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Aerial Perspective
The aerial perspective is a shot most often taken from a distant overhead view as from an airship of some kind. The aerial perspective is intended to show a distant but distinct object becoming smaller and less separate.
Aerial Shot
A camera shot that is filmed from an airplane, helicopter, blimp, balloon or kite. Devices have also been invented to hold a camera from a specialized boom at the top of a building, stadium or guided by wires or aero-devices within certain settings. These shots are often used for dramatic pans and in situations where the use of a crane would be impossible.
Bird's-eye-View
Usually this shot is achieved from a helicopter or elevated location. It is an overhead shot taken at a distance to give the audience an extended view of the setting. It grants them the privilege of taking in more information than provided by the characters contained in the scene.
Boom Shot
In the editing process films are constructed through a series of units in a montage-like assemblage. With the use of boom shots, cameras are able to achieve diversity in a flowing manner by moving the camera on a boom through a number of possible positions -- levels and angles. The cameras, accordingly, are in a continuous filming mode.
Bridging Shot
The connection of one scene to another through the use of a shot that shows a change in time or location. A bridging shot can also be used to connect two shots from the same scene by using a close-up, distant pan or different camera angle thus relating the shots via content. Dramatic effects and transition can be achieved through this method as can a needed momentary pause.
Close-up
Often taken at a close distance or through a telephoto lens, the close-up provides detailed and magnified aspects of a person's features or the features of an object. The image can be quite striking and is often used for effectual presentation of an expression, mood, atmosphere or potential event. Close-ups of hands can demonstrate in very subtle fashions the moment of a caress with an open, gentle curving hand, or the passion of anger through an image of a clenched fist. Close-ups usually focus on a particular detail in order to elucidate an idea, concept or emotion and they are also used for a dramatic effect.
Cover Shot
Extra footage is often taken during the filming of an entire production, scene by scene, take by take, so that there are ample exposed resources for the completion and compilation of a film. Cover shots are taken in the event some image has been missed or in the event something needs to be added to the stock of a production in the editing room. These are also dubbed "insurance takes." (See "coverage".)
Crowd Shot
A shot, image, scene or depiction of a large group of people. Extras often constitute the corpus of the "crowd shot".
Detail Shot
A camera shot that is actually closer than a close-up. It can be used to show minute portions of grosser elements that would ordinarily be missed under normal examination or observation. A camera shot of great scrutiny.
Discovery Shot
In the process of filming a scene, camera angles and movements provide a great deal of objective knowledge for the viewer. While the camera is in motion across a specific setting, it will find an individual or object previously undisclosed to the audience. This is a discovery shot. On some occasions a discovery shot will disclose through a particular angle or motion, a reference that the producer, director, camera operator or writer had not considered. This is a "discovery shot" that can add an interesting or substantive twist to the plot of the story-line.
Dolly Shot
A camera perspective, on a moving or stationary subject, obtained while the camera is in motion on either a dolly or a camera truck. When the camera is so mounted and moves toward a closer proximity of the subject it is called "dolly-in"; likewise, when the camera is so mounted and moves away from the subject it is referred to as "dolly-out".
Dutch Angle
A specialized camera angle that does not employ the normal horizontal and vertical axis. Often the primary axis becomes a diagonal with the intent of eliciting a disconcerted effect in the audience. Psychologically the effect can be used to bring the audience into the uneasiness or anxiety of the character and the situation depicted on the screen.
Follow Shot
A specific camera shot in which the subject being filmed is seemingly pursued by the camera. The follow shot can be achieved through tracking devices, panning, the use of a crane, and zoom lenses resulting in different qualitative images but, nevertheless, recording a subject (performer) in motion.
Full Shot
Though this term can be used instead of "long shot" it most often refers to a photographed image that includes the complete body of a performer (from head-to-toe) in the frame.
Full Face Shot
A shot which is framed around the face of the performer. Full face shots are often close-ups or extreme close-ups with a front or side-view of the performers head.
