Basic Camera Composition - Shots and Angles in Filmmaking

1. Basic Camera Composition -
Shots and Angles in
Filmmaking

2. Shot
Composition
How the elements of
the shot are
positioned in the
frame.

3. Top of head to shoulders
Isolates the character in the frame
Close Up
(CU)

4. Anything closer than a Close Up
Extreme Close Up
(ECU)

5. Top of head to waist
Medium Shot
(MS)

6. 3/4 Shot Top of head to just below knees.

7. Head to Feet
Long Shot
(LS)

8. Character becomes almost lost in the
scene.
Extreme Long Shot
(ELS)

9. Often used in conversations.Two-Shot

10. Signifies a distinct group of people.Three-Shot

11. Used in conversations, or to reveal what
the character is seeing.
Over the Shoulder
(O.S.)

12. Shows the audience where the scene is
taking place.
Establishing (Master)
Shot

13. Make a list of
the different
types of shot
compositions
in the clip.
What Do You
See?
Click the image to play the video

14. Camera Angle
Where the camera is
positioned vertically
while filming.

15. Camera is at the character’s eye level. The
character is the audience’s equal.Eye Level

16. Camera is at the character’s eye level. The
character is the audience’s equal.
Point of View
(POV)

17. Camera is above character.
Implies superiority over the character.High Angle

18. Camera is almost overhead of character.
Establishes the character’s smallness in
the world.
Bird’s Eye View

19. Camera is below character. Emphasizes
the power of the character.Low Angle

20. Camera is placed near or on the ground.Worm’s Eye View

21. Camera is tilted. Can suggest character is
mentally unbalanced.
Dutch Angle/
Canted Angle

22. Make a list of
the different
types of
camera angles
in the clip.
What Do You
See?
Click the image to play the video