Camera technique research
- 1. Introduction From last week, we’ve started looking into videography for the first time. So far, we have been analysing movie scenes, focusing most on the camerawork, helping us earn a better understanding of the thought that goes into filming. This includes the camera shots, frame use, angles, field depth, camera gear and movements. Only worked on 3 so far, we discussed the camera use behind ‘Casino Royale’ (James Bond), Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’. Then most recently, Spaghetti Western, ‘The Good the Bad and the Ugly’. Digging more into it, we as a class were also introduced to a YouTube channel who would both discuss and explain exactly what we are on learning about. Studio Binder. Each episode being different, the voice over guy would give both a visual representation for an example followed by detailed explanations as to what each camerawork is, how it works, gets used and why. All clearly understandable keeping us as the audience on track without making any of it complicated. Which is actually quite a handy source for this particular course. Shot size Establishing shot: Most common shot size. Wide enough to establish the area, time and day, showing the scale of the something/someone vs their environment, and is also commonly used to transition between takes. Great for first impressions. Crucial for introductions, transitions and giving details about the location or world. Master shot Usually follows up after the establishing shot. Confirms location of the scene. Also clarifies who’s in the scene and where they are. Captures the scene playing out and its entirety, providing footage to be cut. Wide shot Positions subjects far from the camera to show their relation to the environment. About the scale of the subject. Helps the character appear lost, lonely or overwhelmed. Or/and show their relation to the area. Helps end a scene. Full shot Shows a character’s entire body. Common but isn’t needed for the character to be in the centre of the frame but is effective as it shows the characters face as well as their posture. Use to present and make statements about a subject’s physicality. Medium full shot/cowboy shot Head to just below their waist. Referred to as cowboy shots due to the height of gun holsters.
- 2. Makes the character look confident, dangerous or confrontational. Medium shot Most popular in all of cinema. More of neutral shot, captures the subject similar to how we interact with people. From between their waist and chest to just above their head. Use it to dig into the characters eyes without losing their physicality or the environment. Medium close-up Mid-chest to just above their head. Reduces distraction focusing on the characters story and detail. Close-up Most powerful visual weapon for capturing a change in emotion or dramatic beat on-screen. Often at eye level so the audience can see the characters thoughts and feelings. About empathy or dramatic effect. Extreme close-up Captures a specific area. One of the greatest tools for emphasis. Most intimate, dramatic and potentially startling. Frames Single Can be clean or dirty. Features one character alone on frame being the primary focus. Clean shows isolation. Dirty includes a limited appearance of another character in the frame. Two shot Extra can be seen in shot but their faces must not be visible. Shows a visual relationship between only two characters. The relationship could be affectionate, pretentious, or even imaginary. (Number) shot There is no max number of people who can share a frame. Instead of counting groups of people who will be in the shot, the frame would be called a ‘crowd shot.’ Over the shoulder shot Hybrid between a single and a two shot. Perspectives from both angles are given with a sense that we’ve been included in on the moment. Point of view
- 3. Let’s the audience experience the same as the character. Can work from the perspective of a person, non-person character, camera, a spirit or an animal. The POV shot also works through audio, letting the audience hear the same as what the character hears. Insert shot Insert shot would be used when focusing on a prop or detail within the scene. Can be combined with POV shots. Angles Low angle below a character’s eye whilst looking up at them. Makes the subject look more powerful. Doesn’t have to be a human character as the effect will be the same. High angle Makes the subject look weak or/and vulnerable. Another variation of the high ang shot is known as the ‘ariel shot’. Often used to establish environments, cities, landscapes, or to present characters moving through a larger world. Overhead/Birds eye view/Gods eye view At 90 degrees, the angle becomes an overhead shot facing straight down. Great for showing complex movement, one’s connection to their environment or showcasing detail in an area. Dutch Angle Off balance, horizontal image. Creates effects such as a sense of unease, mania, terror or bewilderment. Impacts scenes like where tension can be found in such acts as betrayal. As the tension builds, the angle turns more adding effect. Eye level Possibly the most common camera height for filming. Comes off as most natural filming technique for the audience. Very engaging as can even be used for breaking the fourth wall. Helps create a connection between the characters and the audience. Shoulder level Common and neutral. Gives off the illusion as a low angle only not that heavy as an angle. Mostly used for conversations whilst also showing one’s connection to the other speaker. Can also be used to show height difference leading to a power difference. Hip level Can be found in every genre but is found to be most used in Westerns due to showing a cowboy’s gun holster ready for a fight.
- 4. Knee level Can be a great way to follow an on-screen character/s. Also, a great way to highlight character details that could have been easily missed if a wider shot was in use. Ground level Either used shooting at a ground level or sometimes even below ground. Can double as a low angle when any form of an upper tilt is added to the shot. By rolling from ground level, a character’s movement can be tracked; and details can be captured. Depth of field Deep focus Both the subject and background are shown in full high-definition detail. Used in situations such as there being a group of people sharing one shot or when details are found in the background the audience needs to know about. Information is offered to the viewer giving time for the audience to explore what is going on behind the main character as such allowing plenty of action to play out in more than one way at a time. With everything in clear focus for the scene, “it is our own eyes that do the editing” Great use for when you want everything in the shot to be clear or when you want a scene to be identified with having action in all the foreground, middle ground and the background. Shallow focus Having only the selected portion of the scene clear whilst, at the same time, leaving the rest in a soft blur. Can be chosen for the use of a romantic element, extreme focus on a certain detail or to isolate a subject. Useful for guiding the audience’s attention or/and suggest a character’s emotion state, emphasising. Soft focus Keeps nothing in focus. Soft focus, in the past, used to be commonly used to highlight the beauty of female stars. Being a rare use of the technique these days, now soft focus is now mostly used for dream sequences, flashbacks, helping to suggest a dream-like scene. Rack focus Transitioning different points of focus within one shot. Some uses are clear and eye-catching whilst others can be subtle, easily miss-able. Saving the need for editing, when done perfectly a shot can continue to play out with the technique in use. Best used for when you want to highlight an element or/and show one’s connection to it without cutting.
