Transcript The Persuasive Camera

Chapter 8

Simple
▪ Camera aimed at subjecting zooming in and out
▪ Can be boring to watch

Creative techniques
▪ Add to subject’s appeal
▪ Helps hold viewer interest

When shooting consider…
▪
▪
▪
▪
What is the best angle
What need to be emphasized in the scene
Do you want audience to focus on something
Do you want to convey a certain impression
▪ Video Clip

Can affect audience response
 Details hard to see
▪ On small screen
▪ From a distance

Shooting for the internet
▪
▪
▪
▪
Do not use more camera motion than needed
Use a tripod to get most stable shot
Light the subject well
Keep the background simple

Shots have advantages & disadvantages
 Long shots
▪
▪
▪
▪
Show where all of the action is taking place
Allow audience to follow broad movements
Show the relative position of subjects
Establish mood

Shots have advantages & disadvantages
 Closer shots
▪
▪
▪
▪
Show detail
Emphasize certain areas
Reveal people’s reactions/emotions
Dramatize the event
 Mix up long & close to create balance

The extreme long shot
▪ (ELS/XLS)
▪ Establishes the location
▪ Shows widespread action/activities

The long shot
▪ (LS)
▪ Often used to start a production
▪ Shows where the action is
happening

The medium shot
▪ (MS)
▪ Used to show expressions and emotions
▪ Far enough away to show context
▪ Considered the shot that “Tells the Story”

The close-up
▪ (CU)
▪ Extremely powerful shot
▪ Concentrates interest
▪ Reveals overlooked details

The extreme close up
▪ (XCU/ECU)
▪ Can add drama or clarify situation
▪ Communicates more emotion
 Distance between nearest & farthest areas of focus
▪ Factors affecting depth of field
▪
▪
▪
▪
Distance at which the lens is focused
Size of the image sensors
Focal length of the lens
Lens f-stop

Panning the Camera
▪ Smooth pivoting of the camera from left to right
▪ Helps to develop impression of space

Types of pans
▪
▪
▪
▪
Follow - Most common type, while following subject
Survey - Slowly searches the scene
Interrupted - Long smooth movement that is suddenly stopped
Whip - Quick pan that creates a blur between subjects

Tilting the camera head
 Moving camera lens up & down
▪ Used to
▪ Emphasize height or depth
▪ Show relationships

Camera height
 Can influence audience perception
▪ Eye-level
▪ Most common shot providing sense of normalcy
▪ High-angle
▪ Offers different vantage point
▪ Shows subject as inferior/unimportant
▪ Low-angle
▪ Shows subject as important/strong

Extreme camera angles
▪ Can be creative & attention getting
▪ Add to the production
▪ “DUTCH” Angle
▪ Tilted shot to create drama/tension