Close Up - The focus of the shot takes up at least 80% of it. It can be used to create empathy and closeness to a character by closing down "personal space".
Extreme Close Up - The camera picks out a feature of a person, object or place and magnifies it, thus giving it significance.
High Angle Shot - The camera is above the subject looking down on them. This usually has the effect of making the subject look smaller than normal, giving them the appearance of being weak.
Low Angle Shot - The camera films the subject from below making them look bigger than normal and so strong, powerful and threatening.
Aerial Shot - The camera films from an aircraft or helicopter creating the sense of freedom and god-like positioning - looking down on the action from above.
Crane/Boom Shot - The camera is on a crane or boom over the action. It has a similar effect to long shots but gives the viewer a sense of power almost god-like.
Pan Shot - The camera moves from side to side on a tripod forming an arc along a horizontal plain. Mimics the movement of the human head looking from side to side. Often used when watching conversation as though the audience were observing.
Tilt Shot - Like a pan shot, but the camera moves up or down on the tripod head instead of from side to side. Again this mimics the movement of the human head, and more importantly the eyes.
Long Shot - A shot from a long distance. Can be of a setting, often used as an establishing shot, or of a person where the fully body is shown. Often used to show isolation, vulnerability and insignificance of other characters.
Medium Shot - The most commonly used shot. The camera is at a medium distance preserving "personal space" between the audience and the action. Very much like the eye level shot, medium shots make the film feel more natural for the viewer.
Dolly/Tracking Shot - The camera is on a track or mounted on a vehicle thus allowing it to move with the action. Gives a sense of movement allowing the audience to keep up with the action.
Eye Level Shot - A shot taken along a horizontal plain level with the audience or character's eye. Most of the shots are taken at eye level because it is the most natural angle making the camera "invisible", giving the audience a sense of being a witness to the shot.
Establishing Shot - A medium to long shot, or a series of shots, that sets the scene acting as the start of a new sequence. It helps to contextualise the narrative, helping the audience make sense of what might happen. The absence of such a shot often creates enigma.
Other Shots:
Canted Angle Shot - The camera sits at a 45 degree angle on the tripod giving a sense of seeing things from an unusual angle.
Zoom Shot - The camera lens is adjusted to make a subject seem closer (zoom in) or further away (zoom out). Zooming in is often used to move towards a character before a revealing moment. Zooming out distances the audience from a character or place.
Two Shot - A shot containing two or more people. It is often used in sequences where the interaction between the two characters if important. Often, it helps to emphasise the relationship between two characters.
Shot - A single piece of film uninterrupted by cuts. Positions the audience in the film.
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