- 5. Split dioptre Capturing two separate vocal points in deep focus whilst the area between them is blurred out. This technique can be used when important information is both in the foreground and background but want to ignore the middle saving the use of deep focus. Another way to use this technique is to highlight two characters in conversation or situation, and rather than switching the camera one to the other, their backgrounds will be blurred having them look linked as if the subjects are sharing the same spot. Although, due to the unnatural look, this use of the split dioptre is barely used. If uncareful, this technique can lose the interest of the audience. Tilt shift/Swing shift Like the split dioptre technique, the tilt shift as well, if not careful enough, can lose the interest of the audience. Bends the light creating a combination of both a horizontal blur and focus. Can give the illusion of the subject being a miniature. An opportunity to use this would include a shift of perspectives. Camera rig Handheld Handheld shots can be filmed with either a shoulder rig, or an easy rig. Movement by this shot is meant to be shaky. In many cases, this helps to heighten the intensity of a scene. Or if used subtly, it can build intimacy between the character and the audience. Or maybe even two in one. As a scene starts out, it could be quite intimate with who or what is on-screen as the camera movement is quite subtle, then as it rolls out and leading to something panicky or scary as such comes to play, the quality of the shake can build as at the same time, intensity builds from both the subject and audience as the emotion is shared. Tripod/Static Being a support mechanism, the rig equipment is great static shots, or shots with movement. The tripod allows the camera to move smoothly whether that’s left to right, or up and down. Ideally, by using the tripod, it can help to focus on the primary subject without any distractions from too much camera movement, like for a dialogue scene, emotional single shots and areas of filming that focus on locking and staging. Sometimes even for comedic effect. Pedestal A camera mechanism that moves vertically up and down. Can be used for matching the movement of an actor, establish a world, or even to build suspense.
- 6. Cranes/Jib ‘Arms’ are used to extend the camera outwards and smoothly move in any direction needed. The large movements also help to achieve a specific emotion to a shot, whether that be isolation, freedom, or spectacle. Some shots can capture a scenes production design, blocking and movement all in a singular take. Overhead rig By using this the overhead rig, perfect top-down shots can be captured with a variety of scenarios. Overhead shots help capture details whether it be a POV shot, or God’s eye view shot. Being used as a Gods eye view, the protagonist can be portrayed as all-knowing and powerful. Although the rig is for overhead shots, based on budget, anything can help capture that view. Including a crane. Dolly Prioritizes movement and precision. A dolly is a (straight or curved) wheeled apparatus the camera is mounted on. Perfect for when the camera is needed to push into a character, or out depending on the circumstance. Another great use is for following a character no matter the movement or action. Needing a lot of heavy equipment and effort to use the dolly, so for an alternative there is the camera slider. A smaller invention that creates the same effect but with less use. A second option is a cable cam. Used to capture a subject moving in long distances or to glide past obstructions, like maybe trees. Combining the dolly with a lens zoom creates a vertigo effect. Best known as the ‘Zolly’ technique. Stabilizer Being man held, this product helps prevent unwanted camera shake, allowing the operator to move freely in any direction. Stabilizers allow the camera to move with the subject more organically than a dolly does. Ideal for long takes, moving through large sets, or complex tracking shots. Suspense can be greatly achieved by using this rig, moving through the tightest of places quickly and smoothly in a way no other gear of technique can achieve. Snorri Cam/Chest cam/Body cam/Body mount A device connecting the camera to an actor. POV is established by the movements of the actor. Can be used to create vertigo, dizziness, and panic.
- 7. Both the point of view with Hers/His' facial expressions are managed to be captured using the Snorri Cam making it close to impossible not to feel the characters emotions, anxiety, and nausea. When used correctly in the right context, it can completely immerse the audience into the characters perspective. Vehicle mount Attaches onto a vehicle following the movement. Is believed to sometimes be the only type of camera gear that manages to capture both the realismand intensity of a movement. Drone Before drones, helicopters took on the role of being the most practical way of shooting geographical shots capturing the establishments where filming. Now with drones, wide aerial shots are taken for grand establishing shots, wild chase scenes, or unique establishing shots. (Like the honourable band aid scene from Bohemian Rhapsody). Motion control Known to produce the most creative shots known to cinema. A device that allows the control and precise repetition off camera movement. Effectively captures time-lapse shots. Stop-motion animation relies heavily on this specific gear. The most common use the rig has goes towards visual effects. Two shots can be taken with the very same movement and precise framing. Motion control can be used to replicate the exact movements needed helping VFX artists. Underwater Housing A waterproof case is equipped allowing full control whilst filming under water. This enables the filmmakers to capture the suspense and action. Shooting underwater helps the shot become more immersive, more intimate and also engaging for those watching. Being between as if the camera if floating and jumping up with each wave, both a more intimate and anxious feeling are given to the audience. More than how keeping the camera in the air constantly would do. By gathering all this research, all the techniques are put together in notes making it easily accessible and handy for when needed. With future projects coming up, rather than relying on jotting it all down another day when I will need wasting time, I have it ready now saved. The notes may not be very detailed or specific, but they are written down clear enough I shouldn’t have any trouble understanding what they used for and how to do that when if it comes to making my own videos. Even some useful ideas could come through by rereading my options.