Topic 1: Types of Shots

Directors make careful decisions about the shots they use to tell their stories. A shot is a moment within the film when the camera starts rolling until the moment it stops. When you think about shots, think about the camera's location: its distance from the subject and its position in relation to the subject.


Extreme Long Shot

For example, consider the effect of this extreme long shot. In an extreme long shot , the camera is far away from the subject. With this shot, the director focuses your attention on the environment. In this extreme long shot, the director conveys the vast, prairie landscape with an incoming thunderstorm.

Image by Tobias Hämmer from Pixabay
 

Low-Angle Shot

In a low-angle shot, the camera is below the subject, often making the subject appear powerful and dominating. In this example, in this low-angle shot, the camera is placed below the character. Those who look up at him feel the weight of his gaze.

Photo by Dhemer Gonçalves from Pexels



 

 Watch this video essay that discusses how Steven Spielberg uses different types of shots to tell vivid and moving stories in films such as Jaws and Schindler’s List.While you view this video, consider the following: 

  • Why do directors focus on characters' facial expressions?
  • What emotions does the character express in the Jaws scene (6:21–6:41) of this video? How do you know? 
  • What techniques did you recognize in the scene from Schindler’s List (6:57–7:48)? How does this one moment in the film make you feel?

Explore

Familiarize yourself with the cinematic technique definitions in the “Shots” section of the Elements of Film handout from the previous page. Use the Elements of Film Tutorial to explore the remaining types of shots not mentioned here (e.g., canted angle). Be sure to review the YouTube link that accompanies each term in the tutorial to understand the effect of each technique. Record your observations in your Elements of Film handout.