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Film Basics 101: Types of Shots

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Film Basics 101: Types of Shots Types of Shots Film Semiotics Adventure & Environmental Filmmaking Before you shoot 1. Know your STORY! a. Story Development comes FIRST (what happens to whom and why) b. Story concept BIG PICTURE! c. Smaller story Segments: scenes, chapters, episodes, set pieces d. Make it clear to everyone in your cast & crew 2. Know your equipment: a. Media: camera, mics, lights, etc. b. Outdoor tools: ropes, bikes, kayaks, etc. 3. Know your crew: skillsets, assets, talents 4. Know your actors/athletes/talent: skillsets, assets, talents 5. Know your location(s): Shoot to Edit! • Shoot footage that you will use in the editing room! • Be INTENTIONAL about your shooting! • Purposefull Shooting: Each shot should: Add to the emotional or psychological drama Advance the plot/story Add to the character (hero) development Give a new perspective • PLAN YOUR SHOTS (Ideal and Auxiliary) Create a MASTER SHOT LIST for each scene which simply describes the shots you need to get. • Get Coverage! B-roll footage. Illustrative cut-aways. – You will want to shoot more illustrative footage than you will ultimately use. – Establish an Aesthetic style: look, feel, perspective for your film. Establishing Shot (ES) • Opening of the film AND each new scene Propels viewer into story Often situates the when and where of the story (time & place) • Sets the location, time, tone, mood for the story/drama. • Foreshadowing Camera Position Relative to the subject Low Angle (LA) High Angle (HA) Eye Level (EL) Wide Shot (WS) • Larger Perspective Shot— – an "overview" of a visual scene. – You can see the entire body of one or more people. • About PLACE— – psychologically situate a viewer in a place – general mood associated about that place. • Lack of DETAIL/intimacy— – Can’t see enough of a person's face and upper body features. – perceptually outside the realm of conversational space. Medium Shot (MS) Head and Torso— Work horse shot— "Conversational“ Intimacy— – comfortable feeling for a conversation. – allows you to see a person's face and upper body features. – You get to know them without invading their space. Depth— “Wallpapering” Rule of Thirds Look Room Diagonal Perspective Foreground-Middle Ground-Background Wallpapering Close-Up (CU) Filling the Frame— FACE fills the camera frame. facial close-ups will cut off top part of a person's head Psychologically Emotional Involved/Intense— Detail— allow you to concentrate on DETAILS Reaction Shots Extreme Close-up (ECU) EXTREME detail Extreme intensity Emotion Sweat FOCUSED ATTENTION Point of View (POV) • Two shot Sequence— – a person doing something or looking at something – shot of whatever it is that they are looking at. • Empathetic Viewpoint— – You are suddenly "becoming" the person and thereby actually seeing through their eyes. – Inside a their head – Living their experience • Detail— – imply detail. They're intended to – force you to look with some detail at a visual seen. • Optical Devices— – Binoculars, Telescope, Camera, Window, serve as good tools for POVs Depth of Field What is in CLEAR FOCUS?! Large depth of field Shallow depth of field Shooting for Depth of Field Framing (Natural or otherwise) • Using objects/surroundings to “frame” your subjects • Focus our attentions Lifestyle/Environment Shots A “feel” for the place or person Person in their “environment” Subject strikes a pose Lets viewer gaze at subject as the subject gazes back Perception of connection .
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