Camera Shots in TV Drama

1. Camera Shots in TV Drama

2. Lesson Outcomes
• To learn the key camera shots associated with
TV Drama
• To understand how camera shots can be ‘read’
denotatively and connotatively

3. Representation
• The areas you could be asked about:
– Gender
– Age ??????
– Ethnicity
– Sexuality
– Class and status
– Physical ability/disability ??????
– Regional identity ?????

4. Camera Shots
• The most common camera shots used in TV
Drama are
Establishing
shot
Master Shot
Close up
Mid Shot
Long Shot
Point of View
Wide Shot
Two Shot
Over the
Shoulder Shot

5. Reading Shots
• Denotative Meaning – the literal
meaning/basic description of what it is
• Connotative Meaning – the meaning we read
into the image. It is the meaning we
associated with colours, locations, costuming,
props, etc. They are used in TV Drama to help
us form assumptions about characters, their
attitudes/values, relationships. The
Connotative meanings you need to make must
be connected to representation!

6. Establishing Shot
• The Opening shot of a new scene. Used so we
can identify location.
• The assumption we make about the location
are often the key connotative reading

9. Master Shot
• A shot that shows the audience the whole
scene in a wide shot. Often used to show the
key elements, characters that will be in the
scene. Can be used instead of an establishing
shot or following on
• Connotative meanings are often based around
relationships and hierarchy

12. Close Up Shot
• A close up shot shows either an object or a
persons face close up so that they take up
most of the space. Used to show detail/
emotions. Often used in dramatic moments.
• The key connotative meaning often comes
from the way we read the facial expression

17. Mid Shot
• A shot that shows someone from the waist up
and we can see more clearly where they are
and the relation with other people (if present)
• Key connotative meanings - we start to make
connections between the character and their
emotions, location and other characters

20. Long Shot
• A shot that shows a person from head to toe,
gives us greater understanding of the location.
Often used early in a scene or when a
character first enters the scene.
• Key Connotative Meaning – location and
actions

23. Point of View
• A Shot of what the character is seeing. Normally
we see a shot of the character ‘looking’ then we
cut to the POV.
• Connotative meaning - this is connected to the
character who’s viewpoint we are seeing. We
are put in their shoes so feel how they feel.

28. Wide Shot
• A wide shot is used to show action which is
happening over a large space or to show
several people at once. Used in the middle of
a scene.
• Connotative Meaning – we start to make
connections between the characters and their
relationships, actions and location.

30. Two Shot
• This is a shot that has two people in the
frame. They could be next to each other or
one in the foreground and one in the
background
• Connotative meaning – all about relationships

34. Over the Shoulder
• A shot in which the subject of the shot is
filmed from behind a person’s head and
shoulders. Often used in conversation and
‘we’ are almost part of the scene.
• Connotative meaning – again all about
relationships and are often based on facial
expression and body language.

37. Lesson Outcomes
• To learn the key camera shots associated with TV
Drama
• To understand how camera shots can be ‘read’
denotatively and connotatively
• Questions/Comments on a post it note
1
1
3
5
5
3

38. Summary Task
• Watch the following extract (Greys’ Anatomy)
• Choose 10 shots (variety!) and complete the
following chart
• The clip is in the ‘Student Resources’ folder.
Shot type and Picture Denotative Reading Connotative Reading