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It's easy to mix up the different types of camera shots and types of angles. To make a shot list, a filmmaker or video creative must know the classic types of shots based on attributes like shot size, shot framing, camera movement, camera mechanisms, and depth of field.

We'll break down all the camera shots and angles you need to know for your next film. We also include camera shot examples from famous movies to help solidify the discussed concepts.

The Ultimate Guide to Shot Sizes

Types of Camera Shots - The Shot Size

Camera Shot Size Summary

How you choose to frame your subject will have a specific impact. How close or far your subject is to your camera - your shot size - will underscore how the audience should feel about it (or them).

Your subject will appear smallest in a long shot (or wide shot). They will be larger in a medium shot and largest in a close-up shot.

Here is a shot list with every shot size organized from wide to near:

You can create a PDF of this shot list to print or store digitally.

Think about familiarity when you consider your subject's size in your camera shots. It's like meeting someone for the first time. You might shake hands or talk about the weather, but odds are you'll stay at a relative distance. That's because you haven't built any familiarity yet.

Shot size is the building block for choosing camera shots, but you'll also need to consider how framing, focus and movement can add deeper meaning to your shots. Read on to explore creative shot combinations.

Specific camera movements matter too. Are you going to rack focus while completing a dolly move? Or maybe it's just a traditional two shot on sticks? You want to capture all these details when shot listing.

Learn ﻿Mo﻿re﻿﻿ ➜

Tags: 12 Angry Men, A Serious Man, Alice in Wonderland, Armageddon, Being John Malkovich, Black Panther, Black Swan, Blade Runner, Camera Angles, Camera Movement, Camera Shots, Darren Aronofsky, Django Unchained, Eternal Sunshine, Forrest Gump, Full Metal Jacket, Goodfellas, Guardians of the Galaxy, Halloween, Harry Potter, Home Alone, Iron Man, La La Land, Little Miss Sunshine, Mad Max: Fury Road, Minority Report, Munich, No Country for Old Men, Oldboy, Paths of Glory, Punch Drunk Love, Reservoir Dogs, Skyfall, Star Wars, Step Brothers, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Dark Knight, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The King's Speech, The Martian, The Matrix, The Night Of, The Princess Bride, The Shining, The Usual Suspects, Video Essays, Westworld, Wonder Woman, X-Men

StudioBinder is a film production software built out of Santa Monica, CA. Our mission is to make the production experience more streamlined, efficient, and pleasant.

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A complete guide to types shots and angles in film. Covers types of camera shots by shot size, camera angle, framing, focal length and camera movement.

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Learn how to frame shots correctly with this illustrated list of common camera shots for video or still photography.

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Filming 101: Types of Camera Shots and Angles

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PolarPro® designs and innovates camera solutions built for rugged conditions, engineered to inspire you to get out and shoot. Camera filters are in our DNA and we’ve spent the last 9 years reimagining and pushing the industry forward with game-changing products like the VND, BaseCamp, Summit, and Li…

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Camera Shots: Main Shots And Must-Read Tips

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Camera shots are interesting ways to communicate a visual message to your audience.Here is all you need to know.

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To step into the world of Animation, the need to understand what is the Keyframe becomes extremely crucial. As we all know Animation is the knitting of a range of drawings to showcase users a holistic illusion of movement of the subject.

The term Keyframe denotes how the frame can independently change the parameter values in a video clip in a hassle-free manner. A keyframe is actually a frame that denotes the start as well as the end of the changes incurred in respect to a certain set of parameters.

In general terms, keyframing is the inseparable part of Animation, as it plays a major role in performing the alterations over each and every frame that enables the user to make concise editions in the video. Curious to know about Keyframing in detail? Well, head further in the article and explore what keyframing is, its benefits and how can it be used efficiently!

Part 1: What is keyframing

Video is an amalgamation of several images spread in a video. The term "Key Framing" is a core concept of animation and filmmaking that focuses on the beginning and ending point of the desired video clip. In professional terms, these drawings or images are referred to as "frames". This is because the smallest unit to specify the position of a drawing in time is fully dependent on the "frames" available in the strip of a film.

For instance, if your video is processed at 30fps, which means 30 frames are being displayed over the screen in a matter of a single second. Depending upon your video clip, different keyframes can be opted, where in each frame is distinguishing from one another and have the ability of taking different set of parameters (as per the need) for different properties like opacity, scale, position etc.

In between the pile of keyframes, there are some numeric parameters of values that get automatically adjusted over the frame to another frame for connecting the initial and next keyframe values in a smooth manner.

A couple of keyframes structures down the movement and creates the illusion of movement. While, you can opt to make due changes in the animation of one or two frames and the rest can be termed in the remaining frames as in-betweens.

Part 2: Benefits of keyframing

While it is a task to manage keyframes in a video for a beginner but once you get used to of it, keyframes prove to be of great benefit. Especially, when you are progressing down with hand-drawn animation, it becomes easier for you to locate the minor defects or faults easily. You can track that very frame or sequences and then implement an action.

For example, an arm is not going in the right direction, going to that very frame to get it rectified, supervise the motion of the bits and pieces when animating.

Changing Positions: If you are trying the hand-drawing pattern, making changes over the frame(s) by changing the position of the object gets possible. Whatever suits and makes the picture compelling, you can perform the working in every frame.

Scaling subject of the clip: To showcase a great message from your video, the scope of perfection is enriched by the enhancements you work upon. So, you can possibly look out for scaling down the text, object or subject of the frame. You can accordingly resize the object.

Customizing Opacity: For making your shot much more clear and concise, the feature of opacity.

Part 3: How to Use keyframing in FilmoraPro

While, we know keyframing is not a cake walk to perform, the need of having a great software arises. Now, without looking out for other options, you can certainly turn the possibility of making a jaw-dropping piece with FilmoraPro.

It stands as the one stop solution for catering all your video editing needs. Any professional or a layman can customize the effects so easily as a 1-2-3 thing over an individual frame. You can make use of the FilmoraPro by installing the software, importing the desirable file and then dashing in several properties in Controls tab.

Depending upon the needs, FilmoraPro offers a vast pool of options that are capable of drawing great line of features. So, if you wish to switch the place of the subject or the focus of object, simply enable keyframes over the "Position" or "Anchor point" property. In case you wish to flip the object, the "Rotation" option can be of a great purpose. To dash in a couple of edits, the properties such as "color correct", "grunge", "blur", "sharpen" etc.

Bonus: Apply Keyframing Animation Presets to Videos with Filmora Video Editor

Wondershare Filmora has some in-built motion effects in the previous version, but sometimes, the motion effects presets are not the exact movement that you are looking for. In the latest Filmora X, you can create customized animations. These custom animations allow you to precisely transform the rotation, scale, position, and opacity of a clip. Below is a video tutorial about how to create keyframe animation with Wondershare Filmora. Download the free trial version and have a try.

Conclusion

We hope by now you are well-acquainted with the nitty-gritties of what is keyframing. We've covered the extensive details of keyframing. And apparently, with FilmoraPro you can effectively and efficiently customize the keyframes according to your need. We appreciate your interest and time utilized in reading this article and hope that you've like our efforts to put this post through. In case, you've any queries or suggestions please feel free to share your views in the comment section below.

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What is Keyframing: Beginner Guide (Easy to Learn)

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To step into the world of Animation, the need to understand what is the Keyframe becomes extremely crucial. As we all know Animation is the knitting of a range of drawings to showcase users a holistic illusion of movement of the subject.

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Framing Your Shots - Photography Composition Technique

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We often put the photos we take into frames as a way of displaying and drawing attention to our favorite photos - but there is another type of framing that you can do as you're taking your shots that can be just as effective doing just the same thing!

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Photos look great when framed on the wall, but that is not the only way to use frames in photography. The world is full of frames, and they can be used in your photos to make the composition stronger.

In this article, you'll learn how to find frames. You'll also learn how you can work with frames to enhance your images. So let's use framing in your compositions!

What is framing?

Framing, as the name suggests, is when you surround your main subject with a border of some kind.

The frame could literally be a picture frame you hold up in front of the camera. However, there are lots of other ways you can create frames in your compositions. For instance, you can photograph through a window frame, a doorway, or a gap in a wall. And you can always create your own frame, which you'll learn about in a moment.

Why add a frame?

A frame is used in your image to draw the eye to your main subject. The subject could be a model standing in a doorway or architecture framed through a window.

Plus, a frame can add to your image. The right frame can add context, which creates a further narrative element.

Where to find frames

Here's the next question:

Where can you find a frame that will work for your photo? I've already mentioned a few classic ideas, but let's look at those (and others!) in more detail below:

Doorways: One of the easiest frames to find is a doorway. You can position your main subject in front of the door and use it as a frame. Alternatively, you can photograph through the door and use it as a frame for the background scene.

Picture frames: Hold a frame in front of your camera or ask someone else to hold it for you. Then use this to frame something interesting.

Windows: This is similar to a doorway, but doesn't run to the ground.

A wall: Here, you need to look for a gap in the wall to use as a frame. This can work well when the foreground (the wall) complements the background behind it.

Lensballs: One of the reasons a lensball is an effective photography tool is because it always provides a natural frame, with the outside of the ball framing the inside.

Photograph through: Look for objects you can photograph through, such as a plant pot or a tube. These will give your photo a circular frame.

Nature: There are plenty of natural frames. A cave entrance or a tree tunnel can work well.

How to photograph with a frame

On the face of it, photographing with a frame is easy:

Simply compose a photograph in front of something like an arch or window.

However, you need to consider some key compositional and technical questions. For instance, what's the subject in the frame? And how large or small should your frame appear?

Focal length: The focal length you choose will depend on how much you want to compress the area surrounding your frame. It will also depend on how far back from your frame you're able to stand. For instance, when photographing indoors, a wide-angle lens may be needed to fill the photo with the frame of a window or doorway.

Subject: Just because you have a natural frame does not mean you have a good photo, especially if the subject behind it is uninteresting. Look first for your main subject, and then look for available framing options. If you're taking portrait photos, this will be easier than if you're photographing a landscape; you can, of course, always ask your model to stand within the frame.

Narrative: What will your frame tell the viewer about the rest of the photo? Is it possible to adapt the frame in some way so it better suits the scene behind it? How much of the area surrounding the frame will you include, and how will that affect the story you're trying to convey?

Creative framing in your compositions

When a frame isn't available, you have another option:

Create your own!

This creative approach to framing in your compositions can lead to the best results. That's because you'll have more control over the frame itself. You can control the size and shape of the frame. You'll also be able to precisely match the frame to the image you are trying to create.

