Exploration of camera shots

ESTABLISHING SHOT
These are typically wide angle shots usually at the beginning of the scene that show the full environment in order to set the stage so that your viewer knows where the story is taking place. For example, imagine that you’ve just walked into party. The first thing you’d do is to scan the entire room to get your bearings. Similarly, providing an establishing shot allows your audience to take in a quick overview of the scene.


LONG SHOT
Long shots provide for a little tighter view of a scene as compared to the establishing/extremely wide shot. However, wide/long shots also show an overall view of the scene. It can show the entirety of the subject and its surrounding environment.

MID-SHOT

This shot gets in a little closer to the subject and usually portrays the subject from the waist up. If the subject will be gesturing, this is a good shot to use.

CLOSE-UP
A close up is a tight view of the subject. If the subject were a person, the person’s face would fill the entire frame for a close up.

TWO-SHOT
Two subjects are included in the two shot to show their spacial relation to each other. These are often medium or wide shots.








OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT
These are shots filmed from behind a person and will show the back of a person’s head. You’ll tend to find these in scenes with a dialogue between two people. For example, in wedding videos you’ll often have the camera behind the groom with a focus on the bride, but you’ll still see the head of the groom in the shot so the viewer knows the bride is speaking to the groom.

Camera angles are just as important as anything in film. To make it successful you need to have the right shots in place, with the right angle to really portray what you want to get across to the audience watching your piece. 





(Screenshots from 'The Breakfast Club')