Camera Shots and Angles

Within the film industry, there are multiple camera angles and shots used to create short films. I am already familiar with these camera shots and angles from my AS work last year, however it will benefit me to go over the different shots and angles again to work out what would fit my short film the best as shots and angles play a significant role in my production.

Establishing shot is a shot that establishes the context of the scene. It is usually filmed in a long or extreme long shot.

Close up's tightly frame a person or an object. This shot is useful for showing detail and can emphasis emotion within scenes. Usually a close up will frame from the shoulders upwards.

Extreme close up will frame extreme detail and tightly frame a direct area of a face or an object. These are used mostly in extremely dramatic scenes.

A mid shot tends to frame a character from the waist upwards in order to capture most of their movements as well as facial expressions. These forms of shots tend to most commonly used within the film industry at present.

Long shots frame a person from a far distance allowing their whole body to be in shot or the entire object. Typically a long shot is used to also show off some of the background.

master shot keeps all actors in view from start to finish. Sometimes it can also preform as a establishing shot.

A shot that includes two people is labelled a two shot. They don't always have to be standing next to each other and is often used to illustrate emotions between the two or more characters. As i'm producing a short film and only two main characters will be apart of my film, two shots are significantly important so that my audience are able to understand the connection between the two.

Aerial shot is taken from bird eyes view and often establishes a setting.
Out of all of the shots I could choose from, the Ariel shot is the least likely one I will use as for a short amateur film this will be hard to film.

Point of view is a shot taken from a first person camera. It shows what a character is looking at represented through the camera.

Over the shoulder- shot of someone or an object from the perspective from the shoulder of another person. This is very commonly used when two people are having a conversation.

Shot reverse shot is a sequence of mid close-up shots where one character is shown looking at another and then the other character shown back looking back at the first character.

In my short film, I think it is key to include at least one shot reverse shot. It allows my audience to see the reactions between what is being said and again like the two shot, shows the relationship between the two. I want to be able to convey a close relationship between my two characters in my films.


A Low Angle shot is of an object or person from the below looking up. This tends to be used to increase the height of someone or something or can add power to to a character.

Opposite to a long angle shot is a high angled shot where the shot is looking down at an subject or an object. This type of shot tends to add a sense of vulnerability to a character and can be cleverly used within films to make audiences sympathize with certain characters.

Looking at the below example, as an audience member, you worry for Harry as it is obvious something bad is going to happen. In this case suspension is also added.

Canted angle also known as dutch tilt is an angle set on its roll axis so the shot is composed on vertical lines. This type of shot makes the audience feel as if their head is tilted to the side.