The following are some possible ideas for more creative framing:

Card or paper: Choose the color, cut out the appropriate shape, and make your own custom frame.

Copper piping: Placed close to the lens, this will create a flare-like effect when the sun shines off the metal, and this flare can be used as a frame.

Plant pot: Cut out the bottom of a plant pot and use it to photograph through. A wide focal length will likely be needed to catch the edge of the pot as you photograph through it.

Get framing!

Now that you know all about framing in your compositions, it's time to get out and practice what you've learned.

Do you enjoy using frames in the photos you take? Is there another approach you use when looking for frames? Have you ever tried creating your own frame so that it matches the photo you're taking?

Share your thoughts in the comments! And if you have photos with frames, please share them, too!

Simon Bond

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How to Use Framing in Your Compositions to Improve Your Photography

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Photos look great when framed on the wall, but that is not the only way to use frames in photography. The world is full of frames, and they can be used in your photos to make the composition stronger. In this article, you'll learn how to find frames.

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Camera Shot Framing

Camera framing explained

When you begin creating a shot list for a project, you first create a mental picture of each shot. Where are the characters positioned? Is the frame balanced or symmetrical? What about when there is more than one character in a shot? These decisions all add up to camera framing.

Before we jump into the specific types with camera framing tips, we'll begin with a camera framing definition.

Camera Framing Definition

What is camera framing?

Camera framing is the placement and position of the subjects in your shots. Shots are all about composition. Rather than pointing the camera at the subject, you need to compose an image. For filmmakers and videographers, a major consideration for framing is the number of subjects you feature in your shots, and their physical relationship to each other and the camera.

Considerations when camera framing a shot:

Size - the size of your subject has a direct relationship to the importance of that subject

Relationships - when we see more than one character in a shot, we are meant to acknowledge their relationship (romantic, contentious, etc.)

Balance - a "balanced" frame includes elements on the left and right side of the frame

We've created two mood boards in StudioBinder's storyboard creator that features the most commonly used shot framing, all on one page. If you follow the links to each project, you can explore the full collections and download PDF copies as reference.

First up, we have the camera framing examples from our featured video above. Pictured here are the silhouette illustrations but can you recognize what movie each of these is from? You'll find the actual movie stills once you follow the link.

Based on how you plan to position your subjects, you'll need to adjust your camerawork. You'll want to capture your framing details on a shot list well before you arrive on set. That way you have a clear idea for the scene and can communicate your vision with ease.

Based on how you plan to position your subjects, you'll need to adjust your camerawork. You'll want to capture your framing details on a shot list well before you arrive on set. That way you have a clear idea for the scene and can communicate your vision with ease.

That's not to say that things may not change the day of the shoot. But, having a shot list at the ready showcases that the director and DP have done their homework and are well prepared.

SINGLE SHOT EXAMPLE

Single Shot

When your shot captures one subject it's known as a single shot.

Here's an example of a single shot:

Single Shot Example * X-Men: Days of Future Past

Single shots can be set and framed in any shot size you like, just as long as there is only one character featured within the frame.

Now, why did I say featured rather than simply in the frame?

The reason is because you can have an over-the-shoulder single, also known as a "dirty single" that technically has more than one person in the frame, but the character in the foreground isn't featured.

Here's an example of a dirty single:

Over-The-Shoulder Shot Example * Armageddon

Two SHOT Example

Two Shot or 2-Shot

A two-shot is a camera shot with 2 characters featured in the frame.

Here's an example of a two-shot:

2-Shot Example * The Lord of the Rings

Two shots are often really useful for allowing performances to play out in a single take, which can be especially useful for comedy.

THREE SHOT EXAMPLE

Three Shot or 3-Shot

A three-shot is a camera shot with 3 characters featured in the frame.

Here's an example of a three-shot:

3-Shot Example * Harry Potter

Three shots are really important in adventure films, or really any film that has a group of characters, because it is an enormous time drain to shoot 3 singles just to show every character, not to mention jarring.

OTS Shot Example

Over-The-Shoulder Shot (OTS)

Another element of camera shots to consider is the perspective of the shot. An over-the-shoulder shot shows your subject from behind the shoulder of another character. Because it emulates perspective, it's common in conversation scenes.

Here's an example of an over-the-shoulder shot:

(OTS) Over-The-Shoulder Shot Example * Westworld

Over-the-shoulder shots can help to provide scene orientation, and connect the characters on an emotional level.

Watch: The Over The Shoulder Shot in Film (and How to Shoot a Dialogue Scene) * Subscribe on YouTube

Over-the-Hip SHOT EXAMPLE

An over-the-hip shot is similar to over-the-shoulder in that the camera is placed with a character's hip in the foreground, and the focus subject in the plane of acceptable focus.

Here's an example of an over-the-hip shot:

Over-The-Hip Shot * Minority Report

You'll gain a similar effect from an over-the-hip shot as you would an OTS, but if you have one character standing, and the other sitting, kneeling, or any other configuration that places the subjects on "uneven terrain" it will often suggest a power imbalance.

POV SHOT EXAMPLE

Now let's talk about choosing camera shots that show the point-of-view (or POV) of one of your characters. A POV shot is a camera shot that shows the view from a character or an inanimate object, like a bullet whizzing through the air or a bowling ball rolling down the lane.

Most POV shots will be from a character's perspective, but there is no hard and fast rule that requires them to be from living creatures.

Here's an example of a point-of-view shot:

Point of View Shot * Kill Bill

A POV shot is generally sandwiched between two other shots:

1. A camera shot of a character looking at something

2. Cut to your (POV) point of view camera shot

3. A camera shot showing the character's reaction

A point of view shot shows us exactly what the character sees, and we get to understand what's generating the character's reaction.

Insert Shot Example

Insert Shot

An insert shot can have many functions and often becomes the key shot is directing an audiences attention. If we see a character look at something, the subsequent insert shot shows us what they see.

They can also be used to show the audience a detail that goes unnoticed by the characters, leading to dramatic irony.

In this video, we break down how the Coen Brothers have mastered the insert shot (and how you can too). It's not just what we see in an insert shot, it's how the information is presented.

UP NEXT

50+ Camera Shots: The Complete Guide

Camera framing is just one aspect to directing with the camera. There are also dolly zooms, crab shots, bird's eye view, rack focus, and more to consider. If you'd like to see our entire list of camera shots, this next post is for you. Camera angles, movement, focus, framing, equipment - you'll get everything you need to build your next shot list.

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WATCH: Frame Your Shots like a Master Filmmaker [Camera Framing Techniques]

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A complete list of the different types of camera shot frames in film. Watch a video on every camera framing technique used by master filmmakers.

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Noun, e.g., Except for two scenes, "Lady in the Lake" (1947) consists completely of POV shots of Robert Montgomery's character, Phillip Marlowe.

Definition: POV is an achronym for "Point of View," a shot so-called because it shows what a character or group of characters is seeing. The audience is alerted to the shot in various ways:

By a preceding or following shot that frontally shows a character or characters looking off camera.

By people reacting to the camera as if it were a person or some other conscious being, e.g., various characters in "Dark Passage" (1947) look at the camera to converse with fugitive Vincent Parry, whom we hear but don't see until Parry undergoes plastic surgery to look like Humphey Bogart.

By a moving handheld or dolly shot that . . .

is over the shoulder of a character recognizable from behind, e.g., Danny pedaling a big wheel through hotel corridors in "The Shining" (1980).

shows a hand and arm extended outward, e.g., a hand opening a door.

elicits reactions from people whom it approaches, e.g., victims stalked by Jack the Ripper in "Murder by Decree" (1979).

is accompanied by music associated with a character, e.g, the shark in "Jaws" (1976).

History: The POV shot is practically as old as filmaking itself. It became a big shot beginning in the late 1940s with suspense, horror and science fiction films. All three genres strove to elicit shock, anxiety, revulsion and fear, and nothing makes a moviegoer's flesh crawl more than sharing the skin of a victim, protagonist or killer.

The late 1940s also saw the beginning of Hollywood's transition from the studio system's industrial approach to filmaking to the modern approach of director as film "author." No director more accelerated this transition than Alfred Hitchcock, whose concept of "pure cinema" made the most of the POV shot. Indeed, Hitchcock's "Rear Window" (1954) largely consists of POV shots and characters' visually and verbally reacting to them.

Related Topics: Dutch angle establishing shot framing 30 Degree Rule 180 Degree Rule
Hollywood Lexicon Index

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POV Shot | Point of View Shot - Hollywood Lexicon

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Noun, e.g., Except for two scenes, "Lady in the Lake" (1947) consists completely of POV shots of Robert Montgomery's character, Phillip Marlowe. Definition: POV is an achronym for "Point of View," a shot so-called because it shows what a character or group of characters is seeing.

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frame, framing , in frame

Definitions: A frame is a single image of film or video. Framing (a shot) involves composing the visual content of a series of frames as seen from a single point of view, i.e., a fixed camera. In frame is the term used by screenwriters to indicate the entrance of a person or thing into a framed shot.

Background: The "frame" of fine art was adopted by photography and then filmmaking to describe the borders of the camera lens. When framing a shot, the filmmaker creates a visual within the dimensions of the lens just as a painter creates a visual within the dimensions of a canvas. A major difference is that most framed shots include people and/or things in motion. Another is that the first objective of framing is not to create a picture worth a thousand words; it is to advance the motion picture's narrative.

Below are popular guidelines for framing a shot. Many have their roots in photography and some in Western fine art.
Establishing Shot
The farther a subject is from the camera, the more important its relationship to its surroundings. Shots in which distance makes facial expressions unreadable tend to be establishing shots, so-called because they establish the locales of the action to come. A common establishing shot would be characters entering building. Masterful establishing shots add more than where to the narrative. In the frame below from "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), it is established the place is a desert waterhole. But watching the distant figure of Lawrence approach, we are impressed with how vast, empty and lethal the surroundings are. The desert becomes a character itself.

Lead Space
When a character looks at someone or something outside the frame, the character's positioning should favor the side of the frame opposite his line of sight. Lead space is the line-of-sight portion of the frame with nothing in the foreground. This technique is particularly favored when filming conversations in which the character spoken to is off-screen. There are various phenomenological explanations why lead space does what it does, but the bottom line is lead space is essential to the illusion filmmakers seek. Below are examples of lead space, the first from "Titanic" (1997) and second from "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013).

