Camera Movements

There are many different types of camera movements used frequently in Media, I am going to focus on the most common camera movements and explain what they do and how they are used.

The first camera movement im going to focus on is a Dolly shot.
The Dolly cart is a small platform with a camera planted on top, the dolly cart runs along a pre built track to add stability to the camera movement, to give the impression of steadiness and calmness. This is used as opposed to a handheld shaky cam as they give off opposite ideas, the shaky cam giving the idea of rushed, frantic scenes and the dolly cart for calmer, more panoramic views.

The second type of camera movement I will be looking at is the Pedestal Shot.

The Pedestal shot typically involves a camera being above, or vertical to the subject in scene. This can be referred to as 'pedding' the camera up and down in relation to the subject. These are used to give off a smooth impression and flexibility within the scene. The Pedestal shot can work well with other camera movements and is often used at the same time as a panning shot or tilting.

The next camera movement that will be examined is the Camera pan.
The Camera pan involves the camera being moved horizontally left to right on a fixed axis. The Camera Pan movement gives the impression of  a steady and calm look around, can often be used to create suspense as it is usually a slow movement, to display the scene to the audience.







The following camera movement that is going to be examined is the follow shot. The follow shot is a pretty self explanatory shot that involves the camera being behind the main action in the shot. The distance from the shot is generally kept at a constant to give the idea of steadiness and control.

Camera Shots

This is an example of an "extreme long shot". Extreme long shots are usually taken from a long distance, from up to about quarter of a mile and they tend to be showing exteriors. These shots are rarely detailed and are more so used to give a general idea of the scene, this is why they are used as introductions shots mostly.

This is an example of a close up. Close up shots are taken from a short distance. They are used to single out a character or certain thing for a more detailed inspection from the audience, to get a better grasp of a plot point or important character. Close ups are used to get the audience as close as possible to a character, to really experience the pleasure or fear for example of a character.

This is an example of a birds eye view shot. This shot is taken from a very high position, either at the top of a building or it is often taken from helicopters or planes, to get the realistic representation of a birds view. It can be used to put the audience in a higher position, meaning almost godlike or superior to the characters in the piece.

This is an example of a low angle shot. This shot can be taken from any distance, but it is taken at a low angle to make the target of the shot look larger and in the case of this example more menacing. This gives the audience a lower position where they may feel more uncomfortable and powerless.

This is an example of a Canted angle shot. These types of shots are taken at awkward angles to add a sense of disorientation, instability and confusion to the scene. This scene in Inception is particularly disorientating and keeps the viewer totally engaged to the confusion.  

Introduction

My name is Callum, I was born and raised in Oxford and have been living here ever since my birth. School wise; I started off at Cutteslowe primary school, then took the step that most do from Cutteslowe and moved on to the Cherwell. My father works as a teacher at St. Edwards in the local area, so when I reached year 9 I was moved there. St. Edwards was not the school for me so I am glad to return to the Cherwell for sixth form. and I'm studying Media Studies for AS because Media is such a large part of my life and all my peers' too, it believe it will become increasingly important as time goes on, so a vast knowledge of the subject will defiantly prove useful in later life. I think will defiantly be continuing it onto A2. On my blog I will be documenting almost everything I do through out the years, including small pieces describing camera shots and detailed annotations of various elements of Media.