Camera Shot Types

 Medium Close Up- A shot of a persons head and shoulders. Allows the audience to view  the characters facial expressions, but without too much intimacy.

Mid Shot- Usually showing a character from the waist upwards, it allows for a closer look at the details but still shows enough of the background for the audience to look on the scene in it's entirety. It is often seen as one of the most natural looking shots, as it is the most common view when used in conversations 

Big Close Up- A shot of the whole face, giving the audience opportunity to engage with the character through close examining of facial expressions, and of eye contact.

Close up - Used to focus on the specific detail of an image. Most commonly used to show facial expressions of a character, making them to focus point of the shot.

Medium Long Shot - A shot of the character from the knees upward. (Must not show their feet)  Generally used during dialogue, but also gives the audience a chance to see the a closer detail among the action in the rest of the scene 

Extreme Close Up - One of the most dramatic shots, of only the eyes and nose of a character. The shot can look very artificial and staged if not used correctly. When used properly it can be used to create suspense, by averting the characters eye-line to either side the audience will wonder what the character is looking at. The shot can also be used to make the audience feel either very uncomfortable, or at comfort if the character on screen is making direct eye contact and staring straight out. 

Low Angle Shot - The camera is positioned below eye line, looking upwards. The shot can a have a variety of different effects. It can be used to show the dominance of a specific character, by looking up at them and elevating their status. The shot can also be used as a form of visual effects and helps to create a perception of an object being taller than it actually is. For example in the Harry Potter films, the character of Hagrid, (who is a giant) is often used in low angle shots to make him appear larger on screen. 

High Angle Shot - The camera is positioned above the eye-line, so that the character is being looked down on. The use of this shot can give the impression of the depicted character as an inferior, or to make them appear physically smaller. 

Tilted Frame - A shot that is very popular in horror films, the image is portrayed deliberately on an angle to create a variety of different dramatic effects, including: disorientation, unease, intoxication, imbalance or to be used within action sequences. 

Over the shoulder shot- The camera positioned looking at the subject, but a third of the screen is obscured by the person that is looking at them. The shot is used during dialogue to add perspective, and allows the audience to see the reactions upon the subjects face. 

Two Shot - Using two people as the subjects, this shot is most common when filming dialogue. The shot can help to establish the relationship between two characters. 

 Long Shot - Shows the entire characters body within their surroundings. It allows the audience to see how the character fits into the scene and also allows them to take in aspects such as costume.