Rule of Thirds
Landing points of focus tend to fall along the intersections of two horizontal and two vertical lines, each set of lines dividing the screen into thirds. From an intersection, the eye tends to move along the vertical or horizontal line to another intersection. Accordingly, a frame's main subject or subjects should occupy an intersection and continue along the horizontal or vertical line from it. Ideally the eyes of subjects looking inside the frame should either occupy an intersection or be pointed at one. For instance, in the frame below from "Bridesmaids" (2012), the eyes of the first two women, Kristen Wiig (left) and Rose Byrne, occupy the top intersections while the eyes of the far right woman, Maya Rudolph, are pointed at the top left intersection. The torsos of Wiig and Byrne each follow the lines to and through the lower intersections. Along the horizontal line of the lower right intersection we see the hand of Byrne, whose arm is embracing Rudolph. Of course, like all cinematography rules, Rule of Thirds is a rule until you can break it successfully.

Diagonal or Dynamic Tension
As noted, our visual focus is not fixed even when we view a static image. Images that invite our vision to move horizontally and vertically are easier to understand. We greet diagonal compositions with uncertainty that generates tension. It's a visual effect first discovered by fine art. Former art student Adolf Hitler was certainly aware of it when he designed the Nazi flag. Diagonal lines of floors, windows, shadows, trees, etc. are elements filmmakers use to invoke tension. The thriller "North by Northwest," (1959) gets our hearts beating with the opening credits (see below).

A diagonal technique unique to filmmaking is the Dutch angle, whose origin was in German cinema during World War I. Germany insisted that films shown in Germany be made in Germany, which led to two distinct schools of filmmaking-German and Hollywood. German filmmaking took its inspiration from Expressionist painting, emphasizing states of mind over storytelling. The Dutch angle, which involved shooting with a titled camera, was a popular device for evoking tension and anxiety. It was adopted after World War I by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Carol Reed, John Huston, Jacques Tourneur and Orson Wells, who appears below in a Dutch angle shot from "Citizen Kane" (1941).

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Related Terms: POV shot 180 Degree Rule Thirty Degree Rule MTV style editing

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Framing in Filmmaking - Hollywood Lexicon

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frame, framing , in frame Definitions: A frame is a single image of film or video. Framing (a shot) involves composing the visual content of a series of frames as seen from a single point of view, i.e., a fixed camera.

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Camera Angles

Camera Shot Angle Overview

It's not enough to just understand shot size. Camera angles, and degree of those angles, can totally change the meaning of a shot. As you prepare your shot list, it helps to remember all the options. We're going to build a shot list using StudioBinder to highlight the various camera angles. Here's a quick video on how a shot list is created.

Here is a shot list with the different types of camera shot angles. We used some of the most iconic camera angles from films like , Do the Right Thing, and Pulp Fiction as a sort of cheatsheet. Can you guess what movies are represented here? Follow the image link to see the fully populated shot list, which you can also download and use for reference.

Now that's we've reviewed all the different types of camera angles in film, let's take a closer look at them one at a time.

Eye Level Shot Example

Eye Level Shot

Our first camera angle is the eye level shot, and this is when your subject is at eye-level. An eye level shot can result in a neutral perspective (not superior or inferior). This mimics how we see people in real life - our eye line connecting with theirs, and it can break down boundaries.

Here's an example of the eye level camera angle:

Eye Level Shot Example * Game of Thrones

Eye level shots are actually much less standard than one might initially think, because directors often prefer to place the camera at shoulder level to attain a much more cinematic look.

Low Angle SHOT Example

Low Angle Shot

A low angle shot shot frames the subject from below a their eyeline. These camera shots most often emphasize power dynamics between characters - a low angle shot on one character is often paired with a high angle shot on the other character.

Here's an example of the low angle camera angle:

Low Angle Shot * The Matrix

Low angle camera shots are a perfect camera angle for signaling superiority or to elicit feelings of fear and dread. Here's a video that dives deeper into the various low angle shot examples and how they have been used by filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Orson Welles, and Spike Jonze.

In your next shot list, when you've got a character who is powerful (or at least feeling powerful), consider the low angle shot. It will bring that extra bit of meaning to your shot.

High Angle Shot Example

High Angle Shot

In a high angle shot, the camera points down at your subject. It usually creates a feeling of inferiority, or "looking down" on your subject. But, again, with every other camera angle, there are many applications.

Here's an example of the high angle camera angle:

High Angle Shot Example * Avengers

Here is our video on how you can use high angle shots in your film. But, as the video below shows, there are the standard and more creative expressions of the high angle shot.

The high angle shot is a versatile shot that can be used in many situations. The most common usage is to make a character seem vulnerable and powerless but there are always exceptions to the rule.

Hip Level Shot Example

The Cowboy Shot or Hip Level Shot

A Cowboy shot is when your camera is roughly waist-high. Hip level shots are often useful when one subject is seated while the other stands.

Hip level shots can also be extremely useful camera angles for when you have action that occurs near the hip, like weapons being drawn, or someone reaching into their pocket. That's why it's also known as a "cowboy shot" - we can't think of hip level shots without seeing a gun, holster, and the enemy ahead in the distance.

Here's an example of the hip level camera angle:

Hip Level Shot Example * Punch-Drunk Love

The further away you get from the subject, like in this moment from Punch-Drunk Love, to keep the subject framed with proper head room, a hip level shot will get the job done.

Knee Level Shot Example

Knee Level Shot

This is when your camera height is about as low as your subject's knees. They can emphasize a character's superiority if paired with a low angle. It's not as extreme as a ground level shot but it gets the same feeling across. These are ideal when you want to focus on characters walking, or in this case from , creeping.

Here's an example of the knee level camera angle:

Knee Level Shot * Home Alone

Ground Level Shot Example

Ground Level Shot

A ground level shot is when your camera's height is on ground level with your subject. This camera angle is used a lot to feature a character walking without revealing their face, but it can help to make the viewer more active and use the actor's performance to build an idea.

Here's an example of the ground level camera angle:

Ground Level Shot Example * Burn After Reading

Shoulder Level Shot Example

Shoulder Level Shot

A shoulder level shot is a camera angle that is as high as your subject's shoulders. Shoulder level shots are actually much more standard than an eye level shot, which can make your actor seem shorter than reality.

Here's an example of the shoulder level camera angle:

Shoulder Level Shot * Black Panther

Because the camera is aligned with the shoulder, it allows the actor's head to reach the top of the frame (reducing head room). It also places the actor's eye-line slightly above the camera, and, in turn, the illusion of a slightly lower angle.

Dutch Angle Example

Dutch Angle or Dutch Tilt Shot

For a Dutch angle (Dutch tilt), the camera is slanted to one side. With the horizon lines tilted in this way, you can create a sense of disorientation, a de-stabilized mental state, or increase the tension.

Here's an example of the Dutch angle camera angle:

Dutch Angle Camera Angle * StudioBinder

Here's a video example of the Dutch angle camera angle focusing on the precise moment to use one. Watch as the scene begins with "level" and "normal" shots before switching to Dutch angles for maximum impact.

Think of the Dutch angle as "emphasis" for any tense or subjective moment. It's a great way to amplify whatever emotion, mental state, or suspense you're bringing to the scene.

Overhead Shot Example

Overhead Shot or Bird's Eye View

An overhead shot is from above, looking down on your subject. These are typically shot from 90 degrees above - anything less might be considered a high angle shot instead.

An overhead shot doesn't need to be super high, but it can be. Here's an example of the overhead shot camera angle:

Overhead Shot Camera Angle * StudioBinder

Overhead shots are great for providing perspective on a scene - but not just any perspective. It's often used as either a "neutral" or sometimes "divine" point of view.

Aerial Shot Example

Aerial Shot

An aerial shot, whether taken from a helicopter or drone, is captured from way up high. It establishes a large expanse of scenery. Many of the helicopter shots in Black Hawk Down are aerial shots.

Here's an example of the aerial shot camera angle:

Aerial Shot Example * Black Hawk Down

Affordable drones have made aerial photography more accessible to filmmakers. Once considered a big-budget luxury or stock-footage mainstay, original aerial photography is now within reach of almost any production, all thanks to the "rise" of drones (and Sky-net).

UP NEXT

The Complete Guide to Camera Shots

Camera angles are very important in visual storytelling but they are just the beginning of the options available. When you find yourself prepping a shot list, remember shot size, framing, focus, and camera movement. When filmmakers can combine these elements into a single shot for the right reasons, that's when iconic moments in film are born. If you'd like to see our entire list of camera shots in film, make sure to continue onto the next post.

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Watch: Every Camera Angle Explained [Video Essay]

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A complete list of the different types of camera angles in film. We also provide you with camera shot angle examples and a shot list for download.

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Many times in filmmaking, finding the right angle for your shot will help you convey your story to the audience. The more you know about camera angles, the better equipped you'll be to create a compelling story. Incorporating several different camera angles will also help to add dimension to seemingly stagnant scenes.

Personally, I tend to be more creative with camera angles during scenes involving dialogue, where I feel the audience needs a little help to stay in tuned with the story. This also helps retain audience attention when using inexperienced or nonprofessional actors.

THE 6 MOST COMMON CAMERA ANGLES

Here are the 6 most common camera angles used when composing a shot.

1. Normal Angle - This angle is usually set at at eye level of the subject and gives the audience a natural or normal feel for the scene. Use this angle when there are no abnormalities or distractions in the scene. Comedies employ this angle very often because it does not distract the viewer from the comedic performance of the characters.

2. Low Angle - A low angle is usually set below the normal angle and features the camera looking up at the subject or object. This angle can be employed when one character or object is physically or psychologically larger than another character. The subject or object that is being looked up at is usually deemed more powerful, evil, or heroic than if shot at a normal angle.

3. High Angle - The high angle is usually set above the normal angle and features the camera looking down at the subject or an object. This angle is helpful when showing the audience that a specific character or object is physically or psychologically smaller than another character. With this angle, the subject or object being looked down at is revealed as weaker, smaller, or intimidated.

4. Birds Eye View - This angle is used to showcase a large area or reveal a great distance between two objects. A birds eye view shot can be very creative and also add higher production value to your film. This is why quad copters or drones are becoming more popular among independent filmmakers.

5. Point of View - or POV, is shot from whatever perspective the filmmaker is trying to portray to his or her audience. This can be an animal, such as a dog or bird, or an object, like a car or bullet. Basically, the audience lives through the perspective of that character or object for the moment.

6. Dutch Angle - An awkward angle that adds a slight tilt to the camera in one direction or the other. This angle is used to distort the perspective of the scene and can be combined with any of the five previous angles to add an awkward and uneasy feel to the scene.

By adding these six angles to your filmmaking bag of tricks, you can add creativity and dimension to your movie. Keep in mind there are a few exceptions when using each of the angles, but the end goal is creativity and entertainment.