Knee Shot
A simple camera angle and shot of one or more characters depicting them from the knee up.
Long Take
A single camera shot that takes a great deal of time for the shot itself, not because of any technological problems or anomalies. Most of the early silent films were composed of long shots until the advent of D.W. Griffith's editing techniques. Financial limitations occasionally require filmmakers to employ long-takes saving monies on film, editing and the time involved in setting-up for various scenes or portions of scenes. Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope" is a good example of a film director using a series of ten minute takes -- a full reel of film -- but giving the illusion of one continuous shot.
Mirror Shot
Camera shots that use a mirror to achieve an effective device. A variety of techniques can be applied when using mirrors for shooting, including positioning a semi-transparent mirror in front of the camera at a forty five degree angle so that the camera can superimpose any thing to the side of the camera onto the primary scene. Similarly a nontransparent mirror can be placed in part of the camera's field of vision to reflect something outside of the camera's field of vision such as a miniature set or image of some kind. A mirror can also be positioned beneath the lens to reflect an inverted image into the field of vision. This can give the impression of a reflection from a watery surface such as a pond, lake or puddle.
Master Shot
At the beginning of a film, episode or scene within a film, a wide-angle or "full-shot" is photographed for the purpose of identifying the location or setting. Thus the audience has established, or been given the opportunity to surmise an orientation. It also helps to establish the distinctions between the general locale and the specific details -- from subsequent shots -- within the general context.
Passing Shot
Resulting in a projected image that travels quickly across the screen, the passing shot is accomplished in one of two ways: the performer being filmed, walks by a stationary camera; the camera pans passed a stationary performer.
Process Shot
Often related to the blue-screen process and/or back/rear projection. The primary subject is photographed against a background that is moving. Previously the moving background had been photographed and the new image is superimposed or mixed with the former footage. A combination of these images is a process shot.
Pull Back Shot
All camera shots that pull the camera away from the subject being photographed are encapsulated by this referent. This is accomplished with the use of a crane, dolly, truck, zoom lens or crab. The effect is often one of enlarging the scene giving rise to a more encompassing perspective for the audience. It can also reveal some individual or object that otherwise would not have been seen. Dramatic effects often result from pull-back shots.
Reaction Shot
A specific type of close-up in which the actress, actor or group of people is responding to an event. The shot is supposed to convey the impact of the moment and is often accomplished with a cutaway from the primary action to someone viewing the occurrence.
Reestablishing Shot
A reestablishing shot often appears at the end of a sequence of events, the end of a scene, or, the beginning of a scene. The intention of the reestablishing shot indicates the location, which had heretofore been cognized by the audience in the establishing shot, so as to remind the viewer of the setting/location. (See "establishing shot".)
Reverse Angle Shot
A basic camera angle in which a particular view which was just photographed is photographed from the opposite perspective. In the context of a dialogue between two people facing each other the camera shoots the conversation directed at one of the performers and then records the same dialogue while the camera is directed at the other performer.
Soft Focus
A particular effect that removes the hard edges from a particular scene for romantic purposes. The same effect is used for vain actresses and actors when they do not want the wrinkles of age to demonstrably be depicted on the big screen. It is achieved through a special lighting filter or the placement of a gauze-like substance over the shooting-lens of the camera.
Squash and Stretch
An animated technique of drawing, or generating through computer images, cartoon figures whose bodies appear to be condensed, compressed, or extended. This can appear in the context of rapid motion, stop-action or slow-motion.
Zoom
The practice of rapidly moving a camera either toward or away from the subject being photographed. This procedure is now accomplished through specialized lenses as well as camera movement. Zoom effects can also be achieved and enhanced by the use of an optical printer. Motions toward or away from the filmed image in the processing of the product can yield a similar effect. Close up shots as well as distant overviews can be obtained through zoom manipulations.
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