Angles & Perspectives
A shot looking down on a subject to isolate them.
What is a high angle shot?
A shot that shows only the character’s face.
What is a close-up?
A shot where the camera moves horizontally across the scene.
What is a pan shot?
A shot at the beginning of a scene that shows where it takes place.
What is an establishing shot?
An organic, low tech shot that often feels jerky and immediate.
What is a handheld shot?
A shot looking up to make characters look heroic or dominant.
What is a low angle shot?
A medium shot that includes equal view of both characters in the frame.
What is a two-shot?
A smooth shot from a hydraulically balanced camera invented in the late '70s. "Look Ma no hands!"
What is a Steadicam shot?
A shot that marks a change in time or place, often with a moving line on a map.
What is a bridging shot?
A shot where the camera doesn’t move at all.
What is a locked-down shot?
A shot looking straight down on a scene.
What is a top shot (bird’s-eye view)?
A shot that shows a character or object from head to toe.
What is a full shot?
A shot that follows a subject from behind, beside, or in front.
What is a tracking shot?
A shot where the subject is circled by the camera, often representing disorientation.
What is an arc shot?
A shot that moves toward or away from a subject.
What is a zoom?
A shot where the camera is slanted for a disorienting effect.
What is a Dutch tilt?
A shot framed from mid-thigh up, common in Westerns.
What is a cowboy shot?
A dramatic camera effect where the camera tracks in while zooming out.
What is a dolly zoom?
A camera technique where the action continues off-screen.
What is a locked-down shot?
A shot filmed from above the ground, often with drones or helicopters.
What is an aerial shot?
A shot showing what the character sees.
What is a POV shot?
A shot behind one character, often during conversations.
What is an over-the-shoulder shot?
A fast move of the camera from left to right that blurs the image, often with a “whoosh.”
What is a whip pan?
A pre-recorded shot pulled from a collection, like a stock video of a lion.
What is a library shot?
A shot used in horror films to make you see through the killer’s eyes.
What is a POV shot?