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