Framing the shot

It is important to understand the

different types of framing and to
use many of them in your
movie, but it is also important to
understand the emotional
impact on the audience created
by different types of framing.
Even poor quality acting can be
made to seem effective if a shot
is framed well.
Camera Framing
Camera framing terms are based on how much of a person’s
body is revealed.
Extreme Close-up
The extreme Close-up shows only a small section of the body
or action and allows the director to really focus the audience’s
attention on an action or expression, and often elevates
tension.

This shot
clearly
shows what
the
character is
doing in
great detail.
Camera Framing
Extreme Close-up
This shot
clearly shows
what the
character is
feeling. The
audience
would not be
able to see
You should always draw the audience’s the intensity
attention to small but important gestures that in her eyes
the audience might otherwise miss. The closer without an
you move in with the camera, the more extreme
personal the story becomes. An extreme close-up.
close-up is usually a very short shot.
Camera Framing
Close-up
A close-up reveals more of the face and action. Sometimes
the head above the eyebrows is cut off because it is the eyes
and mouth that reveal emotion.

It establishes an
emotional connection
between the character
and the audience.
Camera Framing
Close-up

A shot can imply that there is tension between characters if

two characters are shown close-up together and they occupy
most of the space in the frame.
Camera Framing
Close-up The tension in this scene from Red Eye is caused by the action, but
emphasized by how the action is framed — in a series of tight close-ups.
Camera Framing
Wide Close-up
A wide close-up reveals the whole head from the shoulders
up. It is less dramatic than the close-up or extreme close-up
and but can still reveal the character’s emotion and make a
scene feel intimate. It also allows the director to show more
of the background and secondary characters than is
possible in a close-up.
Camera Framing
Medium Shot
A medium shot shows the character from roughly the waist up, and
allows the director to show interaction between characters. It reveals
even more of the setting. It is less dramatic and personal than the
close-up but can show more body language, helping to reveal emotion.
Medium shots are comfortable for the audience because it places them
at a “normal” distance from the characters. Students tend to really
overuse medium shots creating a feeling of comfort in the audience
when they are really striving for excitement and tension.
Camera Framing
Medium Full Shot
A medium full shot shows the character from roughly the knees
up, revealing interaction between characters and much more
information about the location. The audience feels that they are
looking at the whole subject with the medium full shot. It is good
for showing location and action but the tension drains out of shots
the further back the camera is from the subject.
Camera Framing
Full Shot
A full shot shows the entire character and focuses on the
character’s body language and posture while allowing
interaction with other characters, and revealing plenty of
background. There is very little tension or excitement,
though, in a full shot and it is way overused by beginning
filmmakers.
Camera Framing
Long Shot
A long shot establishes setting and context for the shots that
follow. A movie will usually open with a long shot to establish
setting. Long shots are not used for any other purpose and
should be used very sparingly. There is no tension or
excitement in a long shot no matter what the actors are
doing.
Camera Framing
Long Shot
Long shots are used throughout a movie to re-orient the
audience to where they are, especially if a series of
close-ups has been used. In this case, the long shots are
usually short in duration before returning to shots that are
much closer in framing.
 Camera Angles
Camera angles grab our attention by creating dynamic
scenes. They often influence how the audience
responds to a character or situation on the screen.
Camera Angles
High Angle Shots
A camera placed higher than the subject and tilted
downward often evokes an emotional response from the
audience by suggesting that the character is insignificant,
fragile, or in peril.
Camera Angles
High Angle Shots
A high angle can also be used to show the audience a lot of
information at once. In this shot we see the main character
searching for luggage and the faces of curious passengers
below her in the background.
Camera Angles
Low Angle Shots
A camera placed lower then the subject and tilted upward
often produces shots that are visually exciting because it is
not a point of view often seen by a person. It can also make
the subject seem very powerful, dominant or threatening.
Camera Angles
Low Angle Shots
This low angle shot is positioned to show the action of the
character and the faces of the secondary characters above.
Camera Angles
Low Angle Shots
Taken to the extreme, low angle shots can be very unsettling.
Camera Angles
Eye Level Shots
This is a fairly neutral shot in which the camera is positioned
at eye level with a character. It is meant to let the audience
identify with the character as an equal and not to provoke an
emotional reaction. Eye level shots are used way too much by
beginning filmmakers.
Camera Angles
Canted Shot
The canted shot views an image off-centre, or tilted, so that
the subject appears to be off-balance. We often see canted
shots in scenes that portray characters as unhinged, violent,
and out of control. Canted shots are used in action and horror
films as well as psychological dramas and crime pictures.
In a canted shot, lines that are usually vertical (like the
corners of walls) become diagonal, creating a feeling of
unsteadiness and uneasiness.
Camera Angles
Three-quarter Shot
The three-quarter shot provides a strong composition by positioning
the camera between a frontal angle and a profile shot. This shot is
used most often because it provides depth between the foreground
and background elements.
Camera Angles
Frontal Shot
The camera is positioned directly in front of the subject matter in
frontal shots. When used close-up they can provide a feeling of
intimacy, letting the audience identify with the subject. A frontal shot
is often at eye level.
Camera Angles
Profile Shot
Also known as a side shot, this angle is composed directly from the
side of an object or person, at eye level. It can be used sparingly to
provide variety in your shots. Notice that the character is positioned
to the side to give him lots of screen space to look into.
Camera Angles
Over-the-shoulder Shot
The camera should also be positioned over-the-shoulder and from
a high angle if you want to show the audience what a character is
looking at in their hands. In an over-the-shoulder shot the camera
must be very close to the actor.
Over-the-shoulder Shots showing a conversation.
For conversations, this shot positions the camera over the
shoulder of one character, revealing part of the backside of
their head and shoulders in the foreground, and focuses on
the character facing the camera.