Elements Of Camera

In this post i am going to analyse the different elements of cinematography providing examples which each individual element.

Shot Size/Distance:

The shot size is how close or far away the camera is from the subject, There are different types of shots at different distances which i am going to show in the diagram below.

      

I am now going to provide examples of some of the different shot distances using stills i have sourced from a website called film grab.

Long Shot:

A long shot will be used to show a characters surroundings without revealing too much about his or her emotions. Long shots can also be used as an establishing shot in a film to introduce the audience to the setting of the film. They can be shot using different types of camera movement techniques which i will explain in depth later.

Medium Shot:

A medium shot will be used in a film to show a balance of the characters emotions and their surroundings in a single shot. Medium shots are most commonly used when showing dialogue scenes in a film.

Close Up:

A close up will be used to emphasize the emotion of the character. A close up will also encourage identification about a character to the audience. This can help bring the audience closer to the character in the film.

These are the three basic shots, In my next paragraph i am going to provide examples of different variations of the shots above. 

Two Shot:

A two is a medium to long shot which will feature two characters within the frame. Some two shots will feature one subject in the foreground and one subject in the background. The director will sometimes rack focus in these shots which is a technique i will explain later in this post.

Over The Shoulder:

This is a from of a medium shot which is used to show the viewer who a character is talking to and to show what he /she saying being reacted to. This can help to draw the viewer deeper into the conversation and is a different way of showing dialogue and the emotions of a character.

Angle:

The majority of shots within a film a taken straight on however sometimes they are shot at different angles to add an emphasis to the power and situation of a character. Angle like shot distance can be defined as the position of the camera in relation to the subject.

Types Of Angle:

There are three different types of angle. Each used to emphasise different characteristics about a character. The three are as follows:

1. High Angle
2. Low Angle
3. Canted Angle

High Angle:

A high angle is when the camera is looking down on the subject. By making the subject look smaller it makes he/she look weaker and vulnerable. The viewer is made to feel more powerful or it allows them to identify something or someone in a superior position.

Low Angle:

A high angle will be shot looking up towards the character to make the subject seem more powerful and superior than they may actually be. By using this it also makes the subject look bigger than they actually are.

Canted Angle:

A canted angle is when the camera has been tilted. This type of angle is used to create an effect of surrealism within that scene. The still which i have used above has been taken from the film inception which was quite surreal within itself so it was important that the director used the correct shot to emphasise the surrealism in the film.

Focus:

The focus of a shot is an important part as it can help do draw your eyes to a particular area of the frame which is in focus. Focus is used describe areas which soft (out of focus) and areas which are sharp (in focus). Cameras used to film are very advanced pieces of equipment which are used in collaboration with sophisticated lighting set ups. This allows for the precise adjustment of focus within a shot.

Foreground, Mid-ground And Background:

Every shot is composed of a foreground, mid-ground and a background. Information will usually be in the foreground of the shot with information about setting/location in the background of the shot. The information shown in the shot is reliant on what part of the shot has a sharp focus as that is what the viewers eyes are drawn to. Basically the focus is used to draw the viewers eye.

Depth Of Field:

Cameras will use something called depth of field to control focus. This is the same in photography as it is film. The depth of field is essentially the depth of focus within the frame. It is the degree to which all information is sharp. If the depth of field is deeper more information is identifiable within the frame.

Shallow Depth Of Field:

A shallow depth of field occurs when either the Foreground or Background is soft and the other is sharp (in focus). It is usually used in a close up or medium shot to help draw the viewers attention to a character or object. On a rare occasion they might have both the foreground and the background with a soft focus. They will then have the mid-ground in a sharp focus.

Foreground Focused:

In this case the subject has been shot with a close up which already emphasises their emotions. By using a shallow depth of field the directors have been able to focus the attention of the audience directly onto the subject.

Background Focused:

By using this type of focus the directors have put an emphasis on the location of the film by capturing the famous landmark in the background. It also leaves me curious as to who the character might be however that is only relevant to this still. In the film this shot could be mid way through when we already know who the character is. One more thing which i would question about this scene is whether or not the directors rack focus in this scene. For information about racking focus please see further down on this post.

Mid-Ground Focused:

I was originally going to use this photo for a foreground focus however after studying the photo more i discovered that the subject in focus is actually in the mid-ground.

Deep Depth Of Field:

A deep depth of field is when both the foreground and background are in focus. This is forces the viewer to actively decide what they are focusing on when they watch the scene.

Example:

You can see from this example that both the foreground and background are focused and it leaves the viewer wondering whether they are focusing on the characters or what lies on the hill in the background.

Camera Movement:

In films the camera is almost always moving, whether it will be following a character or moving to show a landscape it is almost always moving. In the next few paragraphs i am going go through the different types camera movement with examples of how they are shot.

Different Types Of Camera Movement:

1. Tilt 
2. Pan 
3. Push in/Pull Out/Dolly
4. Track
5. Handheld
6. Steadicam
7. Crane
8. Aerial

I am going to use examples of clips instead of stills in for the different types of camera movement as i think that it will illustrate the movement of the camera to a better extent than that of a still.

Tripod: A tripod is a three legged stand used to support a camera.

Tilt:

A tilt movement will usually be shot on a tripod. It will be a vertical movement from a fixed point either moving up or down.

Pan:

A pan is a horizontal movement around a fixed point. This will again be shot on a tripod. It is used to convey a scene or it is used at the beginning of a film as an establishing shot.

Dolly:

There are three types of dolly based movement, these are as follows:

1. Push In
2. Pull Out 
3. Tracking

What Is A Dolly:

A dolly is a low platform sitting on tracks of some sort used to create smooth camera movement s when producing a film.

Push In/Pull Out:

Push in is when a camera slowly moves into the frame. It is often used to immerse the viewer into the frame. Pull out is the opposite of pull in. It is often used to withdraw the viewer from the scene.

Tracking:

A tracking shot is when the camera moves across the frame. It will often be shot on a dolly to keep the motion steady.

Handheld:

A handheld can usually be identified by the shakiness of the camera. It is often used to create the verisimilitude of a shot.

Steadicam:

A steadicam is a body brace which with a system of pulleys keeps the camera stable and floaty throughout the duration of the shot. It is highly rated in the film industry as it allows for the free movement of a camera without a tripod or dolly when shooting scenes in a film. 

This shot is widely considered of the best one take shots done on a steadicam. It was taken from the film goodfellas.

Aerial:

This shot will be made by taking a camera up in a helicopter or plane and shooting from that to emphasise an aspect of the narrative. The example i have provided above is actually shot from a drone which is a new piece of equipment used to film aerial shots in much tighter environments.

Drone:

This is typically what a professional camera drone looks like. If used correctly it can create smooth and high quality images to be used in the production of a film.

Crane:

Sometimes a small crane will be used on set to produce smooth shots coming from the ground upwards. It is a good technique which expands on the narrative shown in standard shots such as a close up.

Colour/Stock:

• Through the use of filters, exposure, post production and other techniques producers can apply different filters and techniques to emphasise the mood of a shot. The will often alter the colour of the shot to capture a specific effect.

Desaturated:

This shot has been desaturated (some of the colours are drained) to create a darker and more serious mood for the shot. Often used to add to verisimilitude.

Saturated:

A saturated shot is when the shots colours have been exaggerated by either changing the camera settings or by another method.

Black And White:

A film is usually shot in black and white to connote realism. It can also add a dreamy and other worldly effect to the film. Before colour was introduced in there late 1800's to early 1900's all films where shot in black and white so there wasn't really the option to alter use colour.