Contextual Studies: Camera

CAMERA
Thursday 6th October

"The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle."

Stanley Kubrick

The art of cinematography, making up the basic structure of visual storytelling. Camera serves both the film-maker and audience in the following ways:

• Narrative - visual
• Aethsetics - frames the mise-en-scene
• Psychology - insight into character
• Analysis - a chance to look into the artists' vision

Basic elements of camera shots include:

• The framing, or length of the shot
• The angle
• The movement (if any)

Framing / Shot Length:

• Extreme long shot - taken from a very wide distance, usually used when establishing a setting or location, used to give a general impression rather than specific information
• Long shot - from a wide distance, this shot focuses on characters (making them appear "life" size), but with plenty of background detail
• Medium shot - A shot of a character from the waist up, usually used in dialogue scenes (variations includes 2-shot, over the shoulder shot)
• Close-up - This shot focuses on a single object, for example a face or detail of mise-en-scene. Can be used to show the audience the importance of specific objects within a narrative, or to intimately demonstrate emotion



Blade Runnner (1982)
Example of an extreme close-up

• Extreme Close-up - A tightly focused shot, magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience (e.g: on a face, only individual parts would be focused on)

Angles:

• Bird's eye view - a view of a scene from directly above, putting the audience in a God-like position, perhaps removing them from the narrative
• High Angle - An angle looking down on the action, at less of an extreme than the bird's-eye, making the object appear smaller or less significant
• Eye Level - a neutral position, so that the actor's heads are on a level with the audience
• Low Angle - the opposite of a high angle shot, the low angle is placed looking up at the action, perhaps making the viewer feel powerless and vulnerable, or in order to disorientate them



The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Canted shots were pioneered by expressionit films
of the 1920's-30's, seeking to express emotional meaning
rather than physical reality

• Canted Angle - an angle tilted slightly, suggesting instability and imbalance within a character or the narrative

Movement:

• Pan - a horizontal movement, usually from left to right, as the camera is turned from a fixed position to scan a scene
• Tilt - Similar to a Pan, but vertically
• Dolly Shots - The camera is placed on a moving vehicle and follows the action, otherwise known as tracking
• Hand-held Shots - the camera is held only by hand, allowing a jerky, ragged effect
• Crane Shots - a crane (or jib arm) is used to create shots moving the camera smoothly in all directions, aloft in the air - used to create more complex movements