Shot types

Camera Angles

-Birds Eye View- Shows a scene from directly above. Often used to make the subject seem insignificant, perhaps ant-like.

-High Angles- Elevated above the action using a crane. Makes the subjects appear smaller and insignificant.
-Eye Level- A reasonably neutral shot, as if the scene is being observed by a human.
-Low angles- Makes a subject appear higher, and can be used to give the viewer a sense of confusion, powerlessness in the scene.

Camera Distance

-Extreme Long shot- A scene setting, establishing shot which shows the landscape the scene is set in, or the outside of the building. Gives a general Impression of the setting, often with little detail.

-Long shot- Usually shows the whole subject, from head to toe, and background detail.

-Medium shot- Shows perhaps about 1/2 the subject, i.e. from the knee's/ waist up. Usually used for dialogue scenes or to show detail in the action taking place. This shot can include up to three characters. (then it tends to become a long shot)

-Close up- Shows little detail of the background, and usually shows the face of a character, or shows an object in more detail. This magnifies the subject and shows it is of importance, or the emotions on a characters face.

-Extreme Close up- Would perhaps show only one detail of the subject, such as the eyes or mouth of a character, with absolutely no background detail. Used for dramatic effect.

Camera Movement

-Pans- Scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which is used as an axis point which the camera is turned on. This may be used to follow a moving object.

-Tilt- Scans the scene vertically.

-Tracking Shot- The camera is placed on a moving vehicle, which goes along with the action.

-Zoom in/Out- The camera zooms in or out.

-Aerial Shot- Usually taken from a helicopter, it can show a scene from high above. It's very flexible, allowing movement to where ever, and is exciting. 

Rules of Three

The rule of three is quite effective in shots. The red dots show effective places to place objects in a shot, as these places are where the eye is usually drawn to. If a close up of a characters face is being shown, it'd be best to try and make it so the eyes fit snugly where the red dots are shown.

~JB