studies is an academic subject that aims to broaden your knowledge and understanding of film and the range of responses film can generate. We study mainstream American films from past and present, independent films, British films, non-English language films, silent films and significant film movements. You are assessed via 2 exams where you will have written a series of essays in response to questions, as well as a piece of coursework requiring you to make your own short film or write a screenplay for a short film and a written evaluation of your work. What makes an ideal film student? A passion for film, an interest in analysing the content of film, a keen essay writer, creative ideas. Preparing for film studies To help you prepare for the A Level a playlist has been compiled with 72 tasks on this worksheet to work through. We begin by learning the language of film – you will learn lots of new terminology covering camerawork, editing techniques, performance techniques, sound techniques and mise-en-scene features. We use these terms to analyse how films have been constructed. The first few videos in the playlist give examples of film language and teach you about their use and meaning. We explore representation in film – considering how ideas about the world are represented and how specific social groups are represented. Some videos have been included to explain representation in the media (including film) and what things to consider.
    [Show full text]
  • 3. Master the Camera
    mini filmmaking guides production 3. MASTER THE CAMERA To access our full set of Into Film DEVELOPMENT (3 guides) mini filmmaking guides visit intofilm.org PRE-PRODUCTION (4 guides) PRODUCTION (5 guides) 1. LIGHT A FILM SET 2. GET SET UP 3. MASTER THE CAMERA 4. RECORD SOUND 5. STAY SAFE AND OBSERVE SET ETIQUETTE POST-PRODUCTION (2 guides) EXHIBITION AND DISTRIBUTION (2 guides) PRODUCTION MASTER THE CAMERA Master the camera (camera shots, angles and movements) Top Tip Before you begin making your film, have a play with your camera: try to film something! A simple, silent (no dialogue) scene where somebody walks into the shot, does something and then leaves is perfect. Once you’ve shot your first film, watch it. What do you like/dislike about it? Save this first attempt. We’ll be asking you to return to it later. (If you have already done this and saved your films, you don’t need to do this again.) Professional filmmakers divide scenes into shots. They set up their camera and frame the first shot, film the action and then stop recording. This process is repeated for each new shot until the scene is completed. The clips are then put together in the edit to make one continuous scene. Whatever equipment you work with, if you use professional techniques, you can produce quality films that look cinematic. The table below gives a description of the main shots, angles and movements used by professional filmmakers. An explanation of the effects they create and the information they can give the audience is also included.
    [Show full text]
  • Free Video Tools
    Free Video Tools How do you choose the right video editing software especially when you are a newbie and want a free video editing software before you dig deeper? Interface: For a newbie, a user-friendly interface can help you save a lot of time from learning and getting familiar with the program. Some users like to use modern and intuitive free video editor, while others just like to use old style editors. Formats: Make sure the software you choose enables you to export common used formats like MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, etc, so that you can easily share your work on YouTube or other social media platform. Friendly reminder: generally speaking, MP4 is the most used format, so it is wiser to find a free video editor that supports MP4 at least. Below are some of the most popular free tools. Screen Recording Tools Ezvid is a 100% free video creation tool that allows you to capture everything that appears on your computer screen. It also allows you to edit your recorded videos by splitting your recordings, inserting text and audio, controlling the speed and even drawing directly on your screen. There’s also a Gaming Mode specially designed for gamers to avoid black screen problems when recording games such as Diablo III and Call of Duty which are full screen games. You can save your edited videos for later use or you may directly upload them on YouTube. https://www.ezvid.com/ TO LEARN MORE, VISIT US AT NVCC.EDU Blueberry Flashback Express recorder This recorder enables you to capture your screen while recording yourself through a webcam.