If you want to take your Film Production Career to the next level, you can learn about camera angles and much more at F.I.R.S.T. Institute's Film School in Orlando, FL. F.I.R.S.T. Institute offers Small Classes, Hands On Learning, and Career Focused Training.

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6 COMMON CAMERA ANGLES TO HELP YOU FILM LIKE A PRO | F.I.R.S.T. Institute

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Many times in filmmaking, finding the right angle for your shot will help you convey your story to the audience. The more you know about camera angles, the better equipped you'll be to create a compelling story. Incorporating several different camera angles will also help to add dimension to seemingly stagnant scenes.

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Careers In Film | Film Schools & Colleges

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The use of camera angles in filmmaking is often considered the domain of craft technicians.

While true that camera work means decisions about technical factors such as distance and depth of field, those choices also involve how camera angles can help to tell the story of a film or television show. As a result, filmmakers should always consider the impact of camera angle on story meaning and viewer interpretation.
These are the camera angles you need to know:

Eye level angle

Low angle

High angle

Dutch angle (or Dutch tilt)

Why studying camera angles matters

(Photo via Moonlight)
The most common of camera angles is the one the fewest number of people would likely notice - for good reason. Eye level camera placement mimics how humans view the world, and in many cases, that's exactly what a filmmaker is striving for.

Placing the camera at eye level typically allows for the most naturalistic way of watching a film or television show, enabling viewers to lose themselves in the story without being conscious of the fact that it's a camera capturing a performance.

That being said, eye level camera angles are far from ordinary or boring, as filmmakers must also make the choice of camera shot.

Yes, the decision of camera angle can only be made in conjunction with camera shot, which typically refers to the distance from which the camera is positioned from the action. So before delving further into how other camera angles can affect meaning in a story, it's important to consider how they work with camera shots.

(Image via Blade Runner 2049)
Long shots, sometimes referred to as establishing shots since they can be used at the beginning of a scene, allow the viewer to take in a significant amount of information in just moments. That's because with this shot the camera is capturing a wide swath of scenery.

Think a sweeping landscape of the Irish countryside or a panoramic view of a sprawling metropolis. In such instances, the impetus for such shots is to convey to the audience where the following scene - or even entire film or television show - is about to take place.

(Image via Parasite.)
Some latitude is given when it comes to what entails a medium shot, but generally speaking, such a shot is close enough to let viewers observe the physical nuances of a character's body language, which can help to both carry dialogue and underscore emotion.

Because medium shots are often used during scenes of dialogue, the shot is typically framed to allow for at least two characters to be seen in it, usually from the waist up. In such cases, mediums shots may also be referred to as waist shots.

(Image via The Dark Knight.)
An over-the-shoulder shot positions the camera behind a character, often as they are speaking to another character. Because of this arrangement, over-the-shoulder shots typically are also medium shots. But the filmmaker must make a choice of angle as well.

While that choice might be eye level, often enough the camera is positioned slightly higher than the characters, veering into a high angle. For these reasons, the over-the-shoulder shot can be used in conjunction with several different kinds of camera angles.

But why use them? It frequently comes down to trying to connect two characters during a conversation. Rather than shooting singles back and forth during that scene, an over-the-shoulder shot can help to create intimacy between the characters.

An over-the-shoulder shot can also be used to create tension. Consider the ubiquitous use of it in horror films, specifically as a character is walking down a dark hallway or stairwell.

By placing the camera just behind the shoulder, the audience essentially becomes one with that character, seeing only what they are seeing. And when that antagonist finally emerges from the shadows, it can elicit a much more frightening response from viewers because of their restricted vision.

(Image via Rosemary's Baby.)
As its name implies, a close-up provides a more intimate look at whatever is on the other side of the camera. What that subject is can vary depending on what the filmmaker is trying to convey.

A close-up might be used to give information, as in a shot of a newspaper headline or a computer screen. When the subject is a character, a close-up may have an entirely different meaning, such as to emphasize emotional state.

(Image via Kill Bill.)
Doubling-down on this impulse is the extreme close-up. So instead of a newspaper headline, it might be a single word of the headline. Or instead of a person's face, it might be a single eye or the lips.

Again, this technique is often used to make clear a particular piece of information or elicit an emotional response. Take for instance the extreme close-up of Charles Foster Kane's lips as he uttered his final words - "Rosebud" - at the opening of the film Citizen Kane.

(Image via Peaky Blinders.)
In fact, Citizen Kane is frequently heralded as a masterpiece not only for its acting and editing, but also its innovation with camera angles. The low angle was one of these innovations, as up to this point, it wasn't often used in film.

But Orson Welles, the Co-writer, Producer and Director of the film, utilized this little-emphasized camera angle to convey both the power and isolation of the film's central figure, Charles Foster Kane.

As with all camera angles, though, the meaning behind a low angle depends on many factors. What is happening in the shot? What is the character's current emotional state? What might the filmmaker be trying to convey to the audience about the character that even they don't know?

Also, unlike eye level camera angles, a low angle might intentionally draw the audience's attention by virtue of its infrequent usage, which may be exactly what the filmmaker intends to drive home their objective behind that particular shot.

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(Image via The Shawshank Redemption.)
In the same way, high camera angles can help to clue in the audience to how a character is feeling. An example of this is the iconic shot of the hobbit, Frodo, in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, as he is laying on his back, the infamous ring moving through the air above him while he reaches for it.

Given the viewer's vantage point of looking down at Frodo as he attempts to capture the ring, the camera angle conveys the helplessness he feels in that moment, as well as the power of the ring - literally - over him.

As with other camera angles, the high angle can be employed from a long, medium or close-up position. But in many cases, it's used to show scale, and fighting scenes often cut to the high angle long shot for this very purpose to demonstrate the massive size of the conflict.

Films and television shows alike, including Braveheart, Gladiator and Game of Thrones, take advantage of high camera angles during their battle scenes.

(Image via Mission Impossible.)
The Dutch angle, which is at times referred to as the Dutch tilt, is typically thought of as one of the more visually jarring camera angles, which is why its usage should be done with substantial thought. Why can it be jarring? Because when a Dutch angle is employed, conventional vertical and horizontal lines are disregarded.

While a high angle or low angle may give a perspective not often seen in everyday life, often the filmmaker will still choose to keep the camera on an axis parallel with the ground. But Dutch camera angles are intentionally askew.

So why would a filmmaker include a Dutch angle in a film? Remember, no camera angle is arbitrary. It always holds a meaning, if even that meaning is to be as unobtrusive as possible. In the case of Dutch camera angles, it's frequently to convey the emotional instability or uneasiness of a character.

A fantastic example of how a Dutch angle can be used effectively is the first Mission: Impossible film starring Tom Cruise. After his entire IMF team is killed, Cruise's character, Ethan Hunt, meets with his contact, Kittridge, in a restaurant. But as the scene unfolds, he notices that the other restaurant patrons, as well as the Servers, were also at the scene of his team's murders.

The moment of realization occurs during a shot with a Dutch angle, alerting the audience to Hunt's frantic emotional state as he tries to piece together not only why he's being framed for the killings but also how he intends to escape the scene.

The above information on camera angles offers a starting point on how to better discern the way that they can help to tell the story of a film or television show, but it is far from a comprehensive look at just how impactful this facet of filmmaking can be.

In the average film, the individuals who typically decide camera angle - the Director of Photography and Director - might make hundreds, or even thousands, of decisions relating to just this single element.

So to get a more comprehensive idea of what that entails, consider choosing a film to watch and documenting the camera angles used and reasons why they might have been employed. Were they effective? Could a different angle have been used instead? Again, much is left to the interpretation of the viewer. But if deemed ineffective, why?

Moreover, the study of camera angles can only strengthen the skillsets of aspiring filmmakers. While acting or production design might be thought of first as the primary components of storytelling, it's ultimately the camera that captures those elements, and its impact on conveying meaning cannot be underestimated.

And while not everyone who goes into filmmaking must be an expert at camera angles, having a basic understanding of their usage will bolster both the quality of the production and the storytelling expertise of the filmmaker.

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Camera Angles | Using Perspective To Tell a Story - Careers in Film

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The use of camera angles in filmmaking is often considered the domain of craft technicians. While true that camera work means decisions about technical factors such as distance and depth of field, those choices also involve how camera angles can help to tell the story of a film or television show.

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Unsure of how to analyse shot angles in film? Don't worry. We got your back! We will go through different types of angles, their general effect, show you how to analyse shot angles, and guide you through an example of how to analyse them.

Table of contents:

What is a shot angle in film?

The angle of a shot, in film, refers to the height that the camera is positioned in relation to the subject.

It is important that you don't get this confused with shot types. Shots, as they are commonly referenced, refer to the distance of the camera, whereas, shot angles, or, alternatively, film angles, angles, or camera angles (phew! That's a lot of synonymous terms), refer to the height and tilt of the camera.

There are a variety of different shot angles that directors can use.

Different angles are used for developing meaning: to provide different perspectives and to shape the audience's emotions and responses.

Different types of shot angles used in film

Different angles produce different effects for the audience. It is important that you remember all the different angles that directors use in films and know their general effects.

So, let's take a look now!

Ace your film analysis now

How to analyse shot angles

Now that we know the different effects of different angles used in films, let's see how we can analyse them!

1. Identify the shot angle in the scene

2. Identify the general effect of the angle

1. Identify the atmosphere in the scene

2. Recall the table above

3. Adapt your findings to the atmosphere of the scene

3. Ground your findings in the context of the film

1. Identify the film's themes

2. Figure out what is happening in the film

3. Adapt the general effect to the above findings

4. Write a TEEL paragraph

1. Identify the angle in the film

Firstly, you need to identify the angle used in the scene.

Take a few screen grabs of the scene to make this easier for you to do.

You should remember all the different types of shot angles and be comfortable with identifying them. If you're not, take another read of the above table and continue to practise identifying different angles when you're watching films!

Here's a handy image to help you remember the shot types.

2. Identify the general effect of the angle

Each angle type produces similar effects every time. However, this doesn't mean that it produces the exact same effect every single time.

So, this step is about identifying the general effect of the angle and adapting it to the atmosphere of the scene.

Let's see how we can do this:
a. Identify the atmosphere of the scene
Pay attention to your emotions when you watch the scene. Are you frightened, happy, sad, or tense? This will help you identify the mood and atmosphere of the scene.
b. Recall the table above
Now, you need to recall the general effects of the angle from the table above. Try to memorise the angles and their effects by heart. This will help you analyse angles faster.
c. Adapt your findings to the atmosphere of the scene
After you've identifies the atmosphere and the general effect of the angle, you need to combine these findings.

Relate your general effect back to the atmosphere of the scene. Think about how the angle helps the director convey a particular mood.

