In film, television and video production,
every scene contains a series of shots.
Well, that might be obvious, but perhaps less obvious is the diverse
catalog of shots that are commonly used in film and video production
and the different emotions each of these shots can convey.
But what are these types of shots?
How do you achieve them?
And when might be the best time to use them?
Hey, everyone!
I'm Justin, MPB's in-house videographer in Brooklyn, New York,
and in this video, we're going to break down
a list of the most common shots used in filmmaking and video
production.
To show these types of shots,
we'll shoot some examples, talk about their defining characteristics
and show how they can be used to service your film or video story.
And for each shot we recreate, we're going to use a specific lens
that best lends itself to achieving the shot.
We're going to be shooting on the Sony Fx6 operated by camera operator
and director of photography, Maxwell Collins.
We're using a variety of
lenses, some that are more expensive and some that are more affordable.
All of these lenses are used lenses purchased by MPB
and all are available for trade in or purchase at MPB.com.
For the full list, check the description to this video.
It's important to note that more significant
than the brand of lens is each lens’s focal length.
We'll pay special attention to how focal length plays a key role in each shot.
Shots are generally broken down into three sizes
relevant to the subject: wide shots,
, medium shots, and close
shots. While wide shots and close shots are on opposite ends of the spectrum,
medium shots hover and fall in between, allowing a mixture of focus
on the subject and the environment or location.
Wide shots are mainly used to emphasize
place, location, and distance, the lens often being far from the subject
to draw attention to the scene’s surroundings.
Typically, you'll want to choose a wider focal length for a wide shot.
First, we have the extreme wide shot.
These are most commonly used for establishing shots, focusing mainly
on the location or to detail the expense of a location.
It may be a useful tool if you're opening on a scene
and want to show where we are or draw attention to the location. For an
extreme wide shot or an establishing shot, you want to use a wide lens,
so maybe a 16mm, 24mm, or even a 35mm.
Next is the wide shot.
Typically, this shot shows our subject from head to toe, but the location is
still the focus of the scene.
For this example, we're using a 24mm lens,
but you could use something like a 35mm.
As for story or emotional conveyance, beyond just showing us where we are,
these shots can be used to show loneliness, isolation,
or the concept of being small in a big world.
Next, we have the full shot and the medium wide shot.
These shots focus more on the subject, but the main difference is in the name:
the full shot shows the full subject
while the medium wide shot cuts off at around the knee.
We also have the medium shot, which is a bit closer at waist up.
All these shots
still heavily feature the environment, but we're much closer to the subject.
We used a 35mm lens for each of these shots.
A special type of wide shot is the cowboy shot. Made famous by,
you guessed it, western films,
this shot is a slight variation on the medium wide shot
that usually begins at mid-thigh up.
This was to keep the cowboys gun and holster in frame. And angling
the shot upwards can convey a feeling of confidence, power or danger.
I like to use a 35mm for this shot.
Close shots highlight details and emphasize emotion.
For most of our close shots, we're using a 50mm-100 millimeter zoom lens.
But you could also use a wider lens like a 24mm or a 35mm to get an image
that's less flat and that could possibly convey a more disorienting feeling.
First, we have the medium close up.
It still features the environment,
but they're typically more for the subject and start from the chest up.
Then we have a close up where the subject's head and face take up
most of the frame.
This draws attention to a character's reaction or emotional state.
It can be used for underlining a powerful moment in a scene.
Beyond the close up is the extreme close up, which emphasizes
the smallest of details on an object or a subject's face.
These shots tend to be pretty intense and typically call for a long lens.
One slightly different type of close up is a choker.
Chokers are similar to extreme closeups, but are identified by framing
the subject from above the eyebrows to right below the mouth.
It's a very intense shot
and you could use it
when trying to underline a reaction or to convey a feeling of suspense.
In addition to lens choice, shots are also identified
by the camera's position relevant to the subject.
The simplest camera placement
may be at eye level, where the camera's level with the human eye.
This placement is pretty neutral and gives you a lot of room to play with
composition.
High angle or low angle shots evoke more specific emotions. While high
angle shots make characters feel small, low angle shots make them feel big.
There are slightly more stylized shots such as the dutch angle.
The camera's tilted on its roll axis and skews the horizon.
This one's pretty noticeable, common in expressionist filmmaking,
and it's effective when trying to create an uneasy tone.
Another recognizable camera placement is over the shoulder.
When two characters are talking, you shoot on a long lens in a shot
reverse shot system to capture the conversation,
keeping the camera on one side of both of them.
This is pretty standard for two people talking to each other.
But don't be afraid to experiment.
Maybe instead of shooting the conversation from over the shoulder, which conveys
a feeling of being outside the conversation,
What if you put the camera between the characters
and played it out in singles or variations on medium shots?
Maybe it makes you feel more intimate with the conversation, and it definitely
gives the actors room to play within a slightly wider frame.
Try it out next time you shoot two people talking.
When filming conversations, it's useful
to shoot an uninterrupted master shot to cut to if you need it.
A two shot is good for this and often a wider play of the entire scene
and the two shot can be a medium shot, a wide shot, or whatever variation you want.
Some filmmakers may even use this as their only shot for a scene,
allowing for a longer continuous moment rather than a series of cuts.
So now you know most of the shots that every filmmaker starts with. Now
try to apply them to your next project and see what works best for your scene
and your story.
Think about the emotion you want to convey in every moment. It'll help you
in deciding what shots or combination of shots to use
and what type of lens or focal length you want to employ as well.
You can go to MPB.com to browse through our selection of used gear
to find the right lens or lenses for your next film or video production.
And if you have any lenses laying around, we'll buy them from you.
Until next time, I'm Justin from MPB.
Thanks for joining us!