terms - shots / camera angle/ placement

camera angle / viewpoint

• the specific location where the camera is placed to take a shot

high-angle shot / HA

• camera physically higher than the subject, looking down on it can make the subject seem small/ weak/ vulnerable

low-angle shot / LA

• taken from below the subject, can make subject look powerful/ threatening

natural shot / eye-level shot / EL

• camera level / looking straight on with subject, no psychological effect

top-down perspective / overworld/ helicopter view / bird's-eye view / bird's-eye (view) shot / aerial view shot / overhead view shot

• taken (directly) above the scene, est. landscape & character related to it

worm's eye view (shot)

• looking up from the ground, → character from way below/ child/ pet

crane shot / boom shot / jib shot

• taken by a camera on a crane or jib, commonly for bird's eye view / moving out from a closer view (a version of HA usually)

dutch angle / canted angle / tilted angle

• the camera itself is tilted left/right, unnatural angle, gives a feeling that the world is out of balance / psychological unrest

point of view shot / P.O.V. shot / subjective camera

• shows the image through the subject's eyes
• shared ~ / dual ~ / triple ~
  • multiple subjects' p.o.v. (joint)

over the shoulder shot / over shoulder / OS / OTS / third-person shot

• a shot of someone from the shoulder of another person → back of the shoulder and head frame the image, common for characters hacing a discussion, usually follows an establishing shot (it can be considered a variation of the POV shot)

reverse shot / shot reverse shot / shot/countershot / (shot/)reverse angle shot

• a character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), than the other character is shown looking back at the first character, characters shown facing opposite directions ⇒ viewer assumes the're looking at each other (example of eyeline match, feature of continuity editing)
• common for POV and OTS shots (care to avoid continuity error by violating the 180 degree rule)
• reverse angle
  • shot from the opposite side of the subject, dialogue scene: shot of the second participant
• continuity cuts
  • takes the viewer seamlessly and logically from one scene to another, unobtrusive cut, serves to move the narrative along, coherence between scenes / shots

eyeline match / eye-line matching

• associated with continuity editing
• premise: the audience wants to see what the character on-screen is seeing
  1. a character looking at something off-screen
  2. cut to the object or person at which he is looking
• e.g. shot reverse shot
• off-camera eyeline ⇒ placing the other actors off camera / a given mark to look at
• gaze / look
  • exchange of looks that takes place in the cinema

180-degree rule

• axis
  • an imaginary line connecting the (two) characters in the scene (180° line)
• rule: the camera must be kept on one side of the line / axis for every shot in the scene
• jumping the line / crossing the line
  • the camera passes over the axis
• shooting in the round
  • breaking the rule by shooting on all sides
• The object being filmed must always remain in the center, while the camera must always face towards the object.