3. Ground your findings in the context of the film

Now, we need to further ground our findings to the context of the film. Doing this will add sophistication and depth to your analysis.

This step is all about finding the meaning behind the technique and identifying it's significance.

So, let's see how we can do this:
a. Identify the film's themes
Try to figure out the film's main message and identify ideas and issues that the film consistently discuss. These are your themes.
b. Figure out what is happening in the film
You need to know the storyline of the film and exactly what is happening in your scene to properly analyse the film. Ensure that you know where your scene is placed in regards to the whole film.
c. Adapt the general effect to the above findings
Now, it's time to find the significance of the effect. To do this, you need to combine all your findings (general effect, themes, and what is happening in the film).

Try to figure out how the effect of the film helps the director emphasise the themes and meaning of the film.

4. Write a TEEL paragraph

Now, we have all the necessary ingredients to put together a T.E.E.L paragraph.

T.E.E.L stands for:

Technique: The technique used in the example

Example: The example

Effect: Your explanation of the effect of this technique and how it develops meaning

Link: An explanation of how this example supports your argument.

You can find a more detailed explanation of using T.E.E.L in our post on paragraph structure (this post is part of our series on Essay Writing and shows you the methods Matrix English Students learn to write Band 6 essays in the Matrix Holiday and Term courses).

Example with step-by-step analysis

Now that we know how to analyse angles, let's put it in practice. We will be analysing a scene from Danny DeVito's Matilda.

In summary, Maltida is about a gifted girl with telekinesis powers who play tricks on the big bully principal, Miss Trunchbull.

1. Identify the angle in the film

Firstly, take a screengrab of some key moments of the scene. Here are a few that we've taken:

At a glance, we can immediately identify a low angle shot being used in this scene. The camera is situated at a lower position than Miss Trunchbull and is tilted upwards.

2. Identify the general effect of the angle
a. Identify the atmosphere of the scene
This scene is tense, and frightening but also, quite humorous.

Miss Trunchbull seems scary and intimidating as she threatens Amanda and grabs her pigtails to swing her across the field. However, the process of her swinging Amanda is quite humorous.
b. Recall the table above
From the table, we can recall that low angles are used to show superiority and dominance.
c. Adapt your findings to the atmosphere of the scene
Since the atmosphere of the scene is quite tense, we can determine that the effect of low angle shots is to make Miss Trunchbull seem more dominant.

3. Ground your findings in the context of the film

Now, it's time to further ground the general effect to make it specific to this scene.
a. Identify the film's themes
The main themes in Matilda are reward vs punishment, greed, education, love, and power.
b. Figure out what is happening in the film
In this scene, we learn about Trunchbull's cruel punishments towards the students as Matilda and her friends talk. We also see Miss Trunchbull pick on Amanda because of her pigtails. After insulting Amanda, Miss Trunchbull picks Amanda up by her pigtails and tosses her across the field.
c. Adapt the general effect to the above findings
We can see that low angle shot is used to convey Miss Trunchbull's power and dominance over the children. This angle, alongside with her facial expression, emphasises her hatred for children and how she creates fear in the children to maintain her power.

4. Write a TEEL paragraph

Danny Devito highlights how one's greed for power can cause humans to resort to cruel and unfair punishments to maintain this position. We see this with the low angle shot of Miss Trunchbull's angry face in Matilda, where she threatens a young student, Amanda, and swings her across the school by her pigtails. Here, the low angle shot makes Miss Trunchbull seem much taller, as though she is towering over little Amanda. It asserts Miss Trunchbull's power and dominance over the students and emphasises her unfair hatred towards these children through the exaggerated angry facial features. As such, Devito emphasises how an individual's desire for power can compel them to act cruelly to maintain it.

Get the right angle on film analysis!

Get ahead of your peers and ace your film analysis now. Learn how to analyse angles and other film techniques, and how to write about them with our expert teachers. Learn more about our Year 11 English Course now.

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Film Techniques: Shot Angles | How to analyse film

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Unsure of how to analyse shot angles in film? Don't worry. We got your back! We will go through different types of angles, their general effect, show you how to analyse shot angles, and guide you through an example of how to analyse them.

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Camera Shots
The camera shots are a vital element to expressing the storyline and emotions throughout the scene.
In the opening of the scene, several wide shots are presented. This is to help the viewers understand and visualise the atmosphere of the party, and to help them feel as though they are physically involved in the scene. Evidence of this can be seen from 0:00 to 0:10 in our YouTube clip.

Following on from this, at 0:10 the shots begin to move rapidly between each other from different viewpoints. This creates a sense of chaos and confinement. It also creates suspense because the viewer is unsure of what is going to happen next.

Shortly after the series of these rapid movements, an extreme close up is used. The focus is on Nick and a 'mysterious' man who cannot be seen or identified. The use of this shot is effective as it draws the attention of viewers to the conversation, rather than what is going on in the background. This highlights the importance of the mysterious man, who we later discover to be Gatsby.

The next shot follows Nick as he approaches the mysterious man from behind. Once again, we are unable to see the face of this man, which exaggerates the mystery of his identity.

The camera then moves to a shot where the man slowly turns around to face Nick. The shot gradually zooms towards his face. This makes the viewer feel as though they are about to be introduced to a character who plays a principal role in the storyline, and someone who is superior and important. The silence before the character introduces himself as "Gatsby" creates a sense of uncertainty and makes the viewer impatient. This zoom shot is followed by a wide shot of a scene with fireworks and a grand orchestra, and the music becomes dramatic and overpowers background noise. The crowd cheers as we see Gatsby raise his glass towards Nick and the camera as the firework display continues, demonstrating the extravagance of the party.

Camera Angles
The start of our scene focuses the camera on the crowd looking down from the staircase where Gatsby is found. This allows the viewer to see the party from Nick's perspective. It highlights Nick's confusion and how he feels uncomfortable at the party, and how he doesn't quite belong. It shows how chaotic the atmosphere is and the overcrowding of people at Gatsby's house. The camera rotates in a 360 degree motion, and this shows the different types of people in attendance at the party. We see swimmers, dancers, a conductor, orchestra and musicians as well as general guests at the party.

As Nick climbs the staircase at 0:11, the camera looks down on him before looking up at the couple he is following. The woman is dressed elaborately and her partner is dressed in a dinner suit. This implies that they are rich and may have connections to Gatsby. This camera angle is designed to demonstrate how Nick feels inferior to the wealthy guests at the party, because it is looking up at them from Nick's eye level. He may also feel intimidated by the rich.

Nick then has an uncomfortable encounter with one of the waiters at the party. The hand that possesses the ring passes the plate to the waiter, and Nick looks confused as he tries to see if the new waiter also has this ring. His eyes look down towards the ground, which implies that he is looking for something. The two characters then part.

The focus then moves towards the pool. Two swimmers dive apart in opposite directions, as the orchestra is exposed. The conductor lifts his hands as the orchestra rises, and he signals for them to perform. The camera angle then returns to focus on another hand with the same ring. Nick then follows this hand through the crowd of people.

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Camera Shots The camera shots are a vital element to expressing the storyline and emotions throughout the scene. In the opening of the scene, several wide shots are presented. This is to help the viewers understand and visualise the atmosphere of the party, and to help them feel as though they are physically involved in the scene.

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Cinematography Intro: Camera Angles & Shots

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To introduce three concepts in cinematography (for anyone interested in the kind of things that go into making a movie on the visual end): 1.) Camera Angles 2.) Types of Shots 3.)

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You have a clear vision for your next video. But you're having trouble finding stock footage clips with the exact camera movements you're looking for. So what now? Sometimes the only way to craft that perfect shot is to take it yourself.

Camera movements are a fundamental part of video production. They can be a powerful storytelling device, heightening tension, evoking emotions, and bringing the viewer into the action. Without saying a word, camera movements can transform a scene's entire narrative, and direct audiences' attention where you want it.

This primer on 7 basic camera movements will give you a quick cinematography refresher course before setting up to shoot. We'll cover the basics of shot composition, and some tips and tricks on camera techniques for more impactful storytelling.

The 7 basic camera movements you need to know

Basic camera movement #1: Zoom

Zooming is one of the most frequently used camera movements for adding a quick pop of visual interest. A carefully timed zoom can add energy or impact to a scene, or bring a key detail into focus. Zooming is so common that it's become something of a crutch for videographers looking to make a shot more interesting. Don't let camera zooms become your default move! Instead, try using them in creative and interesting ways that serve your narrative. Zoom in (or out) from an unexpected, yet important object or person in your shot. Or use a quick zoom to give a fast-paced video an extra shot of visual adrenaline.
Download this video of a zoom shot
Movement #2: Pan

A pan (or panning shot) is when the camera sweeps horizontally from a fixed position, either left or right. Derived from "panorama", you can use this camera movement to establish locations and track subjects within them. Panning is considered a relatively basic camera movement, but it's a highly versatile way to set a scene. For instance, pans can increase dramatic tension by slowly revealing to the audience what the character on screen sees. Alternatively, you can also use them in over-the-top or exaggerated ways for comedic effect.
Download this video of a pan shot
Camera movement #3: Tilt

A tilting shot is a camera movement along a fixed vertical axis, either up to down or down to up. Similar to panning, tilting is frequently used in establishing shots where characters or settings are introduced. Tilting the camera down can create an illusion of distance or depth, while tilting up instills a grandiose feeling.

Download this video of a tilt shot

Basic movement #4: Dolly

In both pan and tilt shots, the camera swivels without moving from a stationary, central position. Dolly shots, on the other hand, involve physically moving the camera either forward or backwards. This camera movement is done by mounting the camera to some kind of track or motorized vehicle. When done correctly, dolly shots help you play with perspective to create a variety of interesting and dramatic effects. Just make sure your track is stable and allows for fluid camera motion!
Download this video of a dolly shot
Basic camera movement #5: Truck

Trucking shots are the same as dolly shots, only the camera moves left to right instead of forward or backwards. In a trucking shot, the camera is rigged to a tripod or vehicle that moves horizontally along a track. This camera movement can set the pace of a scene or follow a character's movement. Similar to dolly shots, it's important to make sure the track is free of any jerking or friction.That's because if the track isn't clear, the shot may not come out.
Download this video of a truck shot
Movement #6: Pedestal

The pedestal camera movement involves physically moving the camera up or down from a fixed vertical axis. You often see pedestal shots when a camera is framing a tall subject (like a building). You don't necessarily need to invest in an actual pedestal to create a perfect pedestals shot. Those can be pretty spendy. You can also pull off the effect using a tripod, or even handheld if you've got rock-steady hands.
Download this video of a pedestal shot
Basic camera movement #7: Rack focus

A rack focus isn't strictly a camera movement , but it's an essential skill to master for and experts alike. With a rack focus, you adjust the lens to blur one subject while sharpening another without cutting. This lets the videographer shift emphasis between subjects in a dramatic fashion while directing audiences' attention.
Download this video of a rack focus shot
Now that you're fully equipped with these types of camera movements and how to use them, it's time to work them into your videos. But you don't have to shoot every shot in your projects by yourself. You can download a wide selection of motion and shot styles from you'll find a massive assortment of high-quality, royalty-free our stock footage library . That's where many of them utilize the camera techniques described above. In fact, Storyblocks has everything from sweeping aerial drone footage 4K and HD video clips for your next project. And to perfectly framed , and all the shots in between. Save time with our advanced search features and filters to find exactly what you're looking for.
Editor's note: We updated this article to include additional information. It was originally published on May 15, 2019.

