Together each of these shots tells a story.
Whether you are a student of filmmaking or an amateur photographer, knowing different shots and camera movement is the most important thing. Photography or cinematography is more than just clicking pictures and recording videos. It needs creative perception and a lot of imagination. Recording a video from a different side at a different angle can totally change its perception. For example, a picture of a dog from an upper angle will seem cute and adorable while at a lower angle, with sharp canines outside will look a lot more ferocious. Thus, the ability to imagine things and get the correct perception out of the shot is all on the shoulders of the cinematographer and the director. So for every filmmaker and photographer, these are some of the basic camera angles and shots that are a must know.
Extreme -Long Shot
An extreme Long shot is a shot where the subject is shot from a long distance. It gives a clear view of the subject’s surroundings. It is used as an establishing shot within a film, the extreme long shot, is designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is mostly used in war and adventure films.
Medium Shot
Medium shots are another widely used shot in films. In this shot, the subjects are shown up to their waistline. It is used to give a focus to the body language of the subjects eliminating all other distractions. It is mostly seen during conversations in a film.
Medium close-up shot
Medium Close-up is another widely used shot in television production and also in films. This is a shot where the subjects are shown on the frame up to their chest as a medium shot only, but it also focuses on body language, especially to the facial expressions. This shot is mostly seen in television news, especially when the newsreader reads the news.
Over the shoulder shot
This is a very famous shot in films, where the camera is placed behind one of the subjects keeping a focus on the other subjects. This shot is used to establish an eyeliner of where each character in the scene is looking and is most commonly framed through a medium or close-up shot. It gives out the perspective of a subject. This shot can be seen in an interrogation scene.
Extreme close -up shot
An extreme close-up shot is when the whole frame is filled with a part of a subject. It is a powerful way to convey the emotion of your subject‘s feeling, without the need for the character to say much. For example, showing only the lips, to project the smile is an extreme close-up shot.
POV shot
POV shot is the Point of View shot where it is perceived as if the subject is holding the camera in his hand. It doesn't show the camera but captures the picture from a camera's perspective. This type of shot is extremely used in adventure films or in exploration documentaries.
Bird’s eye view
Bird’s is another establishing shot, where a camera is located up above, overhead, capturing the action going on below. It’s an aerial shot and gives out a perception as if the viewer is the subject. Today drones are used to capture these shots. It is widely used in the scene of an introduction to a city/place.
