These rules and techniques below will turn your amature movie into a cinematic motion picture, remember to read all techniques before going out and shooting your movie!
Lesson 1: Framing
Headroom- It is important to fill the frame with your subject. If you have too much extra space above their head the viewer's eyes will be drawn to that area. To make sure this does not happen, picture the shot as 3 horizontal rectangles all the same size. The subjects eyes should fall on the 2/3 line.
Leadroom- It is important to allow space in your frame in the direction your subject is looking. It tells the viewer that they should be curious or pay attention to action that may occur in this area of the frame. For example. Conversations, the viewer is looking at something, or they're about to walk in that direction. To make sure your character is perfectly framed, picture the shot as 3 vertical rectangles all the same size. The subjects opposite to the looking direction shot fall on the 1/3 line
Lesson 2: Shot types
Extreme wide shot (EWS)- Camera takes in an extremely large area (Grand Canyon, Newyork city, house)
-Often used as an "Establishing shot" - The first shot of a new scene, used to show the audience where the action will take place
- The goal of this shot is to establish the characters position in the frame in their relationship to the surroundings
Wide shot (WS)- Camera takes in a large area (large crowd, person)
- Sometimes used as an "establishing shot"
- Subject takes up most of the frame, always capturing their entirety (From head to Toe)
- Also called a long shot
Medium shot (MS)- Camera takes in a smaller area
- In a medium shot the subject is shown from above the knees or waist to the top of their head
- Medium shots lack the ability to show facial expressions but work well to show body language
Close up (CU)- Camera takes in a small area
- Only the subjects shoulders and/or head is shown
- Are dramatic and intamite
- Used to show emotion
Extreme Close up (ECU)- Camera takes in an extremely small area
- Only a selected feature is captured
- Used to communicate detail and sometimes extreme concentration/ emotion
Pan shot - A HORIZONTAL camera movement, used to communicate or reveal something new in the frame- can be dramatic
Tilt shot- A VERTICAL camera movement, used to communicat or reveal the size of a subject- can be dramatic
Hand Held shot- No tripod used for a documentary feel, communicate realism "Anything can Happen"
Crane shot- An extremely high shot (usually WIDE) from a crane or a small "Jib". Great for establishing shot
Dolly shot- Recording the shot while the camera is moving from right to left or vise versa (uses a camera mounted track or steadi-cam)
Tracking shot- Recording the shot while the camera is moving forwards or backwards. (Great for POV shot)
Point-of-view shot (POV)- The camera rpresents the POV of the suject- encourages viewer to identify with the subject
Over-the-Shoulder shot (OTS)- The camera is looking over the shoulder of a person at something (eg. Scenery) Encourages dentification with the subject
Camera Height- Low angle- Camera is low to the ground looking up at a subject, makes them look Powerful
High angle- Camera is high of the ground looking down at a subject, makes them look weak
Lesson 3: Rules
30 degree rule- This is one of the basic rules of television. When you shoot footage, make sure the background is different in every shot to aviod it looking like there is a jumpcut. The camera must move at least 30 degrees when shooting in the same room.
180 degree rule- Is a very important concept in video and film production. It refers to an imaginary line which cuts through the middle of the scene, from side to side with respect to the camera. Crossing over this line changes the viewer's perspective in such a way that it causes disorientation and confusion. For this reason, crossing this line is something to AVOID. For example the camera is located to the subjects left. The shot shows the subject walk from right to left, establishing the viewer's position relitive to them. By crossing this line the next shot will show the subject walking from left to right in the same scene. Because of this sudden change the viewer becomes confused. The only way that you should break this rule is to show the camera crossing the imaginary line.
Lesson 4: Creativity
Now that you have an arsenal of usful ways of shooting, go out and put them to the test. Once you become comfortable with doing this, go out of your comfort zone and do something crazy! But not to crazy, most people don't like change.
