Shot Types

Throughout the past few lessons in Media Studies, we have been focusing on the different shot types, and the reasons why we would use them.

Establishing/wide shot - A wide shot, usually shot with a 35mm lens. This kind of shot is usually used to establish the setting of the scene, and give the viewer a clear picture of where they are at this moment in the film. A prime example of this can be seen in the TV show 'Friends', as wherever they are in the programme, for example Central Perk, an establishing shot will be used to show they viewer where we are, before we cut to the action inside.

That familiar establishing shot from the long-running NBC sitcom Friends

 

Close Up - A standard close up includes the head and shoulders of the subject. It tends to be used to show emotion when involving a person, and to show a lot of detail to audience. An example of a close up can be seen in the final Harry Potter movie (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2), as Harry prepares for the final battle with Voldermort.

Extreme Close Up - An extreme close up can be used to make an object appear larger than life, and to show all of the detail of the object or person show in the shot. A prime example of a use of an extreme close up can be seen in 'Kill Bill Vol. II', where the mosquito can be seen on the skin of Black Mamba (Uma Therman), after her being in a coma following being shot in the head.

 

Two-Shot - A two shot is quite self explanatory; it is a single shot involving two people. It is often used to show conversation  between two characters. It is usually filmed from the mid-chest up, similar to a medium close up, and can be used to show harmony, or disharmony between the characters in the shot. For example, in this shot from 'Twilight' below, a two shot has been used to show empowerment of Edward (Robert Pattinson), as he is taller than Bella (Kristen Stewart), and also creates a sense of foreboding which is also reinforced by the use of lighting.

Over the Shoulder - An over the shoulder shot occurs when the camera is placed over the shoulder of a character. This makes the characters head and shoulders visible, ensuring the audience knows that they are there, but making sure the main focus is on the other character or object in the shot. An example of an OTS can be seen in 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World', however this is a very interesting use of an over the shoulder. The shot has been taken  from such an angle that most of Ramona's (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) features are visible, yet still making the main focus of the shot to be Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera).

Point of View - A POV shot is used to represent the subjective view of a specific character. In order to achieve the sense of a POV, the camera is physically placed at eye level, in an attempt to show you what the character is seeing. An example of a POV shot can be seen in 'Inglorious Basterds', where a POV shot is used to show disempowerment, as a low angle shot of Lt. Aldo Raine has been used, in order to communicate that the character (who's point of view it is from) is weaker than the characters of Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), and his accomplice.  

High Angle - A high angle shot occurs when the camera is placed above a subject facing down. this is used in order to make the subject appear weak an vulnerable. An example of this can be seen in 'Matilda', where an over the shoulder shot has also been combined with a high angle. Mr Wormwood (Danny DeVito) can be stood standing over Matilda (Mara Wilson), conveying to the audience that he is a lot more powerful than Matilda, and that Matilda is very vulnerable.

There are plenty more shots that I could go in to detail about, and they may be featured in future blog posts, however these are some of the most commonly used shots, and therefore the ones that are most definitely needed to be known.

Meaning

In our first practical lesson, we were beginning to look at some of the technical language involved in media studies, and our main focus being understanding how to communicate meaning through media. For our starter activity, we were given a Buzz Lightyear figurine, a Woody figurine and a lamp, with which we needed to produce a single image on a camera phone to communicate the meaning of isolation. As a class, we chose to have Woody sat in the background of the image, with Buzz facing him in the foreground. When reflecting on the final image, I noted that Woody's body language should have been changed, as in the images body language was too open to communicate the meaning of isolation. Other members of the class said we could have turned off the lights to make more effective use of the lamp, and they said Buzz should be facing away from Woody, to further reinforce the idea of isolation.

For our next task, we were put into pairs, and in each pair, we had to write our own definition for one of the following words: focus, depth, framing, and composition. In my pair, we had to write a definition for framing, and after a discussion, we decided framing was: the positioning of a camera in order to produce the correct angle/shot to communicate the desired meaning. When we came back to discuss as a class, we realised that framing and composition linked, and so did depth and focus. This activity made us realise that when we are taking photos and filming, and we are putting these ideas into action, without even realise we are doing it.

Our final task involved us taking an image using a camera phone. In the same pairs we had been in for the previous task, we were given a moment from out famous film, and we had to recreate it, thinking about depth, focus, framing, composition and meaning. In my pair, we were given an image from the Quentin Tarentino film Pulp Fiction. In our image, you can see Vincent Vega (John Travolta), and Jules Winnfiled (Samuel L Jackson), and our recreated image can be seen below.                             

It was a really enjoyable activity, and every time I look at that image, I can't stop laughing! Although, I think I look more like Cruella De Vil than Vincent Vega.