A-Level Media

1. Camera Angles
Name:
Deadline: Friday 16th September
Sent to G Teasdale via email before the
lesson

2. Challenge
You are to independently research the following
camera angles and movements and create a
visual representation, as well as a description of
how the technique is used within the film
industry.

3. Camera Angle: Close Up
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Close up shots are used in films in order to focus on an emotion that one
particular character may be showing. For example if a character was sad, the close
up shot would capture the expression on their face and possibly a tear running
down their face. This is much more effective than showing their emotion in a
wide shot because the close up focuses the audience to their emotional state
alone.

4. Camera Angle: Establishing Shot
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Establishing shots are used to show the audience where the story will be told for the
following scenes. For example before showing two actors talking in a room, the camera
would have a shot of the building in which the room is located.

5. Camera Angle: Extreme wide shot
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
The reasoning for this shot is to demonstrate a characters surroundings. For example if it is
established that a character is in a building, this shot would show what is around the
building, such as a forest or a busy city.

6. Camera Angle: Wide shot
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Wide shots are used to show a characters surroundings, whilst their in the shot. This is to
show the surrounding they're directly in and usually the character takes up most of the wide
shot. For example it may show a character sitting in a chair in the middle of a wide room.

7. Camera Angle: Mid shot
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Mid shots are when a character is placed in the middle of a shot so that they are the main
focus in the shot. In a film this would be used to demonstrate a characters action as the
main point for the shot, for example a man laughing in the centre of the camera shot.

8. Camera Angle: Medium close up
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
The mid close up is half way between a mid shot and a close up. It is used in film to show
the detail in an actors face without the viewer being uncomfortably close to them.

9. Camera Angle: Extreme close up
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Extreme close up shots are often used to intensify an emotion that a character is already
showing, for example if the character was feeling tense, the camera would mainly focus
on frown lines.

10. Camera Angle: Cutaway
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Cutaway shots are usually used for suspense or horror, mainly to make the audience feel on
edge or afraid to look at the screen. For example a sudden cutaway of a horrific image such
as a bloody corpse will create suspense for the audience.

11. Camera Angle: Two-shot
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Two-shot Camera angles’ main function is to show a conversation between two people. For
example the camera would look at a character from the first character’s point of view, and
then switch to the second characters point of view looking at the first character.

12. Camera Angle: Over the shoulder
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Over the shoulder shots similarly are used to show a conversation or conflict between two
characters, however as the title suggests the camera shoots over the actors shoulder rather
than acting as the characters eyes.

13. Camera Angle: Point of view (POV)
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
This is simply seeing what the character sees in their eyes. This would be used in film to show
the audience an event or object the same way the character would so that the audience is in
the actors shoes and feels the same emotion.

14. Camera Movement: Tracking
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Tracking is when the camera follows a subject on set. For example if a character was running
through the woods the camera would follow the character whilst running.

15. Camera Movement: Tilt
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
A tilt or “Dutch” angle is used to create a feeling for the audience. This is usually to imply
something has gone wrong or twisted, much like the camera shot itself.

16. Camera Movement: Zoom
Image example:
How am I used in a film?
Zoom is used to slowly change how the audience feels towards a character, for example from a
distance the characters emotion may not be that clear, but as the camera zooms in closer to
the characters face they will be able to tell the emotion they are showing on the surface, such
as anger or sadness.

17. Rules of Framing
Detailed explanation
How am I used in a film?
Framing is the composition of objects and characters in a shot. This is used to keep the
audiences attention on a specific subject as it will stand out compared to the rest of the
shot.

18. The rules of thirdDetailed explanation
How am I used in a film?
The rule of third is described as guidelines to create a correct composition for a shot in a
film. The guidelines are that a shot should be divided into 9 separate squares and 3
separate columns, along side these columns should be an object or character that
matches the lines or into their intersections, this is naturally more appealing to the
human eye. Here is an example as shown below.
The rule of third in film is used to set up the composition and layout of a set’s objects. As well
as this, the rule of third’s columns also manipulates stage direction to match the lines of the 9
squared grid or to its intersections.