Shot Types and Camera Angles

When directors or photographers are filming or taking pictures there are a wide range of shot types and camera angles that they can use. Each shot type and camera angle has a different effect that manipulates the audience to think or feel in a certain way. 

1. Close up - A close up shot is usually used to show emotion or a reaction. It is used so that the audience clearly knows how the character is feeling. 

2. High angle shot - A high angle shot is used to make the audience feel more powerful then the character on the screen or in the picture. It also creates an element of mystery. However this shot can also be used to show difference in status.

3. Two shot - A two shot is used to focus on two important people in the screen. There may be other people in the frame however they are usually out of focus. 

4. POV shot - A POV shot is a shot that shows the audience what the character can see. It is used to make the audience feel connected and closer to the character. 

5. Low angle shot/Worms eye shot - The shot is used to make the audience feel intimidated or dominated by something else. It can also be used to show a sense of scale. 

 

6. Tilt shot - A tilt shot is used a dis-orientation method. It makes the audience feel (literally) thrown sideways. It can also be used to make a character look heroic.

7. Long shot - This kind of shot is used so that more can fit in the frame. It puts the figure into context because the audience can see the background and other objects. 

8. Mid shot - This shot often contains a lot of people in the frame from the waist upwards. It is used to focus on the main characters and surrounding characters. 

9. Extreme close up - An extreme close up is used to focus on an important object or feature so that the audience are aware of it. 

10. Establishing shot - An establishing shot is to make the audience aware of the characters surroundings. These kind of shots can also often be used as quick fillers during programmes. 

11. Pan - This is when the camera pans over an area or setting, however the camera does not move, it stays in one spot and just moves on it's stand.

12. Aerial/Crane shot - This shot is used to show the action beneath down below. 

13. Tracking shot - This is similar to a pan shot, however with a tracking shot the camera moves with the action often along a track. This helps the audience to keep up with action as it is happening.

14. Over the shoulder shot - This shot is when you can see the characters shoulder out of focus and the object or person that they are looking at in focus. This shot gives of a sneaky element and makes the audience feel as if they are prying into the characters life. 

Film Openings

A film opening is one of the most vital parts of every film. It is what draws the reader in and keeps their interest. A film opening usually suggests and hints to the viewer as to what they should expect from the film. Most film openings also include the credits where institutions, actors names, production teams, composers, directors, editors, etc names will be shown.
Below is a table containing 8 different films. I have analysed the openings to each noting down the genre, conventions, information in the credits and the story line.

Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar is an american computer animation film studio based in California. Pixar began in 1979 as part of the Graphics Group, part of the computer division of Lucasfilm before it was acquired by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1986. Then in 2006, The Walt Disney Company bought Pixar for around $7.4 billion.
Pixar has produced twelve feature films. The first being Toy Story in 1995. It was followed by A Bug's Life in 1998 and then Toy Story 2 in 1999. Other films include:
- Monsters Inc.
- Finding Nemo
- The Incredibles
- Cars
- Ratatouille
- WALL-E
- Up
- Toy Story 3
- Cars 2
Pixar has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes and 3 Grammy Awards among many other awards and acknowledgements. Every film that Pixar has produced are on the fifty highest grossing animated films of all time list. Finding Nemo, Up and Toy Story 3 have even made it to the top fifty list of highest-grossing films of all time.

1. What are the conventions of the horror/thriller genre?
There are many aspects of horror/thriller films that allow the audience to recognise what type of film it is when they view the trailer or see the movie poster.
Some of the main conventions are:
-Blood - Quite often horror movies have a lot of gore in whereas in other genre's you tend not to see any kind of blood or gore.
-Low key lighting - Horror movies use a lot of low key lighting as this creates a scary atmosphere because the viewer can not always see what is on the screen.
-Death - Almost all horror films feature many deaths throughout. The victims are usually quite vulnerable characters and are murdered in quite brutal ways by the same person.
-Serial killers - There is usually one main killer in horror films who we do not know the identity of so we cannot get attached to their character, however in the end it is usually revealed who is doing the killing.
-Weapons - The killers use weapons usually to kill their victims. These are quite often household items like knives, gardening equipment, tools etc.
-Low, loud music or high strings - The music is key in films as it helps to set the mood. In horror films low music is used to create suspense and high strings are used to create a scary, eerie feel.


2. What is suspense?
Suspense is used in all horror films as a key feature. It is the feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen. For example, in a horror movie the main character could be slowly walking down the street, however she feels like somebody is watching her and keeps on turning around to see if she can see anybody. This makes the viewer feel anxious about who is watching her and what they're going to do. Suspense is very effective in horror movies as it constantly keeps the viewer interested.


3. Write a definition (with textual example) for each of the 3 shot types - match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Match on action - A match on action shot is when something is happening in a scene then there is a cut but the same piece of action is still going on. This is an example of continuity editing and it is very important in helping the audience to understand what is going on at all times.

Shot - reverse shot - A shot-reverse shot is when one character is shown looking at another and then that character is then shown looking back at the first character. Because the characters are shown looking in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other. 

180-degree rule - The 180-degree rule states that two characters (or other objects) in the same scene, must have the same left/right relationship to each other. For example, if one character is on the left side of the shot they should always face the right and vica versa.