Types of Shots and Film Cuts
What are shot types, and why are they important?
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Camera Movements and what they do
Camera movements, zooms and focus pulls are used like commas, semi-colons, colons, dashes or brackets within the audiovisual sentence. These defined, predetermined movements are used to reveal new information within the individual shot (the core audiovisual sentence).
They are also used to change the dramatic arrangement of characters (e.g. moving from an inferior low level to a superior high level) or to reveal new aspects of the setting or situation.
Camera movements, zooms and focus pulls are used like commas, semi-colons, colons, dashes or brackets within the audiovisual sentence. These defined, predetermined movements are used to reveal new information within the individual shot (the core audiovisual sentence).
They are also used to change the dramatic arrangement of characters (e.g. moving from an inferior low level to a superior high level) or to reveal new aspects of the setting or situation.
Pull Focus:
Push in / Pull back – here the camera is pushed towards the action or pulled back (whether manually or digitally) often to subtly suggest an increasing affinity or dislike for a character as a clip or scene progresses.
Panning Shot:
Pan – here the camera swivels smoothly on the tripod head
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Tilt Shot:
Tilt – the camera is tilted up or down on the tripod head or other camera gripping equipment.
Dolly Shot:
Dolly – the camera is moved on its support along some form of track to follow the action.
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Dolly Zoom:
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Tracking Shot:
Tracking – here the camera follows the characters (this can be filmed hand-held for a documentary feel or using a sling or steadicam).
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Crane Shot:
Crane – here the camera is moved through the air using a crane, jib or aerial track.
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Establishing Shot:
Establishing Shot – this is usually a wide shot that shows the setting and provides a environmental and sociological context for the action which is to follow.
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Master Shot:
Master Shot – a camera shooting as an invisible observer is used to establish the geometry of the dramatic space and provide an illusion of objectivity.
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Shot and Reverse:
Shot and Reverse – a shot sequence most commonly used to film dialogue sequences (though it is important to distinguish the reverse from a reaction shot, they are not the same).
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Reaction Shot:
Reaction Shot – this type of shot underscores key moments within the scene. At their most extreme, reaction shots can function as an exclamation mark; however, for the most part they enable the audience to work out what the character is thinking. This is very important since in a film we do not have easy access to a person's thoughts (as we do in a novel). Some films resort to narration; however, this changes the nature of the narrative, and is not always appropriate to the subject matter and themes of the film.
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Point of View (POV) Shot:
Point of View (POV) Shot – here the camera appears to look through the eyes of a key character to show what they want or what they fear. Where the POV shot forms part of a longer 'POV sequence' it is used to establish the main desire or fear lines in the film that are critical to the audience's understanding of the narrative. For instance when you see one person looking longingly at another and cut back and forth from their POV shot to their different reactions shots (facial responses and body language), you know it can only mean one thing - they are really interested.
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Over the Shoulder Shot:
Over the Shoulder Shot – this type of shot establishes an empathy with whoever's shoulder it may be (unless of course the camera is 'creeping up' on the character, see 'watcher shot') as well as establishing the distance between the character and what he or she is observing.
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Cut-in and Cut Away Shot:
Cut-in Shot – these are shots that release key information necessary to understand the narrative, e.g. the time of day or a message scribbled on a note.
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Breaking the Fourth Wall
Breaking the Fourth Wall – this is where a character in the film directly addresses the audience or hams to the camera and breaks the illusion that the film is ‘real’.
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Jump Cut:
A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time.
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Montage:
In filmmaking, a montage is an editing technique in which shots are juxtaposed in an often fast-paced fashion that compresses time and conveys a lot of information in a relatively short period.
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Match Cut:
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