Media Camera Shots

By Leanne Seddon

Bird’s Eye View The use of a Bird’s Eye View camera shot is to introduce the

scene from above ground; just like an establishing shot, it usually is used to set the scene however in this case, it is to emphasis the distance.

Mid Shot The mid shot is a very common shot to take and normally

is taken from the waist upwards. It is usually used to focus on the character in the shot. Here it has been used to focus on the blood on her hands and the confusion on her face.

Low Angle A low angle is normally used to show little power from

the character’s point of view. This shows the lack of control that the character has and the power of the person looking down on them. Here, the low angle has been used to show that the character has no control over what is to happen next, and to show her weak position.

Shot Reverse Shot The Shot Reverse Shot is normally used in conversation between

characters. This is so the camera is focused on one person each time, and giving the same reasons as the mid shot.

Long Shot The long shot is used when showing the whole

body of a character, usually to show what position they are in to indicate their emotion. In this shot, the character is clutching her knee, showing distress and worry.

Establishing Shot/ Pan:

An Establishing shot is normally used at the beginning of a scene to show the setting of location and surrounding area. In this shot the camera pans, following the car to the house, setting the scene for the audience.

Two Shot/ Extreme Long Shot:

Two shot is again used in conversation, just like the shot reverse shot, however this allows the audience to see the characters at all times.

Extreme Long Shot is normally used to set the scene, like an establishing shot, however in this case it is used just like a long shot, but further out so we can see the full setting of the scene as it helps the two shot as the audience is able to see the actions of the characters at the same time.

Over the Shoulder Shot:

The use of over shoulder shots is to try pass off the feeling that someone is watching or following the characters. It’s used to raise the suspense of the film and raise suspicions of weather someone is there.

Extreme Close Up: The use of the extreme close up is to focus on

what is on scene in detail. This shot normally fills the full screen and only focuses on a specific body part, e.g eyes.