    [Show full text]
  • Video Storytelling Narratives for Impact
    Video Storytelling Narratives for Impact February 8, 2017 | Washington, DC Types of Video Promotional Video Public Information & Awareness Video A promotional video is a marketing tool. It shows A public information or awareness video is used to what an organization is doing while eliciting a give a brief overview of a situation and is usually response from the viewer. This response may be to followed by a call to action. join the organization, donate to the organization, or simply click to the website to learn more. Public information and awareness videos typically Promotional videos typically should be 30 seconds should be around a minute and 30 seconds long, to a minute and 30 seconds long. and no longer than five minutes. Educational or Training Video Documentation Video An educational or training video aims to either A documentation video documents a specific teach viewers to do a specific task by going through project or issue, or an entire program and its a step-by-step demonstration or to educate on a work. These are often used to document or general topic with key information explained. evaluate work and can serve as a promotional, informational, or educational tools as well. Educational or training videos can be five minutes Documentaries can be five minutes long or longer, long or longer, depending on content. depending on content. The Narrative Arc The narrative arc is the Climax chronological construction of plot in a novel or story Rising Action Falling Action Conflict Introduced X Exposition Resolution Basic Video Tips Production Budget Production Equipment An intentional video and strong message are Speaking of equipment, what do you need to make a more important than HD, special effects, or sleek video? videography! • A camera for recording video What might you need to include in your budget? • Microphone • Audio recorder Item Cost • Tripod • Memory cards Camera Equipment • External hard drive Video Editing Software Travel You have multiple options when purchasing a camera.
    [Show full text]
  • Beginners Guide to Video - JMBS
    Beginners Guide to Video - JMBS This guide is intended for anyone who wishes to use a video camera for news gathering or documentary work. Although it is written for the complete novice there should also be something here for the more experienced. Camera Technique Books have been dedicated to this but there are a few things that are very useful to consider. • The most reliable way of getting good shots is to turn the lens to as wide an angle as possible and get as close to the subject/action as possible. • Treat the camera as if it were a stills camera. Avoid panning(left/right), tilting(up/down) and zooming unless it is absolutely necessary. Simple shots are best and they are easier to pull off. • Use a tripod or monopod wherever possible and if not try to find something to lean against. • If you have to change the camera angle do it as slowly (and smoothly) as possible. It is much better to have something briefly out of shot than to be continually/rapidly changing the camera angle. Ideally it should be done so slowly that the audience does not notice. • If you are panning over a long distance or following quick moving action generally speaking things should be in shot for at least five seconds. • When shooting without a tripod bear in mind the wider the angle you are shooting the steadier the shot. If possible move in closer rather than zooming in. To help steady the camera push the eyepiece to your eye and press your elbows against the bottom of your ribs.
    [Show full text]
  • Videography Terminology Continuity
    Videography Terminology Continuity This is an important concept to keep in mind during recording of video/audio and later in post-production. Continuity means that if something is in one position or state-of-being in one shot, it needs to be the same way in the next shot unless it has purposely been changed for storytelling purposes. Some examples of lack of continuity are changes in a subject’s clothing, hair style, body position, or position of objects on the set between two shots that are supposed to be occurring within the same time frame. Another example is when in one shot a subject is traveling in one direction, but in the next shot the movement is in the opposite direction. Continuity changes can also occur with audio if scenes are shot in different locations or at different times but are supposed to be occurring in the same location. Framing Your Shot Rule of thirds: Divide the image in the viewfinder into horizontal and vertical thirds like placing a tic-tac-toe grid over it. Place a key part of the image on one of the intersecting points. This keeps the picture interesting and creates a pleasingly balanced image. Head room: The space between the top of the head and the upper edge of the picture or television screen. Breathing room: The space in front of a person’s face when recorded in profile. Classroom Video Production: Videography Terminology © KET 2015 1 Lead room: The space in front of a moving object or person. Types of Shots Wide shot (WS): A shot taken from a distance to show a landscape, building, or large crowd, such as the view of New York City from the Ellis Island.
