PRELIMINARY EXERCISES: CAMERA TECHNIQUES

 I learnt different camera techniques by reading the website: The Grammar of Television and Film by Daniel Chandler. 

By studying this website, it gave me insights into how I can vary the sizes and angles of my shots to focus the viewers attention onto specific objects and/or people and depict certain emotions and feelings.

The camera I used to explore different camera techniques was an iPhone 11.

HIGH ANGLE:

- angle from above, aimed down at the character

- makes the viewer feel more powerful than the character and suggests detachment

LOW ANGLE:

- angle from below, aimed up at the character

- exaggerates the character's importance 

CANTED ANGLE:

- aimed at the character at a rotated angle

- helps to create tension and a sense of unease, suspense and mystery 

BIRD'S EYE VIEW:

- view from above the character

- allows the viewer to have a full range of the scene as it is above all the action

OVER THE SHOULDER:

- angle shown from over the shoulder of the character

- shows a point of view of the character, exposing their view in front of them

WORM EYE SHOT:

- angle from below the character, aimed up

- highlights power and authority in a character as the viewer is looking up at them.

CLOSE UP:

- zooms in, focusing on head to shoulders

- shows their face in great detail and exposes their reactions and emotions in a scene

EXTREME CLOSE UP:

- zooms in and focuses strictly on the face

- allows the viewer to see the emotion of the character and cuts out context in the background

MID SHOT:

- frames the body and face of character

- gives a greater view of the character, whilst still showing detail in their face and emotion 

LONG SHOT:

- shows most of character and some of surroundings

- allows the viewer to have some context as to the location of the character

EXTREME LONG SHOT:

- captures the character and its surroundings

- provides a sense of distance to the character