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Trying to make your video footage look more polished? Learn more about the seven basic camera movements everyone should know.

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Early movie cameras were limited by their size and weight. And by early, I mean for the first 150 years of cinema. Throughout the golden age of hollywood a camera was a device often ridden across train tracks by a camera operator and a focus puller. Camera movement was bound by this technology, but that didn't stop cinematographers from moving their cameras - along tracks or with cranes - the smallest amount of movement required an astounding amount of preparation, planning, dedication and off-camera assistance.

Here's French filmmaker Jean Cocteau filming "The Testament of Orpheus" in 1959. He didn't always dress like that; he was also acting in the film.

The basic camera moves were all developed in this age of cinema; cameras could move up, down, left or right. They could tilt or pan if you had the proper mount, and zoom if you had a zoom lens.

Every time we learn a new craft or skill, we need to learn the basic moves or techniques that define that function. Here are some terms you'll hear as you develop your skill as a videographer.

Beginning to learn to shoot video, whether for a hobby or a budding business, requires some knowledge of the basic moves that define good video shooting practices.

Back when I was in high school taking TV Tech, we would practice making a TV Show called "The Skills Card Test" - we hated doing it. The studio looked so inviting - the cameras, the lights - that we wanted to get on with being Steven Spielberg and skip over the boring stuff, like learning how to actually use the equipment. "The Skills Card Test" consisted of a number of grey cards on stands, and the camera operators had to perform certain camera operation tasks that related to things that were on the cards. So, while the camera operators practiced panning between two dots, zooming from one box to another, the directors practiced directing, the narrators practiced narrating, the Technical Director practiced Technical Directing (which involved setting the levels for the cameras, making sure that the lighting wasn't too bright or too dark, among other technical tasks), grips gripped, gaffers gaffed and production assistants learned to do everything else. What I realize years later is that doing that boring show over and over during the first three weeks of class taught me not just to appreciate finally getting to write scripts and make our own TV shows, but I realized that I learned right there in a few weeks what it takes many people years to learn on their own.

A camera exists in a three-dimensional world and can move anywhere along the XYZ axis.

A camera exists in a three-dimensional world and can move anywhere along the XY Z axis. This means it can move up, down, left, right, as well as forward and backward. So that the director and camera operator can effectively communicate, there are names for each of these moves. This means the director can give a series of verbal instructions, and the camera operator knows exactly what to do without anybody having to get out and draw diagrams.

The Basic Camera Moves

Let's look at the basic moves that are used in every video and film production, from those used by your wedding videographers to those used by Spielberg himself. Our pictorial examples show a videographer using these moves with a hand-held technique, but they apply best to tripod and dolly use.

Tilt: Moving the camera's lens up or down while keeping its horizontal axis constant. Nod your head up and down - this is tilting.

WHY DO THIS? Tilting is the fastest way to get from low to high, or the other way around, when you want to show two things, though not necessarily at the same time. You might start focused in on a hand holding a bloody knife and then tilt up to reveal ... Macbeth!

Pan: Moving the camera lens to one side or another. Look to your left, then look to your right - that's panning.

WHY DO THIS? You might pan across the audience at a wedding to show all the people there. You might pan from one character to someone who walks through the door to elevate the tension that wouldn't exist with a fast cut.

Zoom: Zooming is one camera move that most people are probably familiar with. It involves changing the focal length of the lens to make the subject appear closer or further away in the frame. Most video cameras today have built-in zoom features. Some have manual zooms as well, and many have several zoom speeds. Zooming is one of the most frequently-used camera moves and one of the most overused. Use it carefully.

WHY DO THIS? Zooming is the easiest way to get from far to close, or the other way around. You might start with a wide shot of a concert to set the stage and then zoom in to show one of the performers.

Pedestal: Moving the camera up or down without changing its vertical or horizontal axis. A camera operator can do two types of pedestals: pedestal up means "move the camera up;" pedestal down means "move the camera down." You are not tilting the lens up, rather you are moving the entire camera up. Imagine your camera is on a tripod and you're raising or lowering the tripod head. This is exactly where the term comes from.

WHY DO THIS? When pedestaling, you usually want to maintain the camera to subject distance, so you might start on a person leaning up against a wall, and then pedistal up, and up, and up, and up until the camera gets to Spiderman, clinging to the fourth story of a building and creeping up it. Or, you might pedestal from a bride and groom's hands up to their faces.

Dolly: This is a motion towards or motion from. The name comes from the old "dolly tracks" that used to be laid down for the heavy camera to move along - very much like railroad tracks - in the days before Steadicam s got so popular. The phrase dolly-in means step towards the subject with the camera, while dolly-out means to step backwards with the camera, keeping the zoom the same. Zooming the camera changes the focal length of the lens, which can introduce wide-angle distortion or changes in the apparent depth of field. For this reason, it's often preferable to dolly than zoom.

WHY DO THIS? My favorite dolly move in cinema history is Alfred Hitchcock's long dolly shot at the end of "Frenzy."&nbsp
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I won't spoil it by telling you what happens, but the camera starts inside a house and then dollys backwards, down a staircase, out into a street, and then off into the city. What does this tell us? That while something extremely important happened, it's just one story in a world of stories. Hitchcock's shot, with a gigantic camera and a huge crew, frantically moving dolly tracks out of the shot as the camera moved backwards was groundbreaking in its day, but with today's lightweight cameras it could be done by a single camera operator.

Truck: Trucking is like dollying, but it involves motion left or right. Truck left means "move the camera physically to the left while maintaining its perpendicular relationship." This is not to be confused with a pan, where the camera remains firmly on its axis while the lens turns to one direction or the other. You might truck left to stay with a pedestrian as she walks down a street rather than using a pan, which would show her back after she passed the camera.

WHY DO THIS? You'd Truck if you want your camera to subject distance to stay the same. You might, for example, truck the camera parallel to a person walking down the street to keep them in the frame. Lots of trucking in movies is done from the window of an actual truck. So this isn't a bad way to remember it. In the training montage in the 1976 Best Picture Academy Award Winner, Rocky, directed by John G. Avildsen, there's a truck shot (from a truck) following the titular character along the waterfront as he runs. The trucking shot allows the viewer to stay with Rocky and see how fast he's actually going. (He's fast!)

The Fancy Camera Moves

Now that you understand the basics, here are few more advanced moves. Some of these usually require the use of a steady device and one or two crew members to execute smoothly.

Handheld Shooting: Sometimes the action is moving too quickly or too unpredictably for the camera to be on a tripod. This calls for making the camera more mobile and able to follow the action of a scene. Most times the camera will simply be held by the operator, who will then employ a number of basic camera moves by moving the feet, trucking in and out, dollying in one direction or another, tilting, panning, zooming, and performing combinations of all of these.

WHY DO THIS? Handheld shooting can be very bouncy, giving the viewer a sometimes subtle feeling that they're watching news or a documentary. Check out the handheld shooting in the 2008 horror flick Cloverfield; the goal of this isn't to be fancy, but rather to make us believe the movie was shot by an ameture (and is therefore real):
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Floating Cam or Stabilized Shot: The Steadicam was invented in 1971 by Philadelphia native Garrett Brown. Famously used in the jogging sequence in "Rocky" and extensively with exceptional effect in the Kubrick masterpiece, "The Shining." It uses a series of counterweights - and gyroscopes on more-expensive models - to keep a handheld camera's motion very smooth. Although the term " Steadicam" is used often, this is a trademark name belonging to the Merlin company. Similar to Kleenex for tissues, we call the devices that are non- Steadicam stabilizers.

A more modern alternative to the sled-and-vest set up popularized by the Steadicam and GlideCam is the 3-axis motorized gimbal. When gimbals like the Freefly MoVI M5 and DJI Ronin came out, they offered an affordable, versatile alternative to larger stabilizing rigs. Today motorized gimbals are everywhere.

WHY USE IT? A Steadicam or 3-axis gimbal gives you the freedom of shooting handheld while keeping your shot perfectly stable, eliminating the distracting shake that often occurs when your camera is unsupported. Here's Garret Brown's famous steadycam shot of the little boy riding the Big Wheel from Stanley Kubrik's 1980 masterpiece The Shining:
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Crane/Jib: A crane can be used to lift a camera (and operator, if it's big enough) from low to high shooting positions. Less expensive jibs can support the weight of a camera and lift it several feet off of the ground. Sometimes a crane will be called a boom, but the boom term usually applies to the device that holds a microphone aloft. For an extreme version of this elevated angle, consider using a drone to capture an aerial perspective.

WHY USE IT? You want to show things from a different angle. One example is the crane shot at the end of Robert Zemeckis' 1985 "Back to the Future" where genius inventor Dr. Emmet Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd shows off his new and improved Time Machine, built out of a Delorean, and takes off down the road--and as the camera cranes up, it starts to fly showing that in The Future, where we're going-- cars travel in three dimensions.

The Even CRAZIER Camera Moves

Spinning your camera around on a string? What do you do when you have zero budget but a really small and cheap camera? If you're really clever you invent a new camera move and build a music video around it. Indie musicians Matt & Kim attached a Gopro to a homemade stabilizing fin, put it at the end of a piece of rope and swung it around their heads recording at 240 frames per second. The results are amazing.

WHY USE IT? You're a genius with no budget for equipment. Check out Matt & Kim's Video for Let's Run Away.

Putting It All Together

Just because you're not in school for video production doesn't mean you shouldn't be doing homework and practicing to improve. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is twofold.

First, identify basic camera moves while watching movies and television and deconstruct them in your mind. Is the camera trucking or zooming? Is the camera on a crane? Or is the operator merely sticking his head out of a window?

