CAMERA SHOTS
CAMERA SHOTS
By: Wanangwe Josephine 23rd January 2015
Email: josephinewanangwe@gmail.com
Moi University.
INTRODUCTION
Cinema is a visual medium and thus it should communicate or tell a story to its audience through the use of sound, lighting, editing, and the camera together to create an illusion of reality. These are the elements that a video editor uses to realize the filmmakers dream from script to screen. Shots are an important part of camerawork that are used to send messages to the audience. For example when a filmmaker wants to create tension in a scene he or she must know the exact type of shot to achieve this. A shot of a person planning to set a bomb in a building would for instance require the film maker to use a close up or better still an extreme close up to show the tense feeling in the characters’ eye. Using a long shot in this scene will not clearly bring out the message since the long shot does not reveal details or emotions. Any motion picture is made up of basic elements of a sequence referred to as the shots. This paper illustrates how various shots are used in film making to form a sequence and to convey different messages.
Extreme long shot
It is usually referred to as an establishing shot. This is because it orients the viewer to the location. It is an opening shot that is used to tell the viewer the exterior environment that the film is taking place. It therefore describes the location of the scene that could be the outside buildings, a geographical landscape of a town or city among other locations. It normally reveals landscapes. Usually a viewer cannot clearly see a specific object in this kind of shot though he or she sees the environment. It answers the question ‘Where’. The extreme long shot can also be used to set the atmosphere of the scene. An extreme shot of an arid land with wind and dust blowing up into the air can tell the audience that the place is a dry atmosphere probably a desert scene. The shot can also be used to show a
By: Wanangwe Josephine 23rd January 2015
Email: josephinewanangwe@gmail.com
Moi University.
INTRODUCTION
Cinema is a visual medium and thus it should communicate or tell a story to its audience through the use of sound, lighting, editing, and the camera together to create an illusion of reality. These are the elements that a video editor uses to realize the filmmakers dream from script to screen. Shots are an important part of camerawork that are used to send messages to the audience. For example when a filmmaker wants to create tension in a scene he or she must know the exact type of shot to achieve this. A shot of a person planning to set a bomb in a building would for instance require the film maker to use a close up or better still an extreme close up to show the tense feeling in the characters’ eye. Using a long shot in this scene will not clearly bring out the message since the long shot does not reveal details or emotions. Any motion picture is made up of basic elements of a sequence referred to as the shots. This paper illustrates how various shots are used in film making to form a sequence and to convey different messages.
Extreme long shot
It is usually referred to as an establishing shot. This is because it orients the viewer to the location. It is an opening shot that is used to tell the viewer the exterior environment that the film is taking place. It therefore describes the location of the scene that could be the outside buildings, a geographical landscape of a town or city among other locations. It normally reveals landscapes. Usually a viewer cannot clearly see a specific object in this kind of shot though he or she sees the environment. It answers the question ‘Where’. The extreme long shot can also be used to set the atmosphere of the scene. An extreme shot of an arid land with wind and dust blowing up into the air can tell the audience that the place is a dry atmosphere probably a desert scene. The shot can also be used to show a
References: Dancyger K. (2006). The Technique of Film and Video Editing: History, Theory, and Practice (4th Ed). ISBN 978-0240807652 Dmytryk, Edward (1984). On Film Editing: An Introduction to the Art of Film Construction. Focal Press, Boston Eisenstein, Sergia (2010). Towards a Theory of Montage. Tauris, London http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html (Accessed on1st December, 2014) http://www.videomaker.com/training (Accessed on 6th December, 2014) McGrath D (2001) Editing and Post-Production. Focal Press Moore, Harris C. (1949). "Production Problems: Cinematography". Journal of The University Film Producers Association.