5 - KNOW YOUR SHOTS

Varying the shots in your movie will serve to hold the viewer’s attention and by using certain shots you can direct the viewer’s emotions.

A wide shot sets the scene for the audience, letting them know where they are.

The closer a person or a subject to the camera, the more the audience understands their significance. A long shot shows the whole person, a mid shot shows the waist up, a close-up shows head and shoulders. Closer than that – just eyes or mouth, say – is more intimate than we would normally see a stranger, so the audience will feel a deeper connection to them.

A point of view shot can give insight into the subject’s thoughts. If we see someone looking intently at something, then see a door from their point of view, we understand they’re awaiting an arrival.

Tracking the camera forwards or backwards, tilting it up or down and panning it left or right all create movement in the shot.

If you want to add a feeling of drama, move away from the eyeline, so that the camera is looking up or down at something. A top shot looking down on the action gives the viewer a feeling of power, while a low angle gives the impression that the subject is dominant.