Second, utilize all of the basic camera moves in a production. Understanding how the moves work gives you a series of new tools to help build productions in the future. If you're already using all of the basic camera moves, consider buying or renting a stabilizing rig or a jib for your next production. Experimenting is half the fun of making videos, and coming up with a new move that wows viewers while helping to get your story across is extremely satisfying.
Contributing Editor Kyle Cassidy is a visual artist who writes extensively about technology.

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Early movie cameras were limited by their size and weight. And by early, I mean for the first 150 years of cinema. Throughout the golden age of hollywood a camera was a device often ridden across train tracks by a camera operator and a focus puller.

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Camera movement has the potential to function in many different ways, such as to direct the viewer's attention, reveal offscreen space, provide narrative information, or create expressive effects. The camera most frequently moves when an object moves within the frame, initiating reframing or a following shot. Reframing involves slight pans or tilts designed to maintain the balance of a composition during figure movement. A camera operator will reframe when a sitting person stands up, for instance, so as to keep the person in the frame and allow for appropriate head room. Reframing helps to fix the viewer's eye on the most important figures within the frame and is so common it is often unnoticed.

The camera itself accompanies the movement of an object during a following shot. A track, crane, or hand-held shot can lead a moving figure into space, pursue a figure from behind, or float above, below, or alongside. Intricate following shots may be motivated by the movements of more than one figure, such as during the ball sequence of The Magnificent Ambersons (1942): as the last guests say goodbye, the camera pans and tracks to follow characters from the stairs to the foyer to the front door, producing a series of deep space compositions that fore-shadow the rekindling of an old romance and the development of a new one.

Not all camera movement responds to motion within the frame; the filmmaker may direct the camera away from the dominant action for other purposes. Such camera movement draws attention to itself and is typically used sparingly to emphasize significant narrative details. For example, when Judy (Natalie Wood) stands up to exit the police station in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), the camera pans and tilts down to frame the compact she left behind, highlighting an important motif that will bring the protagonists together.

Because of its ability to reveal or conceal space, camera movement often participates in the creation of suspense and surprise. In Strangers on a Train (1951), a point-of-view editing pattern places the viewer in the optical perspective of Guy (Farley Granger) as he approaches a dark staircase to warn a father of his son's murderous intentions. The director Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) then varies the editing pattern by craning up from Guy to disclose a menacing dog waiting on the landing above. The independent camera movement informs the viewer of an obstacle unknown to Guy, raising the question of whether he will be able to reach the father-thus heightening suspense. Later in the same scene, Hitchcock alters his use of camera movement to conceal offscreen space and suppress narrative information. As Guy enters the bedroom to wake the sleeping father, the camera tracks to Guy's side and keeps the father offscreen. By delaying an onscreen image of the father's bed, Hitchcock surprises viewers when a subsequent shot reveals the treacherous son in his father's place.

Sometimes camera movement positions the viewer as an objective witness to unfolding events. In Mia aioniotita kai mia mera ( Eternity and a Day , Theo Angelopoulos, 1998), a four-and-a-half-minute take turns away from the primary plotline to gaze at secondary activities. As the dying protagonist gets out of his car to find a home for his dog, the sound of an accordion prompts the camera to track left, revealing a wedding parade turning into the street. When the parade passes the protagonist's car, the camera pans left, relegating him to offscreen space and instead fixing on the bride at the head of the parade; the camera then slowly follows the parade down the street, until the groom emerges from a building, joins his bride in dance, and the two lead the procession into a nearby fenced courtyard, the camera settling next to a row of children watching the dancing over the top of the fence. Finally, the protagonist walks into the right side of the frame, halting the dancing, and asks the groom's mother-his nurse-to take care of his dog. As in this example, very slow camera movements within long takes focus the viewer on the passage of time and build narrative expectation. Here the camera movement situates the viewer as a curious inhabitant of the narrative world, linking simultaneous events in adjacent spaces and integrating the protagonist's preparations for death with a joyous celebration of life.

Camera movement can also be used to illustrate a character's subjective experience. In the documentary

Sherman's March (1986), Ross McElwee (b. 1947) frequently records his daily life with his camera mounted on his shoulder. As he walks through the woods or interacts with his family and various girlfriends, the moving camera captures images from his optical perspective-the viewer literally sees the world through his eyes. Camera movement at the end of Detour (1945) provides more indirect access to a character's subjectivity. A voice-over of the protagonist reflecting on the consequences of his companion's accidental death is accompanied by a close-up that begins on his face, then tracks, pans, and tilts around the room, going in and out of focus to reveal potentially incriminating evidence, and eventually circles back to his face. Although the camera movement does not imitate the protagonist's optical perspective, it nevertheless illustrates what he is thinking. The moving camera can also suggest what a character is feeling, as in GoodFellas (1990), when a combination zoom in and track out marks Henry Hill's (Ray Liotta) realization that his best friend is going to betray him. During the shot, Henry and his friend remain sitting in a diner booth in the same place within the frame, yet the zoom in and track out distort the spatial relationship between them and the background; the world around them literally shifts while they talk, visually expressing Henry's disorientation and fear.

Through its ability to locate the actions of a character within a given environment, camera movement may directly advance the plot. For example, at the end of an evening of costumed skits in La Règle du jeu ( The Rules of the Game , 1939), a series of quick pans and tracks follow and reveal characters as their secret romantic pairings are hidden from, searched for, and discovered by other characters. At times the camera will be guided by a character's movement; at other times it will move independently, always uncovering the betrayals at the heart of the film's romantic game of hide-and-seek.

Alternatively, camera movement can function to develop narrative themes. In Gone with the Wind (1939), a dramatic crane shot situates the private anxiety of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) against the misery suffered by the Confederacy as a whole. When Scarlett arrives at the train depot searching for Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), the camera tracks back from her and cranes up to a great height, revealing row upon row of wounded men around her and the tattered Confederate flag flying above. Similarly, a high-angle panning shot of Harry's gutted apartment at the end of The Conversation illustrates the film's surveillance theme. The camera's angle, location at the top of a wall, and back-and-forth 180-degree motion mimic the type of image produced by a security camera, an ironic reminder of the threat to privacy that fuels Harry's paranoid fears.

The moving camera may also serve a structural purpose within a film, as shots with similar camera movements create patterns of repetition and variation. In Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), two high-angle shots from the second floor landing pan right and tilt up as a man and his female companion climb a circular staircase to his apartment. In the first shot, a young girl on the landing watches the couple; in the second shot, the landing stands empty, and the girl is now the man's companion. The parallel established between the two shots depicts the fulfillment of the young girl's desires, while also marking her as just one in a series of women enjoyed by the man. A more expanded pattern of tracking shots in Sans toit ni loi ( Vagabond , Agnès Varda, 1985) helps to unify the episodic narrative and indicate the continuity of the protagonist's journey. As Mona (Sandrine Bonnaire) travels the countryside on foot and interacts with a series of characters, leftward tracking shots follow her from one episode to the next, each ending on a random object that is either the same or similar to the object that begins the next tracking shot. The pattern suggests the one constant in Mona's life is her movement, and as the camera never exactly parallels her motion, it underscores her ultimate independence.

At times, camera movement primarily operates to create a visceral sensation. For example, in This Is Cinerama (1952), the attachment of the camera to a roller coaster car offers the viewer the giddy sensation of actually being on the ride, while in Wai Ka-fai's Too Many Ways to Be No. 1 (1997), a handheld camera positioned above a crowd suddenly flips over as a fight breaks out, providing a jarring sense of the physical confusion within the scene. A series of repeated camera movements can also create a rhythmic pattern. In Ballet mécanique (Fernand Léger and Dudley Murphy, 1924), brief pans in an upside-down shot of a woman on a swing create a visual rhythm that is then repeated and varied later in the film. Similarly, a series of panning shots of car crashes in A Movie (Bruce Connor, 1958) initiates a rhythmic pattern of accidents and disasters. In these instances, speed, direction, and length of camera movement are controlled to produce kinetic and rhythmic effects.

Avant-garde filmmakers have been at the forefront of experiments using camera movement to interrogate the act of seeing. In Wavelength (1967), Back and Forth (1968-1969), and Breakfast (1976), Michael Snow (b. 1929) explored how the movement of the frame and the camera affected perceptions of time and space. For La Region Centrale (1971), Snow and Pierre Abaloos invented a new camera mount that could move along different axes at variable speeds, transforming the recorded landscape into abstracted lines and swirls of color. Stan Brakhage (1933-2003) embraced the potential of the handheld camera to capture a new mode of vision. In films such as Anticipation of the Night (1958) and Dog Star Man (1961-1964), Brakhage's "first person" camera expresses his subjective experience of what he was shooting. In these experimental works, the filmmakers encourage the viewer to consider the unique effects of camera movement that are often taken for granted when watching mainstream films.

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Camera movement has the potential to function in many different ways, such as to direct the viewer's attention, reveal offscreen space, provide narrative information, or create expressive effects. The camera most frequently moves when an object moves within the frame, initiating reframing or a following shot.

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There are many things that make a good film: A great story. Brilliant acting. Fantastic lighting.

But one thing many people forget to pay attention to, especially those new to filmmaking, is camera movements and angles.

In particular, how camera movements and angles make the audience feel.

Can we do that? Turns out, yes! You can change the feeling of a scene by changing the camera angle or the way it moves.

Now before we jump in, if you don't know much about camera movements and angles, read the 15 essential camera shots and movements and then come back here.

Ready? Let's look at the most common camera movements and angles used in movie scenes, and what how these movements and angles manipulate our emotions.

Pan and tilt

These are two of the most common camera movements that you will want to get acquainted with. You can use a tripod to achieve these.

These two camera movements are often used to reveal aspects of a scene such as the landscape or a character or a living room that just got trashed by a mob of thieves.

The effect of the pan and tilt is most often to guide our eyes and attention towards a certain aspect of the scene. Because it's often revelatory in nature, it tends to build a certain kind of anticipation in us as we subconsciously ask ourselves "What's about to happen?"

Another common way these two movements are used is to follow characters moving through as scene. This can also be achieved by tracking, which we'll talk more about later.

Following our characters through a scene can have two effects:

1. It can make us feel like we're part of the scene, especially if there are multiple characters having an important dialogue.

2. It can give us a fly on the wall, voyeuristic feeling, like we're sort of eavesdropping on the scene. This is especially true if the camera is placed in a way that there are some foreground elements between us and the character. This makes us feel like we're hiding and watching something we shouldn't be watching.

The first is more organic, we shouldn't feel the camera move. The second is more mechanical. Imagine how a CCTV camera moves, following a subject.

The speed of the pan or tilt of camera also has an effect on how we feel about a scene.

A slow tilt up from a characters face towards the sky for example can give us a sense of relief, especially when done after an intense scene that has been resolved.

