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Christopher ONeill
Unit 21 Single Camera techniques

Single Camera formats part 1

In this essay I will show my understanding of different types of single
camera formats.
Camera shots, angles and movements
Before I begin discussing different camera productions I will give a few
different examples of camera shots, angles and movements. These are
very important as they are meant to convey a certain kind of motion in
the viewer depending on what the director is trying to make the audience
feel, for example, a director who is making a horror film will use shots and
angles that he/she feels will make the audience scared or uneasy.
Camera Shots
Close up: This is one of the most prominently used camera shots used in
film, this is whenever a certain part of an object or thing takes up the
frame of the shot. Here are two examples.

Close up from in The

Shining

Close up from The Good,

The Bad and The Ugly

Extreme Close up: This is a close up only much more close to the subject
showing much more detail. Here are 2 examples.

Extreme close up from

The Blair Witch Project

Extreme close up from

Psycho

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Christopher ONeill
Unit 21 Single Camera techniques

Wide shot: This is whenever a subject or object takes up the entire of the
frame. Here are 2 examples.

Wide shot from American

Gangster

Wide shot from The Hobbit

Extreme Wide shot: this is typically a shot of the entire location that the
scene is taking place, a extreme wide shot is typically used as a
establishing shot to give the audience an idea about where the scene
takes place, the size of shot can also vary. Here are two examples.

Extreme Wide shot

from The Last
Emperor

Extreme Wide shot from The

Hurt Locker

Medium shot: this is typically a shot of a character in the movie from waist
up, usually during a scene conversation where dialogue is being
exchanged. This shot is used to let the audience know what the characters
facial expression as well as body movement is like during a scene. Here
are 2 examples.

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Christopher ONeill
Unit 21 Single Camera techniques

Medium shot from There Will

Be Blood

Medium shot from The

Terminator

Point of view shot (POV): This shot is used whenever the filmmaker wants
the audience to see a scene from a characters perspective. Here are 2
examples.

POV shot from Goodfellas

POV shot from Rear Window

Over the Shoulder shot: This is whenever the camera is placed over the
shoulder of a character, usually pointed at another character while a
conversation is taking place. Here are two examples.

Over the shoulder shot

from Looper

Over the shoulder shot from

Gladiator

Camera Angles

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Christopher ONeill
Unit 21 Single Camera techniques

High angle: This is whenever the camera is tilted downwards at the

subject being filmed; high angles make the object look smaller. Here are 2
examples.

High angle from Dark City

High Angle from the Girl with the

Dragon Tattoo

Low angle: This is the opposite of the high angle, the camera is tilted
upwards at the subject, this shot is used to inspire fear or helplessness in
the viewer. Here are 2 examples.

Low angle from Spiderman 2

Low angle from Matilda

Birds eye view: This is similar to the high angle only much more extreme,
as the camera is pointed directly down at the ground rather than just
tilted. This type of angle would be used to established scene location.
Here are 2 examples.

Bird eye view from The

Avengers

Birds eye view from The

Shawshank Redemption

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Unit 21 Single Camera techniques
Eye Level: Ths is whenever the camera is positioned at head level, this is a very
natural angle and would usually be used during normal conversatins that take
place during the film. Here re 2 examples.

Eye level shot from The

Apartment

Eye level shot from Forrest

Gump

Canted angle: This is whenever the camera is tilted to the side, this is also
known as the Dutch angle as it was first used in the 1920s horror film The
cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a revolutionary film which used this angle to
emphasize the themes of madness, it is still commonly used in horror
films to this day. Here are 2 examples

Dutch angle from 12

Monkeys

Dutch angle from The Third

Man

Camera Movement
Pans: This is whenever a camera is stationed on a tripod and either scans
a scene or follows the movement of the subject in the scene.

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Unit 21 Single Camera techniques

Tilts: This is similar to a pan only the camera moves vertically rather than
horizontally.

Hand held shots: This is whenever the camera operator follows the action
carrying the camera, this can sometimes work well in a film is you are
trying to get a real visceral feel to the movie, but other times it can be
really noticeable to the audience as the camera operators body will
unintentionally shake the camera.
A Steadicam was an invention that was made to tackle this problem, this
is a piece of equipment that is attached to the camera operators upper
boy, a camera can then be attached to the steadicam, this limits the
effects the camera operators movements have on the camera while
filming.

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Unit 21 Single Camera techniques

Crane Shots: A crane shot s similar to a dolly shot only much handier as
you can film from much higher and difficult spots much easier.
Ariel shots: This s whenever something is being filmed from a helicopter
high up n the air, commonly used as an establishing shot to give the
audience an idea of where this scene is taking place.

Dolly Zoom: The dolly zoom, also known as the vertigo shot, is a shot in
which while the camera is moving backwards it is also being zoomed in
creating an effect which undermines normal visual perception. It was first
used in the movie vertigo directed by Alfred Hitchcock to show the
audience the mains characters paralysing fear of heights. Here are 2
examples of this shot.

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Unit 21 Single Camera techniques

Dolly zoom still from

Vertigo

Dolly zoom still from Jaws