2. High Angle
This is my example of a high angle shot. The camera
is held above the action but not directly over. This
makes the character look vulnerable and insignificant.
This is an example of a high angle shot of The
Bride in Kill Bill. She looks vulnerable and
helpless as she lies on the floor.
3. Low Angle
This type of shot is used to make the character look
powerful and menacing, the lack of detail in the
background makes the character more dominant and can
disorientate the audience.
This is an good example of a low angle shot
from Jackie Brown. Jackie is made to look
significant and important as she is the main
character.
4. Over the shoulder
This shot is used to establish the location of
the characters and places the audience in
the view of the characters eyes. They are
often used in conversations between
characters with shot-reverse-shot to focus
on one character’s face at a time.
This is an example of an over the shoulder shot
during a dialogue scene in The Dark Knight. It
focuses the audience on the jokers face and its
shows it almost from the other characters point of
view.
5. Tilt
Tilts are used to disorientate the audience and
show a sense of confusion. These are often
used for flash-backs and dreams in films.
This is an example of a tilt shot from The
Third Man. It creates confusion and a
sense of mysteriousness for the
audience.
6. Long shot
These shots are used to establish the
location of characters, to bring focus to
them and to show action in films.
This is an example from Kill Bill. It
establishes the location and focuses on the
characters. This can create tension as you
can tell action is about to begin.
7. Medium close-up
These are used in dialogue and to
show some detail of action.
Usually only containing two people
who are seen from the waist up.
This is an example from Pulp Fiction.
It establishes the setting and focuses
on the characters as they have a
conversation.
8. Close-up
Close-ups are intimate shots and concentrate on
the face of the character or a specific detail on
something. They allow the audience to see the
emotions and the importance of things.
This is also a good example of a close-
up. It allows us to see how angry and
helpless she is.
9. ECU
Extreme close-ups are very intimate
shots that show extreme emotion like
the anger in a character’s eye. These
shots are used for dramatic effect.
This is a close-up of Marion Crane’s
dead eye in Psycho. It creates tension
and adds to the dramatic effect.
10. Bird’s eye view
This is an attempted bird’s eye view shot. These
shots are usually from the sky and show the
scene from a direct overhead view. They can
make characters look very insignificant. It is an
unnatural shot and confuse the audience as
objects become harder to distinguish at first.
11. Worm’s eye view
Worm’s eye shots are often used as point of view shots.
This makes the dominant character look huge and
powerful and helps the audience empathise with the
character on the floor.