    [Show full text]
  • Cinematic Storytelling
    Cinematic Storytelling is handout is a compilation of notes from the timeless book Cinematic Storytelling: e 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know by Jennifer Van Sijll (2005). Even though we have probably seen these conventions used hundreds of times in Hollywood "lms, many of us lack the awareness and vocabulary to identify the types of techniques used to create the shots in a movie sequence. is handout is a crash course to enable you to create more effective storyboards by revealing many of the techniques at your disposal to tell your story. Thoughts on filmmaking “I can pick up a screenplay and "ip through the pages. If all I see is dialog, dialog, dialog, I won’t even read it. I don’t care how good the dialog is -- it’s a moving picture. It has to move all the time... It’s not the stage. A movie audience doesn’t have the patience to sit and learn a lesson...” -- Robert Evans, “e Biggest Mistake Writers Make” “In many of the #lms now being made, there is very little cinema; they are mostly what I call ‘photographs of people talking.’ When we tell a story in cinema, we should resort to dialog only when it’s impossible to do otherwise... It is essential… to rely more on the visual than on the dialog. Whichever way you choose to stage the action, your main concern is to hold the audience’s fullest attention.” -- Alfred Hitchcock Famous silent movies like e Great Train Robbery and Metropolis had to use non-dialog techniques to carry character and plot.
    [Show full text]
  • Teaching Continuity for COVID-19 Video Glossary of Terms
    TeachingVideo Glossary continuity of Terms for COVID-19 GuideInteraction to terms and usedActivities in the production of video A F Aspect Ratio: The relationship between the width and the Fade: A dissolve transition between an image and height of your video dimensions expressed a black screen, or the gradual increase or as a ratio, 16:9 is the common HD ratio. decrease in the level of an audio signal. Attenuation: A reduction in signal strength, to make quieter. Field of view: The maximum angle of view that can be seen through a lens. B Focal length: The distance from the lens to the image focus point inside the camera. A high focal length B-roll footage: Is supplementary video footage that provides makes distance objects appear magnified supporting details and context for your video while a low focal length gives a wide view of and gives you greater flexibility in the editing the scenery. Important when deciding what process. Common examples include the lens to use – wide angle, standard, telephoto, footage used to cut away from an interview fisheye lens. to help tell your story. Framing: Positioning the camera and zooming in and out Bandwidth: The maximum data transfer rate of a network to get a pleasing composition and perspective or internet connection. of the object. Bit rate: The amount of data used for each second The rate at which a sensor captures video of video, can be constant and variable. Frame rate: during one second. Typical frame rates are Boom Long, directional microphones. They can be 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 60.
    [Show full text]
  • Film Analysis
    Film Analysis I Shots Extreme long shot (ELS) / panoramic shot (Panoramaeinstellung): The camera is far away from the subject, emphasising the surroundings (Umgebung) e.g. a tiny group of riders in a vast landscape in a western. Long shot (LS) (Totale): A human usually takes up less than half the height of the frame (Bild), often used to show the setting of a scene. Medium shot (MS) (Halbnah): The subject and the surroundings have about equal importance. The picture shows e.g. the upper body of a person. Close-up (CU) (Großaufnahme): The subject fills most of the frame (e.g. the entire head) and little of the surroundings is shown. Close-ups are often used to show a character’s feelings. Extreme close-up (ECU) (Detailaufnahme): For example only the eyes or a certain object (like a knife or a gun) are shown. Establishing shot (Anfangseinstellung): Usually a long shot or an extreme long shot, which “estab­ lishes”, i.e. shows the setting (Schauplatz) often at the beginning of a film. POV shot (point-of-view) (subjektive Kamera): The camera adopts (übernehmen) the per­ spective of a character. We see what a character sees and therefore often identify with him/her. Reaction shot: Someone’s face reacting to an event, for example when a villain (Bösewicht) comes into a saloon. Before we see him we see the fearful expression on the faces of some of the guests. Camera Positions Top shot: The camera looks down at a 90° angle, you can see only head and shoulders of a person.
    [Show full text]