Conversely, a quick pan left or right (commonly known as a whip-pan) can give us a sense of urgency or excitement, kind of like when we're hear a loud noise in real life and quickly snap our gaze towards the direction of the noise.

Tracking, Dolly, and Crane shots

These are, in a nutshell, shots where you physically move the camera through the scene.

Tracking shots normally move the camera side to side following the movement of characters through a scene. Dolly shots move the camera front and back, while crane shots move the camera up and down.

Now you might be tempted to think the pan and tilt do the same thing as the track and crane, but in reality they have two very different effects on the picture. The difference can be subtle, or great.

Tracking shots are most often used when following a specific action in a scene, say a chef walking through his restaurant to the kitchen then out onto the street, or a drug dealer running through a building as he tries to hide from the cops. This makes us feel like we're a part of the scene and are active participants in the story together with the actors.

We can't use a pan here because we want to maintain the same shot size. With a pan the camera stays in the same place, so the character becomes larger as he/she approaches camera and then smaller again as he/she leaves us.

With a tracking shot, you can maintain the same shot size as you laterally follow the character.

Dolly shots typically move us toward or away from a character, most commonly when they are stationary during a dialogue scene. Occasionally dolly shots can also move around a character.

A lot of the time this draws in closer to what the dialogue is about, and very often pulls us into the emotional state of the character. For example, a slow dolly into a distraught woman staring at the floor while she talks about her late husband's abusive nature will pull us into her emotional state and make us more empathetic to her plight than if the camera was locked off in a long shot.

Crane shots are often used to help us understand the setting better. Its best coupled with great production design to tell a story. For example, if the camera is craned upwards right after a car crash, the shocking impact of the scene is greatly magnified as more the the crash is brought into frame.

On the other hand, we could start with the camera up high above the same crash site and have the camera crane down onto a paramedic fresh out of college looking in disbelief at the horror of the scene, which in turn will tune us in to what they may be feeling at that point.

A lot of the time, the camera operator (the person in charge of moving the camera) will use multiple moves at the same time. You can dolly, track, crane, pan and tilt all in one shot.

Here's an example of me designing a single shot which contains multiple movements all within the same long shot:

Tracking, dolly and crane shots can be achieved with different tools from gimbals and drones to professional dollies or sliders to cranes and jibs, and even some DIY versions like wheelchairs and roller blades. Your choice of equipment will largely depend on your budget, but you should also consider the story when making your choice.

For example, using a gimbal to track a foot chase scene could be an option. However the result would be smooth footage in what is otherwise supposed to be an intense scene.

Depending on the story, it might be a good idea to ditch the gimbal and go handheld with the camera instead. The added shake to the camera will help to magnify the intensity of the scene and thus heighten the audience's sense of excitement and danger. Or, it might be too much shake, in which case a gimbal or a Steadicam might be used.

Each of these tools gives a different feel to the scene. They are like paint brushes. The one you use is a matter of taste as much as function.

In addition to the tools you use, the speed of the camera movement will have a massive impact on the feeling of the scene. Slowly tracking a character through a woodland on a sunny day will give us the feeling that the character is exploring the environment, thus give us a sense of wonder and curiosity.

On the other hand tracking the same character running through the same woodland at twilight can give us a sense of trepidation as we feel that the character is being chased by someone or something and is trying to survive.

The Zoom

The zoom is an effect produced by a zoom lens. The frame itself is "moved" by adjusting the focal length of the lens through the duration of the shot.

Take note that the zoom is different from the dolly shot in that the dolly physically moves the camera towards or away from the character, which changes the perspective.

With a zoom, the perspective doesn't change. It's as if you were standing in the same place but just with a pair of binoculars.

A zoom magnifies what's in focus, most commonly the character, without changing the perspective of what's in the frame. It does, however, compress the background, which serves to pull your eyes even closer into the subject.

A zoom used in a scene can have different effects on the audience.

On one hand it can magnify the size of the character in the scene, making them seem more powerful or ominous, depending of course on how the character has been scripted. On the other hand, the compression effect of the zoom and make it feel like the world is closing in on them, making us feel trapped and claustrophobic.

The zoom can also draw us into the feelings of a character by focusing in on their expression and isolating it from the scene. Naturally this has to be cleverly cut to match the previous action of the story, but it generally does a fantastic job of helping us empathize with the character at that moment in the story.

If you speed up a zoom (what's called a snap zoom), you can quickly change the perspective of the frame and convey a different emotion. Many times this can be used for comedic effect, or simply to add some drama to a scene. It can also serve to heighten a feeling of shock or surprise, especially when you zoom from say a medium shot to a close-up with the actors eyes simultaneously widening in surprise.

A quick note. In some cases you can digitally zoom into a subject during post production to achieve these effects. However, this is usually only effective if you're doing a slow zoom and for a short amount of time. You lose resolution and quality with digital zooms.

Static shot

What if the camera doesn't need to move at all?

Sometimes the action in a scene is all that you need to tell the story, and adding any movement to it would be absolutely superfluous.

By keeping your camera locked off, you can guide the audience's attention to focus on the specific action (or lack thereof if the script calls for it) as the story unfolds. This can help to intensify the feeling the audience is experiencing as their attention is drawn deeper into the action.

A simple long shot steady on a teenage girl curled up in bed sobbing can intensify a feeling of sadness or depression, or a steady medium close-up shot of a chef's hands rapidly chopping up vibrant ingredients for a gourmet meal can increase the feeling of anticipation and excitement for the final meal that's about to be served up.

You'll find a lot of comedies using simple steady shots so the actors and do their thing. Adding movements here might get in the way of the laugh - and that would be disastrous.

Now let's take a look at how angles contribute to manipulating feelings.

High and Low angles

These two angles probably have the most obvious effect on a film, as they are most commonly use to convey power vs inferiority.

Typically, in a scene, the character that is dominant or more powerful in a scene will be shot from a low angle, while characters that are in a position of inferiority are shot from a higher angle.

The effect of shooting at a higher or lower angle is to force the viewer to literally look up at the dominant character and look down at the inferior character.

Shooting up at a character makes them appear bigger, taller, and stronger, which psychologically makes them feel more dominant. Think back to when you were a child and you always looked up at your parents. You somehow always felt like they were larger than life and therefore superior to you. The same effect happens when you shoot up at a character.

Shooting down at a character has the exact opposite effect by making the character seem smaller and more diminutive, thus making them seem more inferior. Think of all the scenes you've watched where someone is being beaten up on the ground. The camera is almost always pointing down at them, making them seem much weaker in the moment.

An interesting way that these angles can be used is to switch their use between the characters. For example, imagine a scene where one mob boss is talking to another about territorial rights. Both bosses are sitting at a table, but the Boss A is shot at a slightly higher angle than Boss B.

However, at some point during the dialogue, the Boss B stands up and literally looks down at the Boss A, and the camera angles shift accordingly. This switch in angles between the two characters conveys a massive power shift in that moment that would then influence the rest of the story.

POV

POV, which in full stands for "Point of View", places the camera in a way that shows us what the character in the scene is seeing.

The effect this has on us as the audience is we experience the scene from the perspective of that character, as we watch things unfold "right before his eyes", so to speak.

This will cause us to empathize with the character and draw us deeper into the scene, thus heightening whatever emotion is in the scene, be it excitement or dread or calm.

Another less common POV to consider is that of secondary characters reacting to the main character in the scene. Sometimes the reaction of other characters in the scene is what we want the audience to experience, as it serves to heighten the importance of the main character in the scene. By seeing what the supporting characters are seeing, we get more insight into the nature of the main character.

You can watch this video analysis I did of the Joker's Pencil trick to see this effect in action:

The Dutch angle

The dutch angle is a very stylistic choice where the camera is intentionally placed at an off-kilter angle during a scene. The horizon isn't level, and is off by at least 30-degrees or more.

It gives a very obvious feeling that something in the scene is just off, giving us the audience a feeling of discomfort.

It's very commonly used in thriller and horror scenes to show that something abnormal is about to happen (or is happening).

Another way it can be used is to bring us into the mental state of the character in that moment, particularly if the character is disoriented in one way or another. For example, imagine a character who's high on some illegal drug and is now experiencing the terrible disorienting effects of that drug. We can use the dutch angle to skew the horizon of the scene such that either his point of view is skewed, or the character himself appears to be falling towards one direction in the frame.

The dutch angle can be used to varying degrees to achieve different effects. A very slight but noticeable tilt can make us feel like a scene should be normal, but something is just not quite right. On the flip side, a strong dutch angle makes it obvious that something is very very wrong, which can make us hold our breaths in dread as we watch the scene unfold.

Eye-level

Just like a static shot, sometimes shooting a scene at eye-level is the most basic but most important thing you can do to enhance emotions in a scene.

This is especially true when you need to convey feelings of calm or normalcy in a scene, such as during casual dialogue scenes or during the first act of a film.

Keeping the camera at eye-level can have especially have great impact when it's followed immediately by any of the previous angles and movements we've looked at, as it creates a jarring contrast that heightens our emotions all the more.

The simplicity of the eye-level shot is that it keeps everything looking normal, which you can definitely use to your advantage. A lot handheld cinematography gives us a sense of being there, like a documentary, and it is literally at eye level.

Tips

A few things to note keep in mind as you apply these ideas in your next film:

1. Look for creative ways to combine them to achieve the specific emotion you need. They don't have to be used in strict isolation.

2. Pay attention to what's in the frame. You foreground, middle ground and background matter as you move your camera and frame your image.

3. Pay attention to lighting and sound. Great camera movements alone won't evoke all the emotions you want to convey. How you combine them with light and sound also has a great impact on the emotion of a scene.

4. Utilize speed. As we've seen previously, the speed of your camera movement has different effects on the emotions you evoke in the audience.

5. And finally, make sure any camera movement of angle is motivated. Pay attention to the story, and use that as a guide to how the camera should behave. By being intentional in your camera angle and movement choices, you stand a much better chance of evoking the emotions you're looking for in an audience.

That's it for this quick look at how to manipulate emotions with camera angles and movements.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.

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How filmmakers manipulate our emotions using camera angles and movement

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There are many things that make a good film: A great story. Brilliant acting. Fantastic lighting. But one thing many people forget to pay attention to, especially those new to filmmaking, is camera movements and angles. In particular, how camera movements and angles make the audience feel. Can we do that?

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Camera Shots, Framing, Movement and Angles

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Camera Shots, Framing, Movement and Angles

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15 Essential Camera Shots, Angles and Movements

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15 Essential Camera Shots, Angles and Movements - the easy way to put shots together for filmmakers.