Thanks for reading,
Be sure to e-mail me at halovideos@live.ca if you have any questions
Stay moist kids
- Aaron, SpAnkingSpAtula, of TheNetworkCinema (youtube channel)
Lesson 1: Framing
Headroom- It is important to fill the frame with your subject. If you have too much extra space above their head the viewer's eyes will be drawn to that area. To make sure this does not happen, picture the shot as 3 horizontal rectangles all the same size. The subjects eyes should fall on the 2/3 line.
Leadroom- It is important to allow space in your frame in the direction your subject is looking. It tells the viewer that they should be curious or pay attention to action that may occur in this area of the frame. For example. Conversations, the viewer is looking at something, or they're about to walk in that direction. To make sure your character is perfectly framed, picture the shot as 3 vertical rectangles all the same size. The subjects opposite to the looking direction shot fall on the 1/3 line
Lesson 2: Shot types
Extreme wide shot (EWS)- Camera takes in an extremely large area (Grand Canyon, Newyork city, house)
-Often used as an "Establishing shot" - The first shot of a new scene, used to show the audience where the action will take place
- The goal of this shot is to establish the characters position in the frame in their relationship to the surroundings
Wide shot (WS)- Camera takes in a large area (large crowd, person)
- Sometimes used as an "establishing shot"
- Subject takes up most of the frame, always capturing their entirety (From head to Toe)
- Also called a long shot
Medium shot (MS)- Camera takes in a smaller area
- In a medium shot the subject is shown from above the knees or waist to the top of their head
- Medium shots lack the ability to show facial expressions but work well to show body language
Close up (CU)- Camera takes in a small area
- Only the subjects shoulders and/or head is shown
- Are dramatic and intamite
- Used to show emotion
Extreme Close up (ECU)- Camera takes in an extremely small area
- Only a selected feature is captured
- Used to communicate detail and sometimes extreme concentration/ emotion
Pan shot - A HORIZONTAL camera movement, used to communicate or reveal something new in the frame- can be dramatic
Tilt shot- A VERTICAL camera movement, used to communicat or reveal the size of a subject- can be dramatic
Hand Held shot- No tripod used for a documentary feel, communicate realism "Anything can Happen"
Crane shot- An extremely high shot (usually WIDE) from a crane or a small "Jib". Great for establishing shot
Dolly shot- Recording the shot while the camera is moving from right to left or vise versa (uses a camera mounted track or steadi-cam)
Tracking shot- Recording the shot while the camera is moving forwards or backwards. (Great for POV shot)
Point-of-view shot (POV)- The camera rpresents the POV of the suject- encourages viewer to identify with the subject
Over-the-Shoulder shot (OTS)- The camera is looking over the shoulder of a person at something (eg. Scenery) Encourages dentification with the subject
Camera Height- Low angle- Camera is low to the ground looking up at a subject, makes them look Powerful
High angle- Camera is high of the ground looking down at a subject, makes them look weak
Lesson 3: Rules
30 degree rule- This is one of the basic rules of television. When you shoot footage, make sure the background is different in every shot to aviod it looking like there is a jumpcut. The camera must move at least 30 degrees when shooting in the same room.
180 degree rule- Is a very important concept in video and film production. It refers to an imaginary line which cuts through the middle of the scene, from side to side with respect to the camera. Crossing over this line changes the viewer's perspective in such a way that it causes disorientation and confusion. For this reason, crossing this line is something to AVOID. For example the camera is located to the subjects left. The shot shows the subject walk from right to left, establishing the viewer's position relitive to them. By crossing this line the next shot will show the subject walking from left to right in the same scene. Because of this sudden change the viewer becomes confused. The only way that you should break this rule is to show the camera crossing the imaginary line.
Lesson 4: Creativity
Now that you have an arsenal of usful ways of shooting, go out and put them to the test. Once you become comfortable with doing this, go out of your comfort zone and do something crazy! But not to crazy, most people don't like change.
Thanks for reading,
Be sure to e-mail me at halovideos@live.ca if you have any questions
Stay moist kids
- Aaron, SpAnkingSpAtula, of TheNetworkCinema (youtube channel)
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